Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Tutorials => Topic started by: Mr. Peabody on 12 June 2014, 08:19:45 PM
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NOTE: This obscenely lengthy post is built from a compilation of PM's, posts and conversations about airbrushing from over the years. If you are considering adding an airbrush to your arsenal, there might be useful information here for you.
All the best,
-Thomas
The airbrush is a wonderful tool for painting and weathering our toys and terrain. But right off the bat things get challenging due to the abundant conflicting information that results from a simple search on the subject. In truth, there is more than one 'right way' to use an airbrush. Finding the way that works for you and the space where you do your painting is as much a part of the learning curve as is working on your technique.
With patience and confidence you will get good results and your airbrush will become a useful thing. This is a 'power-tool' for the painter, like a skill-saw or an electric-drill; some folks will take those tools and efficiently cut boards and drill holes while others will build châteaux. Both outcomes are valid.
First Steps. Right off the bat you need to make a couple of big decisions:
1. Single or Double action. The 'action' controls how paint will be applied. Both types are good, but Double / Dual action has advantages and will grow with you as your skill increases.
2. Gravity or Siphon feed. How an airbrush 'feeds' will dictate the pressures you spray at. Gravity feed needs less pressure. Many people find spraying fine detail easier at low pressures. However, many people learn to spray fine detail at high pressure just fine. Siphon feed requires higher pressures to draw the paint into the air-flow, so there is a limit to how low your operating pressure can be.
Knowing what you want most to do with your airbrush should guide your choice:
'Double-action Gravity Feed' airbrush for work on models and miniatures, for priming and for smaller terrain pieces.
'Single-action Siphon Feed' airbrush for work on larger terrain pieces, for priming and for work on models.
Why not buy two? Buy the best double-action airbrush you can afford and eventually also buy an inexpensive single-action siphon feed sprayer for your terrain pieces....
There are lots of good looking cheapo airbrushes out on the market. So why buy the best airbrush you can afford? Caveat Emptor. Beware of "crap-in, crap-out". You don't have to buy the very best, just make an effort to buy quality.
There is abundant good advice out on the web to help you choose your gravity-fed, dual-action airbrush. There are many quality brands. Ultimately you should pick a few airbrushes up and hold them in your hand to see which one feels 'best'. The extent that you feel comfortable with these tools will impact your enjoyment of them.
Now, before you buy, read this most worthy post (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=21363.msg260707#msg260707) by Jed from Antenocitis Workshop. Consider it required reading.
I've bought my airbrush, now what?
This isn't as simple as grabbing a brush and opening a pot of paint. It's a bit of a hobby in its own right and highly rewarding. It is also is a powerful tool that opens up all sorts of possibilities. I haven't bought a rattle-can in years. 8) I prime, paint and varnish with my airbrush.
My airbrush hasn't made me a brilliant artist, but it has helped me improve my work tremendously and has added a lot of enjoyment to my hobby. That said, there is a learning curve. Youtube is your friend.
You will need: a reliable source of compressed air. I use a 20lb bottle of C02 (http://www.micromatic.com/images/articles/89/CylinderDimentions.jpg), have done for years. I get it filled every 20 months or so. Cheap, silent and exactly how the graphic design shops in my town ran their studios before digital art killed commercial airbrush illustration. This requires a High Pressure Regulator to control the C02 before it gets to your Low Pressure Regulator. Here is an example, much like mine. (http://3.imimg.com/data3/QP/IO/MY-1966920/low-pressure-gas-regulator-500x500.jpg) High pressure on the left, low on the right. The gas bottle comes from a food & beverage supply, it's the same gas they use to serve beer and soft-drinks. You can also get it from a welding supply outfit... A set-up like this costs less than a high-quality compressor.
However most everyone invests in a compressor (https://www.google.com/search?q=airbrush+compressor&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=pMf&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=i5p-U-_iNc3ioASzn4GYDA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1252&bih=847). You can spend a little or a lot on one of these. Noise and reliability are the main factors influencing cost. Along with a compressor you will need a moisture trap, to prevent little drops of water from ruining your work.
