Looking to step into airbrushing...

Ratbert - welcome to the forum! first your compressor will work fine... it is the pressure gauge that you might want to change.. or even the whole regulator. You need something that goes from about 0-70 PSI for a pressure gauge with 1psi increments.. the other type work but it is easier to eyball where you are at on pressure with the smaller increments. If you get the whole regulator you can get one with the watertrap built in and an appropriate regulator and guage for about $50 to $60 or maybe even less..

As far as airbrushes.,.. I know some here use the Aztec with wonderful results... I had one and it didn't take me long to switch. It was a cleaning nightmare. I had to constantly soak the tips in thinner after taking them apart to keep them clean. Good alternatives are the Badger 155 or 360, they both are basically the same brush but the 360 can do true gravity feed as well. They run from $59 to about $70 dollars... The Omni 4000 by Thayer and Chandler is good too, it runs about $69 and is gravity fed. The gravity feed brushes are also a lot easier to clean than the siphon fed brushes...

My current favorite (I also own the Badger 155 and 175 and still use them for certain things) is my Iwata HP-CR gravity feed, I got for about $69.00..

If you live in the states www.dixieart.com is a good place to shop... real good customer service and great prices.

As far as airbrushes go, you are better off getting a double action, gravity feed brush. If you want siphon & gravity, the Badger 360 and the Aztek are good choices.

Personally, I have a Badger 100LG and an Aztek. Lot’s of folks here don’t like Azteks. (My Raiden & Me-109 where both done with my Aztek – you can check them out on my website) As far as cleaning them…I don’t see the big deal. The Aztek tips pull apart easily and clean up in a dunk of your favorite solvent. The cups come off too, for the same procedure. I just left them in Windex when I was done for the day and they where ready when I got back. For me, this was not an issue. (Even the Badger needs a “tip soaking” once in a while.) They are a little less “conventional” so I think folks are just not used to them. And, some folks have them breaking…but mine hasn’t broken yet. The one thing I have noticed is the Badger gives me a little more “control” as I found the trigger on the Aztek less precise, but that could just be me…Most AB are metal, so they “feel” like they have substance. The Azteks are made of some polymer material. I think the differences are mostly in people’s heads…but that’s what can make or break you: The Mindset.

It’s more important to learn the skill then it is to get the “best” airbrush. The “best” airbrush in the world won’t work without the skill of the user. Conversely, a user with great airbrushing skills can work wonders, even with a “marginal” airbrush.

I got the 2 gallon CH compressor from wally world. There is a thread here about it. It basically is a decent compressor, but you get what you pay for with it. I wouldn't call it bottom line, but it definately is not the best. It works well for me, but I'm just starting out, and I will replace mine when I need to with something more expensive. The only complaint I have with it as of now is that it is pretty loud, something to consider if you have neighbrs that you don't want to p*ss off.

I also got the wally world special airbrush. It's the aztec/testors airbrush starter kit that comes with the brush, some 1/4 oz. acryl paints, and one nozzle. I had to return the first one because it was leaking, but the next one they gave me works perfectly. One of the first things I did was buy another nozzle, as the black/grey one is too broad for my purposes. It is a hassle to clean it, at least if you want to do a really deep cleaning. I would reccomend it, as it was recommended to me by a very experienced modeler. It makes a great starter brush, I think. I'll have to do some more research when/if I get another brand.

As for the single vs. double action question, I have heard that you should just start out with double action since most everyone ends up there. I could not agree more! I had a single action a long time ago and it was very frustraiting to use, so much so that I did not buy another airbrush for many many years. You may spend a little more time learning to effectively use the DA, but it beats buying two brushes and having to learn everything twice.

If you just want to skip all that detail mumbo-jumbo I just wote, here's what I said, in a nutshell:
FOR ME, the CH compressor works great for now, and for a start up system
Ditto on the Aztec/Testors airbrush (double action)
You might as well go with Double Action, that's where you'll end up anyway.
Have fun, good luck, hope this helps.

A quick clarification about my air supply question...

The CH HideAway lives in the garage. Workstation is upstairs. Compressor is loud (too loud for the "after the kid is in bed" sessions).

What I was thinking was to get an airtank, a regulator/filter/trap, and a filter/trap (and a number of quick-connect fittings). Then I could fill the air tank to 130 PSI or so through the filter/trap, then transport the tank to my workstation, where I'd feed the brush through the regulator/filter/trap. Or, step up and get a dedicated aitbrush compressor.

Of course, by actually laying out the steps of tyring to use my existing compressor, it may be better to get a dedicated compressor...

And thanks for all the input on the brush itself. I still need to give it some thought, but it's always good to get more info...

Ratbert_CP

edit: Forgot to add the amusing anecdote... I grew up in New Orleans, and I think I've been in Dixie Art on several occasions. But I'm out in L.A. these days. No more begniets or coffee with chickory... *sigh*

I have a 2 gallon craftsman air compressor. It sits at the other end of the basement, and I have a 50 foot air hose running to my modeling room. Upstream, I use the "big" regulator on the compressor to tone it down to ~40psi. Downstream, at my desk, I have an airbrush regulator and trap where I can fine-tune the pressure.

My advise: Instead of lugging the extra tank, you could just get a long hose...~20-25 bucks at most hardware stores.

Additionally, you could get another tank, therefore increasing your air volume & spraying time. Connect it to your existing tank and also run the hose to wherever you model. With the "auto shut-off" on your CH, the existing AND extra tank should still fill to the max pressure allowed. (no need to baby sit it)

The only problem there is lack of connectivity between the garage and the workstation... And no real way to make it work. It's got to be lugging a tank (or CO2 cans) or a dedicated compressor. I understand your design, and if there was a way to do it, that would certainly be a better solution.

I guess another question would be if the fine-control regulators can handle a larger (100+ PSI) back-end pressure, or if they need to be working from 50-60 PSI or lower. Then it would be between extra trips (or extra tanks), a *second*, heavier regulator to step down the pressure for the final regulator, or a dedicated compressor...

Anyone have good results and info on a sub-$100 compressor?

The smaller airbrush regulator should handle a 50 psi back pressure load. Check the regulator specs. Mine (paasche) goes up to 100 or so. I can't remember at the moment. I'd have to check. If not, you can always get an "el cheapo" regulator put it in-line (before) your airbrush regulator. But i'm pretty sure will be ok at 50 PSI back pressure.

If you need to get an extra tank to "lug" then bite the bullet and get a 10 gallon. It will last you an entire session plus some. Judging by the seat of my pants, my 2 gallon lasts about 10 minutes of a continuous 10-15 PSI spraying session...as a baseline.