Airbrush/compressor recommendations?

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P

PIN DR

Member
Looking to buy my first airbrush and dedicated compressor. I'm looking for recommendations on what would be a good choice for a beginner, who eventually hopes to become reasonably proficient. I am no artist for sure, just looking for some decent equipment for use on model building, layout painting, etc. that will be good for the long term too. Cost is not the major issue, but obviously, don't want to spend more than I need to to get decent results.

TIA,

Jeff
 
Hey Jeff,

I don't paint so I can't help with any recommendations, but I remember a thread about air brushing with many posts about different air brushes and compressors. Try and search for it to see if you can find it. I tried briefly, but had no luck. If I have more time later I will try again.
Sorry I could not be more help than that.
 


Thanks for that link. I did do a search before posting and found a lot of recommendations and discussion about compressors, but nothing about choosing a decent airbrush itself. Lots of conflicting info on the internet when you search on the subject too. I was hoping to get some specific advice based on railroader's use of them that would be of more value than from those that use them for artwork or t-shirts.

Jeff
 
The range of airbrushes is vast. I've been painting with them since I was in high school for art (T-shirts and fine art) but not models. After I got into painting models I use the same airbrush I've used for years. I've owned many air brushes over the years and have learned a lot. The quality of the air brush has also changed over the years too. I started with a Paasche VL double action. It was a great place to start for art because it will take a beating and work. Not first point of air brushing; always keep the brush CLEAN. Most important. Then I used a Thayer and Chandler airbrush. It was good but very touchy and hard to keep working well. I then went to Iwata airbrush. I've never moved on from that brush. They are not cheap but work great. I've used more then I've owned and I have to say they are the best (for me). I wouldn't suggest this for someone that wasn't sure or may not be into it and then feel it's a lot of wasted money. The best thing to do is see if you know someone with an airbrush or find a place that will let you test one before you purchase. That way you know if it is what you want. The new models of airbrushes are far beyond what mine is and I often think of buying a new one but I just can't spend the money when I have one that works so well.

For compressor there are more options for that then there are airbrushes. I use a Paasche compressor now but just purchased a new craftsman 2.5 gal tank compressor that I plan to run a line from the garage to my studio and use that way. I also can use the compressor in the garage for tools and I plan to use it to work with a pressure pot to make my own model parts. The only real advise I will give on air compressors would be don't use the air cans you see at hobby shops. Waste of money! If you don't want to get an air compressor buy a air tank and regulator from Harbor Freight and fill it up with air at the gas station.

Dave
 
Dave,

Thank you, that is helpful. I'm eyeing the Pasche H single action airbrush with one of their regulated compressors. 99% of the use will be for painting model buildings, weathering, that sort of thing, so I don't really need anything complicated. Just want something that will allow me more flexibility with colors and volume of coverage than I can get with regular spray paint cans.

Jeff
 
I'm glad I could help. One thought on what you said your thinking of getting. I don't know the cost difference between single and double action or your budget but I would think of double action. The extra control of double action on the paint flow is night and day. It really helps with paint flow control.
 
I have done a great deal of good painting with an old single action Binks (H maybe) and would reccomend it highly for a beginner. I have other Pasche airbrushes and they all seem to be OK, I worked for a company next door to Pasche in Pasadena for quite awhile and had about a 5lb box full of them.

As for an air source, find any old compressor, mine is 40 years old designed to pump up tires on cars or bikes and has a nice high pressure. The key is to use a big air reservoir just ahead of your regulator.. Spend a little time looking at yard sales, swaps etc for the compressor. It can save you money and give yourself a bigger compressor.
 
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For a good quality starter airbrush that has worked very well for me, I can recommend the Harbor Freight double action. Its only about $20-25, less on sale. You'll have to buy the hose separately, but that's only about $7. HF also has very good compressors for not very much money.

I've been a custom painter since I was 19, starting with a single action Badger in 1973. When I wore it out I got a Passche H with the H1 tip. I still use that one along with several others, a Badger XF 100, a Pro Line gravity feed, and a old Tamyia. I bought an HF brush just to try, and I must say I was very surprised! It is made of heavy brass, very similar to a badger, looks similar and feels like a Badger. You'll find some painters who don't like them, as they say that it isn't as smooth as the badger, and doesn't "feel" like a badger. Well of course not, as it isn't a badger. The 2 that I have, (I had to replace one as it got knocked out of its holder and the tip was damaged.) I have found it to be an absolute fine brush and it will do anything that you have the skill for doing, and even with being double action it is easy to learn.

You may hear that the control, the trigger, is not as smooth as they could be, but I've never had that problem. The two that I've had, (I've since bought another for spare parts, and haven't even removed it from it's case) are as smooth as my other double actions. One thing I did find is that a small drop of oil on the lever for controlling the needle makes it smoother.
 
The general consensus is that I should go double action. My only concern about that is how easily I'll be able to control both air flow and paint flow at the same time. I hesitate to tell the world I am not very coordinated when it comes to doing two things at once, but....

As far as the compressor, I have a large pancake style compressor now, but it is LOUD. I'm willing to spend some extra money to get something smaller and quieter just for the airbrushing.

