First Airbrush

I'd recommend a Paasche H airbrush. It's very reliable, easy to clean, can take a little "abuse", and it's affordable. You should be able to purchase one for around $30, and this includes everything you need except for an air source and (obvioiusly) paint. If you just plan on doing basic airbrushing, the Paasche H is a good choice. It also can be used for some detail work. I own one myself, and even though I've only airbrushed about 5 models with it, I must say it's a good airbrush.
As for an air source, I recommend a compressor over propellant cans. If you plan on airbrushing almost every model you build, buying a compressor will save you a lot of money. They also are better in the way that you can regulate your airflow by getting a measurement in PSI, vs. propellant cans don't have regulators (of course). Just to let you know, I'm not that experience in airbrushing, so don't take everything I say for granted. I'm not sayign I'm lying, but I don't know as much as a lot of the guys on these forums...

I say jump right into a double-action airbrush so you don't have to buy one later if and when you outgrow a single-action.
I would recommend an Omni, Vega, or Anthem from Badger or an Iwata Eclipse.

Mike

Brad:
Having the same problem here. LIke you I don't want to buy too cheap and then upgrade later.
I'm looking at the Badger 175 and the 360. Now I just saw an add in FSM for Aztec.
Badger looks good, fine lines down to pencil width and spray up to 2.5 inches.
The 360 takes care of all patterns with one needle and nozzle. The 175 you have to change needles and nozzles. Seems time consuming.
The Aztec seems interesting, no needles to change, just pop on and off a nozzles as needed. That seems convenient. But some of the web sites don't give a whole lot of info what type of paint or abilities the burshes have.

Now the Badger site is pretty good. There is much info on the products.
Testors, for Aztec, not a whole lot of info.
Two retailers I found from this forum are ,Coast Air Brush http://www.coastairbrush.com/toc.html and Dixie Art http://www.dixieart.com/FineArts/FineArtMain.html

Going to do some searching on the form

Matt

I found that Iwata has the lowest learning curve and far and away the best resultsand easiest to clean too. The Badger 175 and 360 that gobears mentioned are well regarded as well. You probably could not go wrong with an Iwata (I recommend the HP-CS, gravity fed double action capable of spraying model enamels and acrylics) the Thayer and Chandler models that MikeV recommends or the Badger 175 or 360. Stay away from the Aztek. You can get great results with them but they can be trouble and at best inconsistent if you don't aggressively take apart and clean them and if you aren't very carefull about your thinning ratios.

I swear by my Paasches but more importanly get a brush for the long haul. If you get a good brush you will never have to switch and learn a new tool. I have bought several of the very fine brushes mentioned above but I have since disposed of them. They just feel alien in my hand.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV I say jump right into a double-action airbrush so you don't have to buy one later if and when you outgrow a single-action. I would recommend an Omni, Vega, or Anthem from Badger or an Iwata Eclipse. Mike

Why not recommand the Badger 360?

I'm not really new to airbrushing but I left my old Gunze set back where I was born. Right now I'm contemplating of getting a Badger Crescendo set. As for the compressor, I'm tight @ the budget for the moment & I have a pending project, so I decided to get the Testor's 'Blue Ice' mini. I don't really know if it's any good but if any of you guys knows I'd really appreciate a feedback. Thanks!

QUOTE: Originally posted by hou_ge2000 Why not recommand the Badger 360?

Sorry hou_ge2000.

The Badger 360 is also a good choice if you want a gravity feed and a siphon feed airbrush all in one. The Omni Matrix is very similar to the 360 and looks better than the 360 in my opinion.

What do you think?




Mike

robertlynn,

I can recommend the Badger 150. It is a dual-action siphon feed brush. It comes with three tips and three nozzles, fine/medium/large. Changing needles is very simple, it takes less than a minute. The only thing I don't like about this airbrush is the time it takes to clean, but it is still not bad. This is a good airbrush that you will not need to upgrade for quite some time.

While I love mine, I have heard from friends that have used Badgers and Iwatas that Iwata brushes are much better, but hey for the price the ought to be.

My opinion is that since robertlynn82's main interest is in auto models, he will do fine with a single action airbrush like the Paasche H. The dual action brushes are nice but he doesn't really need the fine control for his modeling needs. It will also save him a lot of time cleaning the brush compare to the others. Bottom line is that this brush is economical, easy to use and clean, and will suit his needs for a long time. Make sure to have a good source of air supply. Propellant cans are not going to cut it in the long term.

QUOTE: Originally posted by hungfarlow My opinion is that since robertlynn82's main interest is in auto models, he will do fine with a single action airbrush like the Paasche H. The dual action brushes are nice but he doesn't really need the fine control for his modeling needs. It will also save him a lot of time cleaning the brush compare to the others.

I would agree except for the statement about cleaning, as I feel a double-action airbrush is just as easy to clean as a single.

Mike

Here's my question: I too am looking at buying my first airbrush (that's why I looked this topic up). I need a good, all purpose brush, that gives quality paint coverage. I would like to be able to do some detail with it, but ultimate precision is not something I'm concerned with. My biggest deal is how much it costs. Becasue I (as of now) have no job, and am very short on cash, I need one reletivly cheap (below $30 would be nice), but meets all the above requirements. Any ideas?

(Before this, I was looking at the Aztek A270, but after reading this topic, now I'm not so sure.)

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV QUOTE: Originally posted by hungfarlow My opinion is that since robertlynn82's main interest is in auto models, he will do fine with a single action airbrush like the Paasche H. The dual action brushes are nice but he doesn't really need the fine control for his modeling needs. It will also save him a lot of time cleaning the brush compare to the others. I would agree except for the statement about cleaning, as I feel a double-action airbrush is just as easy to clean as a single. Mike

Just a clarification. The Paasche H is an external mix brush. It's easier to clean because of external vs internal mix, not double vs single action, which you correctly point out should not make a difference in terms of cleaning.

