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Airbrush / Compressor


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Hi Harry. That's kinda what I wanted. Then I will weed through the suggestions and come up with something that will work for me. I figure the folks on this site will have lots of ideas for airbrushes for this application.

Bill

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Not to be a pest, but exactly how will you weed through all the suggestions?

Seriously... you're going to get a ton of different recommendations, with no realistic way to sort through them or use them as useful references. Everyone is going to "recommend" something that they have used, but nobody has used them all.

Here's a perfect example... I have used Paasche and Badger airbrushes, so if you asked me for my recommendation, my answer would be either Paasche or Badger.

But I have never used a Grex or Iwata. And Grex or Iwata might be better than Paasche or Badger. So how useful would my recommendation be?

See what I mean?

Good luck! :D

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I've been using the Harbour Freight compressor for 15 years with no problems. I did get a better regulator for it though. It's fairly inexpensive. Airbrushes you can spend as little or as much as you want however. Paasche makes some decent stuff as does Badger that are affordable and work well.

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Thanks for the suggestion Michael.

Hi Harry. I will try to be more specific. The main reason for asking is that I don't know much about either. When you look on the internet there is a never ending list of suggestions. I figured  that by asking people on this site, they would be able to make suggestions that work best for building 1:24 / 1:25 cars.I would like to have a small compressor, on bigger than around 1/4hp that has a good regulator and a good moisture filter. As for a airbrush, I would like to get something that can paint bodies as well as small detail.

Bill

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As for compressors, I bought a Campbell-Hausfeld at Walmart in 2002 for well under $100 and couldn't be happier with it to this day. I think the model I bought is even cheaper there now--maybe around $75. Best hobby money I ever spent.

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Instead of suggestions, I will tell you what I have and how I like it. 

My airbrush is a Badge 150 Dual Action airbrush internal mix. It is pretty reliable and easy to clean, once you get used to it, and the dual action feature really helps control how much paint I want on something. A new once cost about $100 or so. 

For a compressor, i use a Grex AC1810-A. Prior to this unit, I had a totally home made one using an industrial type from Grainger with a pressure regulator and moisture trap. This one has it all included. The Grex has an automatic on and off feature which is nice, You can leave it on and it will only run when it is in use or if the pressure drops while it is idle. It cost about $200

If you have friends with airbrushes, ask them for their opinions and if possible, see if they will let you use them to get a fee for them. 

Good luck! 

Edited by Daddyfink
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I will be the first to add some truly useless information!:P I use a 4 HP, 80 gallon compressor. The same one I use for everything else in my shop. The point is, if you have other uses for a larger compressor, you can do hobby stuff with it as well. I use a 20 year old Badger 200, because I needed an airbrush to touch up some cabinets, and that is what I could get immediately. So I am the perfect example of what Harry described: I use what I use because that is what I have, and don't know anything about anything else!:lol:

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A few simple questions.  

Are you painting inside your house ( living quarters) or do you do it in the garage? See Hugh's post. 

Do you have a Hobby Lobby or Michaels Craft store by you? They have a 40% off coupon in  Sunday papers up here . What do they carry? Compressor and Airbrush brands. 

Now all the experts can chim in again with some better advice. 

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The Passche Talon with three size tip set .25mm,.38mm and .66mm is about the best buy in name brand airbrushes. It will do very fine detail and car bodies. Below is a link, note you can get 15%(code 15halloween) off until the 11th. Free shipping. About $92.77 dollars.

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/patatgsetwia.html

Edited by 935k3
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Hi Guys, I am looking to get my first good airbrush and compressor. Does anybody have any suggestions. I looking for good quality that's not too hard to use.

Thanks, Bill

Hi B-Ram,

I have used this airbrush http://www.micromark.com/microlux-pistol-grip-airbrush-set,11598.html for my final clear coats of paint on my models. For the base coats I use a badger 250 air brush. Good thing about Badger it has a lifetime warranty. (just send it in and they repairit for You).

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Stop for a moment, consider where in your house you will be doing this.  If noise is a problem because your model room is in the house, then a good diaphragm compressor, such as the Badger 180-1 works quite well, as it is fairly quiet already, and by setting it on a cushion of some sort (mine has been used on an old beach towel, folded up to a pad about 2" thick, to prevent its "drumming" on the floor (l live in an upstairs apartment in a frame building, so this is important to keep the neighbors happy!) to silence it--and mine runs literally whisper-quiet.  As for a pressure regulator, when I need to reduce the air pressure at the airbrush, I simply open the drain screw on my moisture trap just a little bit.  Years of doing that by fit & feel gives me such control as I need.

Another thing about moisture traps:  While I know that a lot of folks mount those right at the compressor outlet, but consider that an airbrush hose is like a 6' cooling coil--air will come out of the compressor at least slightly warmed, and it cools quickly when moving through the airbrush hose--which can act as a condenser, allowing the potential of droplets of water reaching the airbrush head.  I ran into that problem quickly with my first compressor back over 50 years ago.  Solution?  A second 6' hose, which runs from compressor to moisture trap (which I have hanging from a cup hook on the front of my painting workstand), with the airbrush hose connected to the outlet of the moisture trap.  Even in the worst of humidity, never a problem with condensed water getting into my paint jobs since.

