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Best beginner Airbrush and Compressor?


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Cleaning difficult?...Well, after use, ANY airbrush should be broken down and cleaned. However, an external mix brush is far more tolerant of cleaning neglect than an internal mix brush, which has tighter tolerances. Internal mix cleaning requires that you remove, clean, and then CAREFULLY re-insert the needle, lest you damage its tip or the tapered needle housing in the airbrush itself. Certainly cleaning an external mix brush is easier than all that.

There's no need to tear down an airbrush after every session. For more than ten years I did exactly that, and today, I have realised that it is completetly unnecessary, if you develop a good cleaning routine. Today I spend less than five minutes cleaning after a normal session. Maybe once a month I tear down the airbrush. Usually I find that it wasn't necessary.

Gravity feeds are great for doing fine lines.....working with very thin paint and low pressure, but again most spraying is general purpose...far more suitable for a simple external mix brush. When I whip out my H, I can bang out a job in no time flat. When I break my H&S Infinity out, which has a .15 mm air cap, I know the paint will have to be thin, and the pressure low.

Gravity feeds are great for doing whatever you want. Their only drawbacks compared to siphon fed airbrushes are the limited cup size, and that you are limited from working from certain angles. For most modellers that isn't a real problem. It takes seconds to refill the cup if necessary, and we rarely paint upwards.

Double actions are not better or worse for thick or thin paint, or doing small or large surfaces. Those factors are mainly affected by nozzle size. Put a large nozzle in a double action, and it will atomize paint in the same fashion as a single action with the same size nozzle. And if you put a small nozzle in a single action, it produces as fine detail as similary set up double action. Problem is just that since most single actions are siphon fed, they will need higher pressure, which limits them for detail work.

A gravity fed double action is more versatile.

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I agree with the points that denstore made.

I have to tear down the Paasche H when changing color just like dutycat said. After I start using the Iwata HP-CS, I developed (actually copying others) a backflush process that is very effective and easy. I take the Iwata apart once after each session of airbrushing, usually at the end of the day. That's what I mean by easier cleaning.

If the user continue to use the airbrush like a spray gun or spray can, the H is no more difficult to use than others. For modeler who wants to develop better skill, it is much better to start out with a double action, internal mix airbrush.

The Paasche H can do wonders in a master modeler's hand, but the learning curve is much steeper. Just my 2 cents.

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The H is easy to use for general purpose spraying. My overall point here is that it is better to have two airbrushes....one simple external mix for general use and one expensive internal mix double action designed to produce very fine lines. Yes, you can do most jobs with one of the larger, general purpose double action brushes, but I think that they are compromises of general purpose and fine line spray. If all you are ever going to buy is one airbrush, then by all means get a double action internal mix. But if you can afford two, a simple single action external mix is the starting point for translating those spray can skills into basic airbrush skills. Just do very simple jobs with it for a few projects, then thereafter it will always be there for you for general purpose spraying (the vast majority of your work). When you think you are ready for camo, get a double action and use it just for that. Otherwise, leave it in the box.

Just my opinion and I will let it go at that.

Edited by DutyCat
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I'll put in my own two cents on this. When I was working at the LHS, airbrush selection depended A LOT on what the purchaser wanted to do and I ALWAYS made sure to ask a few questions before suggesting a brush (and I would still offer options as opposed to pointing to JUST one brush). If it was a total newbie who wasn't setting out to paint freehand camo on his first attempt, my recommendation typically was a Paasche H or an Aztek 470. Reason being is both brushes are very easy to clean and pretty robust. The Aztek (which I know can be a polarizing brush for traditional brush users) at least offered some excellent capabilities at its price point with optional single and double action, plus either bottle feed or gravity feed all in one package. I used one for MANY years and had sterling service from it (it was a step up from my Paasche H, which I still have). Now if it was a more traditional artist or a cake decorator, then I would kick it up to the double action traditional brushes such as the Iwatas and Paasche VL series units (Badgers are good too).

