proper airbrush kit

Wecome to the forum!The majority opinion around here is that Aztec is crap. The Omni 4000 comes highly recommended as well as the Badger 100LG. Both are great choices if you only want to buy one airbrush ever. Saltydog will probably be by soon to tell you get the Iwata hp-cs. Hope this helps!

Thanks for your reply bstrump. Would there be a vast difference between the two affore mentioned air brushes? Quality is a concern and my budget is around 150.00 Being a beginner I 'm sure I'll need to spend quality time with the ab once I've purchased it. I just want to ensure that I am buying the proper tool for the job.
Would you have any suggestions regarding paint for German armour? Acrylic or Enamel?

Thanks for your advice

I've never seen anyone point out how the air hose hookup of the Aztec must pull the balance to the rear really bad. I guess that's what I'm seeing in the pictures... the air hose goes on all the way in back, right? All the other airbrushes have the airhose lined up with your forearm, so it's almost like it's not even there.

QUOTE: Quality is a concern and my budget is around 150.00

Do you already have a compressor?

I just went through the same dilemma friend, I too owned an Aztec in a past life... Once you go over you will be happy.

I got my complete Badger 175 set for 76 dollars at the local michaels with the 50% coupon from the Sunday paper... The Badger 155 set cost the same.

If you're into shopping off the internet you can get either of the Badgers I mentioned or the Paasche VL set for around 65 dollars, air hoses, bottles, 3 different flavors of needles, tips etc... for about $65 on dixieart.com (there are some other sites but others are more familiar with them than I)

I won't say anything about which airbrush is good or not, there are many more knowledgable than me on that subject here.... but with a $150 budget you could get the brush, go to Lowes and get their 2gal $77 dollar compressor (if you don't already have one) and still have money left over for a burger and fries on the way home!

---Tom---

I agree ... even though I haven't used an Aztek the popular opinion around here is to stay away from them. IMO the Omni or Iwata is the way to go, and the Omni is a lot less than the Iwata (around $70 mail order). Either one will last a lifetime with very few problems, and you will never be sorry you bought one of those in place of the Aztek. I have an Omni 4000 (gravity feed) and 3000 (siphon feed) and have no urge to get anything else.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdavidb I've never seen anyone point out how the air hose hookup of the Aztec must pull the balance to the rear really bad.

Actually no, it is small and needs no reinforcment like the hoses with the other airbrushes. it's hard to explain but without getting too wordy, it is very, very light so you don't even notice it...

Where would one be able to purchase the Omni 4000?

QUOTE: Where would one be able to purchase the Omni 4000?

The best two sources would probably be Dixie Art Supply (www.dixieart.com) or from MikeV's contact. There are several posts around here with the phone number in them, but I don't know what it is. He'll be along soon enough though. They give 40% off of list to members of the FSM forum.

Appreciate the advice, and would love the additional savings.

Could ne1 out there explain the difference between tips or needles, and which would be best to provide accuracy? Hey Music City... just got offline from the dixieartt site... the Omni 4000 looks sweet! Hope she handles nicely.

aaaaahhhh... the Iwata looks sharp as well

Hello again spydurmonkey. The beauty of the Omni 4000 is the one needle for all applications rather than the 6 different tips of the Aztec. Generally for most air brushes there are three available needles: Fine, Medium and Heavy. For modelling usually the medium tip is the way to go as the fine tip may not spray model paints.

bstrump: which would be better? the Iwata HPBC or the Omni 4000? With everyones help I feel as though I've narrowed it down to these two choices. Is there much difference between the Iwata Eclipse and the Iwata HPBC?

spydurmonkey68, it depends what type of paint you use. I personally would prefer the Omni 4000 and that lowes 2 gallon compressor, that still leaves you with money. However, if you buy an iwata, they drain your wallet faster than an aztek. the difference betwee n an eclipse and an onmi is just a LITTLE workmanship, not enough to make you appreciate the almost $40 more.

QUOTE: Originally posted by spydurmonkey68 bstrump: which would be better? the Iwata HPBC or the Omni 4000? With everyones help I feel as though I've narrowed it down to these two choices. Is there much difference between the Iwata Eclipse and the Iwata HPBC?

