air brush?

There are many to chose from and I personally prefer a Badger gravity feed airbrush.

Gravity-feed means that the color cup is mounted on top of the airbrush and the paint is fed into the airbrush by gravity whereas a siphon-feed airbrush has a metal or glass jar under it and the paint is drawn into the airbrush by siphon action from the suction of the air.

I personally think the best all around airbrush out now as far as precision, price and service goes is the Badger 105 Patriot. I cannot think of anything in modeling that this airbrush can't do with practice from the user.

Here is a picture of one:

Others will recommend Iwata, Harder & Steenbeck and others which are all excellent airbrushes but I prefer American made airbrushes like Badger. Not only do they make a quality product at a fair price they are second to none in customer service and integrity.

I would go with the Badger Patriot as well, I just ordered another one a few days ago. I saw www.tcgraphicsandpaint.com had a deal on them with an additional 5% off so i decided to take advantage of it. the deal is only going on untill sunday the 10th - enter "Airbrush" before you checkout to get the discount.

Another great brush is the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity 2 n1 airbrush - it comes with 2 different size needles and tips so you can pretty much paint anything. I like it better then my $400 Iwata Micron

thank you both for the input. after looking around, i will be going with the badger patriot.

You need to make several choices.  Single action or double action, gravity feed or siphon feed.

Single action controls paint only. It is a bit easier to learn.  DA controls both air and paint. It is a bit harder to learn to use, but can give finer lines.

Siphon feed uses little bottles, on bottom, while gravity feed uses cup on top.

Whatever brush you buy, practice first on scrap or old kit parts.  Do not make your first spraying on a good model. I'd recommend at least an hour of practice before using on a good model.  You need to learn proper thinning, and proper pressures to use.

thanks for the tip don, i have a couple of cheap ships i will practice on till i get a good feel for it..

Newbie here. Based on what I read here, I pulled the trigger on the Badger Patriot 105 and ordered it from tcgraphicsandpaint. They were very helpful and answered all my questions. Shipping was free and fast. I will be painting a 1/25 scale plastic '69 Charger funny car body, so I will be asking for advice here on the FSM forum.

Regards,

Charles 

I purchased the Patriot last week myself (from Dixie Art) after reading so many good reviews and received it (direct from Badger) the other day. It now sits in the spraybooth next to my old faithful 100LG and the infrequently used 150. So far I really like the ease of cleaning the Patriot: the needle is a breeze to pull and wipe down because of the cutout in the handle, and there is no "crown" on the tip like the LG, which makes it easier to get paint out of there. Well-balanced, trigger about the same as the other models, and capable of spraying a very fine line with properly thinned paint. This one will probably become my workhorse. I think you will also be happy with your choice.

nofosg8

I would go with the Badger Patriot as well, I just ordered another one a few days ago. I saw www.tcgraphicsandpaint.com had a deal on them with an additional 5% off so i decided to take advantage of it. the deal is only going on untill sunday the 10th - enter "Airbrush" before you checkout to get the discount.

Another great brush is the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity 2 n1 airbrush - it comes with 2 different size needles and tips so you can pretty much paint anything. I like it better then my $400 Iwata Micron

Tcgraphics is a great outfit. I purchased a Badger Renegade from them for $92 and free shipping. Fast delivery too.

I suggest getting a top feed that is a dual action brush that "feels right" in one's hands.

Top feed allows for easier cleaning. Top feed also allows one to mix the paint in the cup instead of pre-mixing it. Just put the thinner in, put the paint in, unscrew the cap and press & pull the trigger to buble and mix.  Top feed means easier cleaning.   And it also helps in putting on thinner coats of paint.  This is important because one does not want to smother the model surface details with paint.

Dual action allows one to control the paint and get thinner lines and finer coats of paint.  It also allows one to use the brush as a mini-dryer blowing air over the model to quicken the drying time.  That way one can put multiple layers on the model in one spraying session.

"Good feel" is important to me because it controls they way I spray.  Personally I dislike very light brushes.  And I dislike nose heavy brushes.  I like brushes that sits into my hand instead of on it. 

If this is the 1st brush ever, I suggest a .33 mm tip - .50mm tip.   Any smaller and one has to be very careful mixing paint particularly with acrylics.  Otherwise clogging will occur.   Any larger and one is smothering the model surface with too much paint.

I also suggest picking a brush where there are good support and abunant spare parts.  I don't mean support just from the company, but from a forum like this where one can get immediate help when things go wrong.  For example, at least 4 people here owns the Badger Patriot.   Iwata is another very popular brand where there are tons of forum experts.

I concur with the suggestion for the Patriot. If I was going to buy a new air brush that would likely be it (that, or the Renegade Velocity, or both!). But for now I'm going to stick with my trusty 100LG. Brickshooter is spot on with his assessment on gravity fed dual action air brushes. They are the most practical all-round brush out there.

I have a Paasche SA and DA. Both are great airbrushes. They are affordable and replacement parts are easy to find. IMO single action brushes are the easiest to learn with. Have fun and be patient.

Tom