Air brush reccomendations

At the very least, start with a Badger 200. It's a single action, internal mix airbrush and in the hands of a seasoned user, produces results every bit as good as a dual action brush. However, if you can afford it, spend the money on dual action airbrush. That way, you'll only have to learn once as there are differences between the two that take getting used to. Badger 100, 155; Omni4000; Iwata; all are good choices.

Thanks bstrump, I will look into it.

Heya Stang,
I can tell you about one type of ab but know I am not trying to disuad (sp) you form looking at all of them. I use this one for modeling so I can only give you my personal experiences on it. Again, look around this is only one ab I am talking about here.

I use the Omni 4000G. Is a gravity fed ab that has only one needle and tip to worry about. Sprays very fine lines to 2 inches or there abouts. It will do ANY modeling chore you need it too. Its rugged and well made. Balance is good but the big cup ontop too some getting used too, one session for me.
Cleans like a dream, clear and ready to sit til next full use in about 1 minute.

Great brush to add to the list of them you will see.

No matter what kind you get, you'll be happy you got one. That much is for sure. I think everyone will agree, in the hands fo the un-talented (like me ) it makes you look like a pro. In the hands of the talented, well the word virtuoso or something like that comes to mind.

For a begginner, I'd recommend the Paasche H. It's easy to use, reliable, and very capable. Most modeling needs are be easily met by it. Until you become a skilled air-brush artist (lots of practice and experience), any needs beyond what the H could deliver would probably be beyond your skillset even with a high end airbrush.

The Badger 200 also is an excellent brush. I mostly recommend the Paasche H over it mostly on the basis of price. The Paasche H set has everything you need, aside form the compressor, while with the Badger 200, you need to get a good hose and color cup separately, so the total price for the Badger is significantly higher.

Based on my own experience, with double-action vs. single-action, I'm of the minority opinion that it is a benefit to start out with a single action AB like the Paasche H or Badger 200, rather than trying to jump in directly to a double action unit.

However, in the double action action world, I recommend against Aztek. I don't think that that they have any cleaning advantages over any other AB, and they seem prone to breakdowns. Although a lot of people like them and even swear by them, a lot of others, like myself, had an Aztek die for no apparent reason. I followed all Aztek cleaning and usage instructions, but after a very short service life, I had to mail it in for warranty replacement.

Hey
Whats up, yeah my airbrush aint that great and well it gets clogged and you need to buy new paint bottles for it to go a little faster with the painting process. I know I could tell you this any day at home but I would not recomend It for 1/48 scale camo on planes. After a little while even the smallest tip will start to work kind of like a small spray paint can. If you want want to to do one color camo schemes then the airbrush will work for you.Ill show you when I finish my StuG model

Tigertankman

I just got a badger 350 airbrush. I like it a lot. It's easy to get the hang of, and clean up is simple too. I've been practicing with it and I can get some pretty decent lines. It suits my needs, but I would not use it to do toothpick thin lines for some camo patterns or stuff like that. However, it is an excellent learning airbrush and it lays a nice coat of paint. Remember, any brush you get, you can always ask about in the forum because someone will be an expert on it, they'll be able to give you tips and techniques for your specific airbrush. Happy shopping!

Thanks Tigertankman,bud156,ABARNE,comments much appreciated

(just for the record,Tigertankman and I live next door to each other)

Its true

then save your money and go use HIS airbrush!

I have a Badger 155 Anthem and a 175 Crescendo... out of the two the Anthem would be a great starter brush .. I had an Aztek before it for a coupe of months and basically had to learn from scratch on the 155...

You can't go wrong with your choice... (within reason, I don't recommend an Aztek) but look around and think of what you will be doing with your brush in a year from now... will it still fit your needs? For me I just ordered a gravity fed brush because I want to get down to smaller detail for late war German squiggle camo and the such.. I'll still use the 155 for some things, but in a way I wish I would have bought a gravity fed from the start

(I know... I know... a bunch of yall told me to and I didnt listen!!!)

Like Bstrump I started with a Badger 200. This is a good little brush to start with being tough, reliable and easy to clean.

I found a year down the line I wanted more control from my AB so bought an Omni 4000. I don't know if the transition to a double action brush was easier as a result of experience gained on the 200, but it didn't take long.

Now I'm looking at a Badger 100, not to replace the Omni, but for use as a detail brush.

Main thing, is think about what you will be using it for. If all you do is OD armour, a 200 or a Paasche H would be fine. If you do 1/72 Luftwaffe squiggle, then you might want to go with an Omni or a Bager 100.

Best of luck.

Karl

The Testors Aztek isn't bad. That's what I've got. The wife got it off e-bay, and I bought a small compressor from Tractor Supply store for $62.00. It is working fine.

I use an Aztec A470, or similar. It's the Contempo, which is basically the same thing, but with a clear body. You'll probably hear a lot of Aztec bashing on this forum, and not to say it's unwarranted, don't let it dissuade you from taking a look at their brushes. THey're great for beginners, as the price is pretty good (don't look at the high-end ones, obviously). Mine so far has done a superb job of everything I've thrown at it. FIne lines take some practice, but all around a great airbrush.