good airbrush?

HEY,
IMO, youd be better off with a badger, and although it doesnt come with as much stuff, it is a much better airbrush, and will invariably save you money when you upgrade again, because many people stay with their badger. Just my opinion. But anything is better than the 25 dollar one from wal-mart(dont feel bad i had that once and brought it back that day)

Randy

so do you have a specific model in mind. i would like to get something with several diffrent nozzles, thats a big selling feature for me, and i would like to stay under $125 for it.

Bro, MikeV can give ya a phone number for Badger that will save ya 40%. You can get the Omni 4000G with a hose for just over $80 thats light years ahead of that Testors/Aztek thing. The Omni is a great DA brush that is gravity fed, shoots fine lines to about 2 inches wide. Another good choice is the Iwata HP-CS that is very similiar... gor about 40 bucks more.

The Badgers and the Omnis really only cost less if you buy from one of those "ships directly from Badger" Yahoo stores :) or that special deal phone number Randy mentioned.

Propel is likely to be kinda miserable to airbrush with. I've never done it, but I've read people's experiences with it in rec.models.scale and the other airbrush newsgroup. I'd probably rather use a spare tire for air pressure. Big air tanks cost under $40, but you'd also need a regulator/moisture trap which would cost another $20 to $50... and a way to fill the tank when its pressure runs low. Or, maybe you already have one of those air tools types of compressors in the garage? Just add a regulator/moisture trap to one of those.

A 1 to 2 hp oil lubed compressor with a 2 gallon tank can be had for under $200. That's infinite air supply.

If you use one of those lesser air supplies such as a tire, a tank alone, or propel, gravity feed airbrushes will give you more time before having to refill the air supply since they work at lower pressures. I see you're looking at a siphon feed, so I thought I'd point that out.

sweet, im feeling that 40% off phone number deal. that would be great, thx guys

Josh

Hi Josh.

Here is what I have posted in the past:

If you call this number and ask for the "Fine Scale Forum Discount" they will give you 40% off the retail price of any Badger product made.
The number is 1-888-499-6996.
Make sure you mention the "Fine Scale Forum Discount" or else you will pay
full retail price.
If they cannot answer the phone then leave a message with a number and they
will get back to you within 24 hours.
The part number to order the Omni 4000 with a hose is #T89K and it retails
for $135.
With the 40% off that will run you $81 plus shipping.
And this IS directly from Badger.

You will need an adaptor though if you want to use those propel cans which I highly advise against. Get an air tank as was mentioned if you have to and go to the gas station and fill it. That is much cheaper in the long run than those cans which are expensive and difficult to use.


Mike

thanks a ton mike!!!!

hmmm, would i be able to use my dads shop compressor with a regulator or something?

http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=547&p=4944

thats what he has...too much power for airbrushing, but would a regulator solve that problem?

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdavidb and oil-free compressors have a short life span.

Not necessarily. They do tend to last not as long as a good oil-filled compressor but that does not mean they won't last many years. I used a 1-1/2 hp 12 gallon tank Sears oiless compressor for a couple of years of painting T-shirts and models and it is still going strong. Remember that it is heat that kills a compressor so put a fan on one if it gets warm at all and you can add to it's lifetime.

Mike

I hope he has drained it frequently to avoid rusting the tank from the inside out.

That Porter-Cable will do the job. It has a regulator on it, but you can add a 2nd regulator with a moisture trap after it. Airbrush regulator/filters have the 0 to 50 (or 60) gauge for a more applicable sight reading.

It's not going to fit right to that compressor. You can either completely remove the air hose attachment down to the 1/4" male part or add a disconnect with 1/4" npt threads at the output end of the air hose.

The only downsides to those compressors are: they're extremely loud when they kick in to refill the tank, and oil-free compressors have a short life span.

You could at least use that compressor to fill up your brand new 15 gallon tank (if you bought one). Gas station air can be a bit too dirty for airbrushing. That compressor's air will be cleaner.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV Not necessarily. They do tend to last not as long as a good oil-filled compressor but that does not mean they won't last many years. I used a 1-1/2 hp 12 gallon tank Sears oiless compressor for a couple of years of painting T-shirts and models and it is still going strong. Remember that it is heat that kills a compressor so put a fan on one if it gets warm at all and you can add to it's lifetime. Mike

A fan won't do much for the inside of the motor where a pump & crank are grinding against metal at 3500 rpm with no lube in there. That's some heat. Too much heat for me. Too much noise too. The only way I'd use one of those is with a really long airline and a lot of house walls between me and the compressor.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdavidb A fan won't do much for the inside of the motor where a pump & crank are grinding against metal at 3500 rpm with no lube in there. That's some heat. Too much heat for me. Too much noise too.

If you were familiar with how they are constructed you would know that they have permanent teflon bearings in them so it is not metal against metal.
If it were metal against metal it wouldn't last but a few minutes and it would seize up.
At least that is how my Sears compressor is manufactured. I would assume the Porter-Cable ones are similar.

