Harder and Steenbeck Evolution 2 in 1 Airbrush.

Just to be correct since his site deserves it. His name is Phil Flory. His web address is:

http://www.florymodels.co.uk/

$5.50 ? per month. Money well spent. There is a load of video and it is well made and entertaining. He is an excellent modeler and just a regular guy too.

Phil Flory it is. Why not misspell it: I've visited the site five times a week for a year and a half and watch the weekly news report without fail. My wife is a reading specialist and when she's feeling nice she'll say that people that read as fast as I do (or used to) often become terrible spellers. When she's grumpy, I simply become stupid. Probably somewhere in between. (I once misspelled my middle name to a cop - no joke. Caused a sticky moment.)

Hope the thread continues for a little while. I'm doing a pretty good job of convincing myself that I need one more decent airbrush. The top gun in St. Paul is a Master and I don't really like moving the Evolution across country on a regular basis. I have been known to lose things.

Eric

montague

What do you think? Soundsl ike a deal. If found it on ebay here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300642129011&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

Maybe worth a look?

Hi, Montague, did you get it?

HI!

No I didn't. I took what I would have bid and ordered a Badger Krome instead. All the positive coments about it are swaying me. When it arrives I willpost my thoughts.

I will be interested in what you think. I have been on the fence about the Krome. I have the Velocity Renegade already so don't if it would be something I would need.

I will let people know what I think, but that is certainly not an expert opinion. I just build models. I don't mind admitting I was wrong and I may have been in puting down Badger and this airbrush, if I have offended anyone, I apologize.

As to your renegade, I would not expect worlds of difference  between that and the a Krome. Will it be an improvement, yes, but not such a leap as from a Bager 100 to a Krome. If the budget allows you then go ahead. A well made tool is always a benifit. What you have is pretty good too.

montague

As to your renegade, I would not expect worlds of difference  between that and the a Krome. Will it be an improvement, yes, but not such a leap as from a Bager 100 to a Krome. If the budget allows you then go ahead. A well made tool is always a benifit. What you have is pretty good too.

There is not a great deal of difference in the results between a Badger 100 and a Krome.

The Badger 100 was designed for illustrators not modelers so it is perfectly capable of any task you may need it for in modeling.

I'm not a big fan of the flow limiter adjustments, It's kind of a crutch if you begin relying on it.and it's not worth the extra money to me .. same with the micro flow controls,, I can adjust my regulator for that.

I understand  If someone has issues with finger strength and tension it could be helpful

but for most people it's really an un-necessary expense, when the same airbrush without those doo-dads sprays just the same.

stymye

I'm not a big fan of the flow limiter adjustments, It's kind of a crutch if you begin relying on it.and it's not worth the extra money to me .. same with the micro flow controls,, I can adjust my regulator for that.

I understand  If someone has issues with finger strength and tension it could be helpful

but for most people it's really an un-necessary expense, when the same airbrush without those doo-dads sprays just the same. 

Which preset handle are you talking about? Badger, H&S or Iwata? How did you use it?

The preset handle comes standard on the higher end model such as Badger Krome, H&S Infinity and Iwata HP-C Plus. For those who needs or wants the better airbrush, it comes with preset. It is not exactly an extra cost options for the high end.

The better airbrushes also allow user to adjust trigger tension. The perset handle is NOT for this purpose. It is sort of like a limiter when spraying fine lines. You don't use it very often in modeling. But it comes in handy if you need it. I suspect artists use it more and that's why the high end has it.

Among the Badger airbrushes, only the SOTAR and Renegade comes with the preset dial. The preset needs a small linear flow angle to work well.

It's just my 2 cents, that's all 

 I don't think a majority of model builders need that level of control.It's a case of spending more for things that will be seldom used...when a lesser model from the Iwata line for example, will do the same job.

 military models are not the same as a high end super-detailed automotive graphic.

nothing wrong with those options, I just wanted to toss in my opinion that they are not necessity's

some newcomers to airbrushing may get the impression that preset handles and flow controls are necessary and spend more than is really needed

stymye

It's just my 2 cents, that's all 

 I don't think a majority of model builders need that level of control.It's a case of spending more for things that will be seldom used...when a lesser model from the Iwata line for example, will do the same job.

 military models are not the same as a high end super-detailed automotive graphic.

nothing wrong with those options, I just wanted to toss in my opinion that they are not necessity's

some newcomers to airbrushing may get the impression that preset handles and flow controls are necessary and spend more than is really needed

 

Very well said!

