Airbrush for FINE lines

What are you going to use it for?
If you are using enamels and acrylics then you are wasting your money on these airbrushes as any good double-action airbrush will spray as fine of lines with these paints. The only way to get the smallest, hairline results with airbrushes like the Iwata Custom Micron, Sotar 20/20 or Paasche AB Turbo is to use paints with extremely fine pigments such as inks and urethane toners.

Mike

Mike,

I am going to be primarily painting fine detail on figures or models with this brush. I currently have an Aztek 4709 and really can't get lines as fine as I would like with it. I am looking for an airbrush that can paint needle thin lines for detail work/shading.

As far as the type of paint I will be using, it will be mainly acrylics and inks, as I'm not a huge fan of enamels.

In that case, either the Iwata CM or the Sotar would be good choices.
I think I would opt for the Sotar as the Iwata CM is REAL expensive especially for parts. With the Sotar you can buy needles or tips anytime but the Iwata CM has the head assembly machined as a unit for consistancy and you have to buy it as a set which, for example, runs $110 for the .18mm fluid head system for the CM-B and SB. [:0]
Of course if you were meticulous in taking care of it you may never need to replace this part.

Since you are considering an airbrush of this caliber I would recommend you call Dave Monnig at Coast Airbrush in Anaheim, CA.
Dave is the man to talk to about airbrushes and compressors and is considered one of the most knowledgable people in the country on them.
He is an Iwata man and will probably steer you toward them, although I don't know if he would recommend the Custom Micron for your needs or not. His number is (714) 635-5557. The web site for he and his wife's store is here: http://coastairbrush.com/

Let me know what he tells you if you call.

Mike

Thanks for the advice!!! I'll give him a call on Monday and I'll let you know what how it goes.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff.

I haven't talked to Dave Monnig in a long time and am interested in his advice for you. I have a feeling he will recommend something along the lines of the Iwata Eclipse or maybe the Iwata HP-C. We shall see.

Mike

Little grasshopper... I have the Sotar, and use it regularly. I build mostly large scale figures as well as armor. This a/b is perfect for what your looking for. The one problem Ive faced with this a/b is getting the paint clean enough. I use the fine tip needle , which when using this the paint has to be "particle free" I only use acrylics and I use a wide variety of brands. For my figures , I tried using the Badger Freak Flex paints. Though they have a wide range of colors and hard to get colors, I pretty much hate them
They are suppose to be a/b ready. But I have to strain them with a fine screen, and even then that doesnt work good enough.I add a little thinner and retarder(highly recommended for Freak flex) but still;,it always manages to get clogged up with particles.I also use Tamiya and Model master acrylics. Both of which work just perfect in this a/b .They do need to be thinned, but work just fine. I always add an extender though because with a fine tip, it drys on it rapidly. I did have one problem with the a/b itself though. The nozzle assembly. My first was defective , which Badger replaced very quickly. The second, I constantly had air leaking out the nozzle threads. A quick fix with thred tape though. To check for this, run some water/dish soap mix through it to see if its leaking. Overall, this is a very good a/b for painting those fine lines. I have been able to get lines as fine as a ballpoint pen( with the right paint/thinner/pressure mix)

So all in all, if you had to buy the Sotar again, would you?

I own and use an Iwata HP-C for those fine lines you speak of. This airbrush features a .3mm needle/ nozzle and works very well with my Tamiya acrylics and Gunze. To get fine lines for camo using acrylics I thin Tamiya 50:50 with 91% Iso alcohol. For enamels I thin it 50:50 with Oil Paint Medium made by Winsor & Newton. I drop the air presure to around 9 psi and test spray on scrap styrene until I have the finest, consistant line I can get.

Yes, I would buy the Sotar again, I just wouldnt go and spend $60.00 on the Badger Freak Flex paints before trying them myself!

Had a chat with the folks over there at Coast Airbrush. First, I was very impressed by the quality of service that I got. They obviously knew thier product inside and out. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with their reccommendation. They suggested the Iwata HP-CS as the brush that would probably best suit my needs. Thanks for all your help on my questions.

Jeff

Thanks for the info Jeff.
I knew they would steer you to the Eclipse.

You are correct about them knowing their stuff too. Dave and the people at Coast Airbrush really know these products and they are good friends with every big name in the business.
Glad to hear you got the help you needed.

Mike