Jeff
 


Fisrt I would buy a quality tool if you are interested in doing airbrushing serioisly. CJ and I go back a long way (20+ years) and the only real disagreement we have on painting is the HF airbrush. My experience with it is that it is a piece of junk. An experienced painter can compensate for it's shortcomings, but I would not put one in a student's hands for love or money. Quality from batch to batch is not consistent with these things, and you can get a good one. You can also get a stinker. You can get a decent airbrush that will last you a lifetime with proper maintenance for less than $100.00. Not a huge investment in the grand scheme of things.

Check out this website. This guy has reviewed all of the major brands, and he is impartial.

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

As for Hobby compressors HF also makes some cheapies. I have one of these and it was NOT cheap but is a very good performer.

http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/compressors/smart-jet/

To be fair, I have also heard good reports on some of the HF airbrush compressors, and we all have a budget. It will depend a lot on how much you run it! The more expensive machines have longer service lives as a rule.

My personal recommendation for you would be one of these:

Iwata HP-BCS

Paasche Millenium

Badger Anthem

I have experience with all three and any of them will serve you well. I have listed them in order of quality which will likely also apply to the cost...you get what you pay for! ;)
 
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Thank you for that well thought out responses. I have gone to the website with the reviews and that is very helpful, as are your recommendations.

Thanks again everybody!

Jeff
 
Jeff:

A lot of good advise on air compressors. I purchased a Badger 80-2 several years ago at Michaels, a local craft chain. On certain days they have a coupon that will provide you will 50% off your purchase. I brought the compressor for half price. They may also handle other Badger models and manufactures of compressors.

Ebay may also be a source of good new and used compressors.

Thanks.

Greg
 
I have a small comp from Harbor freight. It works pretty good for air brushes. I picked it up on sale for $50.00. I was tired of using my 60 gallon 5hp monster to run my sir brushes. It would not cycle much, but every time that monster started, I jumped and messed up the paint job.

I have (4) of the older single action Paasche air brushes, an Aztec, (1) Paasche dual action air brush, a couple of the HF ones, then I bought the set. I was walking through the store and saw the small set for $5.00, had to get it.

http://www.amazon.com/Paasche-H-SET...d=1389238723&sr=8-2&keywords=paasche+airbrush

http://www.amazon.com/Paasche-TG-3F...d=1389238723&sr=8-4&keywords=paasche+airbrush

http://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-airbrush-kit-69492.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-6-color-airbrush-kit-with-holder-95923.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/quick-change-airbrush-kit-93506.html

Each has its best uses. The single action is good to about 1/16th or 3/32 inch lines with thinned paint and low air pressure. It can do a lot of area with higher pressures. The $5.00 set works pretty good for area coverage, it is not a fine detail air brush. Yet it is easy to use, clean and get ready again. The dual action brushes can do 1/32 inch lines with ease. Thin paint, low air and my hardest part, no shaking of your hand. They do take a little more to clean up after you are done. The Paasche dual action is for very thin paints or even inks. It was great when I was weathering stuff. Very fine details, yet it is not good to cover a large area. The set is nice when you have a bunch of different colors and you want to swap between them with out having to clean the gun. So, you might want to get a couple of them.

This is the compressor I use now. It is not silent, but not real bad. This is coming from working in construction for a long long time, so sound levels are relative.

http://www.harborfreight.com/13-horsepower-3-gal-100-psi-oilless-air-compressor-69269.html

You will also need a better regulator then the one on the compressor. Plus you need a good water filter and descant water filter. I might be just lucky, but the 3 of these I have, have worked real well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/inline-desiccant-dryerfilter-68215.html

I plug the air brush into this one, it is better to have it close to the end.

I run the line from the compressor to this regulator, then to the descant filter, then to the airbrush. I have quick change fitting on everything.

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-air-filter-with-regulator-68232.html

Water is your enemy, practice is your friend. When in doubt, thin the paint more.



Buzz.
 
Just to add a little bit, after thinking about all of this. If I had to use only one airbrush. I would go with the Paasche single action. It will last a life time, do 95% of what you need and work every time you pull the trigger.

Buzz.
 
blvdbuzzard said:
Just to add a little bit, after thinking about all of this. If I had to use only one airbrush. I would go with the Paasche single action. It will last a life time, do 95% of what you need and work every time you pull the trigger.

Buzz.
Click to expand...

I would recommend using an H1 tip with it. The H1 will spray a much smaller but finer pattern that the standard H3 the kit comes with.
 
blvdbuzzard said:
Just to add a little bit, after thinking about all of this. If I had to use only one airbrush. I would go with the Paasche single action. It will last a life time, do 95% of what you need and work every time you pull the trigger.

Buzz.
Click to expand...

Actually any of the name brands will do 95% of what you need and work every time you pull the trigger, as long as you do your basic housekeeping. Keeping an airbrush clean will solve 99% of the possible problems you can have with one before they happen. Not dropping it will handle the other 1%. This isn't hard to do, and consists mostly of rinsing it out as soon as you're done painting. You don't have to take the whole thing apart to do this. You only have to clean where the paint goes. I typically rinse mine, and pull out the needle and wipe it off. Total strip downs are rare and usually caused by forgetting to do your housekeeping or dropping the gun, or more rarely, parts wearing out.

