Just say no to Aztek airbrushes

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! There I've said it. I am glad that I did not buy one!

hello all! been having a mad building spree, so havent had a chance to catch up here for a while.tried fiddling with the roller on the back but it ony seems to work as a single action no matter where it is (full left or full right) a good single action though but not exactly why ive got it (and it was a present so i,m sorta stuck with it) i sprayed two uplighters for someone and it did a nice job.(white ceramic sprayed red as well!)i,ll check out the dixieart site but i,m not massivly desperate for another airbrush and don,t have a credit card so im a bit stuck for ordering stuff online on certain sites

How long have Aztec ABs been around now? The last time I spent any time in the States, I was seriously thinking about getting one. Musta been about '93 or '94.
I was impressed by the literature and their seemingly easy-to-use operation, but I'm kinda glad I never got one! It does seem very strange that there's such a huge dichotomy of opinions out there. Maybe we should run a simple poll, just "like" and "don't like" or something similar, and get a head count of supporters and opponents.

I finally got a Tamiya HG Trigger AB about 4 years ago, and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever, right from the very first time I used it. I just made sure I did my homework: read all I could on airbrushing in general, asked my fellow modelers for their advice, and THOROUGHLY read the instructions that came with my AB and compresser, so I knew it inside and out, backwards and forwards. A few quick spritzes on an old model to get a feel for the handpiece, and I was off to the races!

I have no experience with the Aztec line of products, but I can't help feel that some of the problems ya'll are running into might be related to a lack of preparation in some area or another, rather than some congenital flaw in the product itself.

Remember: the artist does not blame the brush!


Unless it really does suck, in which case I withdraw that last statement!

I have to say I'm really enjoying my Iwata Eclipse HP-BS.

I'll never look back at that Aztek again.

It not only feels like a real tool but performs like one as well.

It has a small color cup which I like. I was concerned that I would have to fill it frequently but it goes a long way on one fill actually.

I highly recommend it to weary Aztek sufferers!

Had an aztek once (when they first came out), when my paasche VL went belly up. Did not have a good experience with it. tips clogged, horrible to clean, sputtered
blah, blah, blah. Got another paasche and back to having fun.

If I have to think and fuss too much about my AB, then it ain't worth it.

waiting for my Iwata eclipse.........please hurry, oh please.

Dealing with Paasche, I once had a VSR90, that is: I bought it and brought it home proudly, I did one session of painting ...and brought it back to the store to sell it second hand (it was a deposit and did not belong to the store but was in excellent condition) I hope it has made someone happy. That is to say that there is a unrational part of the choice to consider, the same as occurs with let's say Nikon cameras versus Canon; maybe the moral is that the best airbrush is the one you prefer for your own reasons, and best known brands may be a guarantee of regularity in quality of manufacturing. Final choice is a bridge you must cross alone.

Aztec sure feels cheap...not something you want for the long run. Iwata's replacement parts is way too expensive...not something you want for the long run, especially if you don't take good care of it. The best bang for the buck is the Badger 360 Universal.

I had my eye on one of these but after all the hype in here and calming myself down, I am leaning towards a Paasche VLSTPRO

First, a question to Blackwolfscd (oh, it's very difficult to spell, this one): what kind of medium do you use to decorate cakes, acrylic or enamel ?

Second, I would like to say that though I love Azteks, (a 470 and the first one with no rubber grip) I must admit that they are cheaply built

Third,no mail order on that kind of stuff mylords due to the grip problems (a millmeter more or less makes the difference of feel in the hand, yes I'm French and I love millimeters, centimeters and all their relatives)It is for that reason that I sold a Contempo as I found the trigger to be imprecise

Fourth, the needle of Thayer & Chandler Omnis is 0.46 mm opposed to the 0.30 mm finest needle of Aztek, but it is not only a question of gauge, as use has a lot to do here

Fifth, I recently purchased a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution (it's german) which seems to be of the same quality as the top Iwatas but I paid 200€ for it with accessories (a 0.15 mm needle, a needle travel limiter,etc...) which is less than
the price of an big Iwata but not cheap nonetheless. For Europeans it comes from http://www.obeliks.com in Belgium, for other folks I fear you could not find parts (di I say no mail order, but that was only for Aztek)

So this was my humble contribution

Buy everything mail order. Is a lot cheaper. I only buy locally if I want it or need it right there in the spot.

