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what type of airbrush do you use?


Airbrush. single or dual action?  

57 members have voted

  1. 1. what is your favorite all around modeling airbrush of choice. Singe action, dual, other?

    • Single action.
      19
    • Dual action.
      39
    • I only use spraycans.
      3


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Paache H series using the # 5 head and needle . For the cost of 6 cans of spray paint you can own one, that includes shipping ! Much more control , smoother finishes , economical , user friendly , etc !An airbrush can't be beat !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

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Paache H series using the # 5 head and needle . For the cost of 6 cans of spray paint you can own one, that includes shipping ! Much more control , smoother finishes , economical , user friendly , etc !An airbrush can't be beat !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

Wow, first we had the guy who wrote the book, now we have the guy who turned it into a movie!!! :lol:

Edited by Brett Barrow
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I use a Paashe VL for 90% of every thing. Use Du Pont paints and never had to thin them or any thing and shoot them no more then 12psi.. If I use the Alsa Chrome I shoot that no more then 3 to 4 psi at the tip. Clear coat is Du Pont Hot Hues and still no thinning needed and shoot it at 8psi.

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Paache H series using the # 5 head and needle . For the cost of 6 cans of spray paint you can own one, that includes shipping ! Much more control , smoother finishes , economical , user friendly , etc !An airbrush can't be beat !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

I have two Paasche H's. One I bought new and a gently used on I paid $10 on Ebay. One is dedicated to acrylics and the other for solvent-based paints.

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One and the same , Jim !

I love a dual action , used a Badger 150 for decades when I was playing in Trainland . When it comes to model cars , it's a single action . Unless you are doing murals or intricate paint schemes , a dual action is overkill . They require much more maintenence then a single action , which can be frustrating for the novice . Walk before you run ! Buy the single action , become adept with it , if you want to take the step up to a dual action after you've mastered the single , then do so ! I can take apart my Paache , clean it , and have it back together in 5 minutes , try that with a dual action . It yain't gonna happen , Kids !

On a note to the gentleman that stated he wanted to learn to use spray cans first.... An airbrush is nothing more than a spray can . Diffrence being , you have absolute control over it ! You control how your paint is mixed and then applied . It is much easier to mist coat , slowly building up your coats without runs or sags in the paint .. One guy in a factory having a bad day mixing paint for spray cans in a factory is going to spell doom and gloom for the modelers buying the spray cans that were produced on that particular day !

With an airbrush , that problem , which is a common occurence , goes away ! Spitting cans . running paint , heavy orange peal , or the cans not working at all , are now just a bad memory . You control every facet of your paint with an airbrush . Your environment , the mix ratio , your psi rate , etc , all of these things , are now controlled by you !

People make airbrushing out to be some great mystery , it's not ! Develop a system , stick to it , and painting with an airbrush becomes second nature , just like breathing !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

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I can take apart my Paache , clean it , and have it back together in 5 minutes , try that with a dual action . It yain't gonna happen , Kids !

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

Hey Donn,

great advice! I too, used to swear by the H, but now find myself using the Double more often than not. I even mix cones and needles to get different spray patterns (A #1 needle with a #5 cone). And I'm not issuing a challenge, but I can break down, clean and re-assemble my double in less than 5 minutes....but I have 15+ years of doing it and a set system as you mentioned, so I'm "cheating". A new guy will take a longer.

I hope you make it to ATL this year in November. I'm looking forward to seeing some of your work in person.

David

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Paasche double action I used it when I did graphic work. When I went back to models it seemed natural. I can have it apart like a rifle and back together in less time then it took me to type this line!! B)

PS. OK, I'm thinking about a single action.

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starting to look at airbrushes for modeling. What do you use, single action or dual? Like about the features etc?

Thanks for your replies.

Drew from S.C.

I recently went through the same dilema. After much asking and looking, I got a Paasche H single action. Don Yost uses this gun and recommends it as all he needs. Don turns out some of the most incredible models and paintjobs I've ever seen. If it doesn work out, I can always use my son's Iwata double action. Not sure which model it is, but he does extremely fine / close work on latex masks (primarily the "Predator" character) for resale and they're awesome.

Besides the fact that Don recommends it, I know how I am and I fear the double action wouldn't get cleaned well enough to avoid clogging problems. That's just me.

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Hey Donn,

great advice! I too, used to swear by the H, but now find myself using the Double more often than not. I even mix cones and needles to get different spray patterns (A #1 needle with a #5 cone). And I'm not issuing a challenge, but I can break down, clean and re-assemble my double in less than 5 minutes....but I have 15+ years of doing it and a set system as you mentioned, so I'm "cheating". A new guy will take a longer.

I hope you make it to ATL this year in November. I'm looking forward to seeing some of your work in person.

David

I agree! You have to do that weird balancing act to get the tip off a single-action external-mix, plus with the Paasche H you'll spend 15 minutes looking for the allen wrench to loosen the set screw, and if you drop that.... I prefer the Badger 350 for a single/external, but it's plastic and feels chanky next to an H. The easiest brush to tear down, by far, is the Badger 155, and I should know, I used to tear down all the different airbrushes in the Hobby Shop when it would get slow!!! I can honestly say I can do it blindfolded, it's been proven!

If Donn gets good results with a Paasche H, that's great. We could all get Michealangelo's paintbrush, but that doesn't mean we'd be able to paint the Sistine Chapel. I believe good paint jobs come down to the Five P's- Preparation, Practice, Priming, Polishing, and Preparation!!!!! B)

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Brett ,

As to the allen wrench , that's why Paache puts that little allen wrench shaped space in the box.... So you can always put it back where you found it ! :blink:

In relating to a choice of airbrush , to each their own ! My eye is always set towards the novice builder / painter that is just coming into or back to the hobby . Too often , the experienced modeler forgets the trials and tribulations that we all went through years ago .

