discussion air brush kit advice

[Guest]

can anybody give me some advice on what kind of airbrush and compressor kit would be good for someone just starting out in model making and would it be best to get them separate or as a complete kit.

thanks mark

 

[Guest]

Mark,

I have the reasonably priced (ie cheap!) Chinese AS 186 compressor & gravity double action airbrush. I think I paid £70 for it as a set on eBay.

4 years later, it's still going strong

& has taken everything in it's stride, including lacquer-based paints.

The AS186 comes with a tank which is much better than one without.

Cheers

Patrick

PS prepare yourself for the Iwata lovers onslaught!

 

[john i am]

Mark,I have the reasonably priced (ie cheap!) Chinese AS 186 compressor & gravity double action airbrush. I think I paid £70 for it as a set on eBay.

4 years later, it's still going strong

& has taken everything in it's stride, including lacquer-based paints.

The AS186 comes with a tank which is much better than one without.

Cheers

Patrick

PS prepare yourself for the Iwata lovers onslaught!

Get iwata best thing I ever did honest have 2 now the TR0 and the TR2 hassle free works 1st time every time

 

[Guest]

The AS 186 compresser with the tank and two airbrushes has gone down to £65 on e-bay

 

[Guest]

Mark first of all I would buy separately.

Go for the best brush you can afford. An H and S or an Iwata. The brush is the item which is going to produce the finished article. The compressor will just provide the air and this is the same for a cheap compressor or dear compressor.

Have both Iwata and Harder and Steinbeck. The best I have found for both finish and for multi tasking is the Iwata Eclipse HPBS with a .35 needle/nozzle. It can produce really great finishes both in large areas to spray and for small intricate close work. After trying four brushes this is my favorite and definitely produces the best finishes of any so far.

Compressor. Get one that is for air brushing. A piston oil less type. With a tank as this will ensure a constant air supply which enables a better finish. I would go for the cheaper Chinese model. A lot of the more expensive are the run of the mill Chinese type badged to look the business.

To sum up. Compressor with a tank is a good as you want just constant air.

Airbrush. Best you can and as above you are unlikely to want another as it is superb.

Buy a set and you get what you pay for. What I have seen with packages is a reliable Chinese Compressor specified as above with a cheap brush thrown in. The brush finish is not good and when they need replacements parents they do not exist.

Laurie

 

[Guest]

Laurie

The guy is just starting out, and you're recommending an airbrush that costs in the region of £135?

If someone was buying their 1st car, would you recommend a Roller?

The fact is that of the £70 or so spent on a Chinese kit from eBay, the majority of that consists of the cost if the compressor - the AB is perhaps £10.

So the airbrush isn't as all-singing, all-dancing as an Iwata! So what? How is someone who has no experience to judge going to tell the difference?

Better surely to cut one's teeth on something cheap, and upgrade later which will allow greater appreciation of the finer qualities of the more expensive airbrush.

Also, if Mark decides airbrushing isn't for him, his wallet is less bruised.

Ok my piece is said!

 

[Guest]

Another vote hear for the AS 186-type compressors (with tank) to be found on eBay. The cheap airbrush(es) they normally come with are not at all bad, and make an ideal starting point to try things out with - get your hand in, practise techniques, and make your mistakes (preferably on cheap plastic objects like drinks bottles). Even if you wreck one it doesn't matter all that much. I managed to produce pretty good results (to my eyes) with just such a set up. Later on I bought an H&S airbrush which is very nice (probably nicer than my skill level justifies), but you don't need to do that right away.

 

[Guest]

thanks for the advice everyone, think I will start with the AS 186 and maybe upgrade in the future, I will be back for more advice soon so don't go wandering off too far folks.

thanks again.

mark

 

[Guest]

Patrick I always go for the best that I can afford. If you are producing a nice model the worst that you can do at the end, after putting together a model, is to finish it with something which is not the best affordable.

I am not Mark so I have no idea what he can afford. I have given what I consider to be a superb airbrush. Mark is buying not me. I got my Iwata for £95. The Iwata perhaps a BMW rather than a Ford ! Best start at the top and working down to what is affordable rather than in the reverse. Is it wrong to recommend the best ?

From experience I do know that I was near giving up model making after getting a cheap airbrush and realizing that I had wasted my money and certainly was not getting the quality I wanted to achieve.