Mike

PLus, I have a 12 gallon Sears compressor, and I don't mind the noise at all. Fill er' up in about aminute, and I'm good to go for a long time before i need to fill er' up again.

Some major areas would be teflon, but however many parts they're protecting with teflon along with who knows how many other parts are not teflon friction, they're disposable cheap-o compressors which I don't have the intention of studying carefully. It doesn't matter what material it is made of. We all know the heat is there. The heat is from the inside out. Fan cooling is outside in, and there's almost no point in trying to keep the outside of a motor a few degrees cooler while all of that is going on inside with no oil.

I guess it boils down to what you consider a short life really.
As I mentioned earlier my Sears compressor is about 10 years old now and it still works fine even though that is not what I use any longer for modeling.
I have a Badger Million-Air and a Jun-Air silent compressor now.

I do agree that an oil-lubed is better to have but for someone spending maybe 2 hours total time per week airbrushing models the oiless ones will suffice for many years, although they are louder as you mentioned.

Mike

I had an Aztec 470/490 whatever, and I was sort of happy with it but wanter to upgrade.

I used this link to order a Omni 4000 w/braided hose and a aibrush holder. I got this for under a $100.

http://youcanshopsecure.com/

Ordered on Sat recieved on Thurs, direct from Badger.

I am really happy with the Omni.

Check it out good prices

Josh that compressor is the pretty much the same one that I use. Mine is a 5-gallon and is rated at 140 psi. Add a moisture trap and you are good to go since it already has a regulator on it. If it is a good distance from your bench, use a long hose and mount the moisture trap and a second regulator at your bench. Set the compressor for about 60 psi and adjust the pressure as necessary usng the regulator at your bench. Same set up as I have.

As to compressor heat, there are TWO sources of heat in a compressor. One is the heat caused by part-on-part friction. This can be somewhat alleviated using Teflon or oil-lubricated bearings and seals. Second is the heat generated by the compression of the air. Any time you compress a gas you generate heat. This is not something that can be avoided because it is a physical law. Properly designed compressors are designed and built to dissipate that heat during their duty cycle, and in most cases that duty cycle is not continuous.

do you guys all own paintbooths and paint inside? i guess i probably need to get one of those, cause painting outside probably isnt a good idea living here in florida with the humidity, sometimes it feels like you have to swim through the air. any suggestions.... just slap a mask on and airbrush in my room? haha

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV I guess it boils down to what you consider a short life really. As I mentioned earlier my Sears compressor is about 10 years old now and it still works fine even though that is not what I use any longer for modeling. I have a Badger Million-Air and a Jun-Air silent compressor now. I do agree that an oil-lubed is better to have but for someone spending maybe 2 hours total time per week airbrushing models the oiless ones will suffice for many years, although they are louder as you mentioned. Mike

Mike, you,re absolutely right. I've had my Badger 180-1 for 15 years now and it's still going strong. All I've done was to replace the diaphram after three years but since then it's been flawless. Every now and then I blow out the dust that accumulates inside.

My good ol diaphram compressor has lasted about 15 years, never done anything, and its still quiet compared to a silentaire scorpian.

My diaphragm compressor was only about 5 years old when it died because it couldn't even handle painting clouds on a pretty small section of a wall (12 ft tall by 7 ft wide).

QUOTE: do you guys all own paintbooths and paint inside? i guess i probably need to get one of those, cause painting outside probably isnt a good idea living here in florida with the humidity, sometimes it feels like you have to swim through the air. any suggestions.... just slap a mask on and airbrush in my room?

my 9 year old nephew and I airbrush at a computer desk with the only ventilation being the house's heating & air conditioning. We don't wear masks. There's no overspray anywhere except where we intentionally airbrush on the desk sometimes. Or sometimes he winds up airbrushing himself

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdavidb My diaphragm compressor was only about 5 years old when it died because it couldn't even handle painting clouds on a pretty small section of a wall (12 ft tall by 7 ft wide).

That is common with diaphragm compressors as they get hot.
I had a Paasche D-500 as my first compressor and it got hot quickly.

QUOTE: QUOTE: do you guys all own paintbooths and paint inside? i guess i probably need to get one of those, cause painting outside probably isnt a good idea living here in florida with the humidity, sometimes it feels like you have to swim through the air. any suggestions.... just slap a mask on and airbrush in my room? my 9 year old nephew and I airbrush at a computer desk with the only ventilation being the house's heating & air conditioning. We don't wear masks. There's no overspray anywhere except where we intentionally airbrush on the desk sometimes.

Just remember though that you are inhaling what you are painting whether you can see it or not. Not something I would recommend over time.

Mike

even non-toxic acrylics are harmful. imagine breathing millions of tiny droplets of harmful rubbing alcohol, lacquor thinner, or something like that. not good.