Airbrush - Single Action vs Dual Action

I have both a DA and SA brush.  My SA is a 30 year old Badger, and it is my normal airbrush. I only go to the DA when I need a VERY fine line and super-low flow rate. I find the SA brush bulletproof, and easier to clean and disassemble/reassemble than the DA brush.  I can do almost everything with my Badger 200 except a very fine line. I can dial flow way down to mist on overcoats for weathering, etc. and it works fine.  Cranked up I can get a good flow.

No airbrush is a spray gun. It is a way to duplicate what you do with a brush, without brush strokes.  You'll never be able to paint a 1/32 aircraft or 1:350 ship with a single quick pass.  An airbrush is not a rattle can.  But for almost all use a SA airbrush is fine.

I believe mine is a F#1 model. Most likely I'll practice using water based paint on scrap paper then on junk kit. The directions also mentioned to practice using India ink. I'm assuming that's water based as well.

If it is a Paasche H, it will do fine.  But, even though it is a simple airbrush, it will still most likely require a little practice to get good results.   Play with thinning and air pressure on some junk plastic.  If you decide you want to do freehand stuff, you will probably want to consider a double action internal mix.

Don

I think most of us cut our teeth on single actions.  I still have my Badger 200 from 25+ years ago and it still works like a champ.  The answer to your question is yes, you can get the same coverage from a single as you can from a double.  I use my single action when it comes to large areas and base coats where I want uniform coverage.  On a large project my hand gets a bit tired on a double action pulling back with each spray.  Double actions offer the advantage of controlling the paint which make them great for detail work.  It really boils down to your preference. You can still accomplish a great level of intricate detail work on a single action, the technique is just a tad different.