Bob Beary Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) I want to order an airbrush and other parts. I've searched Coast and Chicago airbrush. Is one better than the other? Chicago seems to say free shipping on orders over $100 and Coast says 9% of total order price...which will work out to $25-$30. That seems incredibly high. The individual A/B and parts prices are about the same. It's Grex if that matters. Not all suppliers carry them. Thanks, Bob Edited January 2, 2017 by Bob Beary additional info Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kurt H. Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Sprue brothers sells Grex Airbrushes and it looks like they have parts as well. Amazon looks to have a lot of Grex stuff, so if you have amazon prime, you get free shipping, a quick look shows most of the Grex stuff on amazon is available on prime. good luck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Beary Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 Good to know about Sprue Bros. That way I'll have my stuff before I order it :) Thanks, Kurt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DutyCat Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Do yourself a favor. If this is your first brush, Get a simple, well made, single action external mix airbrush (I prefer the center trigger Paasche H. Others may prefer the pistol grip Grex, or front mounted trigger Badgers, etc.), a demand type compressor with regulator and moisture trap, and learn how to use it well before complimenting it with a quality, double action, fine line internal mix in a year or two. You can thank me later. Don't scrimp here or you will regret it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Beary Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ah, the infamous "non answer". I wasn't asking what airbrush to buy, but rather which of the two companies I noted has the better service and prices. And in my opinion the best way to start is to go with a double action airbrush. And I am very adept as using my Iwata HP-CS. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DutyCat Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) Ok, well if you are a seasoned user, you have your preferences and your reasons based upon your own experiences. You are correct. I did not answer your question, but incorrectly inferred based on it that you might be an inexperienced user. I tailored my response accordingly and was trying to help. My experience is that, regardless of how proficient you are at using them, high end, internal mix, double actions are not particularly suitable for general purpose use, both in terms of the spray pattern they generate, and the thinning required to get them to flow properly. I would be spraying forever with my H&S Infinity .15 mm nozzle brush if I were attempting broad area work, which is about 90% of what most modelers do. I only use the Infinity when doing fine line camo, and even then it is usually to tighten up lines after I have laid down the base pattern with my H and #1 tip. Having said that, there are DA internal mix brushes that are "middle of the road" engineered for both general work(sort of) and detail (sort of) work. The HP-CS is one of them. These brushes are marketed at folks that want to "do it all" with one brush. Again, I have used them, and think they are not very good at either. They are exactly the compromises their designers intended. The HP-CS has a .35mm tip...very forgiving with both mixture and air pressure, but not so good if you are trying to lay down a line barely thicker than an pencil. However if it suits your particular use, and you don't mind pulling that needle all of the time to clean it (properly), then I would say you bought the right brush. It just would not be my preferred set up. And I COMPLETELY disagree on a novice starting out with a DA airbrush. They are more expensive, more difficult to use, more difficult to keep clean, and generally offer capabilities beyond what a novice will need for a couple of years. That is just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.... Edited January 3, 2017 by DutyCat typo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Have you looked at Bear Air? I've bought from them a couple of times and had no trouble. Both a new airbrush and parts for an old one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dnl42 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Coast is a really great store, with good people. They really have an outstanding selection of all things airbrushing. But...their shipping costs do seem higher than others and I'm close enough that I can just stop in when I need something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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