Multiple airbrushes and usage

[galileo1]

I don't know if this is the appropriate place to put this but if it's not I apologize in advance.

I need a bit of help organizing my thoughts on this so here it goes....

If you were to have these 7 airbrushes (yes, if you're crazy like I am :wacko: ):

- Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CRplus (x2) -- .2mm

- Harder & Steenbeck Evolution CRplus -- .2mm / .4mm

- Harder & Steenbeck Evolution ALplus -- .2mm

- Iwata Eclipse HP-CS -- .35mm

- Iwata Revolution HP-CR (big cup) -- .5mm

- Iwata Revolution HP-BR (small cup) -- .3mm

and you wanted to make sure you put them all to use (as opposed to just keep some unused in a drawer somewhere), how would you put them to work if you regularly make use of the following finishing materials:

- Tamiya acrylic and Gunze Aqueous paints (primary paints used)

- Akan, Life Color, Mig Ammo, etc (secondary paints used depending on project)

- Alclad and other lacquer metallics

- Stynelrez acrylic primer (primary primer used)

- Alclad lacquer primer (secondary primer used)

- Alclad Aqua Gloss (primary clear acrylic gloss)

- Future (secondary clear gloss)

- Tamiya acrylic flat coat

Would you use some of the above products specifically with an airbrush, etc? I know that having these many brushes could be construed as overkill but, to be honest, I love collecting them. Therefore, and as stated, I'd like to justify their existence by putting them to good use, even if that means using them in very specific cases like shooting one color (like read, for example).

Any ideas will be appreciate it.

Edited March 13, 2015 by galileo1

[MoFo]

I would probably reserve one brush for clears (one of the broader spray patterns), and possibly two brushes for metals (a broader spray and a finer spray, depending on what you build/how much metallics you spray). Other than that, there's no need to separate brushes by brand of paint, and really only marginal benefit to having different brushes for oils vs. aqueous (if you're hot-swapping during a paint session, okay, otherwise, no benefit)

Truth be told, I'd probably look at selling one of your brushes to fund a small spray gun for broad coverage, per Paul Budzik's recent Youtube video.

You're skewed pretty heavily torwards very fine detail brushes, and don't have much for broad coverage.

[galileo1]

Thanks very much for the input, MoFo! I have been really thinking about Paul's videos and getting one of the mini spray guns for my primer needs. Don't know about selling one of the brushes as I like collecting but, you may be right, why not get rid of one to buy another one. I'll contemplate this as well.

Thanks again!

Rob

[denstore]

Change the nozzle of one of the H&S brushes to the 0.4 and another one to 0.15mm. I would probably reverse the Revolutions as well, and put the smaller nozzle in the BR instead. The mini spray gun is a useful tool. I can recommend the Eclipse G-5.

[Airfixer]

I've been using multiple airbrushes for a couple of years.

One for the fancywork, and another one for primers and varnishes. Usually former "fancyworkers" being "relegated" to the second rank.

It has become a proven practise - at least in my experience.

Currently, I'm using a ten-year-old Iwata HP-C Plus (0.3 nozzle) for primers and varnishes including Future.

When it comes to paint, though, I'm using an Iwata HP-CH HiLine (0.3) and a Micron CM-C with a 0.23 nozzle.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Airfixer

[galileo1]

Thanks, Denstore. I made an error in my post regarding the Iwata Revolutions. The BR has the .3mm nozzle/needle and the CR has the .5mm nozzle/needle. Regarding the H&S brushes, are you suggesting a .15mm, .2mm, .2mm, and .4mm line up? I do have a spare .4mm nozzle/air cap I could use. Interesting...

Thanks for the suggestion on the Eclipse G-5. Just looked it up and it does look nice (and pricey too).

Rob

[galileo1]

I've been using multiple airbrushes for a couple of years.

One for the fancywork, and another one for primers and varnishes. Usually former "fancyworkers" being "relegated" to the second rank.

It has become a proven practise - at least in my experience.

Currently, I'm using a ten-year-old Iwata HP-C Plus (0.3 nozzle) for primers and varnishes including Future.

When it comes to paint, though, I'm using an Iwata HP-CH HiLine (0.3) and a Micron CM-C with a 0.23 nozzle.

Thanks, Airfixer! You've got some nice airbrushes there. I'd like to own a Micron one day just to try it out. I will definitely have one specifically for clear coats. Just not sure which one. The H&S brushes all come with the Infinity crown cap that allows for easy cleaning so perhaps I could relegate one to this task.

Very interesting ideas so far gents. Thanks!

Rob

[denstore]

An alternative to the G5 might be the LPH-80. It can be found quite a bit cheaper than the Eclipse.

Of course you need a micron. I have three...

[galileo1]

The LPH-80 does look good indeed.

Regarding the Micron, yes, it's in the shopping list. Still a couple of years away I think.

