Want back in the hobby. Need a new airbrush

[Munyundo]

7 years or so since I last built anything.

After digging through everything appears my airbrush didn't make the move which is disappointing. All I could find is my compressor. Harbor freight airbrush compressor.

I had the highest end aztek which I loved.

I don't do fine detail work or camo patterns.  Just shooting the colors rather than brushing except for the super small parts. Or I do a lot of masking. 

I'm wondering if I can just get away with a badger 350 or a model h?

Or if even the cheaper master airbrushes would suffice?

The only real requirement would be the ability to use a cup or a jar preferably.

I do understand the pros and cons of different types of airbrushes. The Aztec I had really was a bit overkill for what I used it for. 

 

 

[NOBLNG]

There have been a few threads on this recently. I have not used a Badger, but they are highly regarded by some members here. I have the Paasche H and love it. It came with both the cup and bottles. I find the bottles easier to clean than the cup. Plus, I leave primer in one bottle (glass bottles that I bought separately) all the time and lacquer thinner in another for cleaning the airbrush. Paint can be left in the bottle for multiple coats, whereas the cup needs to be cleaned after every use. The smaller jars have the same thread as model master paint jars, so empty paint jars can be recycled.

Edited May 16, 2020 by NOBLNG

[Snake45]

50 minutes ago, Munyundo said:

I'm wondering if I can just get away with a badger 350 or a model h?

Absolutely! They're perfect for model car work. Buy whichever you can most easily find parts and accessories for locally. Model on! 

[Miatatom]

Paasche H.

[Munyundo]

Cool. Thanks. I'm also crawling on ebay for something second hand but if by the end of the month I don't find something then I'll pick up one of the ones I mentioned. 

My stash of paints, glue, brushes etc didn't make follow me either so I have to buy everything all over again.

 

This time around, I am going to add a tank to my compressor to get rid of the pulsing.

 

Excited to get back into this

 

 

 

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

You could look into one of these.

Works great for painting large areas.

I really like the trigger set up, (I hate dual action "button" triggers) and the "fan spray" nozzle that comes in the kit is great for spraying wide patterns without too much overlap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

[gman]

29 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

You could look into one of these.

Works great for painting large areas.

I really like the trigger set up, (I hate dual action "button" triggers) and the "fan spray" nozzle that comes in the kit is great for spraying wide patterns without too much overlap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

Is that what you get those great finishes with? Interesting. I'll have to look into one of those.

Edited May 16, 2020 by gman

[Dave G.]

You can get great finishes with an H or 350 as well. But I gotta tell you if you buy the H definitely get the air tank. The H has unrestricted air flow, the more you crank the pressure the more it will flow which is why it's great with enamels. But to do that you need a good volume of air supply. A pulsating piddle of air won't work beyond maybe the small needle set.

[StevenGuthmiller]

10 hours ago, gman said:

Is that what you get those great finishes with? Interesting. I'll have to look into one of those.

I picked it up on ebay some time back for a little over $100.00.

 

There were times when I was having trouble with variations in color with overlap of the spray pattern on my smaller airbrush, so I was looking for something with a nice wide pattern to help eliminate that.

When I saw the trigger set up on this one and found that it had 2 nozzles included, (a round spray and a wide fan spray) I thought it sounded like exactly what I was looking for.

As I said, I really hate dual action air brushes with a "button" trigger and with the fan spray nozzle, I can basically hit an entire side of a body with a single pass!

That's probably a little overstated, but it has probably a 3 inch spray pattern.

 

I don't think that I would try using a piddly compressor with this one either.

It can put out a lot of paint and I usually use between 30 and 40 psi with a filled 6 gallon pancake compressor tank.

 

 

 

Steve

[Snake45]

Steven G gets great finishes with that airbrush because he's a GREAT modeler, willing to put in the necessary time both BEFORE and AFTER laying down the paint to get the finishes he does. He could do just as good work with a Badger 350 or Paasche H. More to the point, just because you buy the airbrush he uses does NOT guarantee that YOU will get the finish HE gets. 

A few years ago I shot a .22 rifle match, 10 standing offhand shots at 50 yards. There were several fancy, expensive custom competition "target" rifles on the line. I shot the match with a field-grade, common .22 bolt action. I took 2nd place. The match was won by a good friend of mine shooting one of those fancy rifles. And you know what? If we had switched guns, the results would have been exactly the same. My friend is just that much better a shooter than I am, as I was that much better than everyone else shooting that day. 

Here endeth the lesson. 

[gman]

I understand. I have a Paasche VL that I've owned for many years (over 30). I was thinking of picking up another model to experiment with. The fan spray feature on this one does sound intriguing.

[StevenGuthmiller]

37 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Steven G gets great finishes with that airbrush because he's a GREAT modeler, willing to put in the necessary time both BEFORE and AFTER laying down the paint to get the finishes he does. He could do just as good work with a Badger 350 or Paasche H. More to the point, just because you buy the airbrush he uses does NOT guarantee that YOU will get the finish HE gets. 