PS to almonkey - If you can pay with a Mastercard or Visa card, it should be automatically converted from pounds to dollars. The actual cost to you would depend on the exchange rate for that days' transaction. You will have to know the current exchange rate (within a couple of days, as you never know exactly what day it will be recorded and paid), and do a little math yourself maybe, to know what the actual cost is to you.
Anyway, good luck and keep us informed.
Stinger

Hey almonkey - I just ordered myself an Iwata from dixieart.com, and then I saw your post, so I called them back to see what their shipping charges were to the UK. Basically the charges all go by weight, but they suggested that you send them an email with your address and they will calculate it for you. The msrp for my Iwata is $175. I saw it in the local hobby shop for $140, and then thanks to this forum found it at Dixieart for $90. That kind of savings alone could justify having it shipped. I even paid the extra for overnight shipping (whithin the US), and that, with an extra needle, nozzle, and airhose was still cheaper than the hobby shop price for the gun alone! Check it out and let us know what happens.

I used to clean mine completely, but got no different results in spray from my Aztek. It was clean as a whistle, but still didn't work for crap, for me anyway. To the people who have good success with them, more power to ya. I wish that I had.

Team Tornado, I just noticed that you put President Blair, that slipped right by me the first time. Pretty funny actually. Is he not so popular over there anymore? I know he's catching some flak over this intelligence dossier, but so is our King.


madda

One thing I read a lot is that some people think you don't need to clean the azteks as well as other airbrushes. I find that I need to take the nozzle apart or the brush doesn't ever work well. If I take apart the nozzle and use a q-tip to clean the opening, my aztek works as well if not better than most other brushes I've used.

almonkey, rotate the action selector knob all the way to double action, then back it off just until you get paint flow when you open the trigger. You should be able to feel the difference in the pressure.
Glenn

amen to that, team tornado!! pounds,quids,onecers,all sound better than euurrros(throwing up sound!)

We still use the Queens' Pounds Stirling!

President Blair hasn't rolled over on that one yet (But give him time!).

Rob M

I'm not sure about finding them in the Uk, as I've never even been there. If you check some internet sites, you may find it very reasonable to order them and have them shipped. You may even come out a bit ahead there, even with the shipping costs, if you can find some way to pay in dollars rather than euros or pounds (do you guys still use pounds at all, or is it all euros now?) the exchange rate may help you get a deal. I'm not sure about that, it's just an idea I just had, but it's worth looking into anyway. Look at Iwata's own site, then do some searches, you may find a place near you that carries them, of a place in England that would ship more cheaply. I had to get mine over the internet as I couldn't find one locally.

madda

iwata,hmm. where would you check them out in England?

hi giheald when i put my 470 in dubble action the trigger is very loose feeling, like its not connected to any thingand dosnt seem any different to single action. have i bust it or is there a trick to this? ps its my first dubble action brush and ive not long bought a moisture trap/pressure regulater but the thing is still the same meanwhile my old faithful badger 200 G F works brilliantly connected to this new rig

You just might be right.
Alex D

I have several of the lesser expensive generic Testors airbrushes (single and double action internal mix) sold in the department stores and have had great success with them. These airbrushes are basically the same as the more expensive Aztek line however they fit the budget of those modelers who can't afford the more expensive ones. I have used the Badger brushes before and have had as good or better results with my Testors. I think the rule of thumb here is practice, practice, practice.

okay for a first airbrush for a beginner, cheap, fairly easy to clean. What would everyone recommend?? Just from looking at adds I would have picked an aztek, but when I look at this forum it makes me have second thoughts. dual action, of course.

I'd think it was a quality control problem, but on the other hand, buying a new tip would fix the problems that most people were having. I bought 3 new tips hoping that it would work correctly with a brand new tip. It didn't. I don't really know what it is, the body of the brush shouldn't make any difference since the tip is the only part that really gets paint in it, but maybe it does have some effect. At any rate, I'm glad I went Iwata.

madda

Sure is an odd phenomena - you either have no problems at all with your Aztek (like me and a couple others around here), or it absolutely gives you fits!!! How bizarre. Wonder if it's a quality control thing?

i have 2 Azteks now..one of it is the replacement of the old body..(life time warannt ehh..) but now my aztek is only doing general coverage ..large part etc..due to its large bottle... the other one just sleeping quietly in my sparebox...my prime ab is Tamiya Superfine... i love this one....

Has anyone tried the new metal aztek brush?

I've been using the metal one since february. the crappy little blue one has broken on me 3 times.

I have had no probs with the metal one aside from the fact that my GF bought me an HP/C.

We'll see how long the metal aztek lasts.
It certainly feels like an airbrush compared to the clear imac blue airbrush.

Look around some and see what you'd like in one. I got my new one for less than I paid for that Aztek, even when I figured in the braided hose for the new brush. My only real regret is that I didn't look around first and save that original 100 bucks.

madda