airbrushes

[Guest]

first off hi peeps im a new member who has been doing models on and of for years.nothing professional just to a reasonable standard

At the mo im doing the fairey swordfish mk2.

I have done a few other things recently including the douglas a1 skyraider a Toyota pick up with gunner by meng. and I cant remember what its called but it pulls tanks around.

Ive used the tamia spray cans in the past to do the basic painting the swordfish by hand.

Im finding it difficult to get a decent finish by hand with brush marks and loosing detail etc.

and then of course any coulor washes etc make every mark stand out.

so I am looking for my first airbrush but wow theres a lot to find out before buying.

firstly the prices.

Ive seen them ranging from about 40 quid to 250 quid. whats makes that amount of price difference?

250 is a bit too much for me as an amuter but I don't want to buy one then have to upgrade.

I also noticed theres different sizes 2mm 3.5 mm? what does this mean?

Ive seen kits including compressors for about 140 on ebay which I don't mind paying.

or should I get a better brush first and compressor later?

any help or recommendations would be welcome

steve

[Guest]

Hi Steve & welcome hereI would say I

Airbrushes Iwata (John sells them in the shop see top of page here) & Harder & Steinbeck seem to get the most points. I run the latter & have found it very good. Many on this forum have Iawta so take your pick as you will not go wrong with either. I think it best to aim for a good airbrush as air out of a compressor is just air out of a compressor.

But get a compressor which is definetly for airbrushing not for blowing up tyres. I would at a guess think that the majority here use the AS range of compressors. Best is one with a tank as this gives a much better flow of air.

Have a look in the archives as there was an article similar to yours a few weeks ago. Probably about £200 or perhaps a little more will get you an airbrush mentioned above & an AS compressor with a tank.

Laurie

[Ian M]

Save a bit longer and buy a known brand airbrush. You might be luck with an e'bay special, but the chances are you will end up buying more than one.

Of compressors, I would agree 100% with Laurie. Any compressor with a tank will do the job. One for spraying will be the best bet, as "workshop" compressors can blow oil even through an oil trap.

Ian M

[Guest]

thanks for the response.

Ive been looking at both the iwata and steenbeek brushes. same again there price ranges are vast.

I will do more research before I buy.

as for the compressors.

I agree it needs to have a storage tank. I was again looking at the iwata with oilless piston and moisture trap.

cheers steve.

[Guest]

one more question. do I go for the trigger action or is the push down pull back knob more controllable?

[Guest]

I started airbrushing (and scale modelling) in January using a 1964 DeVilbis airbrush (past its prime), then a cheapo that came with a bundle including a compressor (with tank) but that was frustrating (the airbrush). I then bought a Harder and Steenbeck Infinity CR Plus with a 0.4 mm nozzle (I think it best to start with that size because it tends not to clog compared to smaller nozzles like the 0.2 I don't see a need to have any other size.) It cost about £160 from Everythingairbrush who are helpful. It works perfectly and is a high-quality product. I needed to practice airbrushing for quite a long time before I got it right. I can get a really smooth finish.

I bought the AS186 compressor (it has a tank to even out the pressure pulses) at £94 incl. VAT from somewhere but the following sell it (with a useful free gift set):

http://www.airbrush-pro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d115.html

It is very satisfactory (the hose is separate.)

Clean out the airbrush thoroughly after a session (my sessions last about 20 minutes) by blowing out with airbrush cleaner, then disassemble the nozzle parts and needle, soak the parts in airbrush cleaner for 5 minutes and wipe the needle, and use a small bottle brush made for the purpose to remove paint in the nozzle bits remaining after soaking. Use the cleaner and the brush to clean the passages in the airbrush body. Avoid hairs like the plague.

I have never used a pressure "Air" can because you cannot regulate the pressure and they are a bit too fierce, and don't last long. With the compressor I usually use 20 PSI and hold the nozzle about 6 inches from the model. Don't spray to wetness (for the normal matt colour paint), just mist a light coat on and then repeat when dry (say after an hour or less). Practice on those 2 litre lemonade bottles from ASDA or Sainsbury if you or your family like lemonade—no need to prime during experiments. Remove the label adhesive with "Stickystuff Remover" and wash the surface clean. Keep them covered before using to avoid dust.

I use Vallejo Air acrylic paint (water-based, made for airbrushing, unlike Vallejo Color which is for figure painting etc.) I have tried spray paint and varnish cans but they are too fierce and uncontrollable for me.

Practice, and ask questions here.

BTW, its better to post such questions in the Airbrush or Painting threads, as this gets your question more directly to its target.

[Guest]

one more question. do I go for the trigger action or is the push down pull back knob more controllable?