A few years ago I shot a .22 rifle match, 10 standing offhand shots at 50 yards. There were several fancy, expensive custom competition "target" rifles on the line. I shot the match with a field-grade, common .22 bolt action. I took 2nd place. The match was won by a good friend of mine shooting one of those fancy rifles. And you know what? If we had switched guns, the results would have been exactly the same. My friend is just that much better a shooter than I am, as I was that much better than everyone else shooting that day. 

Here endeth the lesson. 

I have to agree.

Good equipment is the place to start if you want whatever task you are attempting to be done right, but good equipment doesn't necessarily automatically make for good results.

On the same note, poor equipment pretty much guarantees bad results.

You don't necessarily need to have the best, and I don't claim that this is, but it has features that I really like.

 

I don't pretend to be an expert on any of this, but the above mentioned airbrush turned out to be a good fit and a worthwhile investment for me.

 

 

 

Steve

 

[gman]

Agreed. I got my first airbrush in the early 80's- a cheap plastic bodied external mix Badger, with the main selling point being that it allowed mixing and spraying custom mixes of the available hobby paints at that time. It did some things OK, but where it fell down was adjustability and quality- absolutely minimal control over spray pattern, and it wasn't possible to break the airbrush down as far for proper cleaning as it is with a better quality unit. I was able to coax some decent finishes out of it, as I was with spray cans, along with some failed experiments for both of those methods. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

I like my VL, but typically won't use it as a double action. I'll set the paint flow with the needle adjustment in the handle for mist coats, and gradually adjust it wider open at the needle adjustment for wetter coats rather than relying on the trigger to adjust flow. I find it easier to set in the handle (especially with metallics) than trying to get consistent flow rates as the trigger is depressed and then pulled back each time.

I was looking at gravity feed units with a covered cup from Iwata, as well as a different Procon Boy model and a UK model (Apex). A number of airbrushes I've looked at seem to come with only one needle these days, and the Apex has a variable needle. I'll do some more reading before taking the plunge. I appreciate the feedback, as it is nice to have from someone whose paint jobs turn out the way Steve's consistently do. I have been concentrating on lacquers these days, and with some of the sources for exact match paint available these days, there is not as much need to mix up a big jar for airbrushing a custom mix.

[Ctmodeler]

Yeah I'm just learning and I find that with a dual action it is really hard to lay down a consistently even coat cause it all depends on how far the trigger is pulled back. Is a pain. Recently bought a badger 250 which is cheap but says is a quality gun. Anyone have experience with this thing ?

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, gman said:

Agreed. I got my first airbrush in the early 80's- a cheap plastic bodied external mix Badger, with the main selling point being that it allowed mixing and spraying custom mixes of the available hobby paints at that time. It did some things OK, but where it fell down was adjustability and quality- absolutely minimal control over spray pattern, and it wasn't possible to break the airbrush down as far for proper cleaning as it is with a better quality unit. I was able to coax some decent finishes out of it, as I was with spray cans, along with some failed experiments for both of those methods. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

I like my VL, but typically won't use it as a double action. I'll set the paint flow with the needle adjustment in the handle for mist coats, and gradually adjust it wider open at the needle adjustment for wetter coats rather than relying on the trigger to adjust flow. I find it easier to set in the handle (especially with metallics) than trying to get consistent flow rates as the trigger is depressed and then pulled back each time.

I was looking at gravity feed units with a covered cup from Iwata, as well as a different Procon Boy model and a UK model (Apex). A number of airbrushes I've looked at seem to come with only one needle these days, and the Apex has a variable needle. I'll do some more reading before taking the plunge. I appreciate the feedback, as it is nice to have from someone whose paint jobs turn out the way Steve's consistently do. I have been concentrating on lacquers these days, and with some of the sources for exact match paint available these days, there is not as much need to mix up a big jar for airbrushing a custom mix.

One of the nice features of the Procon Boy trigger model I posted is that it is a dual action airbrush.

The first part of the trigger pull starts the air flow, and the second part controls paint flow, so it's a no brainer.

The paint flow is adjusted at the rear with the needle adjustment as you stated.

 

I've been seriously considering purchasing the grip that is available for it for a better grip and control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Dave G.]

Paasche offers a 3" pattern fan cap for their Talon airbrushes ( works with .66 needle).

[Miatatom]

I've got a PS-290 with the handle that Steven recommended and I love it. It replaced a Paasche H which I still use for some parts.

[STYRENE-SURFER]

1 hour ago, Miatatom said:

I've got a PS-290 with the handle that Steven recommended and I love it. It replaced a Paasche H which I still use for some parts.

Tom...

Ive got the similar iwata HP-TH. Have only used it for clear coat 2K on RC sailboat hulls.

It sure does put some paint down but is it good on 1/25th scale bodies? I've not tried that yet.

Here is an oldish review of the PS-290 from a guy whom I can't vouch for.

