Good airbrush setup

[Patrick2005]

I've been thinking I'd like to get into airbrushing and was wondering what kinds are good and worth the money with good results?

[Longbox55]

I'm partial to the Paasche model V myself, the model H is pretty good, too.

[935k3]

The Paasche "H" model airbrush is a great choice for somebody starting out and it will last a lifetime.

[walt francis]

I am really happy with my Badger Anthum model 155

DUAL ACTION, INTERNAL MIX, SIPHON (BOTTOM) FEED

The Anthem®, Model 155, is the most comfortable, reliable, proficient, cost effective, user friendly airbrush ever. The two angle needle tip precisely mates with the Anthem's cone shaped nozzle enabling a single needle/nozzle configuration to spray virtually any desired material, thus eliminating the need for fine, medium, or large needle/nozzle variations. The Anthem's body design provides exacting balance and long term user comfort. The Anthem® also provides flawless performance in the most rigorous of production airbrushing environments.

FEATURES

• Single needle/nozzle for spraying all mediums, inks, dyes, watercolors, acrylics, enamels, lacquers, glazes, latex, Air-Opaqueª, Air-Tex®, MODELflex® Totally Tattoo® and Totally Tanª colors

• Single needle/nozzle sprays pencil lines to 3" (76mm) spray pattern

• Minimal spare parts to stock

• Easy maintenance and cleaning

• Fastest needle release on the market

• Finger tight assembly tolerances

• Excellent for multiple applications for novice to advanced airbrushers

• Lifetime warranty on labor and PTFE seals

• Fine replacement parts now available

[Patrick2005]

ok where would one purchase these?

[spad007]

ok where would one purchase these?

I got my copy of a badger at harbor freight for under 20 bucks it looks just like the one above

except its a central pneumatic brand copied in china. you must get all the hose and adapters for your set up separate

i payed much less than everybody else for the same brush.

try one then you can move up after you learn to operate it please do a few searches on Google look for all the kinds you can find

i have a model H too but cant find it packed away some where ?

i also bought a compressor there for 40 bucks has a 3 gallon tank.

get a water trap..

.. look at what hobby lobby has too.. my local store has repair parts for some of what they sell on the shelf unlike harbor freight.

[LoneWolf15]

A Paache H series set can be purchased at dixieart.com for around $63.00 which includes shipping . Everything is included to get you started . Next , you'll need a compressor with a tank ( Lowes , Sears , Home Depot ),a regulator , and a inline moisture trap .

You'll want to use the # 5 needle and head assembly for maximum coverage. Nice thing about the H series ... When you need parts , they are readily available from the same place you bought it ! As long as you take care of it , it will last you for many years and perform like a champ !

Never buy cheap when it comes to your modeling equipment , it will always comes back and bite you in the backside !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

[crazyjim]

Paasche H series single action. Chicago Air Brush has them the chaepest and was doing free shipping. 3 gallon compressor came from Lowe's. I went with the Paasche last year because folks here said it was good - especially the Master - Donn Yost.

[Terry Sumner]

If you've never used an airbrush before, you should be aware that there are 2 basic designs...single and double action. In the single action, when you press the trigger, a predetermined amount of paint comes out. This is determined by where you set the adjustment screw at the rear of the brush. On a double action unit, when you depress the trigger, only air comes out. Then, when you pull the trigger backwards the paint flows out. How far back you pull the trigger will determine how MUCH paint comes out. Pull a little way...you get a little paint. Pull all the way back you get the maximum amount of paint. So when you paint with a double action airbrush you are constantly regulating the air and paint by manipulating your touch on the trigger up and down and forward and back. This can take some getting used to!

You may be better off as a beginner to use the single action brush as it is much easier to control it! A Badger 200 is a good example of this type of airbrush. The Badger 150 and Badger Anthem 155 are examples of a double action airbrush. IMHO a single action brush is just fine for painting car models. The dual action is much better at making fine lines and is great for doing complicated camo schemes on aircraft models but is unnecessary for model car bodies. If you get to where you feel comfortable to try things like true fire and other special effects then the double action is the better choice.

[Darren B]

I have a badger, Thayer and Chandler and three Aztec airbrushes all double action, and I prefer the Aztecs because they are as trouble free as you can get for maintenance. As long as you clean them out as soon as you are done with them. When Im done shooting paint i run lacquer thinner thru them, even if using water based paints as Tamiya acrylics. Have not had a problem with the Aztecs at all as long as you keep em clean.

this is one of the models of the aztecs that I found at our local open air flea market. Brand new they sold it to me for $30.00. Its the one that I go to first for every paint job, simple or complex because its so easy just load shoot, spray, then clean. Thats it, no adjusting trouble free.!!!

Edited April 19, 2011 by Darren B

[Iron Fist]

I have an all original 26 year old Paasche VL, still works like a charm; the model is still available today with an upgraded trigger valve.

Edited April 20, 2011 by Iron Fist

[diymirage]

before i left the hobby about 10 years ago i had a badger 150

it was a great dual action brush but being young i was too rough on it, i didnt take good care of it, didnt clean it well and so the needle never lasted long which did affect the quality of the paintjob

when i got back into the hobby a few years ago i was reluctant to buy a new brush, not knowing for sure if i would stick with it

so i went over to menards (a home improvement store) and bought there store brand starter brush, a extremly simplyfied plastic bodied brush i pay about 20 dollars for

once i decided i was sticking with it i had to choose a new brush and i ended up with the paasche brush shown above

(the one with the needle underneath the body)

i must say, this brush is so much easier to take care of then the dual action was and i really like it

[935k3]

Some people like their Azteks but when you see what they cost and look at this pic they look like a toy compared to quality airbrushes. I would not expect this to last a life time like an Iawata, Badger or Paasche.

