Airbrush and Air Compressor

[Old Gasser]

Hi Everyone,

Thinking on buy an airbrush & air comp. What kind do you recommend pros & cons? What I will be doing is buiding rusty models.

Can you spray all different kinds of paint with one? Any help on this is appreciated.

James

[Monty]

There are some things you'll need to decide on yourself before whittling down your choices, such as whether you want a single or dual action 'brush; gravity feed or a siphon feed; internal or external mix, etc.

Fortunately, our board has an airbrush expert with all kinds of info you'll need to make your choice. I'd suggest you study the things I mentioned so you can make the most intelligent choice for you. (I'm trying to get this typed before the drones start posting that you need to start with a Paasche "H'' setup (single action). Once you learn what you can do with a dual action 'brush, you'll never look back. Incidentally, our expert really likes the Badger Anthem 155 (dual action). Affordable and not terribly complicated. Here's the link to all the info you need: https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/

For the record, I have a Paasche VL and a Badger Crescendo and like them both, but I'm really intrigued by the 155's design..

Edited August 30, 2014 by Monty

[935k3]

I agree with Monty there is more to airbrushing than the Paasche H model. There are allot of good video reviews on airbrushes and compressors on youtube. Don Wheelers site(see link at Monty's post)is an excellent resource on this subject. If you want to do weathering etc. you will want a finer spraying airbrush.

Edited August 30, 2014 by 935k3

[Don Wheeler]

Wow! Thanks for the plug, guys. I hope James finds the site helpful.

Don

[DeeCee]

Paasche VL ,had it for 20 years, only replace an o'ring, 25 cents.

[Old Gasser]

Thanks for all the information & help everyone. Don Wheeler's information was very helpfulI. Thanks Monty for pointing it out to me.I'm going to get the Badger 155 Anthem. Where would be the best place to find one?I had also asked about an air comp. I've a 4hp, 25 gallon tank air comp. in my garage. Could I use this & if so where would be the best place to find adapters for the air hose?

Thanks, James

[my80malibu]

Michaels craft stores sell Badger airbrushes, use the coupon and you will get a great deal

[The70judgeman]

Buying whatever compressor is up to you. The only thing I'd add to it, if it doesn't come with them, is a moisture trap and a regulator. Blowing dry air through an airbrush is essential. And, the regulator, well...for fine detail paint work, you'll be plenty happy with the ability to turn the PSI down for that.

[Don Wheeler]

I'm glad the site was helpful. Your present compressor should work fine as long as it can regulate the pressure down to a range of 10 to 35psi, and has a moisture separator. Most airbrush dealers will sell adapters. Here is the Coast Airbrush page. If you buy the braided Badger hose, it has a 1/4 inch fitting on the compressor end. The skinny vinyl hoses have the unique Badger connector and need a Badger 1/4 inch adapter.

I hope you like the 155. With practice, you can go from pretty fine to wide coverage without changing anything. And, if you need a really narrow spray pattern, smaller nozzles and needles are available and cheap. Be sure to practice on junk before you try anything important.

Don

[Harry P.]

This is another one of those questions with no answer... like "What's the best flavor of ice cream" or "What's the best muscle car?"

Since everyone will have a different opinion as to which airbrush is the "best," and there really is no one "best" airbrush, I won't name any specific brand. But I will say that you should get the best airbrush you can afford right up front, and that airbrush should be a double-action model. Here's why...

A cheap single action airbrush (single action being the type where you can't really adjust the ratio of air to paint... you pull the trigger and it sprays, like a spray can) can give you a nice paint job, but it's limited in what it can do.

A double-action airbrush lets you control the air and the paint independently. You pull back on the trigger to spray air and you push down to release the paint. A double-action model lets you do a lot more, because you have total control over the spray action and how much paint the airbrush is putting out. You might not need the capabilities of a double-action airbrush right away... but as you get more into airbrushing, you're going to want that extra control... so better to buy one in the first place.

A cheap "starter" airbrush costs less up front, but the odds are you'll soon outgrow it and want a better one... so why not buy the good one up front? It costs less than buying a "starter" model and a better one down the road.

A good airbrush, taken care of, will last literally a lifetime. You may have to replace a seal or two down the road one day, but the airbrush itself will outlast you.

[Don Wheeler]

I almost agree with Harry 100%. But, I'm a nit picker by nature.

"But I will say that you should get the best airbrush you can afford right up front," What's best for the purpose? it doesn't necessarily correspond to cost. An Iwata micron is a fine airbrush, but poorly suited for painting model cars. And it's very delicate and parts are expensive. But, I do agree it's best to start with something from a main line manufacturer that will stand behind its products. I know there are people who are happy with their Chinese no-names. But, I've seen plenty who have had problems with them too.

"A cheap single action airbrush (single action being the type where you can't really adjust the ratio of air to paint." Not quite correct. A good single action has good control of mixture. But, it is a threaded adjustment, and can't easily be done on the fly.

"You pull back on the trigger to spray air and you push down to release the paint." Sorry, Harry. You got this one backwards.

And finally, I don't know whether Harry is inferring this, but I don't consider the 155 a starter airbrush. I have some really nice airbrushes, but the 155 is the one I actually use most. As he says about good airbrushes, with reasonable care it will last a lifetime.

