what airbrush do you suggest


joed2323

Member
What brand airbrush do u guys suggest for me to buy? A aztec?

I do hear people saying dual stage is better but harder for a beginner to learn, is this true?

They sell them with the air conpressor and all right.

Also are those harbor freight ones any good?
 
A lot depends on what you are planning to do with it........the more you want to do the more you should spend. I have a cheap testors airbrush that I use a lot if I'm just painting something basic....like a boxcar painted boxcar red. I love the brush, because it's a pure venturi feed (meaning air moving across the feed tube pulls paint from the bottle) and there are 2 different size "caps". One size fits testors type paint bottles and the other fits the large bottles used by polyscale and such. The feedtube that goes down into the bottle is the same size as a plastic coffee stirrer. The thing works as well as my more expensive brush for "spraypainting" and for cleanup, you can simply put the cap back on the paint bottle, throw the chunk of coffee stirrer in the garbage and give the feed cap a little spray of paint thinner and that's it. But it's VERY basic and if you are looking to do a lot of precision work you'd be very disappointed.

With dual stage, you have control of the paint and air separately and yes, it's much harder to learn and 90% of the stuff you'll do with model trains doesn't really need that amount of precision. Maybe you do need that much.....only you can answer that. But if it was me, I'd buy a good quality single stage and learn that, and when you get good with it, if you feel you still need a dual stage, pick up a second model later. If you DON'T need the dual stage, you'll just frustrate yourself trying to learn it.

I'm not familiar with the harbor freight brush, but you WILL need parts down the road, so I'd stick with a brand that you can get parts for easily....preferably at a local hobby of craft store.
 
now those testors and like the aztec 320, those dont need air compressors to run correct? or wrong

Im not going to make a living airbrushing, but i want to weather my cars and paint them or a engine if need be, i would like to weather/paint buildings and such on my layout, so thats about as much as i would use a air brush, and you are probably right i should just get a single stage..

Can you weather with a rattle can? or just paint, i dont think its possible to get small precision detail with a rattle can correct?
 
I have an Aztek A4709 and love it. This is what I usually use when doing most of my paint work.

I have one of the ones from harbor freight as well. You get what you pay for. Their usually around $20. It works, but I don't like it. Yet I know people that hate the Aztek and love the one from harbor freight.
 
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they sell aztec from harbor freight? awesome.. the one aztec 320 airbrush im looking at from my Lhs is about 70-80 bucks dont know if thats good or bad, its single stage.
 
A good quality airbrush, single action, will cost you about $70 or more. HF sells their brand of an Aztec, but how good it is is debatable. I personally would recommend a Passche H model. Spend a little extra and get a #1 tip for it as well. They generally come with a #3, which can spray a larger pattern, but I've found that the #1 sprays a finer layer of paint. I have done over 95% of my custom painting with this brush, and the only parts I've ever had to buy for it are new spray tips. Extremely dependable and rugged.

Badger also sells a good quality single action brush in the 150. Its advantage is it has a needle that can be set for whatever size pattern you want, so no changing tips. It was my first brush, but lasted only 3 years, and couldn't be repaired. That's when I got the Passche. I haven't looked back.

The $20 HF brush that folks have been talking about on here apparently is a hit or miss brush for some folks. I do a lot of painting, I have been a custom painter since I was 19, I'm in my late 50's now. I've even bought a HF airbrush to try it out, and I have had absolutely NONE of the problems some others seem to have had. The pull and push, its a double action, is extremely smooth and the spray pattern can go from extremely thin to almost 1.5" in diameter. I don't know if its my luck with AB's or what. Just remember what Alan, (Espeefan), says about it, YMMV, Your Mileage May Vary!:)

But I would like to confirm what MRLDave told you. A single action would be the best way to go for learning. Others will tell you to go ahead and make the investment into a double action brush, but I do disagree. What if you really can't get comfortable with a good double action brush. While you can set up a DA brush to function as a SA brush, it would be a waste of money to do so. I do everything with the SA Passche except what I call extreme weathering, extremely small rust streaks on loco engine doors, bird poop on roofs of structures, chalked "graffiti" on boxcars from hoboes, etc. For that I use a Badger XF100 extra fine DA and a DA gravity feed with the smallest tip installed. While I do use the Passche for most of my weathering, I use these extra fine brushes because they use such a small amount of paint, and can give me the most subtlest weathering.