Every person that uses an airbrush is going to be a little different. In my case, the Paasche H and Aztek I liked because I could still spray with them even if they were semi grunged up. I have an Iwata Neo gravity feed now and I treat it like a precision instrument, meaning frequent cleanings and teardowns (and hoping I don't lose tiny parts in the process). A traditional metal double action is something I would not recommend to somebody who has a messy workbench. Plus, my Neo is not ideal for shooting a primer like Mr. Surfacer since the tip is too small (and I HATE cleaning it after a primer pass). I keep the Paasche H for that (same goes for clearcoats as I prefer what I can lay down with the H series since I am doing general coverage with one setting).

Even if somebody goes with a "cheap" airbrush, I've found the compressor attached to it can have a lot of influence over the brush. For my old Paasche, I was using an older Badger compressor with it. It was good, but not great. The Aztek was performing mediocre at best on it. But, when I switched to an Iwata Smartjet with its quiet design, built in moisture trap and pressure regulator, it improved the Aztek four fold I would say. I had pressure on demand and my spray patterns were MUCH cleaner. I could do stuff with it I never could before.

I would say though, above all else the most IMPORTANT factor I tell people when selecting an airbrush is to MAKE SURE one can get parts for it on short notice. In my experience, many brushes can do about the same thing as it is down to the skill of the user as opposed to the brush itself. But, sending away mail order for an advanced airbrush design somebody sold you on doesn't mean squat if you can't get parts for it within a day or two because a freak accident mashed your tip or bent up the needle (it happened to me once). The new fangled fancy brush becomes just as useless then as a cheap one.

So I consider it more important to get a brush from a reputable local dealer with a good stock of parts. Mail order also works IF the dealer can ship parts out ASAP. But if you damage a critical part on the beginning of the weekend, you still have to wait for the part to get shipped on Monday morning at the earliest while the shop might be just a quick drive away. If you decide to go mail order, go ahead and spend a few more bucks to get a spare tip and needle... just in case.

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I would say though, above all else the most IMPORTANT factor I tell people when selecting an airbrush is to MAKE SURE one can get parts for it on short notice. In my experience, many brushes can do about the same thing as it is down to the skill of the user as opposed to the brush itself. But, sending away mail order for an advanced airbrush design somebody sold you on doesn't mean squat if you can't get parts for it within a day or two because a freak accident mashed your tip or bent up the needle (it happened to me once). The new fangled fancy brush becomes just as useless then as a cheap one.

I agree with this. My first airbrush was a Paasche VL double action bottom feed, it was ok. I found it difficult to clean and I broke the nozzle a few times, luckily they were easily replaced and cheap ($5). I also dented the fine needle tip which made it useless so I needed to replace that, again easily found and cheap ($5).

I upgraded to an Iwata gravity feed and it's a big improvement in quality and performance. I found it much easier to use and clean, and it sprayed beautifully. Material is much higher quality as well. I've abused the fine needle and it's still sharp and working properly. I did however break the tiny nozzle by tightening it too much, so entirely my fault and not the durability of the material. Finding a replacement nozzle wasn't as easy and was really expensive, it cost me $40 to replace the tiny nozzle! Compare that to the $5 Paasche nozzle.

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The H is easy to use for general purpose spraying. My overall point here is that it is better to have two airbrushes....one simple external mix for general use and one expensive internal mix double action designed to produce very fine lines. Yes, you can do most jobs with one of the larger, general purpose double action brushes, but I think that they are compromises of general purpose and fine line spray. If all you are ever going to buy is one airbrush, then by all means get a double action internal mix. But if you can afford two, a simple single action external mix is the starting point for translating those spray can skills into basic airbrush skills. Just do very simple jobs with it for a few projects, then thereafter it will always be there for you for general purpose spraying (the vast majority of your work). When you think you are ready for camo, get a double action and use it just for that. Otherwise, leave it in the box.

Just my opinion and I will let it go at that.

I can definitly agree with that two or even more airbrushes are a lot better than trying to find one for everything.

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My advice based on both my own experience and that of my customers, is to get a gravity fed double action airbrush from the start.

Get a medium nozzle airbrush if you intend to do small and medium size models, with moderate amount of details. To me this is 1/72 and 1/48 aircraft and most armour.