Regardless of which route you go, you will also need a fine pressure/low pressure regulator and an airbrush air line (hose). All this is standard for airbrushing and if you buy an 'airbrush compressor' deal, fine control of pressure and a moisture trap must be part of the package.
You will need a suitable space to airbrush, one where you won't bother folks. You will require some quality filter masks suited to the type of paint you are spraying. WEAR THEM. I have also kitted my space out with a filtration unit that helps to remove particulates from the air while I'm spraying. This is optional, but I spray in my home, not in a garage or workroom. I only spray acrylics, no 'hot' solvents! ;D
I built my filter/extractor into the surface of my workbench. I use the same high-quality filter media as the best graphic arts spray booths. A week or so after I built my unit our local hobby shop started selling an economical, efficient and portable 'spray booth (http://www.amazon.com/Airbrush-Spray-Booth-Paint-Extractory/dp/B004ZH7RSM)' :`
The portable sprayer is a smart option and my buddy who bought one uses it to spray just about anywhere in his house... His wife isn't overly enthused about this habit, but he has his pick of rooms and tables to work on now.
There are all sorts of commercial and home-brewed solutions to the spray-booth issue... A quick Google offers a ton of ideas and approaches (https://www.google.com/search?q=airbrush+spray+booth&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=rg0&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aKR-U4j5MIHyoASM8IHoBA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1252&bih=847). Just remember, that if you are spraying acrylics then the amount of solvents you are exposed to is minimal. You need a filter mask (https://www.google.com/search?q=airbrush+spray+booth&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=rg0&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aKR-U4j5MIHyoASM8IHoBA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1252&bih=847#channel=sb&q=dust%20filter%20mask&revid=295958723&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgdii=_) to protect you from particulates in the air, but you don't need to vent your spray-booth exhaust outdoors. You do need fresh air circulating in your workspace to keep your exposure to alcohol and ammonia within safe limits.
If you want to spray lacquer or enamels then it's a different story. You will need a proper respirator rated for organic solvents (https://www.google.com/search?q=airbrush+spray+booth&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=rg0&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aKR-U4j5MIHyoASM8IHoBA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1252&bih=847#channel=sb&q=paint%20respirator&revid=1796911801&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgdii=_), not just a filter mask, and the exhaust of your spray-booth must be vented outdoors. Your workspace will need cross-ventilation that moves polluted air to the outdoors and allows fresh air in.
A comfortable chair and good adjustable lighting is also important. I use a couple of clamp-lamps (https://www.google.com/search?q=airbrush+spray+booth&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=rg0&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aKR-U4j5MIHyoASM8IHoBA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1252&bih=847#channel=sb&q=clamp%20lamp%20home%20depot&revid=216369693&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgdii=_) with daylight compact fluorescent bulbs.
Your First Spray
So it's time to actually paint! Successful airbrushing is all about getting used to a brand new set of variables:
Is our paint thinned enough to do the sort of job we want to do?
Is our air pressure appropriate for how thin our paint is?
Is our airbrush clean enough to mix the paint & air and spray them successfully?
Try to remove as many variables as possible the first couple of times you use your airbrush. Using a proven, reliable paint & thinner combo is highly recommended. I recommend Tamiya acrylics, thinned at least 30/70 or 40/60 with the Tamiya thinner. Don't be afraid to thin that Tamiya paint, it sprays superbly when aggressively thinned and will provide a good benchmark to work from while getting to know your airbrush.
To get you started: A superb flash animation by Michael Fichtenmayer (http://www.fichtenfoo.com/images/tips/airbrushtutorial.html)
The best practice subjects are old toys and cheap plastic dinosaurs from Dollar/Pound shops. Youtube is a gold-mine of airbrush educational resources! Look for Scale Model painting and Model-Train painting video & links.