Thanks,

Rob

[Paul Budzik]

Rob, you sort of made my case for having a lot of airbrushes that do the same thing. Looking at your collection, you're as bad as I am ... getting a new airbrush is fun ... isn't it? Any of those guns would be a nice addition, but kind of make a judgement as to how big you really build. I sure wouldn't discount the RG-3 ... it really has great atomization, and with a 1mm nozzle, you can handle just about any material with a reasonable sized pattern. The G5 throws a nice pattern and is the most economical on material of the three (mostly because it only has a .5mm nozzle). I would avoid the G6, it is sort of a hybrid and people do complain about the long needle getting bent. The LPH 80 with the 1mm tip might just be a bit big for most people so maybe look at the .8mm if you go this route. If you are used to airbrushing paint with a pretty dry spray, you will have a learning curve. Definitely practice on some test piece with some economical primer or water on Art Advantage Brush Stroke Paper, so you can play with the material and fan settings, as well as distance to the surface and your speed. Remember, they don't take the place of regular airbrush, it just extends your capability for a smooth finish of a large area.

And thank you fellas for your interest in the videos,

Paul

[Chris L]

Thanks for providing us with all that good information Paul.

Cheers, Christian

[galileo1]

Rob, you sort of made my case for having a lot of airbrushes that do the same thing. Looking at your collection, you're as bad as I am ... getting a new airbrush is fun ... isn't it? Any of those guns would be a nice addition, but kind of make a judgement as to how big you really build. I sure wouldn't discount the RG-3 ... it really has great atomization, and with a 1mm nozzle, you can handle just about any material with a reasonable sized pattern. The G5 throws a nice pattern and is the most economical on material of the three (mostly because it only has a .5mm nozzle). I would avoid the G6, it is sort of a hybrid and people do complain about the long needle getting bent. The LPH 80 with the 1mm tip might just be a bit big for most people so maybe look at the .8mm if you go this route. If you are used to airbrushing paint with a pretty dry spray, you will have a learning curve. Definitely practice on some test piece with some economical primer or water on Art Advantage Brush Stroke Paper, so you can play with the material and fan settings, as well as distance to the surface and your speed. Remember, they don't take the place of regular airbrush, it just extends your capability for a smooth finish of a large area.

And thank you fellas for your interest in the videos,

Paul

LOL!! Yeah, you're right, Paul. I'm pretty bad. I do know that, for my next gun, I'll go with one of the guns you recommend in your videos. I'm not absolutely sure which one yet but I'll be making a decision here pretty soon.

Thanks very much for all the info in these guns!

Rob

[Air-Craft]

You could always chuck an 0.6mm nozzle set & 15ml cup (or even 50ml) at an Evolution CRplus to give you a bit move coverage at the coverage (?) end of things. Granted it will not perform like a gun, but it's not as airflow hungry as a larger nozzle or fan pattern gun (I suppose that depends on what you have as an air source though).

[galileo1]

You could always chuck an 0.6mm nozzle set & 15ml cup (or even 50ml) at an Evolution CRplus to give you a bit move coverage at the coverage (?) end of things. Granted it will not perform like a gun, but it's not as airflow hungry as a larger nozzle or fan pattern gun (I suppose that depends on what you have as an air source though).

Indeed, I believe I could go this route. I do already have a .4mm set for the Evolution CRplus but a .6mm sounds interesting. I don't think anyone here in the states sells the .6mm set that would include the Infinity cap as a CRplus (or even as a regular Infinity set). I may have to do some research.

Thanks for the help, Martin.

Rob

[Air-Craft]

Indeed, I believe I could go this route. I do already have a .4mm set for the Evolution CRplus but a .6mm sounds interesting. I don't think anyone here in the states sells the .6mm set that would include the Infinity cap as a CRplus (or even as a regular Infinity set). I may have to do some research.

Thanks for the help, Martin.

Rob

The 0.6mm set (123723) is unfortunately not available with the "Fineline" cap or in chrome, 123723 is the only 0.6mm set available, is nickel plated rather than chrome & has an unventilated screw-on cap , I suppose the logic is that it will be less prone to blockage / tip-dry & isn't used for detail work (on the upside it's a dawdle to back-flush).

The 15ml cup is 124263 which is nickel again & the 50ml cup is 124410, which is clear plastic & includes lid.

None of these bit's & bob's are generally listed against the CRplus models, the 0.6mm set being a standard Evolution option & the cups originating from the Colani, but they all fit / work just fine.

Nice little collection of AB's by the way!

[galileo1]

Yeah, I kind of figured I wouldn't be able to find the .6mm setup in the Infinity chrome style. I need to think more about all this,

Thanks!

[balls47]

Another option might be to sell two or three of those airbrushes and purchase a spray gun for broad coverage, like Paul B. shows in his video on priming models. You might also consider something in between, like a Paasche H. It's a single action airbrush that many folks use as their only airbrush. The Paasche H is a good, work-horse type airbrush that can be used for many different tasks. They are really good for putting down a single color in a quick amount of time, but with good results. It's the type of airbrush that Alclad advised to use with their metallic lacquers. It's also easy to clean. Just a thought.

[Lucas C.]

Since folks are talking about mini spray guns, how about the Iwata HP-TH (Kustom TH)? Might that be a viable option instead of the G3 and G5?