Don

[Harry P.]

Not quite correct. A good single action has good control of mixture. But, it is a threaded adjustment, and can't easily be done on the fly.

Right, I was unclear. A double action airbrush lets you control the ratio of paint to air while you are spraying. You have continuous control of the air to paint ratio. That really comes in handy when you are doing fades or flames or any type of "advanced" graphics.

"You pull back on the trigger to spray air and you push down to release the paint." Sorry, Harry. You got this one backwards.

Oops. Right, it's the other way around. You press down to spray air, and the further back you pull the trigger, the more paint you introduce into the mix. My mistake (and I've been airbrushing since the 80s! Duh!)

And finally, I don't know whether Harry is inferring this, but I don't consider the 155 a starter airbrush. I have some really nice airbrushes, but the 155 is the one I actually use most. As he says about good airbrushes, with reasonable care it will last a lifetime.

All I'm saying is don't buy an el-cheapo airbrush to "learn on." It's like buying a toy guitar to "learn on." Buy a quality airbrush, even though the up-front cost will be higher. In the long run it'll actually save you money.

[Pete J.]

Good thoughts all on the actual airbrushes. I own three and use them all the time. Won't go into details with one exception. The size of the tip and needle should be selected based on you use. A fine tip is great for very small stuff such as lines and specialty thing such as fades. A medium tip is best for general spraying on small models. If you are going to get into the big boys(1/12 scale or larger) you will need a large tip or you will drive yourself nuts making a hundred little passes.

Here is my one exception and it is for the really big stuff like 1:12 scale car bodies. I have a "baby Iwata" and it can be had with three different tips that have a spray pattern for 1/8th inch to four inches. I have all three and interchange them depending upon the use. The reality is, this is really a very small touchup gun and has a couple of features that airbrushes don't. First of all it has a fan shaped spray instead of the round spray like an air brush. This is accomplished by two air outlets on either side of the nozzle that, depending on the air pressure to those outlets will flatten the spray pattern to an elongated oval. This gives a more even spray over larger areas. Second it has multiple choices as to paint containers. It comes with a large(pint)side feed can. There is also an attachment to use the standard syphon feed airbrush bottles. Last it is a large spray gun and is easy to handle for ham fisted guys like me. Down side, it ain't cheap! I would also not have it exclusively, but if you are building large models it is a great convenience. Here is the link on Coast airbrush. http://www.coastairbrush.com/proddetail.asp?prod=LPH50

As to compressors, anything that blows enough air is usable. Your main decision has to be based on noise and cost. The airbrush only compressors like Iwata and Badger are super quiet but useless for other things like blowing up tires. Shop type compressors can give you all the air you need but can drive the neighbors nuts with the noise. So you have to choose a balance of noise, price and location to suit your circumstances. One tip given earlier is that you need clean dry air so a moisture trap is critical! One other choice that a lot of modelers use is CO2. This is great because you can get a large container(like they use in soda machines) and they last a long time and are absolutely silent. They are easily refillable and give you absolutely dry air.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Pete J.

[Danny Lectro]

I used to use a Silent-Aire Scorpion compressor, and I got 7-8 years of use out of it. I think it would have lasted longer if I had remembered more often to turn it off when I was done. My set-up had a very small leak somewhere, leading to the compressor kicking in for a few seconds every couple hours or so.

[Jeff Johnston]

I use a Badger 175 Crescendo and I love it. When mine broke I packed it up and sent it to Badger. They fixed it and sent it back...no charge...

The thing I like about the 175 is that its dual action, but can also be set up to act like a single action. Just pull the pin back slightly and it acts line a single action. I actually learned to use it that way, on the suggestion of someone here on the board.

I really do lie the 175.

My compressor is a Campbell-Hausfield 2 gallon that I paid about 75 bucks for at Wal-Mart. You can get similar ones at Sears (craftsman). However if I had a tank like you do, and that tank was able to hole a steady adjustable pressure, I'd prefer that. The compressors make noise, at least mine does. I'd much prefer a silent tank.

[Don Wheeler]

"The thing I like about the 175 is that its dual action, but can also be set up to act like a single action. Just pull the pin back slightly and it acts line a single action. I actually learned to use it that way, on the suggestion of someone here on the board. "

You can do this with just about any airbrush. Just pull the needle back a little before you tighten the needle chuck. But, it's a touchy setting. Some airbrushes, like the Paasche VL and the Badger 100SF have an adjustment screw to make it easier.

The 175 is a good airbrush. It's pretty much a 155 with a fat body. And, it has an optional 1.0mm nozzle that can put out a lot of paint.

Don

[Don Wheeler]

"That wont work on my gravity feed. It leaks paint past the needle seat if I do."

I'm not sure what you mean by needle seat, Paul. If you mean the front end of the airbrush, yes, it can leak if you pull the needle back too far. Like I wrote, it's touchy. If you mean the internal needle seal, the seal is leaking and needs to be adjusted or replaced. But, this would be a problem even in normal use.

At any rate, it's probably better to develop trigger control rather than to depend on tricks like this. And, that just takes some practice.

Don