Ive never used an Iwata so I can't really answer that. All I know is the Iwata is more expensive.

hi spydurmonkey68, and welcome to the forums my friend!! i would stay away from the hp-bc for modelling friend, as it comes with a .3mm n/n as standard needle/nozzle combo. this combo is just a little too small for model paints IMO, yes, you can get model paints to fit through the .3mm n/n combo, but its real finicky. i would try and pick between the hp-cs, hp-cr, or the omni 4000. the hp-cs has a .35mm needle/nozzle set up, and is truely a well designed, comfortable airbrush that is EXCELLENT for all of your modelling needs, it cost me $105 at dixie......i will never regret paying the extra money, but some here will nag you to death over an extra $35 bucks.....let em' nag i say!!. i used an Omni 5000 for a while, and it is the same as the omni 4000, except for the size of the color cup, and it was a good all around brush for modelling too, but when i the hp-cs came got here, i fell head over heels for the delightful little piece of quality, and it became my workhorse airbrush!! now, as i've been studying lately, the iwata hp-cr's nozzle and needle is a tad smaller than the Omni 4000's, so you should be able to spray the same, or near the same pattern with the hp-cr($59.95) as you can with an Omni 4000, for about $10 less than the omni 4000($69.95) at dixie. with that said, i don't know if you need a hose, compressor and the whole get up, so it may be tough to fit all of that under a $150 budget. MikeV does have a discount on all badger products.

whatever you choose, i'd stay with a gravity feed brush if i were you. they have a few advantages over a siphon feed model.........as in easier to clean, less wasted paint, spray at lower pressures which translates to less overspray. later.

Your advice is greatly appreciated saltydog. You've got some really sweet builds in your photo album.

hey thanks for the props on my albums bubba!! later.

ignore saltydog. he's the iwata world rep

i just know GREAT airbrushes when i use them bubba!LOL am i biased towards iwata.........................................YOU BETCHA I AM!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by saltydog now, as i've been studying lately, the iwata hp-cr's nozzle and needle is a tad smaller than the Omni 4000's, so you should be able to spray the same, or near the same pattern with the hp-cr($59.95) as you can with an Omni 4000, for about $10 less than the omni 4000($69.95) at dixie.

Chris,

Isn't the HP-CR a .5mm tip? Is so then it is larger than the Omni 4000 which is in the .36-.40 mm range.

Mike

Look at the cost of replacement parts before you buy an Iwata. I wish I had. Compare brands' prices for stuff like airhoses, o-rings, nozzles/tips, needles, etc. That sort of thing should not usually be a major concern, but now that Iwata is in the equation, it is.

spydurmonkey68,

I think the Aztek's are awesome!
You wrap a little tape around them and shove them into the exhaust port of an F-15E model and hold the Aztek like a stick while you airbrush the model with a Badger.

Mike

Mike, i think we've already discussed this in another thread eh? whatever your book or magazine says is false as i can see that the .5mm tip is smaller than an omni 5000/4000 tip. later.

some people act like you gotta change the parts in your airbrush like changing the oil in a car!! if you clean it properly with the appropriate cleaner/solvent, don't break it down very often for deap cleans, keep the aircap in place, or becareful when its not, it is very, very seldom you'll have to change the parts at all. later.

Mike, that was funny!

mike, i have a better use for an aztek.

melt it down into a little puddle with a little metal rod sticking out [yes the aztek "needle" is metal!! omgomg] throw it into a fireplace. use the heat from the fireplace to dry tye paint on your model.

QUOTE: You wrap a little tape around them and shove them into the exhaust port of an F-15E model and hold the Aztek like a stick while you airbrush the model with a Badger

Does it HAVE to be an F-15E? Not being familiar with Azteks I'm not sure of their size

QUOTE: Originally posted by MusicCity Does it HAVE to be an F-15E?

Absolutely! As the world's best dual-role, air superiority fighter/bomber, everything else is just second-rate.
It could be an F-16 or an A-10 though as those are my other two favorite jets.

Mike