Edited April 20, 2011 by 935k3

[Patrick2005]

I was checking out some of the above models and was curious, whats the best feed type? I saw siphon and gravity feed. I have no knowledge when it comes to these. I'm mostly looking for a good detail setup to do pinstripes and accents and such if that helps narrow it down any.

[diymirage]

if on not mistaking gravity fed brushes can run with lower airpresure but syphon fed brushes have a larger capacity

sounds to me a gravity fed brush will do just fine for you

(one thing to keep in mind though, there are gravity fed brushes with fixed cups. when this cup does not have a lid (and they usually dont) there is the rist of getting caught up in the moment and holding the brush at an angle that will allow you to hit the perfect spot that needs painting but it will also allow paint to drop out of the cup and onto the model)

[Iron Fist]

Gravity feeds will allow you to do finer detail like hair width strokes, however the advantage to syphon feeds is the ease of colors changes, run a bit of lacquer thinner through the airbrush and swap in the next color bottle.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Iron Fist

[Patrick2005]

I was looking at a Paasche VSR90 any feedback on this one?

[Dr. Cranky]

One word: IWATA.

Actually, a few words . . . IWATA ECLIPSE, it runs about 127 dollars and it will indeed last you a lifetime. It will allow you to shoot lacquer, enamel, urethanes, acrylics . . . anything . . . Hairspray!

[Iron Fist]

I just finished reading the instruction manual on the VSR90, it looks like a decent airbrush and at a good price, also I like that it has interchangable paint cups (something the IWATA ECLIPSE lacks).

The only thing I foresee is you will probably need to mix your paints thinner than a syphon airbrush at around 2:1(2 part thinner : 1 part paint) but that is something everybody has to learn and experiment with and eventually the airbrush will be an extension of your hand.

[High octane]

ok where would one purchase these?

Check out Michaels & Hobby Lobby and make sure that you bring your 40% off couon.

[935k3]

I have to second the good doctor. Since I bought my Iawata Eclipse HP-CS(gravity feed) I pretty much stopped using all my other airbrushes. They are absolute quality. I got mine at Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon for around $107. It came with a nice inline water trap. You can use a Iawata hose or get an adapter for a Paasche hose like I use. You can also buy preset handles to use them like a single action airbrush.

[bigmikevee]

Hey Patrick,

I have to agree with the good Doctor Cranky and with Dale about the Iwata, I also have the identical brush, it is a wonderful airbrush, gravity feed gives you a finer, softer pattern if you desire, there is a cap to put on the top of the paint cup in case you tip your brush, but with experience, you will rarely use it. Double action is the way to go for long-term in becoming a great painter, you will figure it out after a couple of sessions, it is all about getting control of the paint, with control comes the paint jobs you always looked at but never thought you could do....until now.I used to have a Badger 150, very good brush as well, but cleaning was a bear, besides the brush you had to clean the siphon tubes and the bottle or bottles you sprayed with, the cup that attaches for small amounts of paint was easy to clean compared to the bottles, but still.....

On the Iwata, if doing a color change, just spray lacquer thinner through the brush, remove and wipe down the needle (carefully), go around the paint cup with a Q-tip with thinner on it, reassemble, and shoot again. Cleaning between colors takes less than 2 minutes, and at the end of a session a thorough cleanup takes about 5-6 minutes. Mix paint in seperate bottle if you need a lot, stir and add to your color cup as needed, never could figure out why people think they need these huge bottles of paint for these small cars.... Balances nicely in your hand, solid, sturdy, my skills have really improved since getting this brush.

If you get a compressor with a regulator on it, you can dial presssure way down, and with practice, spray a line that is pencil-thin, just practice, practice, practice (and watch Dr. Cranky's videos!!) Got my brush online frpm TCP Global Paint Supplies, sent with a compressor combo setup, a little pricey, but will last pretty much forever. Used them for some other stuff, very helpful on the phone, fast shipping, careful packing, would have bought from a LHS if I could have found someone who could answer my very simple questions. (Sorry moderators for plugging TCP, but the LHS's all fell so flat on this one, gave them a chance, ya know?)

Good luck Patrick, two more tips for your setup....I spray in the garage, but move the compressor into the guest closet when done, don't want the humidity to rust out inside the tank, and...clean your brush thoroughly, will make everything so much easier. I had also gotten a bunch of rattle cans before I got serious about learning the airbrush, now I just decant them and spray thrugh the brush, just can't see the need for cans except on a very limited basis, the control and ease of use with a brush is indescribable. Good luck!!

Mike

Edited April 21, 2011 by bigmikevee

[Don Wheeler]

Some people like their Azteks but when you see what they cost and look at this pic they look like a toy compared to quality airbrushes. I would not expect this to last a life time like an Iawata, Badger or Paasche.

I'd just like to add that the photo came from my website where you can find details of the Badger 155, the Paasche H, the Aztek and several other airbrushes. And it would have been nice if you had given me credit for it.

Don

[935k3]

Well, excuse me Don. I used a google image search which lets you see the pic and copy it's location without even seeing the website .

Edited April 23, 2011 by 935k3

[Pete J.]

You asked where to by this stuff. I would suggest you look at this web site. http://www.coastairbrush.com/ They have everything you can imagine in airbrush stuff along with tips, tutorial, and just general information. They are the largest airbrush supplier in the USA and have a great shop to stop by if you can. If you are in SoCal, they are about 10 minutes from Disneyland. If it is airbrush stuff and they don't have it, you don't need it. Seriously, they really are the best. You might give them a call and see what they suggest. Their opinion will be based on something other than "I have a xxxx and it is great". No offense intended to any one here, but these guys have a really broad base of experience with all thing airbrush just not a single product.