Airbrushes?????

I like using the Aztec one. Not too expensive, easy to use and clean. All in all very practical tool.

I also use an aztec airbrush, it was my first one and I think its great for the begineer.There are various nozzels you can buy so you can spray large areas or fine detail.

The aztec is a great airbrush. But if you want metal contruction try the badger 200.

I recommend a good single action air brush. Get a good name brand like Paasche or Badger so you can get replacement parts. You will at some point screw up a tip (needle) and you'll want to be able to get a replacement quickly and easily. I tried a double action at one point and came straight back to the single action. What I use is a Paasche. It's a standard work horse that's been around a very long time. Single action's are very easy to clean and adjust. You can purchase at least 3 different tips for different spray patterns. If you're just starting out don't complicate it with a double action. Contact Paul Boyer and ask him for a recommendation. He's the painting guru at FSM and he can give you some great tips. He responds very quicly to e-mail as well. Great guy.

Also consider the following when you buy and work with an air brush.

Air source: If you get a compressor get one with a tank. You want steady proessure. Be sure to get a pressure regulator. You want to get a moisture trap so that a small water drop doesn't come flying out of your airbrush at exactly the wrong time. Another option is to get an air tank. I don't think they are very expensive compared to a compressor. You can have them filled at a company that specializes in that. You'll find them in the yellow pages and they may be able to help you with the tank too. Keeps the noise down in the house as well.

Health: Get a good respirator. Don't turn your brain to mush. You'll need a good place to spray. I have a small spray booth. I built mine, but there are commercial units on the market too. You want to get those vapors out of the house.

On my "to do" list is a dust collector. It makes me crazy when that stray piece of whatever floating around the room ends up on my wet paint. If you're working in a garage or an unfinished basement you are especially vulnerable to that. So I'm planning on adding a dust collector to my work area. Delta and Jet make these, but I'm going to the home show today to see about whole house electronic air cleaners.

Have I spent all your money yet? If you want to talk about it further shoot an e-mail to me.

Good luck!

I've used an Aztec/Model Master airbrush for the last 8-10 years. I've never had a bit of trouble. Works great. Easy to clean. Yes, you have to clean it every time you use it. And bernndye, I just saw an add in this months Finescale for a metal casing aztec.
Good luck gundog!!

Gundog,

It's pretty tough to go wrong with a Paasche, Badger, or Aztek. I personally use a Paasche VL and have found that the more I use it, the better it gets. They probably all of advantages over the others, but for general hobby use they'll all treat you well.
- single action/external mixes (Badger or Paasche) are generally easier to clean
- double action/internal mixes (Badger or Paasche) are more 'controllable', but a little more complicated and require more dilligent cleaning
- the azteks are a different design, but good general hobby brushes with the easiest cleaning of all.

Choose your flavor and practice, practice, practice.

M.

I tried different brushes when I first started airbrushing 10+ years ago. Probably due to my inexperience I didn't 'have much luck with any of them. About that time the Model Master (later Aztec) first came out. I gave it a try and was so pleased that I never have used anything else. As far as airbrushes go it is very easy to use and you can pretty much get going right away. As with all airbrushes a thorough cleaning is a must.

As mentioned before, the Badger 200 is a good beginning airbrush. It's fairly reliable and easy to clean as well as durable. And, if you break it, Badger is really good about fixing it for just the cost of shipping it back to them. It's also possible to score one from eBay for less than $30 too!

I have used a Badger 150 dual action for about 6 years. It is the only airbrush I have ever used. I am very pleased with it. I thought I would never get the hang of using dual action, but now I wouldn't own an airbrush that wasn't D/A. I wish clean-up was a little quicker and less frequent, but I am a neat freak. Also since I have never cleaned another airbrush it may be very quick and I just don't know it. But operationally it paints beautifully, and comes with three needles/nozzles. You wont be dissapointed with the Badger 150.

Ditto on the Badger 150. I got mine after wearing out the 200, actually no one was making color cups or jar adaptors for it anymore. I love everything about it except cleaning it. I use an old discount store tire inflator multi-purpose diaphragm-type compressor , and have for thirty years now. I just recently put a regulator on it after years without one, but it does make a difference. I previously regulated pressure by filing a slot in the 1/4 inch adapter's screw threads so I could reduce pressure to the line by unscrewing it a bit, and it worked OK. I really haven't felt the need of one until recently, since you can control the amount of air reaching the business end of the double-action brush by controlling the down pressure on the button.

What's the problem with cleaning the Badger 150. I used a 350 S/A for 12 years
and hated cleaning it. I got my 150 a year ago and cleaning times have gone
much quicker. A quick wrench turn on the head,a few flicks of my wrist, and I can field strip a 150 in 30 seconds. A bottle of lacquer thinner, a pipe cleaner, and two Q-tips, in 90 seconds I'm ready to spray again. :)-

Actually, I find the 150 much easier to clean than the 350 or Paasche H.

Most dual action airbrushes have a nozzle that will allow them to be used like a single-action. They also don't cost much more.

From personal experience and reading countless "airbrush question" threads when I was getting my airbrush, you really can't go too wrong. People like different brands for different reasons.

I use the Paasch VL, which allows me to use a colour cup or a bottle, both siphon fed.

I think the biggest influence is a proper compressor, regulator and moisture trap. If you've got that then most airbrushes available will do the job. As usual, check reviews of the model you're looking at incase it's a bad brush.

Hello Gundog,
Everyone's right; you can't go wrong with a Badger airbrush. But you should be aware that it does take practice - lots of it. The best thing to do is buy a couple of cheap kits; snap tights will do fine, or on a couple of older specimens that you no longer care too much about. The more you use it, the better you get. There are many articles in FSM about airbrushing; go back and read them again after you've had some practice. They'll make a lot more sense. Good luck!

Hi,

As long as you don't mind a single-action airbrush (and most folks don't mind at all), I think you can't go wrong with a Paasche H model. If you want a double action, all-purpose airbrush, I would recommend a standard siphon feed Iwata Eclipse.

Note: If you are only getting a single airbrush, you probably want to stick with siphon feed as metalic paints such as metalizer and alclad II will clog a gravity feed brush as all the particles settle to the bott of the gravity feed cup.

Paasche-H model (don't get the cheap set that does not inclue the metal airbrush cup--go for the updgrate and get the $59 set)
http://www.dixieart.com/HSet.html


94 ECL2001M Eclipse Set with 10' hose: $99.95
http://www.dixieart.com/Iwata_Eclipse_Airbrush.html

You do realize that this post was over 6.5 years ago?  If he hasn't gotten a brush by now, I'd hate it for him.

 

E

H3nav wrote:

You do realize that this post was over 6.5 years ago?  If he hasn't gotten a brush by now, I'd hate it for him.   E

Holy cow! I just noticed that! Talk about the poor guy getting a late response!

H3nav wrote:

You do realize that this post was over 6.5 years ago?  If he hasn't gotten a brush by now, I'd hate it for him.   E

Yea, I guess I need to get more sleep!