newbie airbrushing advice and help

rosskow

rosskow

Sr Member
I have never airbrushed anything in my life but I am looking to do some soon but unsure where to start and what the basic set up I need.
So I will ask directly, would this do me to start, Spraycraft Sp10k Easy To Use Airbrush Kit | Hobbycraft
I dont know what it is like with air brush equipment, so for all I know the piece I have put a link to is cheap rubbish and not worth the cardboard it is packaged in, or airbrushes are hard to get wrong and even the cheap ones can do a good job providing you know what you are doing, which I know takes time and some times mistakes.

So if someone could let me know, also anything else like stuff for cleaning or basic maintenance, would be a massive help.
Thank you in advance.

Also i hope this thread in the most suitable place, I wasn't sure.
 
With an airbrush don't go cheap, you get what you pay for.

You should look for a Gravity feed (cup on top), Dual Action (air and paint)
Braided hose.
Compressor with tank and adjustable pressure gauge (canned air is useless and expensive)
Also suggest a moisture trap and quick disconnect attachments.
Air Brush Cleaner fluid. (I think Badger sells some as well as Media)
Extra bottles and mixing sticks
cotton swabs for cleaning inside the brush.

SAFETY!!!!!!
Face mask with filters, unless you want to coat your lungs in pretty colors.
Latex or Nitrate gloves are handy and keep paint off your hands and oils off your project.


I've been using the same Iwata HP-C for almost 30 years only replacing the tip and needle a few times due to wear. (I don't use it that often)
I've used it to shoot Enamel, Lacquer, Acrylic, Oil paint, Watercolor, Gouache, Tempera, Ink, Food Coloring.

During an emergency paint job I picked up a Passche (bottom feed) but really don't care for it.
It's got a sticky trigger and since the cup sits to the side it's easy to spill.
 
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Thanks for the info, I was worried I might get the "you get what you pay for" answer, I dont want go spending a lot becuase frankly I know I won't use it enough to justify the amount, which is why I was hoping for, not a budget range, but mid range price.
Right now its just for a one off experiment, just to see how I get on with it so as I said I dont want spend loads but I dont want waste my money on cheap tad, I'll have to do some thinking i guess...
 
i started out with a dual action paasche airbrush and enamel paints,used it for years but too much hard work.
i then went to single action paasche airbrush and acrylic paints (ext mix with jar underneath) and so much easier.never looked back.very good for beginners.
make sure you get a compressor designed for hobby/art work and a moisture trap is a must.
most important is to practice on your old models and practice a lot and don't be afraid to experiment.
airbrushing really brings out the details and your models will look really cool
 
Yeah I also wouldnt try to save money, because at the end youll get what you pay for it.
Also its very frustrating seeing your work gets ruined because of wrong equipment.
 
I had the Badger, gravity fed: good if you're working in an upright position. If you fill that cup too much and have to much of an incline, your paint will spill out.
Paasche is fun with the bottom container (fully closed) and you can paint in almost any position. Dual action is always tricky, but for a good reason: you can play with the amount of paint you want to spray; push the lever back and you'll get more spray, push the lever forward (when you're testing) and you'll control your paint and get very thin lines with practice.

Now, if it's just to paint models, then get a single action and you'll be fine. As the others said: compressor, automatic shut-out valve, moisture trap and you'll be good to go. Plenty of cleaning; that's how you'll keep it forever. Mask, mask and mask...'nuff said;)
 
Another vote for a paasche single action. Classic design, well made. I've been airbrushing for years and there is nothing I can't do with it! I'd definitely recommend the single action as opposed to the dual action for beginners. Much easier to control and incredibly easy to clean. If you want to get the most out of it invest in a small compressor. I think you can pick them up for pretty cheap.

H.jpg
 
I use the single action Paache as well, don't eve use my duel action anymore. Learn to thin your paints if needed, thinning them with the proper 'thinner' is very important. Water, Isopropal Alchohol even windex is used with some model paints. Lots od info online, Finescale Modeller Magazine's website is good.
 
I use an Aztec and love it but I may be in the minority but love it for it's ease of use,needle changing and cleaning. I will agree with those above that Paache is a very good airbrush also and will serve you well. I airbrush models but I do like a double-action brush for that task. As others have said compressor with adjustable air pressure, moisture trap and so on. Cleaning is very important, read the phamplet that comes with your brush as it will tell you what if anything you should not use with your airbrush. Grex brand I believe advises not to use ammonia in their airbrushes. Since I use Future(Johnson's Clear in the UK) as a gloss coat and need to use Windex with ammonia to clean Future out of my airbrush, Grex is not a brand for me.
Also you will need to experiment with thinning ratios for your paint to get it to the consistency you need. It is VERY important that you thin your paint with that brands thinner, some paint formulas can be screwed up by the wrong thinner. It can turn good paint into a gummy mess. I always use the paint brands proprietary thinner to thin and off the shelf lacquer thinner to clean all paints from my brush.
Lastly, if you like airbrushing and do enough of it you can also look at building or buying a hobby spray booth. I use a pace Booth from: http://www.pacepaintbooths.com
It will take some experimenting and practice but I think you will love airbrushing.
 
