Gravity or siphon?

It is my understanding that the main difference in use is control—it's easier to get finer lines with a gravity feed, and you can mix and use smaller amounts of paint. In other words, if you plan on fine detail work, get a double action, gravity fed.

The drawback to double action airbrushes is their long, fragile needles. They're easier to bend or damage. OTOH, I've managed to damage two tips for my Paasche H, and they are probably the sturdiest on the market.

Search the forums on "airbrush" and you will find an enormous amount of good advice, much of it recent, on what to buy and where to buy it, as well as how to use it.

One thing bears almost constant repetition: Don't get discouraged, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

My .02?

Gravity.

You waste less paint because the there is no tube that needs filled up before the brush will actually spray paint. In other words, if you take the paint wasted in a siphon brush because of the tube and put it in a gravity feed brush you will have more than enough to do the same job.

I loved my VL but to see all that paint wasted in the lacquer thinner jar was a shame.

Another reason? Less air pressure. This one is kinda relative I guess, but since the paint feeds by gravity there is no need to crank up the pressure to get the brush to suck it up. The way I mix my paints and use the brush it's much easier to get those very fine lines that we sometimes need and I do it with less air pressure, around 8psi.

In your case, you definately want to use as little "air" as possible. Those cans don't last long. Unless, ofcourse, you are refering to a CO2 "tank". Then you'll have plenty.

+1 for Gravity.  I had a Badger 200 siphon and bought all of the replacement parts to turn it into a 'G' model, or Gravity model.  I love it.  I have built a complete second brush for FINE, as well, giving me two.

Chimera wrote:

+1 for Gravity.  I had a Badger 200 siphon and bought all of the replacement parts to turn it into a 'G' model, or Gravity model.  I love it.  I have built a complete second brush for FINE, as well, giving me two.

Huh?
How do you turn a siphon-feed into a gravity-feed without buying an entirely new body?

I also prefer gravity-feed for the reasons mentioned.
If you need a lot of paint then a siphon-feed is better.

MikeV wrote:

Chimera wrote: +1 for Gravity.  I had a Badger 200 siphon and bought all of the replacement parts to turn it into a 'G' model, or Gravity model.  I love it.  I have built a complete second brush for FINE, as well, giving me two. Huh? How do you turn a siphon-feed into a gravity-feed without buying an entirely new body?

I think Badger does list the body with a part number so if the body was one of the replacement parts I suppose you could turn your siphon feed into a gravity feed.  It does seem like a lot of work, a little like a Bob Vila "remodel" in which only one structural wall is retained from the original house.  I think if I ever want a gravity feed to replace my siphon feed 200NH, I'd probably just get a 100LG.

ABARNE wrote:

MikeV wrote:  Chimera wrote: +1 for Gravity.  I had a Badger 200 siphon and bought all of the replacement parts to turn it into a 'G' model, or Gravity model.  I love it.  I have built a complete second brush for FINE, as well, giving me two. Huh? How do you turn a siphon-feed into a gravity-feed without buying an entirely new body? I think Badger does list the body with a part number so if the body was one of the replacement parts I suppose you could turn your siphon feed into a gravity feed.  It does seem like a lot of work, a little like a Bob Vila "remodel" in which only one structural wall is retained from the original house.  I think if I ever want a gravity feed to replace my siphon feed 200NH, I'd probably just get a 100LG.

Yes they do.
My point is that is not a "conversion" but an entirely new airbrush really.

I have the Badger Model 360 it's the only airbrush capable of performing in a gravity feed or siphon feed mode. Check it out at www.badger.com

Gravity feed has the cup on top and at first gets in the way of seeing what you are painting. You will soon get use to it. There is also side feeds that alows you to see your work more easily and can be mounted on the left or right side.

Then there is the issue of tip and needle size. The smaller the finer the line that can be drawn. However the smaller the tip the thinner the paint needs to be to flow through the tip.

I would investigate an Iwata Eclypse or a Revolution. Both are gravity fed and have tips that are good for hobby paints.   Greg

badbird356 wrote:

I have the Badger Model 360 it's the only airbrush capable of performing in a gravity feed or siphon feed mode. Check it out at www.badger.com

Actually there is one more, the Omni Matrix also made by Badger.

gjek wrote:

The smaller the finer the line that can be drawn. However the smaller the tip the thinner the paint needs to be to flow through the tip.

Not necessarily thinner paint, but finer pigmented mediums are needed for these airbrushes.

My thought is to make the small tips work the paint has to be thinner and that produces a new set of problems. The very small tips are really designed for mediums such as inks and dyes and watercolors but we use  them for hobby paints after heavly thinning them. Greg

Definitely a gravity feed... I started out on a siphon fed, went to another siphon fed... when I bought my first gravity feed it was night and day!  Easier to clean, easier to spray (IMHO) and better results out of it.  I still use one of my siphon feds but the majority of the work is done by one brush (the siphon fed)...  The color cup getting in your way is a temporary thing and might not even bother you at all. 

Especially if you think you might go into 1/48 aircraft at some later date, a gravity fed brush would be a strong contender!

ABARNE wrote:

MikeV wrote:  Chimera wrote: +1 for Gravity.  I had a Badger 200 siphon and bought all of the replacement parts to turn it into a 'G' model, or Gravity model.  I love it.  I have built a complete second brush for FINE, as well, giving me two. Huh? How do you turn a siphon-feed into a gravity-feed without buying an entirely new body? I think Badger does list the body with a part number so if the body was one of the replacement parts I suppose you could turn your siphon feed into a gravity feed.  It does seem like a lot of work, a little like a Bob Vila "remodel" in which only one structural wall is retained from the original house.  I think if I ever want a gravity feed to replace my siphon feed 200NH, I'd probably just get a 100LG.

Guilty as charged.  Yes, it ended up being mostly new, since when I started, I didn't realize that the needle was longer in the G series.

But the trigger/air coupling assembly and the tips were the same.  So you save there.  I ended up buying a new needle, body and backend body.  All else was usable.  Thus, I had a new brush for about $30.

The side benefit that really paid off was knowing everything there is to know about that series, so I am more confident about my brush.  I also made good friends with the art store owner. :)

Gravity or siphon depends on what you are painting, at least in automative painting. If you are painting roof, you want gravity so you don't drag the cup in the paint. Same thing is you are painting from below, you don't want the cup to touch the surface above.

Models are easier to pain, since they don't weigh so much and are easier to move. But it's worth having in your mind when selecting, there will probably be times when you wish you had the other kind.

/Lars

I stand corrected. Hey MikeV is there any difference between the 360 and the Omni Matrix?

badbird356 wrote:

I stand corrected. Hey MikeV is there any difference between the 360 and the Omni Matrix?

The differences are minor, the Matrix has Omni parts so the trigger is slightly bigger in diameter and it has the reverse-a-guard air cap. Other than that they are pretty much the same.