As for the airbrush itself, if this is your first airbrush, you may want to think "simple".  I would suggest any of the decent external mix airbrushes for that first one--simple because they are single action (the spray button controls only the airflow through the airbrush, the amount of paint emitted being something you pre-set your self.  A double action airbrush will require learning a bit of coordination, which may or may not frustrate you.  In addition, an external mix airbrush (such as Badger 350, Binks Wren, Paasche H-series--even Paasche now has a lower end, less expensive external mix unit that works exactly the same as their H, but lacks the braided hose in the package), as those all are very simple to disassemble for cleaning, and very easily adjustable for a beginner.  And, you can learn to get great paintjobs with any of these as well.  But all of this is your call, comes from my experience, and others may well differ in their opinions.  But this type of system has served me very well down through the years.

Art

 

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As for the airbrush itself, if this is your first airbrush, you may want to think "simple".  I would suggest any of the decent external mix airbrushes for that first one--simple because they are single action (the spray button controls only the airflow through the airbrush, the amount of paint emitted being something you pre-set your self.  A double action airbrush will require learning a bit of coordination, which may or may not frustrate you.  In addition, an external mix airbrush (such as Badger 350, Binks Wren, Paasche H-series--even Paasche now has a lower end, less expensive external mix unit that works exactly the same as their H, but lacks the braided hose in the package), as those all are very simple to disassemble for cleaning, and very easily adjustable for a beginner.  And, you can learn to get great paintjobs with any of these as well.  But all of this is your call, comes from my experience, and others may well differ in their opinions.  But this type of system has served me very well down through the years.

Art

 

Couldn't agree more. I own about six airbrushes now, including a couple nice double-action ones, but I still do 95%+ of my painting including virtually ALL of my model car work with a 30+ year old Badger 350. Simple is good!

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When I had to replace the water trap on my set up, I had a "doh" moment. For ten years I'd been using the coiled hose attached to the airbrush, and a straight length from airbrush to water trap. I though that the coils were supposed to work like an old telephone handset cable.

But no! The nice chap who I bought the replacement from told me that the coiled hose should be fitted between the compressor and the water trap, to cool the air without taking up too much room, and the straight one from the water trap to the airbrush. Much better all round. 

As Harry says, you'll get a million options for preferred kit. I started with a Badger 150, which was OK, but I fairly quickly moved on to a double action Iwata BC-S which has served me well for the last decade. These days I use it alongside a H&S Evolution Al+ 2in1 with a smaller needle. If you wanted to, you can get an additional handle for the Iwata that allows it to work like a single-action brush by setting the needle position in one place. I tried an Aztek for a while, before the Iwata, but I really didn't get on with it at all.

For a compressor, I have one of the attached. Mine's a SimAir branded version, but they come with various brands.It's been bombproof, quiet and effective for 10 years.

My best advice would be to try to find a "real world" supplier, and go and talk them, try a few different set-ups out, and find the one that suits you and your usage. Even if you can't go in person, I'd still recommended finding a specialist airbrush retailer (these days, that may not be a hobby shop -- they're just as likely to be used for "nail art" or full size graphic art) and giving them a call to talk over your requirements and budget. Unfortunately, the two very helpful and friendly companies I've used (airbrushes.com and little-cars.com) are in the UK. You may be able to find a supplier among the trade stands at a model show as well.

bestest,

M.

edit: These guys: http://precisiongermanairbrush.com are about an hour up the road from you in Brooksville. The owner's cell number is on the web page, so I'd give him a call!

SA_compressor_tc2000.jpg

Edited by Matt Bacon
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For a starter, go with a Badger 250. Very inexpensive, easy to care for, and practically idiot-proof. Even the better idiots they build today can't screw them up too badly.

A compressor with a tank is a good idea. They're a bit noisier than most dedicated airbrush compressors, but they don't pulse, either, which will give you a better finish. Also handy for general household use. People have recommended the Harbor Freight pancake (including myself,) but I'm on my second one. The first one started leaking like a sieve, and now the second one doesn't seem to be turning on, and only after a few months. If you go to HF, spend the $13 and get the extended warranty. 

I also added an external regulator and water-trap. 

Charlie Larkin

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The Passche Talon with three size tip set .25mm,.38mm and .66mm is about the best buy in name brand airbrushes. It will do very fine detail and car bodies. Below is a link, note you can get 15%(code 15halloween) off until the 11th. Free shipping. About $92.77 dollars.

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/patatgsetwia.html

Been thinking very strongly about getting that one,  I have a Passche VL series , been wanting get a gravity fed A/B , and I hear very good things about it.

That is a good deal, I may have to jump on it.

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Thanks Guys for the information. This has been very helpful.

Bill

Bill, I am going to offer one more suggestion,  since you are starting off with using a A/B, and its what I used, well not at first, but after a short time , I started off using a crudtastic A/B, I moved up( not by much) and got a $20 Harbor Freight double action brush and one of their compressors, it was combo deal for like $90.  The compressor is tank less but it still works just fine, and that $20 A/B, is darn near bullet proof.  I have had it for three years now, and not once has it broke,  now, compare that to the Paasche VL A/B I have had for a year now,  the hose broke, one of the air caps broke, it constantly just does not want to work, I feel that I have spent more time trying to get the thing to work than actually using it. 

The reason why I am suggesting it is because out of the box, its very easy to use, I was a complete noob when I started using a A/B, and that cheap $20 worked just fine.  Of course, after you get used to using A/B, by all means , move up to something better. 

 

Brush by itself

http://www.harborfreight.com/34-oz-deluxe-airbrush-kit-69492.html

Air brush and compressor

http://www.harborfreight.com/15-hp-58-psi-oilless-airbrush-compressor-kit-60328.html

 

Edited by martinfan5
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