Airbrush recommendations please

[Captain Black]

Hi all. I am considering getting an airbrush and would like some suggestions on what brands I should consider. A kit (plug and play) would be great but not essential. Cheers 

(Please forgive the double post, I asked same question in another section of forum.)

[ReDevil]

Any from big four. Iwata, Badger, H & S, Paasche. Just not chainise knock ofs. Im just start minis. So can't give you expert opinions about painting them. But about airbrush vgot some experience       From spec models for first I will go for Velocity from Badger. Or  H & S Evolution 0.2 nozzle. And important. Dont buy your first one used.

[Blackbard77]

I use the Paasche currently. I hope to eventually upgrade to a H&S

[ReDevil]

Throw in a little more Mate, but not too much, because English is not my first language.
Badger:

Velocity, Chrome, Spirit, Jet, Sotar (they all almost same Renegade family, only Sotar wgot few differences, Chrome is upgradet version but Im not big fan of him)

+Reliable

+Price
+Cheap spare parts
+Easy to dismantle
+Little number of seals
+Two sets of sizes 2 '3' perfect for detail, and still wgot posibilitis tu put primer etc
+And the biggest advantage of doing very well with detail on weaker/worst/thicker paints. Thats realy sweet thing when you start/learn

-Sometimes a little sloppy execution
-A few years ago they released some f ... ed up needles. Fixed now, but I've lost trust.

H&&: Ultra> evolution> infinity. (From left to right. More expensive, then better models. All share the same needle and nozzle. But the higher model is, more fun options. I'm not a fan of the cheapest, because it has a one-piece needle cap & air head. During painting, you can not come to a needle. But after a time you can buy set of parts from evolution)
Evolution Alu lighter model

+ They look sexy 
+ Precision execution
+ lots of additional options (nozzle needels from 1.5 -2 -4 -6 ...) Cups, side fiding option, convertible parts between models
+ reliability
+ You can build your own custom with your name on the the manufacturer site 

-not realy, just mabe price of parts or complicated structure. But it is all relative

You want 2' maybe 4' for bigger jobs, and after some time try 1.5 needle noozle sets but dont start from that.

[Captain Black]

13 minutes ago, ReDevil said:

Throw in a little more Mate, but not too much, because English is not my first language.
Badger:

Velocity, Chrome, Spirit, Jet, Sotar (they all almost same Renegade family, only Sotar wgot few differences, Chrome is upgradet version but Im not big fan of him)

+Reliable

+Price
+Cheap spare parts
+Easy to dismantle
+Little number of seals
+Two sets of sizes 2 '3' perfect for detail, and still wgot posibilitis tu put primer etc
+And the biggest advantage of doing very well with detail on weaker/worst/thicker paints. Thats realy sweet thing when you start/learn

-Sometimes a little sloppy execution
-A few years ago they released some f ... ed up needles. Fixed now, but I've lost trust.

H&&: Ultra> evolution> infinity. (From left to right. More expensive, then better models. All share the same needle and nozzle. But the higher model is, more fun options. I'm not a fan of the cheapest, because it has a one-piece needle cap & air head. During painting, you can not come to a needle. But after a time you can buy set of parts from evolution)
Evolution Alu lighter model

+ They look sexy 
+ Precision execution
+ lots of additional options (nozzle needels from 1.5 -2 -4 -6 ...) Cups, side fiding option, convertible parts between models
+ reliability
+ You can build your own custom with your name on the the manufacturer site 

-not realy, just mabe price of parts or complicated structure. But it is all relative

You want 2' maybe 4' for bigger jobs, and after some time try 1.5 needle noozle sets but dont start from that.

 

Great information ReDevil. Thank you. I am looking at the H&S website now. What about compressors for the H&S? And what paints are best used?

[ReDevil]

Just fev word on rest brands:
Iwata:

Flagship micron. Number one among photorealists. And for detail.
But it seems to me that at the beginning it would be a total overkill.
Really expensive. To pull it requires more skill and experience and good paints.
Very easy to damage. Replacement of parts can turn into a nightmare.
And as for the remaining on the mid-range. In my opinion, more interesting options you have in the competition brands.

Paasche.
Somehow I have the impression that has been left behind.
VL damn fuggly but indestructible and great for adventure of starting. But rather not to detail. It works well for me as a mini mini gun in clear coating and priming 
VR.VJR same but for detail. There was one guy in photoreal that do magic. Alberto Ponno. But I do not know I do not use.

They wgot hawk but wgot no experience.

Edited September 8, 2016 by ReDevil
Put "n" in the Fella Surname :)

[ReDevil]

Commpresors: Its simple. More money then better :).

Low range: All this chainise on ebay, amaizon. If its works, good, you save yourself some money.

Medium range not oil ones: Badger, Revell, Paashe, Interesting Taiwan made Sparmax TC-610H
EURO-TEC 16A used by my friends.

Do not buy Iwata, overpriced PoS, made in Taiwan. And one death to me :(.

High end: Oil ones, vgot Bambi 24l budget line. Quiet, lots of air reserve. For minis use, maybe price overkill.

The good options is to build yourself from fridge

Do not buy the smallest ones, toys for nails painting.