[Paul Budzik]

Lucas, I have one and I really don't care for the fan pattern. It comes with an optional round pattern air cap and with that it is outstanding. Even though it was designed for the fan cap (making it better than the add-on cap conversions) the lack of a fan adjustment, like you have in a gun, puts too much uncontrolled air in the spray. The Kustom TH (with the round pattern) is what I used to put the color down with on my 1/32 scratchbuilt Tempest ...

Construction Article Here:

Paul

[86Sabreboy1]

Since folks are talking about mini spray guns, how about the Iwata HP-TH (Kustom TH)? Might that be a viable option instead of the G3 and G5?

If you're that rich, might I suggest any contemporary Grex Airbrush, Genesis XGi3 (traditional gravity feed), XSi3 (traditional side feed) or Tritium TG3 (pistol grip gravity) or TS3 (pistol grip side) and get our new TF-3 fan cap for another $40 which is compatible with all of these airbrushes. You'll pay less than half the cost of the HP-TH and have plenty of adaptability of color cup size (from no color cup to 4.2 oz with many sizes in between). The TF-3 is the only .3mm fan cap on the market and is a great performer for 1/144 to 1/24 scale aircraft, 1/350 ships, armor and 1/24 scale cars. It produces an even coat with little risk of over spraying or flooding an area of the model. Any hobby compressor that can produce 35-40 psi will produce more than enough CFM for the TF-3 Fan Cap to work effectively.

If you are going even larger scale then our TFK-5 Fan Cap Kit (.5mm) will allow the airbrush to be converted to that larger Fan Cap size along with the needle and fluid nozzle inside. Our TFK-7 Fan cap kit (.7mm)will require a shop grade compressor to produce enough CFM to get proper performance. The intended purpose for the TFK-7 is for automotive use to give some perspective of it's performance.

For more information you don't have to look far-

http://aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev9/8401-8500/rev8456-Airbrush-Dunbar/00.shtm

Edited January 18, 2016 by 86Sabreboy1

[MoFo]

Okay, I'll bite...

might I suggest any contemporary Grex Airbrush ... and get our new TF-3 fan cap for another $40

I get that you're paid to promote Grex products, but a little honesty would help.

The Iwata HP-TH is NOT 'more than double the price' of a Grex airbrush. In fact, the Iwata is *cheaper* than your Grex alternatives.

You can buy an HP-TH from pretty much any Japanese retailer for around $150. (and before you try to claim they're knockoffs or somesuch, it's $153 at HLJ, too).

The Grex XGi/XSi sell for about $170. The TR goes for $210. Plus your $40 spray adapter means you're looking at either $210 or $250, vs. the $150 Iwata alternative. In fact, if you ignore shipping, at $135, the cheapest Iwata HP-TH on eBay is almost half the price of your $250 Grex TR + fan adapter, ironically enough.

[86Sabreboy1]

Okay, I'll bite...

I get that you're paid to promote Grex products, but a little honesty would help.

The Iwata HP-TH is NOT 'more than double the price' of a Grex airbrush. In fact, the Iwata is *cheaper* than your Grex alternatives.

You can buy an HP-TH from pretty much any Japanese retailer for around $150. (and before you try to claim they're knockoffs or somesuch, it's $153 at HLJ, too).

The Grex XGi/XSi sell for about $170. The TR goes for $210. Plus your $40 spray adapter means you're looking at either $210 or $250, vs. the $150 Iwata alternative. In fact, if you ignore shipping, at $135, the cheapest Iwata HP-TH on eBay is almost half the price of your $250 Grex TR + fan adapter, ironically enough.

OK, that's all fine. If the prices are what you say they are out of Japan, I'm not going t quibble. In any case it's really all semantics as the Iwata and Grex products are not really comparable unless you want to compare .5mm fan cap to .5mm fan cap. No one makes a .3mm fan cap other than Grex and there is a different in performance between the two sizes.

Just curious, what's it take in terms of parts and cost to convert the HP-TH to normal airbrush performance for those are can't afford multiple airbrushes? Is it even possible??

Lastly, what all comes in the box when you get an Iwata HP-TH versus the amount of product that comes with a Grex Tritium??? The Tritium comes with 3 color cups with caps and will perform without a color cup at all (so 4 vessel sizes in the box). It also comes with both standard and crown caps (magnetized)and even an adapter for Badger hoses for those up grading. No need to force someone into purchasing an Iwata 1/8 inch thread hose when a braided hose is a braided hose. Same amount of product goes into the traditional style trigger Genesis XGi and XSi. No one can say Grex chintzes on quantity of product that comes with the airbrushes.

Edited January 19, 2016 by 86Sabreboy1

[MoFo]

In any case it's really all semantics as the Iwata and Grex products are not really comparable

So why did you dig up a year-old thread in order to sell someone a Grex airbrush that isn't really comparable to what they are looking for?

And, since the OP is asking what to do with his seven airbrushes, why on earth would he need an all-in-one solution? Since you asked though, buying an HP-TH for wide area coverage AND an HP-B or HP-C for detail work is *still* cheaper than a Grex TR + fan cap. With the added bonus of having two airbrushes for better workflow, and two purpose-designed tools, rather than something jury-rigged for wider coverage.