Clean Up & Maintenance:
There are many good demos on cleaning & maintenance available via Youtube. Here is a good link with basic cleaning and service guides (http://www.airbrushguru.com/cleaning-your-airbrush.html). I'll warn you now that there are two camps of airbrush cleaning: Windex and No-Windex. Airbrush Guru is a no ammonia guy.
However, I use Windex (with ammonia-D) 50/50 with water to clean my airbrush between colours when spraying with Citadel and Reaper paints. They are both ammonia based acrylics and for a good clean, with minimum residue you need to clean with the same solvent/reducer as your paint base. Always use like-for-like.
When I want to airbrush Citadel or Reaper paints, and they spray very well indeed, I use pure Windex as the thinner. To clean up, I use Windex + water.
Likewise I spray Tamiya paints with their alcohol based thinner and then clean them with 99% isopropanol as that is the best choice to remove those alcohol based paints from my airbrush...
Just to be clear, I don't use a concentrated commercial or residential 'ammonia cleaner'. Like thousands of other airbrush users, I start with a dilute form of ammonia and then dilute it further. There are excellent airbrush cleaning products, from Vallejo, Iwata, Createx and others that do a good job of cleaning an airbrush without ammonia, so if you feel most comfortable in the 'no ammonia camp', you are in good company. :)
If ever my airbrush needs a good clean in the ultrasound (https://www.google.com/search?q=ultrasonic+jewelry+cleaner&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=WFB&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=z-2ZU7q-JMq8oQT61oLIAQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1523&bih=858), I use the Iwata airbrush cleaner, 50/50 with water. I make sure NOT to put the air-valve assembly or the needle-stop assembly (part 18) into the bath. Those never get paint in them. They shouldn't get paint in them... ;)
Last of all, you can buy tiny tubes of a premium airbrush lubricant (http://cdn.dickblick.com/items/269/81/26981-1005-3ww-l.jpg) from Iwata. You only ever use a tiny bit at a time. I've been using the same wee tube for many years.
The wall of text ends here. If you got this far you now need to refill your mug of tea.... Hope I haven't scared anyone away, none of this stuff is rocket science or terribly onerous, but it is par for the course. The rewards of airbrushing, to my mind, have certainly been worth the costs. I hope your adventure is as much fun as mine continues to be.
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Excellent compilation.
I've been meaning to ask about the compressed bottle. I have a set of compressed air cylinders from my old paintball gear. I don't know if they're 20lbs, but they're 3000 PSI/48 cubic inches (very similar to this: http://www.paintballgear.ca/product/Empire_48_3000_HPA_Tank.html).
D'you think I might be able to use those as an air source?
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With an output Pressure of 850psi you are still going to need a high-pressure + low-pressure regulator combo for a tank like that. Don't know if it will be cost efficient to build a set-up for that, but your welding gas guy should be able to tell you.
The low-pressure regulator regulator I use is a Watts R384-02b (https://www.google.com/search?q=WATTS+REGULATOR+R38402B+NSFP+R38402B&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=qPt&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=rcs&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_YScU_CIGonroAScwYDwDw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1265&bih=870#channel=rcs&q=WATTS+R384-02B+&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&safe=off&tbm=isch) and it's pretty robust, but the gauge that allows me fine control of the air pressure is not. It can't take more than 65psi inlet pressure or it will be damaged. The role of the high-pressure regulator is to reduce the extreme pressure of the tank to a safe maximum working pressure... I set my HP reg. to 65psi so I don't have to worry about my precision gauge getting damaged.
I never need to spray paint, varnish or primer above 30psi., most of the time I work at 7 to 15psi.
I bought my high-pressure regulator (http://cdn4.beveragefactory.com/tn2_large_t742hp070610134148.jpg) and my 20lb Co2 bottle from a home-brew shop, but a welding supply outfit will also have the same set-up.
The low-pressure regulator came from Peerless Engineering (http://peerlessengineering.com/contact.html) here in Vancouver.
