What's the preferred airbrush set-up???


I am stockpiling toools & supplies to build my layout and have been looking at airbrushes, spray guns and airbrush kits and am interested in what others are using.
 
If you have read any of my other posts, you'll know I love my airbrushes! I started airbrushing in 1964. I currently have 11. Badger and Paasche are both good brands. Iwata is a little better. There are many other brands that run bad to fabulous. For a new airbrush user, I would recommend staying away from the inexpensive Chinese airbrushes sold on eBay and Banggood. Don't get me wrong, there are some good brushes and great values to be had there, The only reason I recommend staying away is because, as a new user, you won't be able to know if the problem is with you or the brush.

As to equipment, without explaining all the various options (I'm sure someone else will), I would recommend a double action medium needle airbrush. It can be either cup or bottom fed. Add a cloth hose to match (avoid vinyl). For an air compressor, if you don't already have one, I highly recommend the Porter Cable 6 gallon pancake. $100 at Lowes or Home Depot, similar or lower prices elsewhere. Here's where I would avoid the cheaper Harbor freight ones. Craftsman, Campbell-Hausfeld, I-R, Hitachi, Bostitch, DeWalt, or Rigid are all about equal. From there, the bigger the tank the better (mine are run from a 30 gal. tank). Add a good quality filter / water separator.

There are dozens of accessories, some more useful than others. A good rest, though I got along for years without one. Quick disconnects, nice, but also easy to get along without. Pipe cleaners are a great convenience. Paint jars. I'll totally avoid paints, thinners, cleaning solvents, etc - that is a whole separate thread on consumables rather than equipment.

Then there is the paint booth. I have one and love it. Depending on what you are painting with and where, one may or may not be necessary.
 
I really like my Badger 105 Patriot and the Badger 200 is a great single action brush.... for the rest I have to agree with Red Oak about the compressor and hoses. I would add the quick disconnect air connectors also.
 
There are a lot of excellent air brushes on the market now. I prefer a dual action. I had one for years.Had it so long thet I forget what brand it was for sure, but I think it was a Badger.. I had done quite a lot of custom painting years ago but then really had no use for it for quite a while. I recently needed to custom paint a F-7 A & B unit for my North Coast Limited and couldn't find where I had stashed it away. Found a Paasche dual action set on Amazon for around 50 bucks and am very happy with it.

It did come with everything needed, including the cloth hose except of course a compressor. My old one that is over 30 years old still worked just fine.

There are a number of sets similar the the Paasche on the market and they are all pretty similar.
 
Hi,

I use Badger - 105 and 155 airbrushes - with a TC910 compressor.

For a low cost paint booth: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Airbr...F8&qid=1521689295&sr=8-6&keywords=paint+booth


I've tried many others - settled on these - dumped the rest.

Frederick

For 89 bucks looks like the paint fumes blow back into the users face ?

Using a few HAVC parts and ducting, a muffin fan, and wood to make the booth. You can make a reasonability nice paint booth, add a light in the top of the box even better. Just another means to an end.

master-flow-boots-sb10x3-25x6-64_400_compressed.jpg

greg
 

Attachments

  • master-flow-boots-sb10x3-25x6-64_400_compressed.jpg
    master-flow-boots-sb10x3-25x6-64_400_compressed.jpg
    8.2 KB · Views: 253
For 89 bucks looks like the paint fumes blow back into the users face ?

greg

The ducting is intended to connect to outside - I guess the person who took the picture didn't understand how to set it up.

Mine is NOT setup like that.

Frederick
 
Amazon has a kit by Master Airbrush which has 2 gravity feed dual action brushes (.2 & .3mm nozzles), 1 suction brush (.8mm nozzle), a 1/6 hp single piston compressor w/ air pressure regulator & guage/water trap (.8cfm air volume & 23 lts/hr air flow). At a price of $140 xoes this sound like a good deal??
 
Amazon has a kit by Master Airbrush which has 2 gravity feed dual action brushes (.2 & .3mm nozzles), 1 suction brush (.8mm nozzle), a 1/6 hp single piston compressor w/ air pressure regulator & guage/water trap (.8cfm air volume & 23 lts/hr air flow). At a price of $140 xoes this sound like a good deal??

You might want to visit this site - lots of good info:

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/home

You didn't give a link to the package you mentioned so it is hard to be sure BUT the Master air brush that Don reviewed requires a tool to change the nozzle.

The Badgers I use don't require any tools.

Perhaps you should read Don's review in it's entirety.

Frederick
 
Great advice in this thread...I really like what Kevin posted. I have a Paasche double action cup feed. I started with a Dewalt pancake air compressor and had some difficulties regulating the air flow with the compressors regulator connected to a moisture trap/pressure regulator. My air bushing efforts took a huge step forward when I purchased a Paasche air compressor. Being new to air brushing I am sure that I was not doing something right and could have done better with my Dewalt compressor.

No matter which brand of air brush or compressor you choose, there are two things that I use all the time and highly recommend for anyone starting out with an air brush. First, get a small battery operated paint mixer. They work so much better then trying to mix or shake your paint bottle by hand. Second, get an inexpensive blow drier. Applying low heat from a blow drier after a thin spray coat of acrylic paint, really helps smooth out the paint and helps the paint to cling (for lack of a better word) to any ridges or shapes on the surface that you just sprayed.
 