I recommend one of the double action airbrushes. These are more flexible and atomize the paint much better than the Paasche H. The H is OK for beginners, but not great for detail. I own one, but haven't painted with it in years. I use it mostly when teaching airbrush classes as I show the different types of tools available. All airbrushes shoot a series of dots. External mix airbrushes like the H and the Badger 350 shoot the biggest dots. Great for flat surfaces and large projects. The internal mix airbrushes shoot smaller dots. The smaller the needle/nozzle size, the smaller the dots. Don't worry too much about controlling two things at once. Pushing the trigger down starts the airflow. pulling it back regulates how much paint you spray. Pull back further, more paint. This is a muscle memory thing and will become second nature with practice.

The best thing to do is try a few and find one you like that feels good in your hand and works for you.
 
Through the decades I have owned all sorts of air brushes . My first one was a Badger single action internal mix 200. I liked it fine but cleaning it can be time consuming and it does depend on how fast the type of paint dries . Water based paints will dry very fast. Then I got a Paasche H-3 and a bager 350 med tip #3 . They are easy to use and clean . then I got the idea in my head to go with dual action and it does take practice and I didn't find at least for loco painting I needed a dual action brush . My first was a Badger 150 then I got a Paasche VL and then a millenium which is smaller and both you have a wheel to adjust the trigger so one dialed in it stops the trigger from going back to far so basically it can function as a single action or dual you just need to pull back until the trigger stops and push down for air the ajustment is limited though.

I never really learned to use a dual action but for an internal mix single action the Badger 200 is a fine brush .

Now I do have a TC dual action and a Badger Anthem but never used them . I wish now I kept the Badger 200 .

I still have at least 15 airbrushes . For dual action the nice part of the Paasche VL and Millenium is you can adjust the packing for the needle seal , Badger 150,200 and Anthem do have a replaceable nylon sleeve that prevents needle wear and needle body bore wear .

I stick with the med tip on all the airbrushes .

Now days both Paasche and Badger offer models that had a needle stop screw in the handle so they are closer to a dual purpose dual/single action internal mix brush and Badger like the anthem has a needel and tip that is progressive , I think Paasche has one as well so you don't need a fine med and heavy tip . less parts to deal with. Plus you don't need tools to remover the tip for cleaning.

I have a TC single action internal mix and a Badger that has the screw stop in the handle deal . Thing about Thayer Chandler /TC is they don't have a needle packing so if the bore in the body wears the brush needs a new body . Badger now owns TC.

Over all I still prefer the Paasche external mix H-3 . I find even though it does produce a larger dot pattern if you move at the proper pace and have the paint mixed proper the dots do all flow together and I get a mirror type finish no matter what paint I use. I can also close the tip down for a thin line so I can paint walkways and corners of a loco first then open it up for the larger areas even with a #3 tip.

For all around first brush it can't be beat . Yet if you feel you want to advance to a dual action at some point then I suggest either a Paasche or badger with the needle stop screw and that way you save money only purchasing one brush . Of couse if you get a Paasche H and then decide on a dual action both do have their place.

One thing that makes a Paasche H brush more balanced is to purchase the short brass handle since the red plastic handle does make the brush nose heavy. But the H brush with the short brass handle is my personal favorite of all.

As far as weathering goes some use a brush with paint or chalk others who are well adapted to a dual action use that . How ever I have seen dual action weathering mistakes and those are difficult if not impossible to fix.

I just don't personally buy into the dot pattern idea . Yes an internal mix produces a smaller pattern yet this was meant for art work and if you read up on dot pattern size one thing to keep in mind is dots of any size flow together as long as the mix and air pressure are correct and as long as you move at the correct pace . you can get dry spray or runs or orange peel no mattter what brush you use . It all depends on paint mix, drying time, distance from surface , relative humidity /mix plus pace and air pressure and type of paint used. I recommend a good regulator with a water trap on any compressor or you are just asking for trouble.

Automotive paint guns were generally always external mix with separate air and paint adjustments. Same thing on a Paasche H brush only different adjustment controls. One a dual action air brush the trigger does not contol air you always press down fully , air pressure is regulated at the regulator just like on any single action ex or int mix . It's only the paint flow that differs . Pull back on a dual more paint , adjust the tip screw or needle screw is the paint adjustment on a single action.
 
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PIN DR said:
The general consensus is that I should go double action. My only concern about that is how easily I'll be able to control both air flow and paint flow at the same time. I hesitate to tell the world I am not very coordinated when it comes to doing two things at once, but....

Jeff
Click to expand...

Jeff,

If that is your only concern, don't worry. Learning to control them separately isn't hard at all. The further down you push the trigger, the more air you get. The further back you pull the trigger the more paint you get.

And if that sounds too complicated, you can always adjust the needle to where it will function as a single action if you want.

JimT. IIRC Binks is either no longer in business, or doesn't sell in North America anymore.

I originally learned how to paint on a Binks Wren. Wish I could get my hands on another, just for sentimental reasons.
 


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