And keap eye on loud level.

[ReDevil]

Paints: Just vgot experience with airbrush ones. Probably with most of them :). But dont go for spec airbrush paints. They can suck badly with minis. For fev reasons.

I write more after I get some experience. But go for spec for minis. Like Valejo, Scale 75 etc. And ask experienced minis painters.

[ReDevil]

Ow forget if you go for H&S infinity grab CR+. Better coating

[Captain Black]

1 hour ago, ReDevil said:

Ow forget if you go for H&S infinity grab CR+. Better coating

This one? It's sexy beast  http://www.harder-airbrush.eu/en/infinity.html#infinitycrplus

Lots of info again. Will start to research this one I think.

[ReDevil]

Yep thats one 

You can mess with colors and name it, hire:

https://www.build-an-airbrush.de/en/konfigurator

Or go for 2 in 1

Two setups of needles-nozzles and two cups.

Take your time Mate, its can be overhelming at start. You need some accesories to, a special for cleaning.

Uk shop with H&S what I like, but do a search job, maybe you find better deal. Or go for manufacturer shop.

https://www.everythingairbrush.com/

 

[SinJ]

I'd recommend starting on the low end of cost for the airbrush itself, and would highly recommend trying out a friend's if you haven't airbrushed before. It takes more time and effort to maintain and troubleshoot compared to paintbrush. That said if you get a great setup going it cuts painting time in half even with cleanup and makes an overall more neat space. I run an Iwata Eclipse HPCS with a Sparmax TC 2000. Do your research on the compressor as you can get a clone compressor for significantly cheaper than buying a flagship brand compressor. Sparmax to Badger for example. I started with a Badger Sotar 20/20 which was something of a lemon, I love my Iwata now as it will take pretty much any paint I throw into it and is very easy to tech and clean. I literally only had it clog after I put varnish that wasn't thinned down through it.

In any case do all the research you can before pulling the trigger as their are a ton of resources out there.

[ringsnake]

I've been using a Badger Patriot (105 I think?) and I don't think I'll ever use another company. Not necessarily because they make a great product, but because their customer service is exceptional. I'm really not that good with it to judge how well it compares to others, but as a beginner I've found it to be very forgiving.

The cheapo Testor's airbrushes from craft stores are godawful.

Honestly though, I get as much or more use out of my single action airbrush, it's some generic el cheapo that I snagged for $15, and mostly use my Badger that way too. Don't spend crazy money like getting a top of the line Iwata if you're just starting out.

Where I diverge in a big way from most people is in the air supply I use, or rather, the CO2 supply I use.

I have a 35# CO2 tank and regulator that I purchased from a Welding supply shop for about $150. It's heavy and takes up a lot of space, but requires no power outlet, is totally silent, doesn't pulse, and does not require a moisture trap. Once you get the first tank, refills are something like $10, and my last refill lasted about three years. The only real challenge I had was finding an adapter that would join the welding regulator for the tank to the airbrush hoses. You find them in the gas appliances section of the largest hardware or home improvement store in your area. If you share living space, or live in a condo or apartment and need a silent air supply for some reason, it's the only affordable option.

Oh, and I highly recommend a high quality HEPA filter gas mask if you're going to use it indoors. I can feel it in my lungs if I use my airbrush for extended periods of time without the mask; especially if I'm undercoating large numbers of models with the single action.

[ReDevil]

Yo SJW

I wrote earlier about airbrushes oriented for detail.  With setups Velocity 2' and H&S 0.2, Sotar running with 2' to. They work nice on thinned, good paints.

Setups 3' in Renegade line and 0.4 on H&S easy let you work with Valejo primer, diluted varnishes & metalic paints.

Iwata Eclipse HPCS  is more for medium to large works. So that's why you have much less cloggings and problems. Don't get me wrong Eclipse is good and popular gun. But you will be have similar experience with Badgers: mentioned by Ringsnake 105 Patriot and rest of that type 155 Anthem and 360. They have same needle+nozzle. Different feeding. 360 is interesting because you got two options bottom suction from bottles and top from small cup for detail.

H&S you can put 0.6 setup. But thats is a little bit waste of good detail airbrush. For that you can buy Collani.

From Paasche mentioned before VL. That Fat Boy is a monster " It works well for me as a mini mini gun in clear coating and priming " yep It was a Mipa filler-primer used in car painting and clearcoat was 2K with hardener. Creazy stuff

Talon(I name before Hawk  ) is perfect all rounder to.

As you can see I have some Iwatas also :). And in past I had TR1. But I was not happy with that brush and give that to my friend. Who was into Iwatas. 

For me, this company is like GW :))) I Dislike monopoly. And in past I had some big issues with their overpriced products :(.

I have Sotar to. Its pre Renegade series model. And nothing special.

Single action Airbrushes. They may be a good idea for the priming varnishing or putting a base coat.
They are cheap as chips.

