Looking for a single action airbrush.

I have the 200-20 "detail" airbrush with the graduated scale and knurled knob. I have to admit it's pretty easy to dial in the line thickness and spray. My problem is doing that, then spraying a wider pattern and then getting back to the same thickness of line consistantly. I've found that with practice it's just a lot more convenient to use my dual action and pull back a little for thin lines, pull back a lot for a wider pattern and then return to thinner lines. Practice makes perfect! Naturally, they don't mention HOW MUCH practice!

The 200-20 is a siphon fed, as opposed to the small gravity fed color cup of the G. I wish Badger sold the G with the detail handle. Mind you, I wonder if Badger sells any of the 200 series, as they don't list them on their website anymore! Dixie Art says there may be "significant lead time" for Badger airbrushes, and Bear Air no longer lists any 200 series, and darn few 100 series brushes.

Try the Badger 200G-F. The "F" is for fine, as in detail. This airbrush has a screw arrangement at the rear which lets you dial in the fine-ness of the line. It's a real beauty of a setup. I tried a dual action brush for a while. I ended up Ebaying it, because it was just too tricky for me to get consistent, repeatable results. I want my hobby to be fun, not more work! Although I would agree that the Paasche H is a very good overall brush (I own one, too), it cannot do extra-fine detail work, as it is meant to be a general use brush. The Badger is well-suited for fine detail work, especially German mottle and preshading/weathering. Just $45.60 at Dixieart.com.

You may find you have better results with the Tamiya and Gunze than what you've been using. They both spray wonderfully well, and as long as you don't leave the airbrush sit with wet paint on the nozzle the tip dry isn't an issue. I keep a small container (an old Tamiya paint bottle) filled with Windex and a Qtip handy. If I do get tip dry, a quick dunk in the Windex and swirl in the nozzle (pulling the needle back!) removes the dried paint.

I'm not convinced a single action is any easier to learn on. I have both kinds and they each have their issues. A single action is either full on or full off which makes it more difficult to be accurate on tight lines, while the dual action can be hard to control a consistant line. However, with practice the dual action becomes second nature, while the single action remains full on or off.

Think of it like a garden hose. A single action is a hose without an adjustable nozzle and the tap must be turned full on to use. Hard to control the water, isn't it? The dual action works like a pistol grip nozzle, and you can control the force and spray area fairly easily. It just takes practice.

Thanks for the replies gents!

I'll look into the suggested brushes.  Don't worry about the 175, I am not giving up on it by any means, just looking to add to "arsenal" so to speak.  I figure adding a more simple single action brush to my collection will help me with my technique with the double action.  I read somewheres a single action was better to learn on, and perhaps I should have taken that advice before moving on to a DA brush.  But the 175 came at a good deal (from Dixie Art none-the-less ) so I am not complaining in any way.

And to note on the tip clogging.  As you have guessed yes I have been using acrylics.  First I was using Createx to practice with, but it was cloggin horribly for a paint that was supposed to be "pre-reduced and air brush ready".  I had to add yet more liquid (I tried both plain water and isopropyl alcohol) and was still getting inconsistent results.  So I dug out the free Badger paint set that came with the 175.  Stuff works A LOT better than the Createx, but still I can get some clogging or drying paint on the neddel tip causing splotchy lines and dots at times.  I plan on only using acrylics for my modeling (mostly Tamiya and Gunze) because my living situation and the laquer fumes make them more impracticle than acrylics.

Again, thank you for your replies.

Brian

I'm with Abarne, take more time to learn the airbrush you have. The 175 is a decent brush. The clogging issue you are having may have more to do with either not thinning it enough, or you're getting tip dry, a common problem with acrylic paints.

However, you will likely still have problems getting the 175 to do a very fine line. It's just not designed to be a fine line AB, and is meant more for the T-shirt market. Did you get one with the optional parts for fine spray (Part #41-033 Regulator, #41-81DT Needle & #41-003 paint tip)? That may help. The best option for fine lines is a gravity fed dual action like the Badger 100LG, Iwata HP-CS or Paasche Talon. The gravity fed design uses less psi which allows for finer lines to be laid down.

While Andy's suggestion of the 200NH is a good one, you'll probably find you get much the same results. That's because the 155, 175 & 200NH all share the same regulator and nozzle. IF you do want to get one to find out, check out the Badger Garage Sale (about halfway down the page). They have the 200NH listed at $22 which is an incredible deal. They are "blemished" airbrushes, but I bought a couple of ABs from them, and the blemish was the word "Demo" engraved into the side! Actually, they're still selling the 100 Side feed (available in LH for southpaws or RH for righties) which is a dual action gravity/siphon fed airbrush for $26. The side feed allows for the lesser air pressure which in turn is better for fine lines. It was designed as a photo retouching tool, and would be an excellent deal.

So excellent I may have to buy one to add to my collection. After all, I already have the 100LG, 150 siphon, 200-20 detail and the 100RH would fit right in!

If you can find a 200-20 detail brush with the fine needle and regulator/nozzle combo, you'll be better off. But my gut reaction is to tell you to practice, practice and practice!

Another choice would be the new Renegade Velocity, which Bear Air is selling for $84. 

I concur with Andy 100%!

E

Normally my first recommendation for a single action AB is the venerable Paasche H.  The H set comes with narrow, med, and wide tips for about $50 bucks.  The thing is reliable as an anvil, easy to use, and versatile.  With the No.1 tip can do free hand camo on a 1/72 scale tank and with the No.5 tip, you you spray varnish onto a display stand.  Verually any modelbuilding need can be handled by the Paasche H.

Next, would be the Badger 200NH.  It is a single action version of their 155 Anthem.  It's usually a wee bit more money than the Paasche H, maybe a tich more difficult to use.  It's well built and pretty versatile as well.  It sprays as narrow a line as the Paasche, possibly a tad narrower, and when opened all the way, can put out a very wide pattern, maybe not quite as wide as the Paasche, but more than suffcient for mots modeling needs.

However, before rushing out to get another airbrush, I would suggest giving yourself some more time with the one you have.  Although it's pretty easy to use an airbrush to lay down a base coat, it does take practice to get to the poit where you are able to easibly do subtle detail work with one.  Thinning ratios, air pressure, painting distance, dealing with the double action trigger, all take some time to master.  It took me a few models to get handy with one, and I am still far from a master.

If you do decide to get a second airbrush check out Dixie Art.  Good prices and service. 

Andy