Looking for advice on purchasing an air brush

First,,  I see this is your entry post,,,      so, Welcome JML!      Glad to have you with us.......  A great group of modelers who are more than willing to help with most anything.

As for your inquiry - Personally I am biased to Paasche brand. There are a number of other great airbrushes, but I have been using Paasche for more than 30 years and I have had zero issues with either model I use.

As a beginner you might want to go with a single action model (Paasche H) in my opinion. There are 3 optional tips you can utilize.      A number one tip (fine), a number three (medium) and number five (wide). I believe the medium tip will work well for most projects.

This H model is inexpensive and very versatile.

Best of luck with whatever you decide on..........

Bill

Yep, welcome along JML!

Given your question is fairly open, you will receive a lot of responses from different members as to what type of airbrush you should go for.

I'm no expert, so I'll leave it up to others to give advice, but for what it's worth, i'll tell you what i model and what i use - that way if your interests are similar, you will have some guidance.

I build 1/72 & 1/48 aircraft - mainly modern jets and WWII.

I'm also venturing into 1/35 armour.

The airbrushes i use are a Paashe H (as per Bill's recommendation above) and a Badger 100LG.

The Paasche H was my first airbrush and was great to learn with, however, it's now really relegated to when i need large surface coverage, eg priming, single colour schemes and gloss/matte coating.

I use the 100LG for pretty much everything else and really love it.

My main issue was i had trouble mottling Luftwaffe aircraft with the Paasche H (not saying you can't use it for that, just my skills weren't good enough to do so), so, I went out and bought a 100LG. 

To be honest, I think the two together cover almost all my needs.  (Though that doesn't mean i won't buy another airbrush one day).

Anyhow, most modelers have their preferred brands and models when it comes to airbrushes, so, perhaps if you let us all know a bit more about what you model/are interested in modelling, others might be able to help narrow down your search and/or steer you in the right direction.

Chris.

BaBill212

First,,  I see this is your entry post,,,      so, Welcome JML!      Glad to have you with us.......  A great group of modelers who are more than willing to help with most anything.

As for your inquiry - Personally I am biased to Paasche brand. There are a number of other great airbrushes, but I have been using Paasche for more than 30 years and I have had zero issues with either model I use.

As a beginner you might want to go with a single action model (Paasche H) in my opinion. There are 3 optional tips you can utilize.      A number one tip (fine), a number three (medium) and number five (wide). I believe the medium tip will work well for most projects.

This H model is inexpensive and very versatile.

Best of luck with whatever you decide on..........

 

Bill

I would only add that the #1 tip seems to work fine for me in most situations but I model mostly 1/48 scale aircraft.

Welcome to endless wonder and friendly arguments without end. Model builders have powerful imaginations, which are essential and dangerous. Models are petrified imagination. Post lots and lots of pictures.

But as to some advice: Get yourself a book on airbrushing, ANY book on airbrushing, it doesn’t matter whose. The basics are still the basics. (Kalmbach won’t appreciate my counsel, but you can save yourself a little money by visiting your public library.) Read it. It won’t make you an expert, but it will answer most newbie questions.

TomZ2

But as to some advice: Get yourself a book on airbrushing, ANY book on airbrushing, it doesn’t matter whose. The basics are still the basics. (Kalmbach won’t appreciate my counsel, but you can yourself a little money by visit your public library.) Read it. It won’t make you an expert, but it will answer most newbie questions.

This is excellent advice - and something that i think might get overlooked a bit.

Every now and again FSM Magazine comes with an additional insert etc that talks about the basics of airbrushing - in fact, that's what first prompted me to look into and then buy my first airbrush.

However, as TomZ suggested, your local library is probably a good place to start too.

Chris.

I have a badger 200. It shoots like a single-action, but you can control the amount of paint with an adjuster at the end of the brush to give you more like a double-action shooter. Relatively inexpensive too.

TomZ2

But as to some advice: Get yourself a book on airbrushing, ANY book on airbrushing, it doesn’t matter whose. The basics are still the basics. (Kalmbach won’t appreciate my counsel, but you can save yourself a little money by visiting your public library.) Read it. It won’t make you an expert, but it will answer most newbie questions.

And if you can't make it to the library, may I modestly suggest you check out my website.

Don

JML WWII

I am a beginner modeler looking for advice on purchasing a good quality but inexpensive air brush. I would appreciate any advice. 

For quality, I consider Iwata and Harder & Steenbeck to be best value for your money. But all major brands would work fine for modeling too, depending on what you can find "inexpensive" locally. I chose Iwata because I can get spare for it at Hobby Lobby really cheap and quick. If you want something cheaper, consider the Neo for Iwata which is a made-in-China clone of the Iwata. Very cheap at  $38 from Hobby Lobby, but not parts exchangeable with the real Iwata.

Get a dual action, gravity feed airbrush. It allows you to build skill quicker and is easy to change colors. Hold it in your hand and try the trigger mechanism before you buy.

I like my Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as the general purpose airbrush for modeling. With its 0.35 nozzle set, it has enough details and can cover larger area for 1:48 jet and 1:32 WW2 models. I got if for $107 at Hobby Lobby.

The choice of an airbrush is somewhat subjective and personal. Don't forget the compressor which may cost more than your airbrush. Do a search on this forum and you will find many different recommendations.

tigerman

I have a badger 200. It shoots like a single-action, but you can control the amount of paint with an adjuster at the end of the brush to give you more like a double-action shooter. Relatively inexpensive too.

I've got a Badger 150 (bottom-feed) that has a similar setup, with adjustment at the end. Haven't had any problems with it & managed to pick it up with one of Michael's infamous 50% coupons.

The compressor is as important as the airbrush itself, so include that in your budget.  A big factor in the compressor is how much noise you can stand.  Good compressors that make a lot of noise are available at reasonable prices.  Quiet ones are expensive.

harbor freight compressor. can't go wrong with iwata,badger,and paasche. you can learn with a harbor freight brush for about $15-$20 bucks. yea, its sounds like a trash brush but it well worth the low cost. 

Like has been said, go for a reputable brand - you're probably best looking at a dual action gravity fed model with a medium needle / nozzle & if possible one which you can get finer / coarser needle / nozzle sets for at a later date.

Don't forget to factor in a compressor, as it will most likely cost you more than an entry level airbrush!

JML                   [If you would],,, Let us know what brush you decided on,,,,    then post some pics of your newly painted works,,,,,,,,,,,,,         would enjoy seeing them

Hi,not a clone airbrush but a quality and inexpensive Badger Patriot 105.Regards Enrico.

P.s.I use with satisfaction:Badger Patriot 105,Badger renegade velocity,Iwata hp-sbs plus...................

Hi!

I suggerst an Iwata HP-CS. It is well made, easy to use and clean up. paints wonderfully and the parts are available all over.

Iwata, Badger, etc.  Just pick a gravity fed one and enjoy the hobby.    Life is too short to put up with all headaches that the Aztek brings.  If money is an issue, I'd pick one from Bear Air or some of the cheaper Chinese clones.  Come to think of it, the Aztek is at the bottom of my list.