PS

I'm sorry for my writing. I hope that after all something is possible to understand 

[ringsnake]

You can get different needles and nozzles for the Badger, so out of the box it is for garage kit sized work, but IIRC the needle and nozzle for smaller scale set me back about $20 I think? As I said earlier, it's a very forgiving airbrush, and very easy to clean. Best of all, if you have any problems with it, you can call Badger and they'll help you out. They have top notch customer service. My airbrush went through a house fire, so i called them and askied if there was some way to repair it. 

They replaced it for me. 

I will never use another brand of airbrush. Their airbrush paints are really good too.

[SinJ]

6 hours ago, ReDevil said:

Yo SJW

I wrote earlier about airbrushes oriented for detail.  With setups Velocity 2' and H&S 0.2, Sotar running with 2' to. They work nice on thinned, good paints.

Setups 3' in Renegade line and 0.4 on H&S easy let you work with Valejo primer, diluted varnishes & metalic paints.

Iwata Eclipse HPCS  is more for medium to large works. So that's why you have much less cloggings and problems. Don't get me wrong Eclipse is good and popular gun. But you will be have similar experience with Badgers: mentioned by Ringsnake 105 Patriot and rest of that type 155 Anthem and 360. They have same needle+nozzle. Different feeding. 360 is interesting because you got two options bottom suction from bottles and top from small cup for detail.

H&S you can put 0.6 setup. But thats is a little bit waste of good detail airbrush. For that you can buy Collani.

From Paasche mentioned before VL. That Fat Boy is a monster " It works well for me as a mini mini gun in clear coating and priming " yep It was a Mipa filler-primer used in car painting and clearcoat was 2K with hardener. Creazy stuff

Talon(I name before Hawk  ) is perfect all rounder to.

As you can see I have some Iwatas also :). And in past I had TR1. But I was not happy with that brush and give that to my friend. Who was into Iwatas. 

For me, this company is like GW :))) I Dislike monopoly. And in past I had some big issues with their overpriced products :(.

I have Sotar to. Its pre Renegade series model. And nothing special.

Single action Airbrushes. They may be a good idea for the priming varnishing or putting a base coat.
They are cheap as chips.

PS

I'm sorry for my writing. I hope that after all something is possible to understand 

All good man I think I got the gist. I definitely agree that Iwatas are overpriced, I ended up getting mine 50% off here in the states so ended up getting away with it for $90. I generally use my airbrush for basing, priming, base-coating and spraying varnishes. I find that's a good mix for me as I still prefer brushwork for fine detail, wet-blending and metallics. Sometimes busting out the oil paints for high end detail.

I got my Sparmax TC2000 compressor for like $50 shipped on ebay and just had to buy a moisture trap/regulator so I'm all setup for for around $200. Not including paints of course. I do love the Vallejo Game Air and Model Air line and have yet to really test those out.

[ReDevil]

Quote

Quote

44 minutes ago, SJW said:

I ended up getting mine 50% off here in the states so ended up getting away with it for $90.

 

 

That's definitely sweet deal Mate.

[Captain Black]

So much to think about. The feedback has been really helpful. Do you guys make your own spray booths? 

[ringsnake]

19 minutes ago, Captain Black said:

So much to think about. The feedback has been really helpful. Do you guys make your own spray booths? 

I have an unfinished basement, and just cleared out a corner and work on a wrecked conference table rescued from the garbage. The important thing is, as I said before, to get a really good (like $50+) gas mask if you're going to use it in enclosed spaces for any amount of time. Especially if you're going to be undercoating models with a single action bottle fed, which is a great way to get your feet wet with airbrushing, by the way. It's a lot less intimidating to start with easy stuff like that and work your way up.

I would never use one where I cared if paint got on the floor or furniture.

Oh, and first thing to get after the air supply, airbrush, gas mask, and paints is an airbrush holder. You can get a good solid one for about $15. Otherwise you'll be constantly dropping it and wrecking the needle.

[ReDevil]

Ok have coffe and some time :).

Accessories what you really need for start:

air hose: Probably you get one with commpresor or sometimes they are in airbrush sets

adaptors: depends from air hose and your gun

Air brush cleaner: Something universal. I use medea. Some guys go for window cleaner.

Spray out pot-cleaning pot: Take one with hanger 

fine spray micro cleaning brushes sets + One big nylon brush for cleaning cup and one small for cleaning nozzle

Iwata madea super lube or badger juice: Something to lubricate

 

Protection: It depends on the personal approach. On acrylics details works, I don't bother, but watch out on cleaner! On big ones I like RZ mask(thats dust masks). They light and cool. :). On solvents go for profesional stuff like 3M Respirators half masks. Don't buy no names, co's you need have acces to filters

 

Accessories what make you life more easy :)

quick diskonect/release: helpful even If you have one brush

Premi air foaming air brush cleaner and Liquid reamer: Two cleaners in sprays, perfect for after use good cleaning or when you have some problems. Second one will be cool with primers and varnishes.

Mixing cups: You can use everything. Cups from poweride are cool. But I love that's from Tattoo

 http://www.barberdts.co.uk/pigment-cups-with-flip-lid-44595.html#.V96Zy6nxqks

extra set of needle nozzle: shit happens

Ultra sonic cleaner station: cool gadget

In line mini moistrue traps: extra safety for your work

Coffe is gone :(.