Airbrush Buying Advice

[Artsy 0]

Hey guys,

Can anyone advise me on an inexpensive quality airbrush and compressor, must be the budget end of the scale.

Many thanks

[HunterZero 76]

Hey guys,

Can anyone advise me on an inexpensive quality airbrush and compressor, must be the budget end of the scale.

Many thanks

Well... You've said 'inexpensive', and 'quality' in the same breath... So I'll recommend something entry level from a good quality brand.

Iwata, Paasche and Badger airbrushes seem to be quite commonly recommended. Compressor... Depends what you can get near you at art and hobby shops. They're a heavy item typically, so aren't cheap to ship.

Single action airbrushes are cheaper, something like a Paasche H series. I'd probably recommend this one, with a D500 or D200 compressor. If you're just starting, you probably won't miss the double action feature.

If your painting larger areas, eg body shells, an external mix airbrush will produce a larger spray. Internal mix will produce a finer spray for detail work. Some airbrushes allow different nozzles to vary the spray pattern.

- James

[TA-Mark 195]

I get pretty good results with a Tamiya Spray Works. Ideal for RC bodies... and it's cheap compared to the pro setups.

It has fluid volume control on the gun but to get air volume control you need to power it with something other than a 7.2v pack or the AC/DC adapter (Both fixed voltage). Varying how fast the motor in the compressor runs will vary your air pressure and volume. A model train speed controller works perfect to power the compressor.

If you want to do very detailed work or murals I would suggest one of the pro airbrushes and a compressor with a tank and regulator.

[namfreak 0]

I'm in a similar position - except I always veer toward a "mid range" product if I know little about them!

I've seen there are Airbrushes that work from a can of compressed air. Are these not worth the metal they're made from or are they any good?

I'd want a good all rounder - an airbrush that can do body shells as well as detailed work.

Any recommendations anyone?

[Mud-Plugger 2]

Having bought a single action airbrush and realising its limitations, I can only recommend that a dual action type is the one to go for. You can save a lot of money by just purchasing a tyre adaptor and using the air from a tyre rather than spend it on a compressor and then realise you haven't bought one that really suits your needs. Plus it's silent!

Mud.

[namfreak 0]

So without me knowing what a single action / dual action airbrush is, are you saying that the ones that operates from a can of compressed air are OK?

[Mud-Plugger 2]

Dual action gives you the ability to control with just one finger, both the air flow and the amount of paint you allow into that airflow. Working from a can doesn't really give you a good supply of air at a constant pressure for too long, whereas a car tyre can be pumped up and set to a specific pressure and as it's a relatively large vessel, that pressure would remain constant for longer.

Here's a link to a very informative simply laid out website.

http://www.howtoairbrush.com/airbrushs.htm

Mud.

[terry.sc 16]

I've seen there are Airbrushes that work from a can of compressed air. Are these not worth the metal they're made from or are they any good?

Every airbrush can work from a can of air, and every airbrush can work from a compressor. The cans of air are just an alternative air supply. If you want to keep cost down and you are only spraying occasionally then cans of air will do fine as they are cheaper than a compressor. For example this body and this one were painted using cans of air and a cheap badger single action airbrush. If you are planning on doing a reasonable amount of bodies a compressor is a worthwhile investment. In my case in the end I bought a big general purpose compressor, useful for cleaning off the cars after running amongst other uses. The downside of a general purpose compressor is you have to get used to them suddenly starting up and they make a lot of noise. Compressors designed for airbrushing can't be used for anything else, but they operate almost silently.

I'd want a good all rounder - an airbrush that can do body shells as well as detailed work.

A bit of a contradiction here, something that is capable doing detail work won't be able to do the main background colour on a bodyshell without replacing the airbrush nozzle with a wider one. Rather than have two airbrushes I work with an airbrush for detail work then use a cheap Revell spray gun or aerosols for the main colour as they give better coverage.

For a suggestion of an airbrush the new PremiAir G35 on body painting tests by the UKs number one professional body painter Telsshells has outperformed the Iwata Revolution and Paasche Talon airbrushes costing over twice as much. Perfect to get you started for only 30.

For advice on body painting there's everything you need to know in this guide by HauntedMyst.

http://www.rctech.net/articles/painting_hauntedmyst.shtml

[ChrisB 0]

If you have a garage or a shed, or somewhere to keep a compressor close to where you can use it I would go for a small compressor and a mid range dual action airbrush. If you have a MachineMart nearby go in and sign up for their mailing list. You will get monthly invites to "VAT free" days where all Clarke products are 15% off.

