Buying an airbrush, questions about Badgers

I can't really comment on either airbrush, however, I have the crescendo 175, and I must say, I am very pleased with it. It is pretty easy to disassemble for cleaning, everything gets tightened down just finger tight. It sprays rather nicely, and this being my first airbrush, I think I am getting some pretty good results with it. The set I bought from www.dixieart.com ran about $70 and it came with a metal color cup, a braided hose, and 2 color jars and 2 mixing jars. Good luck Jeff!

Jeff - both the Anthem an d the 360's are good brushes, I own a 155 Anthem and it is identical to the 360 except the 360 is able to spray as a gravity fed OR a siphon fed.  So my vote would definitely go for the 360.  Currently I use either my 155 or 175 for all over acrylic painting, and my Iwata HP-CR for medium to detail work... so I am having to switch back and forth at times.  With the 360 you would be able to do both without switching brushes!

The Anthem (and therefore the 360 as it is almost the same brush) break down fast, are fairly easy to clean (especially when in gravity fed mode on the 360) and do good detail to all over coverage on a model.  Obviously the 360 I would suspect a little better at detail.

Good luck! 

The choice is yours but personally I would go with the Omni 4000 or the Badger 100LG
They are both great all-around airbrushes and being gravity feed they can spray at lower pressures with less overspray.

The 360 is a nice airbrush too but the color cup is tiny.
I prefer it for doing quick jobs on small parts and touch-up work as it is simple to clean.
A standard color cup will not fit in the 360 due to it's bowl shape so you have to use a bottle for siphon-feed spraying.

Mike

I'd definitely go with a 100, either the G or the LG as a general purpose AB, with the ability to fine work by switching heads, something you can't do on the Omni 4000.

Karl

If you already have a Paasche H, I think you may be better served by a 100 instead of an Anthem 155.  I own a Paasache H as well as a Badger 200NH, which shares the same needle/tip assembly as an Anthem 155, and honestly when comparing the paint from the Paasche H versus the Badger, there is not a heck of a lot of difference.  You could get a 100 for detail work and if you need broad coverage that may exceed the 100's best capabilities, you have the Paasche H.

Andy

So guys, I just picked up a Badger 155 Anthem, can it be used for fine detail work??

Thanks, Anthony.

Anthony14 wrote:

So guys, I just picked up a Badger 155 Anthem, can it be used for fine detail work?? Thanks, Anthony.

That depends on your definition of  "fine detail" really.
You can get 1/64" lines maybe but that's about it.

Thanks for all your inputs.  Andy, I like your suggestion about using my old Paasche H in conjunction with a new 100.  Unfortunately, I'm stationed in Europe at present and most of my old model stuff is in a warehouse somewhere in Texas.  Also, I beat up the old Paasche in the garage where I was force to work before, so it would require a complete rebuild anyway.  I'm definitely leaning now toward buying a gravity feed, though.  Maybe an Omni 4000 or 100 LG. 

For you 100 owners, how hard is it to change the heads, needles, etc. to switch back and forth from medium to fine?  What extra parts would I have to buy?   Thanks again for your collective wisdom.  One of these days, I'll actually stop spending time on airbrush research and get around to building a model!

Jeff

MikeV wrote:

Anthony14 wrote: So guys, I just picked up a Badger 155 Anthem, can it be used for fine detail work?? Thanks, Anthony. That depends on your definition of  "fine detail" really. You can get 1/64" lines maybe but that's about it.

Ok, thats good news, I don't think I will be going anywhere near that amount.

jeffth wrote:

For you 100 owners, how hard is it to change the heads, needles, etc. to switch back and forth from medium to fine?  What extra parts would I have to buy?   Thanks again for your collective wisdom.  One of these days, I'll actually stop spending time on airbrush research and get around to building a model! Jeff

As for changing set on a single airbrush, I would suggest  to examine if you are going to do it often or not. If "often" is the reply, I would suggest  to use two airbrushes, but I don't know your budget. In any case, whenever I buy an airbrush, I try to add :
_ an extra nozzle
_ two extra needles
_ a pack of washers
Take it as a "first aid kit"  which is most useful a couple of minutes after the hobby shop closed on Saturday evening.
And last but not least, airbrush research is not spending time, it is part of the joy of doing something by choice.

To change from fine to medium is simple. You use the Badger head wrench and change the entire head assembly to the one you want and swap the needles. It takes about two minutes including picking up the wrench. Take extreme care putting in the new needle so as not to bend the tip or split the nozzle. Needle lube really helps overcome any friction. And don't drop the teflon head seal! The price of a head assembly is about $15 retail and a needle is between $5 & $6. Alot cheaper than buying another brush!

 

E