i have that airbrush.

my first airbrush, was cheap.

basically it's only good for covering areas in paint, i regret not getting one with adjustable anything as i'd love to be able to do neat lines and also cover large portions.

its good because i've been able to spray paint a boba fett helmet mixing my own colours and get a smoother finish than a brush, BUT. I've now started doing lots and lots of thin layers of paint with the brush and am enjoying that more. cleaning the airbrush is x3 more annoying than cleaning a brush.

i do want a good one but not sure when money will allow.
 
im sure the single action paasche airbrushes are as good as they have been reviews and suggested here but if i get on i would be looking at £50 minimum to get my hands on one, and thats before the air compressor, moisture trap, paint pot, paints and thinners, also the paasche isn't easily available in the UK which isn't very handy, i dont want to go out of way to get a certain brand of airbrush, regardless of reviews.

i may have set my price range quite low, but i was hoping i would get my airbrush, pots, hose and 1 or 2 paints for £50 or under, and then just the compressor and moisture trap to get.
i guess i will have to increase my budget then... unless there are some UK based Airbrusher out there with some helpful, encouraging advice.

I am basically asking for someone who knows what would be suitable for me and my criteria, then post a link to the ebay, amazon, online shop where I can get it, I don't mean to sound lazy but I could google it and spend a very long time searching through pages of results but I have no knowledge and I dont know the difference between reasonably priced product which would for what I need or something way overpriced.
Your help is much appreciated.
Thank you.
 
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Get the airbrush you like, sounds like the Paache is a favorite here, skip the moisture trap for now. I use a compressor from a hardware store, the same kind you would use for an air nailer, so you can use it for renovations as well, get a small one, don't need more than that. Its going to be noisier than a small air pump, so unless you're in an apartment building, it will do. The Air Brush will should come with pots, hose, tips etc. Paints are cheap usually and go a long way. A small can of lacquer thinner to run through your brush after each use is an easy way to clean it and it works on both solvent and water base paints. If your parts get gummed up you can soak them as well and clean them off, get some small q-tips and some small pipe cleaners too. If you can work near an open window, just use a fan and send the fumes over to your neighbors house.

Air compressor:
HUSKY | 2Gal. Air Compressor and Accessory Kit | Home Depot Canada

book on how to use an airbrush:
How to Use an Airbrush, Second Edition (FineScale Modeler Books): Robert Downie: 9780890247068: Amazon.com: Books
 
Rosskow,

I have something similar to what you have posted in your initial post. I purchased it when I was just a teenager, and I only used it twice, and I still have it today. It's a Gunze Sangyo airbrush and it's the same style with the air can. I regretted purchasing it then. Over the years I purchased two more, a Badger and a Paasche. I really like my Paasche and I have it running off my Porter Cable compressor to this day with a moisture trap that I purchased at Princess Auto.
You may think it's a lot of money, but you should look at how long you'll be in this hobby, if you're in for the long term, then get an airbrush that you will have for the duration. I've learned a long time ago that the best tools, no matter what you use them for, will always give you the best results.

scratchy
 
thunderbolt47d said:
Here is a UK based company that has, Paache, iwata, badger
Airbrushes, Airbrush supplies and compressors, UK
They have paaches from 49.99 British pounds and up so worth a look. The second one down is an airbrush set that might be in your range:
https://airbrushes.com/product_info...d=837&osCsid=99d7b688e8a372067a871f0e2fd52b02
This is a basic airbrush but might be a good starting point. I have not used this particular brush myself but some on here may know more about it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link, Thunderbolt, I guess im probably cave in to the peer pressure and rave reviews and get a paaches air brush, more precisely, the following https://airbrushes.com/product_info...d=837&osCsid=99d7b688e8a372067a871f0e2fd52b02
I guess I am stuck with finding a air compressor to run it off now, looking at them on the same site as the paaches air brush, they are £150 plus which is really out of my price range, how do a I know what kind/type of air compressor would be suitable and compatible with the paaches airbrush, and so im not spending a crazy amount on it.

The one someone posted a link to, Gattaca to use their name, linked the following, HUSKY | 2Gal. Air Compressor and Accessory Kit | Home Depot Canada, which was a more reasonable price for me, 70 dollars, about 45 pounds, bringing my total for air brush and compressor to just over a 100, which I can live with, I dont mean to sound cheap, but well I cant help it.

So if you can offer some advice on air compressor where to get a nice small compatible one, would be great, thanks again for your help, at least I can be confident in what I am buying, with your comments having used the products your selves, I know I would get rubbish stuff.
 
I don't know the costs but a couple guys in my local model club use a 3 foot (approx. 1 meter) tall compressed gas cylinder filled with CO2 that they get refilled at a welding supply shop to supply their airbrush instead of a compressor. Might be another possible option for you to look into.
 
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