A fittings supplier (http://www.fairviewfittings.com/en/Home.html) provided the hardware to put the two together and hook-up my airbrush air-hose.
You will want to look for similar sorts of services / suppliers in your town to put together your rig, especially if you do decide to use your paintball mini-tanks.
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I have two Paasches and an Iwata. Looking to get a Badger in the near future. I would not recommend a Paasche airbrush to a beginner, as their construction is a bit "dirty" or imprecise in my experience. Their QC has really gone downhill in recent years as well, making quality vary widely between different individual brushes or parts of the same model. My first airbrush was a Paasche VL, and it nearly put me off airbrushing. Once you're more experienced you'll be able to use nearly anything comfortably, but for a beginner, every little difference can make a big difference.
I wouldn't personally recommend a siphon feed or single action for modeling. Single action is good for priming and base colors and stuff like that, but most double actions these days have some kind of needle limiter option which allows them to act as a single action if you want them to anyway. Single action also uses a very different design mechanically/structurally, so there's not really much difference between upgrading from a single to a double, and just starting with a double to begin with, knowledge wise. Start with a double, then buy a single if you want one for specific jobs, not the other way around.
Siphon feeds are fussier to clean than integrated gravity feeds, and can't be used at lower pressures. Low pressure isn't essential for terrain pieces or vehicles, but for gaming size figures, painting up-close at 20 psi or above feels like trying to paint with a firehose. Only advantage siphon feed gets you in theory is the ability to quick-swap paint bottles, but this doesn't remove the need to clean or flush the insides of the brush between colors, making it in practice no more efficient than just dumping out a gravity feed cup, flushing, and refilling with a new color. If you're painting T-shirts at a fair then small efficiency differences could easily add up, but on a model bench there's no advantage, and it just adds unnecessary complexity to the cleaning process at the end of the day.
For a beginner, my personal recommendation is either an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS, or a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution.
Iwata brushes are very well machined and well plated, and are fairly rugged. Take care of them, and you can go a lifetime without having to replace even a needle or nozzle. They sell a budget line called "Neo" for beginners, but these are made by a Chinese subcontractor rather than by Iwatas own facilities. They perform OK, but have spotty durability: better than $20 Harbor freight or Master Airbrush knock-offs, but you're still better off skipping that entire quality/price tier IMO. Most Iwatas use a tiny screw-in nozzle part which may be fussy for a beginner. The Eclipse series uses a large captive pressure-fit nozzle which will be easier to wrangle. The HP-CS model uses a gravity feed cup (more versatile and easier to clean than siphon feed- better for a beginner) with a larger reservoir, making it more adaptable/versatile than the smaller cup versions. This is the Iwata model most often recommended as a beginner brush, and for good reason. I have one, and I can personally vouch for it being an almost ideal starter brush.
Here's a comparison between the tip designs:
Eclipse-style captive pressure-fit nozzle:
https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/iwata-eclipse-hp-cs-review
Tiny screw-in nozzle style all other Iwata model lines use:
https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/iwata-revolution-hp-cr
Harder & Steenbeck brushes use a fully modular design, allowing you to swap parts freely between nearly every brush they make. This means you can upgrade a lower-end brush by swapping in replacement parts from a higher-end line as needed, or even switch feed style by simply buying a new body & cup instead of a whole new brush. They also have probably the single best nozzle design out there for beginners, as far as maintenance goes, by a wide margin. Downside is their nozzles and needles have a reputation for being made of soft metal, and so they will wear out and need replacement from time to time no matter how you treat them. The Evolution is their mid-range line, but as said above: if you want to move up later, you can do it "grandfather's axe" style.
