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Upgrading airbrush, what to buy?

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  • Member since
    December 2005
Upgrading airbrush, what to buy?
Posted by Mindless on Monday, December 19, 2005 6:01 AM
Right now I own a double-action Vivaz airbrush (don't know if it's a no-name airbrush or if it's a good one). It has a .3mm needle and a working pressure of  15-45psi. It cost me (my dad actually, but I'm using it) about $60, and works really well. Easy to clean (well, fairly easy) and good at painting with.

But since I've been getting more and more into airbrushing and improved alot at using them, I figured I would ask around: If  I was to upgrade, what airbrush would you recommend?

I like the double action brushes, at least when painting Alclad paints where you may need to vary how much color you want when putting on their chrome and aluminium colors. So yeah. Any suggestions?

Price limit is around $150.

I've been looking at some Aztek AB's, but then I've seen some people here on the boards that say: 'Skip the Aztek and get a real airbrush', so I'm kind of torn here. Smile [:)]

EDIT: I looked here at the forums and saw a thread about a airbrush called Iwata HP-C. The airbrush I have looks exactly like it, the only difference is that the back part of it is black and has a slimmer shape. Other than that, they seem to be exactly the same. The cup is in the same place, the nozzle looks exactly the same way.


  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Humble
Posted by rrmmodeler on Monday, December 19, 2005 8:01 AM

I would say that if are getting good results with what you have, then stay with it. What you have is simular to an Iwata resoluation series.

I would not go with an Aztek. I had one and would never go back. Now they are a type of airbrush and some people can get good results from them, but I never could get a consistent spray out of it and I had it for 4 years. Plus cleaning them was actually harder to clean than the Iwata that I have now. I also save by not having to rebuy the Aztek tips. The results that I get from the Iwata and what I use to get from the Aztek are remarkably are very different with the Iwata being so much better.

For 150 you can get any of the Iwata Eclipse series, I believe that is what I spent to get mine. I have the Iwata HP-CS.

Hope this helps.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: SETX. USA
Posted by tho9900 on Monday, December 19, 2005 5:49 PM
I'd ditto that... if what you have is equiv to the HP-C then you already have a mighty fine brush.. is there anything it is doing that is hindering your painting?  Like painting sporadically etc... maybe there is something physically that can be done to help it spray like it should...
---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!
  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: NJ 07073
Posted by archangel571 on Monday, December 19, 2005 7:45 PM
I always thought alclad II are lacquer based...  which in turn will kill those nozzles on the aztec.  Anyone wanna correct me on that?
-=Ryan=- Too many kits... so little free time. MadDocWorks
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: SETX. USA
Posted by tho9900 on Monday, December 19, 2005 8:49 PM

Ryan - "so say" the Aztek nozzles handle it.. I never shot any through my Aztek way back when but I seem to remember a few here who had with ok results.  I had similar spotty results with my Aztek.. but I do know some use them with absolutely fantastic results!!! 

I am more than happy with the 3 I own now and wouldn't go back... (2 Badgers and an Iwata)

---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 10:11 AM

Hi All

Just to add my say, i have had an aztec airbrush which i must say that i would not buy one again.

When i first brought it all was fine but i found cleaning it was a pain nozzles you could never seem to get all the old paint from inside.

I now own as of a week ago iwata HP-C plus going on tom`s advice & afew others its so easy to clean & use is diffrent & will take time to learn, but am glad i got this one Alan.Bow [bow]

  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Vancouver,Canada
Posted by clairnet_person on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 12:51 PM
lol when I was looking for my 1st airbrush I immediatly trashed the idea of getting an Aztek just by the look of it and just bought a Paasche H instead and it's awesome not lookin to upgrade for a while though.
Current builds: Monogram P-40B Revell F-15E
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: SETX. USA
Posted by tho9900 on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 2:41 PM
 Yoda wrote:

HP-C plus going on tom`s advice & afew others its so easy to clean & use is diffrent & will take time to learn, but am glad i got this one Alan.Bow [bow]

Alan - that's the way switching from the gravity fed Badgers was.. it was a bit different spraying at first.  Finely more out of curiousity of how fine it would spray I primered up my gallon jug of distilled water and just painted all over it trying different things... that was the trick to getting it down.  I gotta say this brush has made a difference in my spraying!!!  I think most of it is due to the gravity fed thing...

---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!
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