A good starting airbrush would be the Iwata 0.35mm Eclipse or 0.3mm Revolutions, any H&S with the 0.4mm setup, Grex XG, and Badger Patriot. The Grex might be a bit on the to fine nozzle side for a beginners airbrush, and in my opinion, the Badger might be a bit on the to large nozzle side for getting something that will have detail potential enough. That said, both will work fine for most modellers.

Get a large nozzle airbrush if you plan doing large scale aircraft, cars and ships. The before mentioned Badger Patriot, the 0.5mm Iwata Revolution CR or Eclipses, H&S with a 0.6mm setup, or any other 0.5mm or larger nozzle.

If you plan to do lots of weathering effects, and pre and post shading work, go with the medium sized instead, even on larger models.

Stay away from fine nozzle airbrushes as a first airbrush. 0.2mm is great for detail work, but not suited for large surfaces and medium thinned paint. Painting a 1/48 bomber, or a 1/350 ship is possible, but can be quite frustrating.

Edit: This doesn't mean that fine nozzle airbrushes shouldn't be used by modellers. But they are to be considered as detailing airbrushes. I have several airbrushes for detailing work, ranging from 0.18 to 0.3mm, and used with properly thinned modern paint, they have no problems doing what I need them to.

Also consider what paint you plan to use. Gunze and Tamiya can be thinned a lot, and will in my opinion work great in most airbrushes. Vallejo needs a bit of tweaking, and I wouldn't start with anything smaller than 0.3mm for Vallejo. Humbrol enamels are a mixed experience in my opinion. Some of them are really easy to thin and spray, and others are impossible. I havn't used Model Master or Testor paints in over a decade, but I'm sure someone else can give an informed answer on how they perform.

Edited by denstore
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My advice based on both my own experience and that of my customers, is to get a gravity fed double action airbrush from the start.

Stay away from fine nozzle airbrushes as a first airbrush. 0.2mm is great for detail work, but not suited for large surfaces and medium thinned paint. Painting a 1/48 bomber, or a 1/350 ship is possible, but can be quite frustrating.

Edit: This doesn't mean that fine nozzle airbrushes shouldn't be used by modellers. But they are to be considered as detailing airbrushes. I have several airbrushes for detailing work, ranging from 0.18 to 0.3mm, and used with properly thinned modern paint, they have no problems doing what I need them to.

I havn't used Model Master or Testor paints in over a decade, but I'm sure someone else can give an informed answer on how they perform.

Finally we sort of agree. If you are only going to get one airbrush, your first statement above is valid IMO. But the beginner should realize that larger internal mix DA brushes are compromise designs. If you get one of those, that is what your are stuck with......an internal mix, PITA to clean brush that you have to use for general spraying, which is the vast majority of what modelers do. And if you are one of those modelers who says you don't have to break down the airbrush and pull the needle after every job, then I say you are asking for trouble and one day you are going to find yourself soaking all of your critical parts in solvent because just running thinner through it, or back washing, or whatever it is you do doesn't quite get it as clean as disassembling it.

So It is better to get two, and if you are going to get two, the H or something similar is what to get first because it is great for general purpose spraying, and as JMC said above, is easy to clean. Get comfortable with it, then go buy the fine line DA.

My H&S Infinity has a nozzle diameter of .15, one of, if not the smallest diameter nozzle(s) out there. It requires thin paint and low air pressure, but produces spectacular results. It is the best there is at what it does. But I would never recommend it to a beginner. It is entirely unsuitable for general purpose spraying. Imagine if I tried painting my current 1/72 space shuttles white with the H&S!

Oh, and MM enamels work great. Currently the best paint out there, IMO. Back in the day, that was not the case. MM sprayed well but did not hand brush well. Touch ups would readily show brush marks and even dry a slightly different shade! But they reformulated at some point (90's?) and now it is pretty much the standard for enamels.

Don't get me started on acrylics, which IMO offer only the "ease of use advantage" (lack of smell, lack of toxicity, and water clean up).

