AB - what to look for?

Man, you got Gunze Sangyo and Tamiya airbrush all around you...  Tamiya's HG double action airbrush works really well with enamel or acrylic paints and comes with a preset handle.  Same applies to their HG-SuperFine airbrush, though it has a smaller cup size and a finer nozzle/needle assembly.  Those two together pretty much got you covered for most of the types of models.  Similarly Gunze's Mr. Airbrush series comes with for example Procon boy which has two nice double action gravity feed airbrushes to cover all your needs.  Gunze also makes pretty nice quality aircompressors with regulator/moisture trap all built in.  For a little more money, Anest Iwata's HP-BP, CP, BH, CH can be considered to cover general coverage and details. 

You got to get an airbrush to suit your needs.  They differ in nozzle/needle sizes for different types of paints and different spray area coverage that they are suited for.  To change the airpressure you'd be looking at a compressor with a pressure regulator.  The Iwata Hi-Line series (HP-BH, CH) does have those fine tuning valves for airpressure built into the airbrush body but they don't change by a lot. 

An exchangeable set of different sized needle/nozzel for the same airbrush does help save some money, so if you don't want to spend that much, that'd be the way to go.  Iwata does have their Eclipse series, for example the HP-CS which comes with a fine needle/nozzle set at 0.35mm but also offers a 0.5mm larger size needle/nozzle set as an option to increase the coverage to use it for model car bodies and all.

So... what type of models do you build?

*where is musiccity's airbrush guide when you need it...  somebody help with the link*

Wow, more information on the subject then I thought was possible. Thanks!

I want to use it for tanks and figures. I want a versitile unit, one that can both do details and large base coating, like on a tank. I'm moving into dioramas soon (ww2 and Vietnam War), but I want some more experience painting before I start.

The compressors, are the piston or screw type these days? Sounds like it's a screw type since it doesn't make much (or any?) noice. What should tank size be? Any makers to stay away from?

I'm going to Akihabara tomorrow, I'll check what they have and prices. Recommendations on models available is appreciated.

The link would be appreciated to musiccity's airbrush guide, I couldn't find anything on google.com.

http://www.craigcentral.com/models/ab.asp  found it.  sorry about that scott but I will be doing this in your name.  ; )  

I can't really give any opinions on compressors since I just went out and got an iwata one and didn't look further.  Pretty sure someone can answer that when they find this thread tomorrow. 

For a general purpose brush to do 1/35 armors, after owning a badger 100LG, Iwata HP-CH, HP-BCS with 0.35mm setup for that purpose (4 others were for large area coverage and details), I'd actually recommend them all.  However since badger parts are probably harder to find in Japan, and that you want detail capability as well, I'd say the HP-CH can do a really good job if you are willing to spend the money on it.  It has a relatively larger paint cup at 1/3 oz. so it can pretty much cover and entire tank without a problem.  It also is gravity feed, so it runs well at a lower pressure.  Combined with the relative finer nozzle/needle size (which is still big enough to run Tamiya acrylics without a problem), that micro air valve gimmick, and the preset handle, it works like a charm when it comes to detail painting, or simply freehand those camo scheme on the tanks.

On this forum there is a guy by the handle of JHulk.  (He frequents the armor section.)  He's in Japan as well so I guess you can email him also.

I sent an e-mail to J-Hulk already after recommendation in another thread. You guys sure know the members here.

I'll have a look for an Iwata HP-CN today.

Thanks Ryan!

Homer wrote:

You guys sure know the members here.

It's a pretty tight group and most know exactly who to point someone to to answer a question quickly!  good Luck with the new airbrush!

MikeV wrote:

I would go with the Iwata HP-CS Eclipse since you are in Japan. It will fill your needs very well and is cheaper than the higher end Iwatas that you don't really need in my opinion.

Price-wise yea the CS would cost much less but the factor here is that he wants it for Armor building and figures.  The preset handle that comes with the CP (C+) and the CH gets really handy when it comes to that, especially for starters who aren't so good with controlling the trigger well enough to get a consistent fine line, for example to use on those WWII late war german camos.  That is only an option for the CS and would cost more money to get it to the price of a HP-CP anyways.  (Wiki faced the same dilemma before he went with the CP instead).  I listed the CH as a main recommendation really is because it gives a lot of advantages compared to others aside from the fact that it includes that air valve, which is really just about a $30 extra premium, to up it to pretty much the runner up to the ultra expensive Custom Microns in terms of performance when it comes to small details.  For 1/48 aircrafts though, yea i'd go with a HP-CS, since there really isn't ...as much... intricate parts to cover (excluding the resin AM parts guys here, don't flame me.  I am one of ya.   =P).  It sure is designed to take a lot of abuses as well.

Hi Mike,

I found the same information on Badger website last Thursday. The sent a fax asking where I can pick on up, no answer yet. I hope I have an answer on Monday. 

I had a look in Akihabara yesterday, could only find Tamiya with plastic handle, and Mr. Hobby.

/Lars

Homer wrote:

Hi Mike, I found the same information on Badger website last Thursday. The sent a fax asking where I can pick on up, no answer yet. I hope I have an answer on Monday.  I had a look in Akihabara yesterday, could only find Tamiya with plastic handle, and Mr. Hobby. /Lars

tried emailing Tamiya directly regarding that at all?  they are pretty quick on responding with emails.  everytime my questions were answered within a day.  Shizuoka isn't THAT far from tokyo for a visit to the headquater eh?

I found out the other day that Tamiya is branding Badger as "Tamiya Badger" here in Japan. I got my sight on a quite large shop in Akihabara (Yellow Submarine) that should have a nice collection of paints and airbrushes. I'll have a look there when I get time.

They also sell Vallejo akrylics, thinking about picking a few up.

Homer - try the Tamiya but also the Vallejo... the Vallejo has made me a die hard Acrylics fan!  easy to brush OR spray!!!