I want them to dodge those pitfalls by not wasting their time and money , making the mistakes that we all did ! More often than not , they are on a limited budget and can't afford to screw up 6 or 7 paint jobs trying to get the hang of things .

This is the reason I always suggest the H series as a starting point for the beginners . An H series is reasonably priced , parts are readily available , it can take a beating , maintenence is a breeze ,the kit contains everything you need to start out with , and it lays down one heck of a paint job ! For the novice , it is a dream come true !

As for painting the Chapel . who says we all can't ? Believing is 3/4s of the battle . Having good equipment , a sound prep system , a systematic paint method , and a clean paint environment , completes the other 1/4 !

David ,

Yes , I could do the same with the Badger 150 in a very short time too ! All I'm asking .... Do you remember what it was like the first few times ? :D Ya gotta admit , cleaning a single action is alot less complicated when it is compared to the dual ! Besides , the KISS principle fits my personality perfectly !

As for Atlanta , no can do ! We were going to attend the show but I changed jobs back in March , losing 6 weeks vacation , and 15 years seniority. Our show travel/ vending these days have been severely curtailed for the time being .

Come on up to North Carolina in August for the Karolina Modelers NNL . That's about as far south as we are going to get this year ! Hope to meet up with you at one of the shows some day !

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Too often , the experienced modeler forgets the trials and tribulations that we all went through years ago .

David ,

Yes , I could do the same with the Badger 150 in a very short time too ! All I'm asking .... Do you remember what it was like the first few times ? :lol: Ya gotta admit , cleaning a single action is alot less complicated when it is compared to the dual ! Besides , the KISS principle fits my personality perfectly !

You are right Donn. Thanks for keeping be grounded and for keeping me humble. I do remember the first time I used an airbrush.....I was petrified. And it was not until years later that I got comfortable with the single. When I finally stepped out to try the "double" world, I could feel a little of the fear coming back.

We do seem to forget some of the hurdles we cross when we are well past them.

Thanks!!

And sorry to hear about your loss of seniority and vacation. I hope to see you at a show, but I don't think I can make the August one in NC.

I'm too many days on the road with the job now, and when I get home, I like home!!!

David

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David ,

Not a problem ! Murphy's Law keeps us all in that state of humbleness ! :) Like I said , I'm always looking out for the new guys , I want them to stay with us in the hobby ! We have alot of people coming back into the hobby that got out in the ' 60's and ' 70 's and they're are going to need help. You have to admit , it's a whole diffrent ballgame now ! Cultural shock would be an understatement.

If I, and everyone else here give advice ,while keeping in mind what we went through starting out , I believe we can help the new guys tremendously ! Keeping their frustration level down and helping them to avoid making expensive mistakes only helps the hobby itself thrive !We have to remember to teach , " Walk before you run " . and that patience is the key !

Have you ever seen a tool as small as an airbrush frighten grown men like it does ? :) Hey ! , Guess what ? I was one of them ! Looking back on it now , I find it hilarious . Not so funny back then ! This was the main reason we did the dvds , to help other modelers avoid that ! We certainly are'nt getting rich off them , not by a long shot . The payoff is the emails we get on the subject and seeing guys post their work up on the forums . They're proud of themselves and rightfully so !

As for the job , it was a win / win situation except for the loss of the vacation time . We are more restricted as to what shows we can attend . It's taken a bit of getting used to as compared to just packing up and taking off when ever we wanted to . I simply tell myself , " 8 more years , and you can go whenever you feel like it " Be patient, Ya big dummy "

You and I will hook up one of these days ! I'm excited about the Karolina show , I get to meet Gary Thompson and see his work first hand and meet a bunch of the other guys from down that way. The only downer is Kenny from Bandit Resin and Terry from M.A.S. will probably be going home with all of my money ! ;) Right ! , Like going home with a bunch of new toys is really going to break my heart !

Try to get to the NNL East in April , I know that there is no place like home , but Good Lord , what a show and fun time that is !

The Old Man

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Badger 350-SA

Badger Renegade Velocity-DA with adjustable trigger stop.

Badger 155 Anthem-DA

The 350 for most single color bodies, large areas, base coating/primer.

The Velocity for ultra tight detail work, Camo, shading on figures, etc.

The 155 For everything else.

G

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OK, my turn to contribute. Unless I missed it in all the replies my setup is unique. And, I DIDN'T SAY BETTER! LOL!

My first was a Paasche VL. I still use it when I don't want to risk my others.

A real good friend gave my a Tamiya HG Superfine and a Tamiya HG pistol grip trigger-type.

The pistol grip is reserved for clears. I couldn't be happier with the Tamiya airbrushes.

Instead of a compressor I power my airbrushes with compressed air. It's totally quite and clean. When my Badger compressor started to go bad I decided to switch to a quieter setup. Air fills cost $5 and last for about three models - primer, color coats and clear as well as all interior and detail work. The air is totally dry and filtered for human consumption. I already owned the SCUBA first stage and low pressure hose with a quick connect fitting. The cost of a SCUBA tank was comparable to a new Badger compressor.

I connect the SCUBA low pressure hose via a quick connect to a pressure regulator and second filter (because they came as a unit). Next in line after the regulator/filter is a quick connect fixture for the airbrush hose. For convenience all three airbrushes have a smaller version of the quick connectors.

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