You might want to visit this site - lots of good info:

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/home

You didn't give a link to the package you mentioned so it is hard to be sure BUT the Master air brush that Don reviewed requires a tool to change the nozzle.

The Badgers I use don't require any tools.

Perhaps you should read Don's review in it's entirety.

Frederick

I could not get an Amazon link but this link shows the kit I was looking at:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/s.nl/it.A/id.342492/.f#.WrRbz8gpA1I
 
That's one of the Chinese knock-off sets that I recommend avoiding. For a first airbrush, stick with one of the known quality brands.

I have -

4 Badger - 2 150's, a 175 and a 200
3 Paasche - a H, a VL, and a Talon
1 Iwata - an Eclipse HP-CS
1 Peak - a C-5
2 No name Chinese knockoffs - one works beautifully, the other is a piece of junk that I may someday spend hours fixing up.

Be aware that not all of there are double action; there are specific reasons for those. The Badger 150 is still my go to airbrush, followed by a tie between the Iwata and the Peak. Just remember, I've been at this for over 54 years - I didn't acquire all those brushes in one go. My first 150 is over 30 years old, and, with the appropriate maintenance (new o-rings, etc.) it works as well now as when I first got it.
 
Prairie makes a couple of good points. The first is something I tend to forget since my system has been setup for so long. The standard regulator that comes on the Porter Cable/DeWalt/etc. compressors is really intended for pneumatic tools and adjusts through the range of pressures up to 125 psi. You will NEVER need 125 psi with an airbrush. I run most of the paints I use at 15 to 25 psi. It is a combination of the brush {needle size} and the paint that determines the required pressure. I will occasionally run some paints at 35 to 40 pounds. So I replaced the regulator with a 0-50 psi regulator.

I also agree with the recommendation of a model paint specific mixer and a hair dryer. My paint shop has both. I was just trying to stick to the airbrush and direct accessories, 'cuz when you get to setting up the full paint shop, there are lots and lots of goodies to add, some absolute requirements and others just nice.
 
I just purchased the Iawata HP-CS and so far I like it. The dual action hasn't been an issue getting used to. Clean up is very straight forward and fairly easy. Now if I just knew how to airbrush.......
 
I just purchased the Iawata HP-CS and so far I like it. The dual action hasn't been an issue getting used to. Clean up is very straight forward and fairly easy. I run it off of a Craftsman pancake compressor into a regulator that has oil and water filters. Now if I just knew how to airbrush.......
I
 
I am using the following:

Iwata HP-CS Airgun
Iwata Studio Series Compressor

I do not know about the Iwata Airgun, but do know about their full size LPHV model. I can tell you it's an excellent product, minium over spray.

I would think weathering, and the controlled over spray that brush is likely to have. Will make dusting to highlight details and faded panels a breeze.

Willie you got the right tool for the job there.


greg
 
That's one of the Chinese knock-off sets that I recommend avoiding. For a first airbrush, stick with one of the known quality brands.

I have -

4 Badger - 2 150's, a 175 and a 200
3 Paasche - a H, a VL, and a Talon
1 Iwata - an Eclipse HP-CS
1 Peak - a C-5
2 No name Chinese knockoffs - one works beautifully, the other is a piece of junk that I may someday spend hours fixing up.

Be aware that not all of there are double action; there are specific reasons for those. The Badger 150 is still my go to airbrush, followed by a tie between the Iwata and the Peak. Just remember, I've been at this for over 54 years - I didn't acquire all those brushes in one go. My first 150 is over 30 years old, and, with the appropriate maintenance (new o-rings, etc.) it works as well now as when I first got it.

Thanks for the advice, and to everyone else than you. Now looking at recommended items. Badger 150's seem to go for $100usd.....does that sound about right? Now for a compressor....hmmm

B
 
Hi,

The Badger 105 is somewhat easier to clean. I can use it all day, cleaning it, without taking it apart, when changing colors.

If in doubt you can get a set of both the 105 and the 150 for $155 from Amazon.

Frederick
 
Hi,

The Badger 105 is somewhat easier to clean. I can use it all day, cleaning it, without taking it apart, when changing colors.

If in doubt you can get a set of both the 105 and the 150 for $155 from Amazon.

Frederick


The Badger was a popular name in the 80s, not an expert but the big deal was double action. I used a Binks single action for many years. The Binks was as capable as the Badger at painting and producing the same effects as the double action tool.

At that time there were very few air brushes. I believe those were the only two that could be called pro models. Testors had a plastic deal sold as a Hobby airbrush, close but no cigars.

Can you kindly explain, how a Badger brush is any easier to clean between color changes. Once I became comfortable using an air brush. I found cleaning to be nothing more than filling a paint cup with lacquer thinner, spray until clean.

BTW, did end up with a Badger it was given to me and the cleaning of it seemed a tad more involved. Certainly has more parts to get gummed up, and care must be taken to not bend the needle when cleaning. Not knocking the brush, just saying.

Compressor choice: OP

You want a compressor that has a storage tank. One big enough so you do not have air pulsing as it runs, at the brush when painting.

Just food for thought

greg
 



Back
Top