Who uses an airbrush ?

[Percymon 2184]

Interested to hear how many people actually use an airbrush for painting rather than the rattle cans. I've to date used rattle cans for my RCs and I'm pretty happy with the results. Somewhere at my parents i have a Paasche airbrush i used many years ago to restore persimmon wood golf clubs (hence my username!). With a Bruiser on the way i noted Joe Anderson using airbrush rather than rattle cans.

I always got good finishes with my airbush spraying varnish/lacquers, whereas rattle cans seem to be more prone to orange peel in my hands (Tamiya TS and 1:1 auto paints)

Any views ?

[No Slack 454]

I use an airbrush for hard body shells (and for all my static modeling).

An airbrush gives you more control and more choice of colors. My problem with rattle cans is that the presure is to high causing orange peeling and a lot of overspray.

Also an airbrush can be used for smaller details. Nice is that you can use an airbrush to touch up damage without problems.

And another benefit: the quantity of paint needed is minimal.

[ian_foster 0]

I painted my first every shell the other week with cans. Never again! so much waste and zero control. takes ages to dry and the propellant is proper toxic. Eventually I got a decent finish, but I'll only ever use my airbrush from now on. It'll work out much cheaper and the finish will be easier to assure consistancy. Plus thinner coats will dry faster meaning less airborne fluff getting on there.

[TA-Mark 195]

I'm one that prefers the airbrush over rattlecans. Once you get a little practice on the airbrush with fluid and airflow control you'll avoid spraycans whenever you can. About the only time I go for a can is when I'm spraying the pre-packaged chrome finishes, and that's usually on a full sheet of parts before I cut them from the parts tree.

[Skottoman 306]

I have 2 airbrushes, but have only used them for Fascolor Lexan paints which are waterbased.

I'm a total beginner, and always have problems with airpressure, getting the paint to feed, etc.

I do love mixing my own colors, but don't know how to go about it with lacquers, etc.

I've had really good results with rattle cans, but I know I could do so much more if I could master the airbrush.

Cheers,

Skottoman

[Dephcon5 2]

which airbrush are you guys using?

[Daves956 157]

I've got the airbrush and compressor, did the old lexan shells with it and still use it on static or plastic stuff. There isn't anyone within a 200 mile radius that sells anything now but rattle cans for lexan or polycarbonite bodies. I wish I could buy it and skip the cans.

[No Slack 454]

My airburshes are: a Badger 150 and a Revell Profi. The compressor I use is from Tamiya.

[Jools 0]

It's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. If you're doing larger areas of flat colour the rattle can is ok, but if you're doing areas of colour gradation (one colour fading into another) an airbrush is the only way to go, - a much finer 'mist' and smoother gradation of colour. It does take a fair bit of practise to get airbrush technique right... air pressure, needle size, flow rate, paint viscosity etc.

[Singleseven 70]

I'm a relative newbie at painting, and for now I'm using rattlers with some pleasing results so far (WW figure head - helmet). to be honest the thought of using an air brush seems a right chew-on; air-pressure, flow rate and viscosity etc. The cans are very convenient, but then I guess it depends on what you're painting as Jools suggests.

[ralphee 293]

Airbrush here, though i did cheat the other day and use a rattle on the Avante as id bought the tin. Ive never seen using the airbrush as more work, i use it for all my modeling applications, so its a tool that i hold dearly, and you really do get what you pay for, i use a few from the Tamiya trigger range, and ive got a Tamiya single action, which for a single action, isnt too bad at all.

lee

[94eg! 834]

Air brush is fine for fancy stuff. But if your going to do a large area of plain solid color, then rattle can all the way.

I did this body with an air-brush, and I don't think I will bother ever again. Used Pactra Polycarb Lacquer. That stuff was super nasty (10 times worse than any PS can) and would make lots of cotton candy out of the paint as it sprayed. Also ruined my needle cause I didn't clean it off quick enough. Now I do all my Lexan work with cans.

More pics here (for fancy rattle-can touring cars look at the other pages): http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p53/94e...;cpZZ3QQtppZZ24

Air Brush:

Rattle Can:

[TongueTied 56]

+1 on the airbrush

I haven't been using an airbrush for long (about 2 years now) but since starting to use one, I can never go back to rattle cans. I use a Badger 100LG with a Fine, Medium and Large needles depending on what I am trying to do.