I would also tell you to get an airbrush made from metal, and not from plastic. Metal will wear a lot slower than plastic will, and a brush made out of plastic will need parts long before a metal one does.
 
Hmm. well sounds like its all up to me on how much im willing to spend?

Id rather buy everything at once, some air brushes come as kits with a air comp correct, and some do not?

To be honest this is a hobby im not going to get fed up with and throw it in the garbage.

Im in this hobby for the long haul, i would like to call myself a railroad modeler down the road someday in the near future and be able to airbrush rust and all the fine weathering details you see going down the tracks.

Im not really sure if it pays to buy a single action and get good at it and say i wish i spent the extra money for the dual action, and spend more money just to get something i should have gotten in the first place.

You said a person could use a dual action like the single action. wouldnt that make sense to practice with that and when i feel confident enough i can spray with the dual action and learn this way and not have to spend more money?

I just hate doing things twice when there is a way to do it once and be done with it
 
If you can weather with a rattle can, you're the best painter I know........There is virtually no way to regulate the paint .
I'm sure you can buy kits that include a compressor, and some brushes can even be set up to use canned air, but my experience is the best compressors AND the best brushes will be purchased separately.
From the description of what you want to do, I'd still say go single action. If you get a good quality brush, I doubt you'll ever really need the dual action.....and if you reach that stage, there will probably be other features you'll want that will dictate a second brush.......in my case it was a revearse logic. I wanted something that was EASIER and LESS complicated, especially at cleanup time. I found for a large percentage of my painting I didn't even need the "good" airbrush.
As you note, it's your money, and normally I'd say get the best you can afford, but since you're starting out, I'd also suggest keeping it simple.
 
Does anybody here use nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or SCBA tanks to run their airbrush or does everybody use a mini compressor? Pros, cons?
 
Been involved in building models of some sort my entire life. All my adult life, I have either been involved in Radio Controlled Model Airplanes; or, Model Railroading. Never had enough fun money to justify the purchase of an airbrush; nor, the feeling that one was needed and always wondered if I did have one, would the job of cleaning it up everytime I used it, religate the thing to sitting on a storage shelf, not being used!

Many people have and do use them! I feel I get just as good results from using brushes and powered chalks. But, then, I've put in alot of time learning to use them correctly.
 
With dual stage, you have control of the paint and air separately and yes, it's much harder to learn and 90% of the stuff you'll do with model trains doesn't really need that amount of precision. Maybe you do need that much.....only you can answer that. But if it was me, I'd buy a good quality single stage and learn that, and when you get good with it, if you feel you still need a dual stage, pick up a second model later. If you DON'T need the dual stage, you'll just frustrate yourself trying to learn it.

I'm not familiar with the harbor freight brush, but you WILL need parts down the road, so I'd stick with a brand that you can get parts for easily....preferably at a local hobby of craft store.

Sorry, but I completely disagree. Double action is no harder to learn than single action and is much more versatile. I have little kids and adults who have never picked up an airbrush before using a double action in just a few minutes. (I teach airbrushing, and have been a custom painter for 20 years now :eek:) Can you walk and chew gum at the same time? Then you can use a double action airbrush. They are superior for weathering, as you have direct control over the paint flow and can fade the color without stopping and changing the paint flow setting. Some folks, and even one or two manufacturers say that a single action is all you need for model railroading. I think this is Ka-Ka ;). Most of us who paint and are serious about it have a double action airbrush. Buy a good double action, practice with it (there is NO substitute for practice!), then you won't need a second airbrush! I would also recommend a gravity feed airbrush if your primary use is weathering cars. They make paint go a very long way, and are much easier to clean than siphon feed airbrushes. You can clean a gravity feed airbrush in just a minute or two.

Entry level choices for gravity feed airbrushes:

Iwata Revolution CR
Badger Patriot 105
Paasche Talon

For siphon feed airbrushes:

Iwata Revolution BR
Badger Anthem
Paasche Millenium

You can look at any of these on TCP Global's website, and the prices are pretty good.

I happen to be an Iwata dealer, and I will admit to being partial to them, but the Badger and Paasche guns, while not as high quality as Iwata, will serve you well, and are excellent for beginners on a budget.