My AB has the "dual action". That is, you pull the trigger back for variable air, and press it down to get paint (and obviously both together to spray paint). I think most people have this dual action type. It gives more control.

Also, my AB has a gravity cup (that is, the paint cup is above the AB barrel). This seems the most popular for scale modelling kits. (The other type have a bottle under the barrel, probably to hold more paint for artistic work for e.g.., making graphic illustrations for publication, decoration on guitars etc.)

[Guest]

thanks for that.very informative.

I don't yet know my way around this forum yet as im new.

I think I have made my mind up regarding make of brush but not model.

deffo going to get a harder and steenbeck but there is still a lot of choice.

do I dig deep and go for the infinity crplus 2 in 1 dual purpose or will the £50 gravity fed ultra do me?

or there is quite a few in between.

what is the difference? they all do the same job with the same name so I suspect all are good quality.

or are the more expencive ones noticeably better with better quality results,control and better built ,more reliable?

thanks again for the help.

when I have found my way around the forum I might embarrass myself and put a few pics on of my work.

[Guest]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=141060076935&ssPageNam e=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

does this look ok as a starter? then I can spend more on the brush?

[stona]

I would strongly recommend a compressor with a reservoir (tank). This will ensure that you get an even supply of air without pulsing and also that the compressor does not need to run continuously once the tank is pressurised. It will just top it up from time to time. You should be able to pick one up at a reasonable price.

For the airbrush I would suggest a dual action type (push down and pull trigger). They are more controllable and if you buy a single action type you might find yourself upgrading later.

I would also go for a gravity feed system. It is a simpler system and in my opinion you will waste less paint.

Needle/nozzle size depends on the medium you intend to spray. I'm assuming you will spray model paints in which case I agree with Laurie that 0.3 to 0.5 mm is the sort of size you should look for. I have more than one brush and of the top of my head the have 0.3,0.35 and 0.5mm nozzles fitted.

I don't own a H+S brush but I have used one of those 2 in 1 brushes. I though it was an excellent tool in the limited time I had to play with it. Importantly H+S brushes are built with all the seals resistant to the harsher solvents and cleaners we might use, unlike the cheap Chinese copies. You do get what you pay for and H+S make quality tools.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Steve (exos) .

If you look at the site you have suggested look at this page & see the what others viewed there is the £39 one which has a tank. Remarkable as these were selling a years or so back at £90. You get a years gurantee so you are OK for £39 for a year at least & with luck 5 years. If you get one there is a plug at the bottom of the tank drain regularly (thinks hypocrite not drained it recently) as there will be some water which collected there. Otherwise it will rust through the tank.

Do not be mislead by the casing. Makes the compressor look more stylish but it is just a bit of bent tin. I have the same one but dual different make but they are manufactured by one outlet & customized for different brand customers.

Laurie

[Guest]

One thing that I like about my H & S CR Plus is the nozzle. The nozzle itself (the thing with the 0.2 to 0.5 mm hole that the needle goes in and out of to control the amount of paint and air) is generally tiny in airbrushes and can be easily lost. With some ABs (not necessarily the cheaper ones) the nozzle has a screw thread to attach it to the barrel, sometimes requiring a small (supplied) spanner. In the H & D CR Plus (and possibly other makes), the nozzle simply slides into another (larger) holder (nozzle cap) which (with the nozzle in it) is screwed by hand into the barrel. This is easier and quicker (I think). C is the nozzle, B is the cap:

[ATTACH]69598.IPB[/ATTACH]


Its as difficult when buying the first AB as with any other craft tool: go for the cheapest knowing that you will likely have some frustration but will next time be able to make a fully informed choice; or go for something middling and regret it. I was lucky. My air compresser was in a bundle with a very cheap (£16 if sold separately!) AB which allowed me to gain experience (somewhat frustratingly at times) on what I later needed: the H & D CR Plus.

[Guest]

ok cheers peeps I am fully armed with the needed info.I will no doubt be back soon to ask about learning to use it and clean it etc.

steve

[Guest]

Great advice from the lads above , but as already said save and get a good airbrush believe it or not it will save you money in the long run , I brought one of those all in one airbrush kits when I first started and although the compressor was fine for about 4 years the airbrushes lasted about 6 months , I then moved up to the Iwata revolution CR and BR airbrush`s and have never looked back , parts are easy available through the Scalemodel shop and if its not in stock John can get them , all I`ve ever had to do in the last 4 years is change the needles and that was my fault damaging them .

Can`t 100% agree with Laurie about the compressors , I now use a Iwata smart jet pro with the casing and it in a different league compared to my first compressor .

In my experience a cheap compressor is great to start with but a good quality airbrush is a must .

Cheers

Richy

[Guest]

got my eye on this but if the price goes up much I may aswell buy new.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300969198597?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1438.l2649