I'll recommend the Badger 360, as mentioned several times already. I just bought my first AB after 15 years of brush and can painting, and the '360 is all I could dream of and more. Well, maybe not "and more" (it doesn't cook very well, and it always forgets to add the fabric softener) but you get my drift.

QUOTE: Originally posted by hungfarlow Just a clarification. The Paasche H is an external mix brush. It's easier to clean because of external vs internal mix, not double vs single action, which you correctly point out should not make a difference in terms of cleaning.

I figured they would be harder to clean because of the way they are built up front.
I have never owned a single-action airbrush so I have no firsthand experience with cleaning one, but from schematics of the parts it looks to me like an internal mix, double-action, gravity-feed airbrush is easier to clean as there are only 3 parts to clean: Needle, tip, and color cup.

Mike

Right, i'm wanting to buy an airbrish too, and i now have ideas as to what brand to buy... but i haven't the foggiest idea as to what you guys were arguing about just now!!! What's the difference between a gravity feed and a siphon feed, a single action and a dual action, an internal mix and an external mix, a duck and a goose? sorry about that last one.

on another note, will ANY compressor do? what about tubes and hooking up the airbrush to the compressor or something... what's up with that? i figure that the compressor should deliver an even pressure all throughout otherwise the paint will splatter like someone who's taken a whole bottle of benelin to loosen the phleghm and then... well, you get the picture.

Also these things are costly to maintain, yes? I hear from RedKnight38 that you have to spray it out with (according to him) "very expensive" thinner... won't alcohol, water or turpentine work ok without melting the airbruss from the inside out? Sorry. lots of questions here.

Hi, Shrikes.

Just a suggestion. When I first planned to buy an airbrush set I was also so lost not only about the airbrush but about the compressor, too (not to mention the questions of how to make sure that the airbrush will work well with the compressor especially if they are of different brands). Also I don't have much to spend so what I needed was the basic set that is durable enough to take the punishment from a novice user like me.

Luckily, a friend gifted me with a Tamiya Basic Airbrush and Compressor set (which costs about P4,200 or about US$80). In all its simplicity, I found out that it is good enough for beginners like me. The compressor is light and compact not too strong but not too noisy either. It is also easy to clean and maintain. After a year, it still works like new. I actually have upgraded to the Tamiya HG Airbrush which is better for finer details.

If you want something good enough as a starter set but light on the pocket, try it. It even looks as if I am going to stick with it as loong as it still works.

Just a suggestion though.

Good luck.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV I figured they would be harder to clean because of the way they are built up front. I have never owned a single-action airbrush so I have no firsthand experience with cleaning one, but from schematics of the parts it looks to me like an internal mix, double-action, gravity-feed airbrush is easier to clean as there are only 3 parts to clean: Needle, tip, and color cup. Mike

Look at the Badger basic spray gun. That is the basic design of an external single action airbrush. Usually, the needle and tips are in the same unit on external mix brushes. External mix airbrushes don't have more parts to clean. The biggest difference in cleaning is the amount of disassembly. On my Badger 200 I have to clean the path the paint takes. That means taking the head off and cleaning the part inside the body where the paint is atomized. The Badger 150 is a similar design to it's single action brother. Cleaning for these are almost identical. Once again it's not the action but the mixture type that affects the cleaning.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV QUOTE: Originally posted by hou_ge2000 Why not recommand the Badger 360? Sorry hou_ge2000. The Badger 360 is also a good choice if you want a gravity feed and a siphon feed airbrush all in one. The Omni Matrix is very similar to the 360 and looks better than the 360 in my opinion. What do you think? Mike

I wonder if there is any difference in usage between these airbrushes. Since Badger bought out T&H, it is conceivable that the Badger 360 is just an updated version of the Omni Matrix. I think I'm going to order a Badger 360 and modify my hose for quick connect. Start using my other Badgers again.

QUOTE: Originally posted by hungfarlow I wonder if there is any difference in usage between these airbrushes. Since Badger bought out T&H, it is conceivable that the Badger 360 is just an updated version of the Omni Matrix.

Whoops typo. T&H above should be T&C for Thayer & Chandler.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lucien Harpress Here's my question: I too am looking at buying my first airbrush (that's why I looked this topic up). I need a good, all purpose brush, that gives quality paint coverage. I would like to be able to do some detail with it, but ultimate precision is not something I'm concerned with. My biggest deal is how much it costs. Becasue I (as of now) have no job, and am very short on cash, I need one reletivly cheap (below $30 would be nice), but meets all the above requirements. Any ideas? (Before this, I was looking at the Aztek A270, but after reading this topic, now I'm not so sure.)

Passche H carded set. Under $30 new from Dixie Art, but you have to pay for shipping. Don't know how much it is at a retail shop, but I think it's within your budget and it's a great airbrush. You can get the acessories later on like the finer tip and color cups. This set has everything to get you started except for the air and paint.

I don't know the subtle differences in the Badger 360 and the Omni Matrix, although I do like the reversable aircap on the Omni's that make it easy to use the airbrush with the needle tip exposed for easier cleaning of tip dry. I would shoot an email to Ken at Badger as he is a real nice guy and can give you the answers you have. He is also the president of Badger which is cool.
An approachable guy that is the president of the company. You don't see that a whole lot these days.

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by hungfarlow [br Once again it's not the action but the mixture type that affects the cleaning.

I understand the differences in airbrush design, I was just under the assumption that the Paasche H required as much time consumption to clean as an internal mix airbrush such as my Omni and Vega's.
Thanks for the reply.

Mike