Nachtjaeger Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Ok so I am in the market to purchase an airbrush. Does anyone have any advice or recommendation on a particular brand or type? single action or double action? My budget is about 300.00 for decent airbrush but I have been told it is not necessary to spend this much. I will be shooting Model Master enamels through it and maybe acrylics, dont know yet since I am old school and I prefer enamels. I am curious to see what everyone is using and what works. Thanks for the input and time guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy915 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Badger 150 been using them for 30 years with no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardcore Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 (edited) Iwata Neo for me. 70$ + shipping. I can add that from what i learned in discusion Forums, like this, is that problems arise when people ask too much of their AB. Enamel or acrylic should not matter, as long as the needle is of sensible size. Iwata comes with a normal 0,35mm size, for example. Oh, and i have found pre-thinned paints being a boon. I use vallejo ModelAir and am happy with the ease of use. Sensible needle size, pre-thinned paint, and good cleaning methods go a long way to make airbrush painting enjoyable for us beginners😸 Edited November 17, 2014 by Hardcore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryWilliams Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 I would further suggest a gravity feed a/b... My preference is the Harder & Steenbeck Evolution. I use a 0.4 needle mostly but have a 0.2 needle for when needed. Only use the 0.2 when you are experienced though as it is more prone to blockages. I also use mainly Vallejo Model Air, some Gunze for the buffable metallics plus the new AK Interactive Air range all of which sprays well unthinned with the 0.4 needle. I would thin a bit for the 0.2 needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDave Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 There's nothing wrong with following local fashions as most brushes work very well and are of high standard. I use an IWATA Tr0 trigger. In the states paasches and harder Steinbeck seem to be very popular. Don't worry about pressures etc, all that takes a bit of practice and judgement. Find a paint type and brand you like and stick to that for best results. I use Tamiya and gunze with cellulose thinners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbetty Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Badger 150 been using them for 30 years with no problem same here, 30 years now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Cross Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Grex Tritium pistol grip. Best hobby purchase I ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinuheH Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 On a budget, Badger 150 is a great choice - if you want luxury - the H&S Evolution is difficult to beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nachtjaeger Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Thank you for your input gentlemen. Reading some of the features on so many different types of airbrushes can be a little overwhelming. That is why its always best to go to the source........Experience!!! Its great to get information from those that have used the airbrushes and see what the results are. Badger and Iwata are the two top choices from what I hear and have read. Thank you again guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Lund Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I use a H&S Infinity and absolutely love it. I've tried Badger - which was fine - and Aztec - which I hated. But the Infinity is in the very top. I've tried an Iwata HP-CH and that was just as good too. Only thing that makes me prefer the Infinity over the Iwata is the trigger stop system. For fine work you risk drying in the tip. On the Infinity you click off the stop and open up completely on a piece of paper and blow it clean. Click it on again and you have EXACTLY the same stop again. Love that - cannot live without it. If you are new to airbrushing, then I would say dont go too cheap - learning to airbrush while fighting an inferior airbrush is not smart. Nachtjaeger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I agree with what Thomas said. I too have an Infinity and like it a lot. But I also have an HP-CH that i use as my workhorse. I agree with Thomas's observation about the trigger stop...............VERY handy indeed, and with the multiple nozzle sizes, getting down to the SUPER small and thin lines, you cant beat the Infinity. However.......................there is a catch IMHO. The infinity is very delicate. Specifically the needle. On my Iwata I have accidentally dropped the needle on many occasions, pricked myself, jabbed it into paper towel. and generally abused it during cleaning unintentionally. If you were to do any of that with the Infinity, you would most definitely bend the very delicate point of the H&S needle.......................ask me how I know! Im quite ham-fisted, but Ive had to replace my H&S needle twice now before I learned the valuable lesson to take EXTRA, EXTRA care with the Infinity needle. Needless to say I am MUCH more delicate with the Infinity than I am with my Iwata. The Infinity is much better suited to delicate, fine and precise line work and mottling than overall painting. I use my Iwata (which is almost as good at line work and mottling!) much more than my Infinity just on the simple fact that it can take more abuse, and is substantially more rugged, and is a bit better for general paint application than the H&S is. Your mileage may vary however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Peter brings up a good point...................overall the two airbrushes are dead even in quality. However they are not dead even on price. The H&S Infinity is substantially more money, but if you DO buy one, once you have it in your hands, you will understand why.................... Its a very high quality piece of precision engineering. The HP-CH is just about on par with the Infinity for most things. However, the HP-CH is considerably less money, but not considerably less quality, and if you are deciding between the two and working on a budget, I would recommend the HP-CH. If money is no object, Id go with the Infinity. If you have excess money to burn and/or can justify the purchases with your S.O. I would recommend BOTH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Lund Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) However.......................there is a catch IMHO. The infinity is very delicate. Specifically the needle. On my Iwata I have accidentally dropped the needle on many occasions, pricked myself, jabbed it into paper towel. and generally abused it during cleaning unintentionally. If you were to do any of that with the Infinity, you would most definitely bend the very delicate point of the H&S needle.......................ask me how I know! Im quite ham-fisted, but Ive had to replace my H&S needle twice now before I learned the valuable lesson to take EXTRA, EXTRA care with the Infinity needle. Uhhh yes, and I won't ask how you know Only thing that troubles me with the infinity is the needle seal. I spray enamel exclusively so at some point the needle stops moving freely. I am fairly sure the needle seal is teflon which is robbed of it's oily 'moisture' by the cellulose thinner. I cure it by dripping a little oil in the back by the trigger and pull the needle (with the tip off) all the way through a couple of times. I spray clean cellulose thinner through to remove the oil residue after that. That re-oils the teflon and it moves freely again. I recently heard someone say that he leaves the airbrush with turpentine in it between jobs, and perhaps that's a good idea. Turpentine contain oils and as an added benefit possibly loosens that paint you failed to clean out. But it sounds like I should get an Iwata as a supplement... Edited November 18, 2014 by Thomas Lund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Uhhh yes, and I won't ask how you know Only thing that troubles me with the infinity is the needle seal. I spray enamel exclusively so at some point the needle stops moving freely. I am fairly sure the needle seal is teflon which is robbed of it's oily 'moisture' by the cellulose thinner. I cure it by dripping a little oil in the back by the trigger and pull the needle (with the tip off) all the way through a couple of times. I spray clean cellulose thinner through to remove the oil residue after that. That re-oils the teflon and it moves freely again. I recently heard someone say that he leaves the airbrush with turpentine in it between jobs, and perhaps that's a good idea. Turpentine contain oils and as an added benefit possibly loosens that paint you failed to clean out. But it sounds like I should get an Iwata as a supplement... As odd as it sounds I've used Vaseline for that very purpose. As ridiculous as it sounds I've had great results using it to free things up even on my Iwata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 The new H&S Infinity CR Pus has new seals which are suppose to be impervious to all the common thinners and model paints. From what I understand, the new seals can be purchased and easily installed into all of their air brushes. Good to know Peter! I might have to round those up........ Thomas Lund 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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