 

[Munyundo]

a pistol grip style is what i really want. Can't find one at a good price. Tamiya makes a cheaper one but it's mostly plastic

alibaba has the only decent price on a small tank. Considering cobbling together a small one out of pvc. Harbor Freight has a 5 gallon air tank but with my little 1/5 HP compressor, probably never fill it properly. Pulsing isn't too noticeable unless I'm painting a body. Or when I've used it on a larger piece I've painted. Good to know that with a single action a tank is a big help.

I don't know if it is worth mentioning or not that I am going to switch to mostly if not all acrylic paints. I prefer enamel but I don't have much of a choice but to spray inside. Moving down south to Alabama the humidity is 100 percent just about year round. Humidity wasn't much of an issue when I still lived in Denver.

[gman]

21 hours ago, STYRENE-SURFER said:

Tom...

Ive got the similar iwata HP-TH. Have only used it for clear coat 2K on RC sailboat hulls.

It sure does put some paint down but is it good on 1/25th scale bodies? I've not tried that yet.

Here is an oldish review of the PS-290 from a guy whom I can't vouch for.

 

Paul at ISM is a skilled painter- I have seen many of his videos and reviews, and while he pushes what appears to be their own house brand for many things shown in some of the videos, he seems to like that air brush. Heck, I am starting to like it, though it would likely mean picking up a second more powerful compressor in order to run one properly. That Mr. Hobby brush seems more along the lines of a touch-up gun used on 1:1 vehicles for things like door jambs, and I could see it being very useful for scale painting.  I bought one of those touch up guns years ago for my father, though I don't think he's used it yet. It was priced similarly to the Mr. Hobby airbrush. 

[gman]

On 5/16/2020 at 2:02 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

One of the nice features of the Procon Boy trigger model I posted is that it is a dual action airbrush.

The first part of the trigger pull starts the air flow, and the second part controls paint flow, so it's a no brainer.

The paint flow is adjusted at the rear with the needle adjustment as you stated.

 

I've been seriously considering purchasing the grip that is available for it for a better grip and control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

That pistol grip looks pretty useful. If I end up going that route, it may be a worthwhile add-on.

[STYRENE-SURFER]

7 minutes ago, gman said:

Paul at ISM is a skilled painter- I have seen many of his videos and reviews, and while he pushes what appears to be their own house brand for many things shown in some of the videos, he seems to like that air brush. Heck, I am starting to like it, though it would likely mean picking up a second more powerful compressor in order to run one properly. That Mr. Hobby brush seems more along the lines of a touch-up gun used on 1:1 vehicles for things like door jambs, and I could see it being very useful for scale painting.  I bought one of those touch up guns years ago for my father, though I don't think he's used it yet. It was priced similarly to the Mr. Hobby airbrush. 

The Iwata HP-TH that I have (merely the same as Mr. Hobby) does demand a more powerful compressor.

Using an Super Silent 50 here. This gun was purchased for my other hobby, RC sailboats.

Have only needed it two times for that. In retrospect not the greatest investment so far.

when I tackle the problems I'm having here with dust and evacuation of my Paasche booth in my new

home will try it.

Do have a Paasche H and an Iwata revolution BCR that has been modified with other parts.

0.5 needle, pre-set handle. 

These are my go to guns.

for typical model painting I wonder who feels that anything smaller than an .5 needle is necessary?

[Snake45]

On 5/16/2020 at 5:02 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

One of the nice features of the Procon Boy trigger model I posted is that it is a dual action airbrush.

The first part of the trigger pull starts the air flow, and the second part controls paint flow, so it's a no brainer.

The paint flow is adjusted at the rear with the needle adjustment as you stated.

 

I've been seriously considering purchasing the grip that is available for it for a better grip and control.

Steve

Kewl! Do they have the mil-spec laser sight available for it yet? 

[STYRENE-SURFER]

?

[Munyundo]

to update my thread. I picked up a pasche talon ts complete set pre owned off of fleabay for 40 bucks. Pretty good deal on it. Haven't received it yet but happy I found a decent brush

I had mentioned in a response I wanted to add a tank to my compressor. Even with shipping It doesn't seem possible to do it for less than 70 bucks unless I go with a PVC cobble job. I don't know how much I trust home made pvc tank when it comes to compressed air. At the 70 dollar price point I can just get a whole new compressor that includes a tank. Also it hadn't dawned on me that the regulator is gone from my compressor so I need to rebuy that.

My other mad brained idea now to still add a tank is harbor freight has a whole 3 gallon hot dog or pancake compressor on sale for 39.99 with coupon. 

Since it already has the regulator I just have to add a moisture trap. If I go that route I will run a hose to the bathroom around the corner to cut down the noise. If it's still too loud I will just pull the motor off the compressor and run a line for my compressor and it works out to about 45 dollars. 

 

I'll try crawling the forums to see if anyone else had added a tank on the cheap but I'm open to other ways if anyone has any ideas.