Good Compressor for a Badger 155 Anthem A/B

Depends on what you want to spend. For a quite compressor you will be spending some cash. I got a Silent Aire Scorpion I from Dixie Art that ran about 160 bucks. It a little louder than your standard fish tank air pump.

You can also go with an oxygen tank or a tire. More knowledgable people than myself can tell you about how to set them up.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Jeff

Striker01 wrote:

Whats a good compressor out there that wont make a mile of noise for the Badger 155 "anthem" airbrush? What do you guys recomend?

The least expensive silent compressor from Badger is the MILLION-AIR MODEL 480-1. It has more than enough power for the 155 and is very quiet.

For general purpose modeling task, I would recommend getting a gravity feed, internal mix airbrush such as the Badger Renegade Velocity, Iwata HP-CS or Paasche Talon, which are all under $100. It will allow you to use a moderate powered compressor that goes also around $100. See the July 2008 issue of FSM for compressor recommendations.

The difference in use between the airbrushes Keilau mentions and the 155 is irrelevant. I own both gravity and siphon fed airbrushes and there are no appreciable differences IN USE. Gravity fed brushes are slightly easier to clean, use less air pressure and less paint. They can also spray a thinner line, once you get some experience, that is!

Don't be lulled into thinking airbrushing is EASY, or that buying a certain model will make it easier. It requires practice, practice and more practice to get real good at using them. They do, however, offer a superior paint job over bristle brushes and are worth the money and effort if you intend to model for a significant amount of time.

Don't get too caught up in matching a compressor to an airbrush. The brand of compressor makes little difference as they are merely a supply of air. You can purchase adapters and hoses to attach any airbrush to any compressor. In fact, if quietness is a major issue, consider a CO2 tank. They cost slightly more to buy and require refilling, but are dead quiet. Only the hissing of air being released is all you'll hear.

I have four airbrushes split between dual and single action. Well truthfully I have five, one is a duplicate other than needle size. They are all Badgers as listed, except for one which is a copy of a Badger:

1. 100LG Medium needle (dual action gravity fed)
   
2. 100LG Fine needle (dual action gravity fed)
3. 150 Medium needle (dual action siphon fed)
4. 200-20 Medium needle (single action siphon fed)
5. 350 External mix siphon fed (clone)

I started off with the 150, and purchased the 350 clone for spraying Future (which it does remarkably well for a $10 airbrush!). Then I moved up to the 100LG Medium in order to be able to spray very fine lines (a technique not yet mastered!). The 100LG Fine was bought during Badger's Garage sale at less than half the price, along with the 200-20. I rarely use any other than the 100LG Medium. These are all considered "old tech" airbrushes, and they all share parts with the exception of the 200-20 which requires a longer needle and of course the trigger is single action.

If I was to start over today (or if I could justify buying one to SWMBO!) I would get the Badger Renegade Velocity airbrush, and be done with it!

Keilau's suggestion of that brush, along with the Iwata HP-CS and the Paasche Talon are all excellent suggestions. I would consider availablity of spare parts (needles get bent and washers get worn) to be every bit as important as brand. Check around to see if anyone supplies those parts locally, or order spares at the same time you buy the airbrush.

One factor in deciding is what you paint. If all you do is auto or ships, than perhaps the 155 Anthem or the 150 would be a good choice. If camo is your thing, then get any of the gravity fed versions. 

Yes, gravity fed airbrushes require less air pressure as they don't have to use any to siphon up the paint. This means more control and less overspray, allowing finer lines.

The only difference between my 100LG and my 150 is the body itself. All other parts are identical. I can do a finer line with the 100LG because I can use approximately 5 less psi. In the hands of an expert (which I am certainly NOT!) there would be less difference.

You can use a siphon fed brush for camo by using masks. Tape them onto the surface for hard edge, or by holding a card slightly above the surface, or using silly putty "ropes", for soft edge and you can do some great work. I believe Doog (who;s Hetzer featured in the December and January issues of FSM as Karl Logan) uses a 150, and his painting work is fabulous.

Mottle and smoke ring camo is a different thing altogether, and that's where the gravity fed airbrush will have an advantage.

Me? It's easier to clean, and that's a good enough reason for me!

There are three types of Renegade ABs:

Velocity - Gravity fed top mounted cup, benefits previously discussed.

Spirit - Gravity fed side mounted cup, similar to the top mounted cup, but allows the cup to be rotated so you can spray with the AB in a vertical position. Of dubious benefit for a modeler, though I've spilled enough paint in the past to make it an interesting choice! Because the paint feeds from the side it would require slightly more psi to work than the top mounted version.

Rage - Siphon fed with separate colour cup or bottle. Very useful for large area spraying. My 150 came with a 2 1/2 oz monster bottle!

IMHO the Velocity would be my first choice. However, the choices for me aren't 1, 2, 3, but 1a, 1b and 1c! This is how I ended up with so many airbrushes in the first place!

Bgrigg-

OK you have convinced me. Between your excellent answer to one of my posts yesterday, and all of the great info you have laid out here, and my own research into it I will be dropping the 155 and will get a Renegade instead. Thanks for being so informative. The renegade will run a bit more but will be worth it I think. I am a little worried about the paint cup in place of a nice sealed bottle but I will just deal with it.

One last question,  where is a good place to get one? I was gpoing with Dixie art for the 155 due to the price and free shipping but I didn't see any Renegades in their site. Is there a good place out there to get one? I am in Fargo ND so it isnt real easy to just go out and buy one here. Not alot of places to choose from.