If in the unlikely hood that Mark does not like airbrushing then if he bought the airbrush, I recommend, then he will be able to sell it and get a greater part of his money than he would on a cheaper airbrush. The alternative is to buy a cheap airbrush then realize that a better airbrush is the one and have a cheap airbrush no one wants to buy.

In the end all down to Mark. Actually model making is very cheap compared to most other activities. An airbrush is on average about the most expensive of all the equipment but will last,if good quality, for life.

I used to play cricket and as it was at that time in my life my passion I bought the best bat I could after all I was enjoying myself in something that gave me a great joy.

Laurie

 

[eddiesolo]

I agree with what Laurie and Patrick are saying, I have two cheapo airbrushes and one is still going strong and the other is hit and miss, but at £25 a pop what do you expect. I also use a small compressor with no gauge and no air tank...at £30 it is isn't a bad little thing. However, I am getting a compressor with gauge and tank as fiddling to get the air flow right is a pain and many a squirt and splutter ensue. I also now use a Hansa 581 which cost £75ish and it is a good brush.

In my opinion a compressor with tank is a must, as for the AB, get a cheapo, try it, get use to how they operate and pressures etc, spray some cheapo models or plastic bottles just to get the hang of it, once happy, progress to a better quality AB-like Laurie says, you do get what you pay for.

Si

 

[Guest]

Laurie

There's nothing wrong with recommending the best, in your opinion!

However to use your example of playing cricket, did you use an expensive bat right from the start?

Of course not, you upgraded as experience, enjoyment & funds allowed.

Hopefully Mark will enjoy whatever he buys & if it's not an Iwata, perhaps it will be in the future.

 

[Guest]

Patrick as I have said here go for the best you can afford.

My bat, first bat, was a Stuart Surridge Perfect the best I could afford. I was earning about £6 a week. I had one pair of trousers and noticed on the train up to London that the knee was getting thin. Should I get a new pair of trousers or a Stuart Surridge. The trousers were demoted the knees got colder but warmed up as the season opened. But life was on the up not the best bat but my pride and joy important enough to spend my little fortune at that time.

Laurie

 

[Guest]

if for some reason I don't get on with the air brush I have 4 grandchildren who will have fun with it so its a win win situation for me. it would be a small price to pay to see them happy, and if I do get on with it then they can have the box it comes in and tough s**t if their happy or not LOL. I bought a very good set of golf clubs for a lot of money and they didn't improve my game what so ever. I still cant hit the ball straight.

thanks again for the tips.

 

[Guest]

can anybody give me some advice on what kind of airbrush and compressor kit would be good for someone just starting out in model making and would it be best to get them separate or as a complete kit.thanks mark

Definitely for first off AB users I would recommend a neo for Iwata airbrush CN double action gravity feed. I have one of these myself and it is extremely good to use and is way above it's price. You can buy replacement parts as well. If possible, get an air compressor with a pressure gauge and a water trap. Get the best you can afford as these will last a lifetime if buying the right one.

John

 

[Guest]

This is my compressor (AS 86 probably). I have used it quite a lot during 15 months and it works prefectly.

View attachment 82726


Quiet, it has a tank (important to prevent the motor starting up every time you press the trigger on the AB), water trap, and (I think) a hose.

Get an air disconnector which goes at the AB end. With pressure in the tank, you can pull the disconnector off for attention to the Ab without loosing pressure.

It came with an AB which cost £16 if sold separately. I found it difficult to use and a part kept falling out when cleaning. I bought a much better one costing 10 X as much and it is very good.

View attachment 195749

 

[dave]

There are several versions of the AS186 kit around. Go for a version with the tank on the compressor, echoing everyone else I have had mine two years and it works fine. The cheap airbrush that came with it was OK, but I replaced it with the Iwata Neo after a bit and that is much better. Some time soon I will upgrade again to a better brush but that is me planning to treat myself.

The problem with the cheap brushes if they work they're fine, but they can be very temperamental due to poor build quality which can make life difficult for a newcomer as you end up trying to work out if it is you or the brush.

 

[Vaughan]

Laurie is right, buy the best you can afford. A compressor with a tank as has been said an AS186 is a good choice mine is still going strong 3 years down the line. It's a false economy buying a cheap airbrush as they don't preform very well and this will only lead to frustration on your part. The Iawata Neo is a good starting point and a quality piece of kit. It will last for years and spares are readily available. John sells the starter Neo CN AB for just £42. I hope this helps