Looking for a super quiet airbrush compressor

[Aptivaboy]

After 20+ years, my Kopykake Airmaster finally gave up the ghost. It was a pastry and baking compressor used to spray colors onto cakes, and it did a super job spraying models hooked up to my Paasche VL airbrush. I'm of a mind to get another, but wanted to ask if there's a better, super quiet alternative? The current Kopykake goes for around $180 from the manufacturer. Is there something better, quieter, for a comparable price? I'm not a master modeler so I don't need tons of bells and whistles; just simple durability and reliability.

Many thanks,

Bob

[jpolacchi]

Speaking of air compressors...I may need to get another one. I never really was able to get my Binks compressor to work.

[Bellerophon]

I wanted a quiet compressor that wouldn't wake my wife up late at night, so I started shopping around. I noticed compressors with different brand names (Speedaire, Paasche, etc.) looked exactly the same. This told me they're probably mechanically identical and all made in the same factory in China. I got the cheapest one on Amazon ( around $70, I recall) and it works fine and doesn't wake anyone up. Just makes a Walter Mittyesque "pocketa, pocketa" sound. It seems to have a thermal cut-off, because it stops running for a while if it's on too long.

[Rogviler]

For very quiet you're probably on the right track with the cake decorating type. There are a lot out there, even Duff Goldman has one.

I was looking at the pro Paasche compressors, like the DC850R, but they stopped making them I think.

I've also been wanting to try making one out of a refrigerator compressor, but I've never found a reliable guide on them. Lots of "cobble some parts together and you're done" videos out there, but high pressure systems aren't something you want to just guess at. Would be dead silent though.

[Andrew Gorman]

When I was looking into a very quiet compressor a CO2 tank seemed like the best idea. Tank rental and filling it were super cheap compared to a compressor. Did not do it- moved instead- but call up your local airgas or air liquide for a price.