Edited by DutyCat
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Finally we sort of agree. If you are only going to get one airbrush, your first statement above is valid IMO. But the beginner should realize that larger internal mix DA brushes are compromise designs. If you get one of those, that is what your are stuck with......an internal mix, PITA to clean brush that you have to use for general spraying, which is the vast majority of what modelers do. And if you are one of those modelers who says you don't have to break down the airbrush and pull the needle after every job, then I say you are asking for trouble and one day you are going to find yourself soaking all of your critical parts in solvent because just running thinner through it, or back washing, or whatever it is you do doesn't quite get it as clean as disassembling it.

So It is better to get two, and if you are going to get two, the H or something similar is what to get first because it is great for general purpose spraying, and as JMC said above, is easy to clean. Get comfortable with it, then go buy the fine line DA.

Must say that I have never, even when I disassembled my airbrushes completetly, considered single action, external mix airbrushes easier to clean than any of the gravity fed double action airbrushes I have owned. And that is probably close to 50 or something. No airbrush with siphon or side feed, independent of action type, is easier to clean than a fixed cup gravity feed airbrush, IMHO.

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My first airbrush was the Badger 175, a siphon fed airbrush. I soon found that I needed to move to a gravity fed airbrush. I wouldn't recommend a siphon fed AB to anyone for the type of work needed on a model. I decided to buy a H&S Infinity, and what an airbrush that is. I never break out the Badger again, it's gathering dust in a drawer, but there are jobs that aren't suited for the Infinity. I'd never spray mister surfacer with it for example, as someone else already mentioned. So now I'm looking for a general purpose airbrush for the work the Infinity isn't really suited for(or to expensive to risk damaging it).

With hindsight, I should have gotten a cheaper middle of the road gravity fed airbrush to start with, and the infinity later on.

I have no experience with single action or external mix AB's, but I really don't think the cleaning argument is a valid one in this discussion. Every AB requires the user to develop a cleaning routine. That takes time to perfect, but once you've got it down, cleaning for a colour change takes a minute, even the Infinity , a backflushing routine is fast, and good enough when you use the AB every day and stripping it down when you know you won't use it for sometime is done in about five minutes.

I'm no expert on airbushes, or on airbrushing. I started using one about 2 and a half years ago, and the above is my experience. I think I should have skipped the step of a siphon fed airbrush, and I should have bought a less expensive more general purpose gravity airbrush, before buying the Infinity.

Edited by huntermountain
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Also, what does a moisture trap do?

Except for some rare times, and places, air contains moisture, and the act of compressing it drives out the moisture, which needs "trapping," before it can get onto your model. A lot of modellers don't realise that the process continues right up to the airbrush, itself, even along the hose, so it's a good idea (even if your compressor comes fitted with an impressive-looking trap) to fit a small condenser-type trap in the hose, as close to the brush as you can get it. It might sound like "belt and braces," but the small layout will be worth the peace of mind.

The advice I always give to a newcomer to airbrushing is (if you can) get to a shop, or to an exhibition, where you can actually handle brushes. I have large hands, and a Paasche VLS feels just right, where a Badger (and similar) feels too delicate; a friend, with small hands, has exactly the opposite sensation, so to him the Paasche feels heavy and cumbersome.

Edgar

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey There "thefleet," I am sure that you have already obtained your airbrush and compressor. However, I thought I would chime in, and let you know what has worked well for me. I started out with a Paasche H and used it for years. I liked it so much, I bought a second H for acrylics, mainly clear coats such as Future. After using the H's for 15 years, I treated myself to a Paasche Talon. I really like the Talon. HOWEVER, I still use the H's - a lot. I use them for broad coverage and clear coats, just like I used to. I use the Talon for fine work. I can freehand camo schemes on all scales with the Talon. So, both types of brushes are used in my arsenal.

As far as a compressor, I am on my second one. I have never used a hobby type compressor. I buy a good compressor with a tank on it so I can also use it for jobs around the house. However, the compressor that I use for airbrushing is for airbrushing only. When my compressor in the garage "pukes," I get another one, and that one is used for airbrushing. The current airbrushing compressor is then moved to the garage for home use.

Edited by balls47
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