I think the Clarke dual action airbrush is actually a rebranded Badger, and the Clarke compressors are an OK budget brand. A compresssor is actually really useful for loads of things - you will be surprised at how much you use it. As with most tools in the longer run it usually pays to get the best quality you can afford at the time. I've lost count of the number of times I have ended up going for the no-name bargain tool, only to end up buying the same tool as the bargain one wasn't really up to the job (whats the phrase - buy cheap, buy twice (from a quality perspective))!

Thats doesn't mean there aren't cheap good quality tools out there, you just need to be prepared to look around for the deals - applies to compressors and airbrushes as much as anything else.

Personally I use a cheap Tiger compressor (MachineMart - about 80 quid on offer 3 years ago), along with an Iwata Revolution dual action airbrush (not cheap but its a joy to use and easy to clean - feels like it will last forever).

[namfreak 0]

So are the Revell airbrushes not that good?

[jozza 1]

So are the Revell airbrushes not that good?

Depends. The 12 one is not particularly brilliant, but they do a range of brushes from cheap to high end. I've got a Revell Vario dual action which came as a bundle with compressor (wasn't that cheap though!). I've not actually used it, but it looks and feels good quality.

My favourite airbrush for use with Faskolor paints is the Aztek A470 which has the option of either bottom feeding the paint or top feed. Top feed is essential for acrylics like Faskolor, as it is so thick that it won't suck up the pipe on a bottom feed brush. If you are using enamel or other solvent based paints, a bottom feed brush would be fine. The advantage of the Aztek is that you can change it from single action to dual action, so you can start with single action to get the hang of things, and then simply turn a dial to make it dual action when you get more confident of your technique.

I recommend a compressor; I have tried both the air cans and car tyre methods, and whilst they are okay, the main problem is getting a consistent rate of air flow, as the air in the can/tyre runs out, the pressure drops too. A good compressor will keep the air pressure level. When buying a compressor, make sure it has an air tank. Some of the cheaper ones don't, and you can end up with a spatter effect as the compressor unit sends out puffs of air to the brush. With a tank feeding the brush, the pressure stays level.

It's quite a big subject really, and each person has their own preference. I suggest that you go for a well known mid range brush with a can of air, and if you find it works out, then get the compressor. Otherwise you could be spending a lot of money if you find that you don't get on with it. But if you've got a lot of money to spare, get a good brush and compressor like I did, and then expect to spend many hours in the garden shed fine tuning your technique!

[namfreak 0]

Thanks for such a detailed reply.

Yes I see revell do a cheap one and then you go up the scale.

I was considering the Revell's as they seem to have a wide range and I'm guessing they're German made? I think they actually sell a couple of their own brand compressors.

I'll keep my eye out for the "Vario" one

I never buy the cheapest of anything - I'd always prefer to get a mid to high range item that will fulfill my needs.

I'd be using acrylic paints and from using Tamiya paints I find them a bit thick so i would have to thin them down for airbrush use...

Like you say....practice the technique beforehand!!

[jozza 1]

Yep, the paint would definitely need thinning down to use with an airbrush. Faskolor paint is a bit unusual in that you shouldn't thin it for spraying; it should be the consistency of custard/thin cream, so a gravity feed brush is an essential.

If you are interested in a 2nd hand but NIB and unused Vario at a good price, send me a PM . However, bear in mind that it's a bottom feed, not gravity fed brush so you might prefer to go for one of the Badger gravity fed ones if you are going to be using acrylic paints...

[TA-Mark 195]

I wouldn't recommend a vacuum feed gun to anyone. Slightest leak in the system and it spits and carries on at the job making a nice mess of your finish. I won't even use a vacuum feed gun on a 1:1 car. Throwing spray putty at a 1:1 car with a huge fluid nozzle is about the only use I've found for them with paint.

I tried 3 colour metal flake (silver/red/blue) on 'hurt your eyes' yellow lastnight on my DF03MS body with the Tamiya Spray Works (vintage one apparently). It looked good off the gun but I've not seen how it dried yet.

[namfreak 0]

Thanks for the offer on the "Vario" Jozza, but like you say - if acrylics need to be gravity fed they might not be the way to go.

I did notice Revell also do a "top and bottom feed" brush - same as the Vario but they call it the "Flexible":

http://www.revell.de/en/products/model_kit...=39109&sp=1

I really would like to use the Tamiya acrylic paints on a Wild Willy 2 I'm commencing shortly, but after that I'd like to use it on other plastic model kits, where I'm going to be attempting a bit of pre-shading / weathering. As for what paints I'll use for the plastic models I'm not sure yet, but would like to be able to draw from my stock of Tamiya acrylics