I am not a fan of the testors Aztek. I prefer to be able to work on my airbrushes and if you have a problem with an Aztek, it has to go back to Testors for repair. There are those who like it and are very loyal to it. I prefer one I can take apart without voiding the warranty.

My opinion of the Harbor Freight airbrush is well known to some of the other posters here. I think the best use for one of those is to jam it under any door that you want stay open ;):D

You will need some sort of air source. Any compressor with a regulator will do. It does not have to be a hobby type. Some of us use bottled CO2. Canned air is expensive and can be unreliable. TCP Global has a nice compressor selection as well.
 
They are good for larger projects. I use one when doing scenery, weathering track, or say, painting a half dozen passenger car shells, anything where you'll be using a larger amount of paint.
 
Ok then.

What about a good all around air brush to paint track. paint cars when need be, not 5 at once, more like one at a time. and weathering when needed.

Would a gravity feed be too small for painting track and such, if so im looking for a good all around airbrush that can do alot if there is one
 
Not to small at all. But very hard to keep from having a mess real quick. Normally an open cup is hard to maneuver when working on a horizontal surface.

Cup size should not be of any concern to a new user, worst case you add more paint. You will need to take a break anyhow until you develop good hand strength.

Double action is the only way to go, When making your purchase be sure you find something that feels good and included s some needles. You can get by very well using a medium needle, but detailing I like something much smaller.
 
What brand airbrush do u guys suggest for me to buy? A aztec?

I do hear people saying dual stage is better but harder for a beginner to learn, is this true?

They sell them with the air conpressor and all right.

Also are those harbor freight ones any good?
That is a lot of questions that one could write a book on.
MY opinion. "Aztec?" He says. "No", the man answers as he runs screaming from the room.

I have an Aztek 4709. It was supposed to be a "good" replacement for my Paacshe V series. How bad is it, let me count the ways. It has been a long time but as I remember - 1. It uses a unique hose coupling so none of my good braded hoses with normal couplings from the compressors work on it. I have to use the super cheapo plastic thing they include with the set, which I didn't find because they crammed it into a nook in the packaging material. I found it after I went back to the store bought a second expensive cheap plastic replacement. 2. It comes with all these cool looking tips for various paints and spray patterns. None of them work as advertised. I finally found one I could use for general purpose but, 3. It clogs like mad. 4. It leaks internally. 5. It won't siphon the paint well at all. 6. and OH yeah the two stage trigger is rough and often only acts as a single stage brush.

Anyway when I got fed up with the Aztek and needed a brush "right now", I ran to the Hobby Lobby and got a Badger 150. It is OK, and wil probably meet the needs of 90% of all modelers out there. It does not have the fine control that the Paasche had.

The external mix ones they have at Harbor Tools are going to be hit and miss. The quality of the paint job they do is based on the precision of the top of the mixing venturi. If one is lucky it is tiny smooth clean. If one is not it is ragged and lopsided providing an uneven paint volume and spread.

When I get back to needing to be painting again and need the performance I am used to, I am going to consider Paasche, Iwata, and Thayer.

Dual action is about as hard to learn as turning left after knowing how to turn right. Up and down controlls the air, forward and back controls the paint flow. Easy. Much easier than an XBox joy stick.

Oh yeah, one reason I did get the Aztek was because it is a side feed just like my Paasche was. I was expecting to be able to use all my existing cups, bottles, etc. A side feed can use either siphon or gravity feed cups and if one can find that feature in another brand I recommend it.
 
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Not to small at all. But very hard to keep from having a mess real quick. Normally an open cup is hard to maneuver when working on a horizontal surface.

Cup size should not be of any concern to a new user, worst case you add more paint. You will need to take a break anyhow until you develop good hand strength.

Double action is the only way to go, When making your purchase be sure you find something that feels good and included s some needles. You can get by very well using a medium needle, but detailing I like something much smaller.

All three gravity feeders I recommended have at least 1/3 oz cups and come with caps so you don't spill paint. The Iwata and Paasche have metal caps, the Badger has a plastic one. All three hold enough paint to base coat a 40 ft boxcar.
 
Does anybody here use nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or SCBA tanks to run their airbrush or does everybody use a mini compressor? Pros, cons?

I used to use a bbq propane cylinder (a new one) that i filled up at the gas station.
Had to be carefull about how much stuff i was going to paint so as not to run out of air:(.
Now i have compressor in the garage and just run the hose inside.
Mike
 



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