Airbrushes
- Thread starter kfleeman1
- Start date
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I'm certainly not the most talented, but I do use three airbrushes. I started with a Badger 200 (I think) and then bought a 175 (mainly due to the price 
). I also have a big 'ole external mix spray gun for painting shells in a production situation.
A single action is fine for most applications, but a double action gives you more control. With a single action you only control the air flow. Usually that's all you need when you're spraying solid colors (such as building walls or the base color of a car or engine).
With a double action you control both the air flow and paint flow, so you can acheive more varied affects. This is nice if you plan to use the airbrush for weathering.
I have two Badger 100's (basic single actions) that have been sitting on the shelf for quite some time...I tried to auction them off on eBay for ~$40 each and no one seemed to want them. I think double action is where most people eventually end up.
). I also have a big 'ole external mix spray gun for painting shells in a production situation.A single action is fine for most applications, but a double action gives you more control. With a single action you only control the air flow. Usually that's all you need when you're spraying solid colors (such as building walls or the base color of a car or engine).
With a double action you control both the air flow and paint flow, so you can acheive more varied affects. This is nice if you plan to use the airbrush for weathering.
I have two Badger 100's (basic single actions) that have been sitting on the shelf for quite some time...I tried to auction them off on eBay for ~$40 each and no one seemed to want them. I think double action is where most people eventually end up.
jbaakko
Diesel Detail Freak
Well Nate I can vouch that paying $40 for a Badger would feel like a rip off when you could get a Testors (Aztec) external mix for $5 on sale at Wal*mart, and a internal mix, double action for $10 more. I have 3 total, two external that I use for basic paint, and the internal I have not yet tested.
You might have more luck selling them now, as it seems most Wal*Marts have sold them out and not re-stocked, although some have re-stocked.
As for use, I'd suggest getting a cheep single action, and practice, then 6 months or so down the line pick up a double action.
You might have more luck selling them now, as it seems most Wal*Marts have sold them out and not re-stocked, although some have re-stocked.
As for use, I'd suggest getting a cheep single action, and practice, then 6 months or so down the line pick up a double action.
Aren't the Testors external mix cheap plastic though? The 100's are all metal internal mix. Then again, if you're only going to use it for 6 months worth of practice...
The original price of the 100's was somewhere around $100, so $40 is already a pretty steep cut. Probably more of a personal preference for metal vs. plastic than anything. Some people like the weight of the metal brushes since it balances the weight of the paint jar a little better.
The original price of the 100's was somewhere around $100, so $40 is already a pretty steep cut. Probably more of a personal preference for metal vs. plastic than anything. Some people like the weight of the metal brushes since it balances the weight of the paint jar a little better.
RCH
Been Nothin' Since Frisco
I still use the same Paasche single-action H airbrush I got for my birthday 18 years ago. I just bought a replacement tip for it this weekend, and a replacement paint cup a few years ago, but other than that, it's held up very well. Double action airbrushes can be good for weathering and painting certain effects, but if you're just taking an undecorated model to a painted version, there's really no need for double action.
Single action provides a very consistent spray pattern at whatever position you set it at, and it stays there until you move it, while double action varies the paint and air mix depending on pressure and position of your fingers.
Single action provides a very consistent spray pattern at whatever position you set it at, and it stays there until you move it, while double action varies the paint and air mix depending on pressure and position of your fingers.
HaggisKennedy
Coal Shoveler
Depending on how serious you are, I'd recommend a Double-action. Those would be good enough to weather a freightcar/loco/structure. You could do that with a single-action, but a DA is probably easier.
A couple of my friends use DA airbrushes to camouflage 1/285 scale micro-armor.
I have a SA Badger 350 airbrush. I use it mainly for the production shell painting. I could probably weather with it, but it's a really old airbrush and it no longer has the spray control it once had.
I've been thinking about getting a DA replacement, maybe a Paasche VL.
Kennedy
A couple of my friends use DA airbrushes to camouflage 1/285 scale micro-armor.
I have a SA Badger 350 airbrush. I use it mainly for the production shell painting. I could probably weather with it, but it's a really old airbrush and it no longer has the spray control it once had.
I've been thinking about getting a DA replacement, maybe a Paasche VL.
Kennedy
Okay, I've bought the Badger 200-20 airbrush and a nice Bostitch 2hp 4gal. air compressor. What air fittings/hose/etc. will I need to get up and running? What type of moisture trap would you recommend? I know Paasche makes one that hooks directly into the air line. Will this one work good enough or should I get one that comes on a pressure regulator? (My compressor has a regulator built in) Thanks.
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