I use my trigger limiter a lot especially when doing highly thinned or detail work. I can't speak for other lines, but you pay no premium for it on the HS Evolution - the "Silverline" model has it and costs the same as the standard Evo which doesn't. A Paasche VLS has one and it's not a Mercedes brush.

I think a lot depends upon skill here. There are many modelers, including some real gurus like Gary Edmundson who uses a Paasche H single action, that argue modeling takes very little sophistication in an airbrush. I suppose I don't "need" a .2mm nozzle, but I sure like it for some things. That's why I have a second brush with a .5 ready to go. Considering the cost of kits and supplies, I don't think it at all odd for someone to have two or more brushes at the ready - artists have dozens of paintbrushes because they do different things. I'm sure a professional modeler can get the same results by switching tips on a Paasche H and do just fine. But  I don't think I could. There may also be a matter of painting style. The kind of "modulation" painting popular in armor circles puts a real premium on "low and slow" painting and a brush that's good for that might not be the best thing for putting down a simple coat.

The beginner issue is interesting. I think you could make a very strong case that something like a Paasche H would be just the ticket for someone completely new to the game. (Should remember that external mix models are easier to clean and suffer less from clogging which drives a lot of beginners nuts.) The case for something like an Iwata or HS would have much more to do with "feel" and reliability. I have a Paasche Talon which is a perfectly good airbrush. However, if you clean the needle the trigger often has to be reset when you put it back in. Kind of strange the first time you see it happen. Stuff like that does not happen on a Evolution. I've actually had better luck with the older and theoretically less sophisticated Paasche VLS. A simple Paasche, Badger or Iwata can always serve back-up duties later if you want something more complex.

More important than type of brush is the willingness to learn it correctly. Armor guru Adam Wilder recommends that people spend a few hours with a cheap acrylic and a pad of simple artist papers and dry pictures, lines, shading etc. When building a model you actually spend very few minutes airbrushing. If you "learn by experience" via kit building, you're going to need to build a lot of kits before you hit two hours of airbrushing. Once you know how to airbrush, you're far better able to tell what is needed and what is not from your tools.

Eric

The points that Stymye and Eric made all showed that the choice of an airbrush is somewhat subjective and very personal.

As far as airbrush is concerned, I consider myself an immediate beginner with limited skill. I perfer the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS much over the simpler Paasche H (require taking the whole thing apart to clean) and Badger Patriot (release paint too quick). I found the linear action of the Iwata trigger easier to learn from. It allow back flushing for easy color change/cleaning. But the Iwata does have tip dry problem that requires more paint thinning, particularly with acrylic. The simpler airbrushes are more forgiving in this regard.

I also have a H&S Evo and a Badger Krome, plus several knock-offs for reference. For students with very tight budget limit, I would still favor the Neo for Iwata over simpler, but similarly priced Passche H or Badger 350.

Spare parts is another important consideration for me. Iwata parts are easily accessible from local Hobby Lobby and cheapest (because of no shipping) in my situation. Besides, the Iwata nozzle and needle use harder material than most brands and less prone to damage.

I was just checking the Iwata site and read their FAQ about airbrush cleaning. They pumped Medea cleaner: natch, because they make it. They said you could use lacquer thinner on a q-tip to clean dried paint. They also said, "never spray solvent through the airbrush." That was for all their airbrushes, not just the Neo or something humble. I don't  know exactly what they mean: would this mean you shouldn't use lacquer thinner and lacquer paints? My Evo specifically states that it has solvent resistant teflon fittings to make it safe to use for this. I've been blowing lacquer thinner through it for over a year with no problem. Anyone know what Iwata is talking about?

Eric

The cleaning & maintenance articles on the Iwata Medea resources page ( http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/resources ) seem to advise solvent based cleaners for solvent based paints?

The only reason I can think for that advice is that not all of their models have solvent resistant needle seals fitted & even some that do have solvent resistant needle seals, possibly don't have solvent resistant seals throughout.

The Evolution Silverline has solvent resistant needle, nozzle & upper air valve seals, but the paint cup seal, air cap seal & lower air valve seals are nitrile rubber or viton, these aren't solvent resistant - but aren't directly in the paint path.

It's oly the Custom Microns that has non solvent resistant seals today. My bet is that the text is a leftover from the days when almost all airbrushes used rubber o-rings.

Also, it might be that they recommend against "general solvents", since a lot of people reason "the stronger the better". I've had customers that frequently used MEK for thinning paint and cleaning their airbrushes....