Here's an H&S Evolution. Note the nozzle that slots precisely into the air cap instead of screwing into the body or pressure-fitting between cap and body:
https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/harder-steenbeck-evolution-solo-review
I have no experience with Badger yet, but from what I've read, the Renegade Krome seems tied with the Iwata HP-CS as the most highly recommended beginner brush on the basis of ease of use/maintenance and long term versatility. Badger's biggest strength apparently lies in their customer relations: they go out of their way to be approachable and accommodating if you ever need to contact them. I have no experience with this myself yet, but their rep seems very similar to Hasslefree Miniatures', to put it in gamer terms.
Badger Renegade Krome:
https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/badger-krome
Note the nozzle, which is a captive pressure fit, but tiny like an Iwata screw-in.
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Nicely done Connectamabob.
+1 for the Harder and Steenbeck. Love mine. It's time well spent to set up a search on eBay to find looking for a deal on a second hand Evolution or Infinity.
Those new 'Neo' airbrushes from Iwata may be just the thing for folks looking to dabble without committing.
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H&S brushes probably make brilliant second-hand buys due to the parts interchangeability thing. Even if it's cheap because it's been mistreated and/or broken, you could still come out well ahead with just a simple part swap or two.
Iwata Neos are definitely marketed for that demographic (beginners wanting to get their toes wet before committing), but I don't feel they're actually a smart buy for that demographic. Heard/read too many conflicting testimonies on them, and that doesn't inspire confidence. Too many beginners end up giving up on airbrushes completely because the cheap one they got to "try out" was too much of a hassle in some way. Beginners need easy and reliable way more than they need cheap.
I would not recommend considering "trying out" airbrushing unless you can afford to budget at least $100 for the brush. I get that the cheap stuff is super-tempting to justify with "I can buy a better one later if I like it" or "I bet the cheap ones aren't really that bad", or "it's just way less of a risk", but in practice the math still doesn't work out in your favor.
Save up, and get something with a solid reputation instead. The ideal outcome you're basing the test on is that you will want to keep ABing (if that's not the outcome you wanted, you wouldn't be bothering), in which case a more reliable, versatile, and easy to use/clean model like the ones cited above can easily do you for life if need be. Buying a cheapie just means you'll likely be spending that same money anyway later if it does work out.
Even if you don't take to it, it'll still be there and reliable for the occasional odd job, or at worst, it'll retain a robust, long-term stable resale value, allowing you to recover much of that initial cost. Unless you're anticipating flat out destroying or binning the brush regardless, cheapies are IMO not really good investments, even as "auditions". They increase the chances of failure, and raise the long term cost if you succeed.
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This is timely as I have been considering an airbrush for terrain and scenery work and probably for vehicles too. With that in mind, does the following product listing appear to be reasonable, if people don't mind casting their eyes over it? The product is from KMS Distribution , which it doesn't sound like anyone will have heard of! My concerns with this (after reading the above) are badly fitting parts after cleaning, etc.
TOP END AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR AS18 + NEW AIR BRUSH KIT
Product Name:
* Airbrush Compressor AS18 + 2 Air Brush Kits + Hose
Product Features:
* Quiet, low noise.
* Oil-less
* High pressure
* Automatic stop system keep your work conveniently and smoothly. It prolongs the compressor life as well.
* Together with Regulator HS-F2.
Product Usage:
* craftwork spraying
* cosmetics
* tanning.
* hobbies/models
* fingernail painting
* general airbrushing
2 Airbrush Kits Specification:
bd-132 double action airbrush:
* Fluid nozzle: 0.3MM
* Working pressure: 15-30 psi
* Capacity of cup: 7 c.c.
* Adjusting spanner, Pipette, Barbed hose connector
bd-128p double action airbrush:
* Body Length 150MM
* Nozzle Diameter: 0.35MM
* Metal Cup: 5cc
* Control: push button
* Glass Jars: 22cc
* 1 X Spanner
Product Description:
Our mini air compressor AS18, together with airbrush, can be widely used in craftwork spraying, cosmetics, tanning, hobbies/models, fingernail painting, and general airbrushing.
It can adjust the pressure conveniently according to the demand. And the gauge reflect the working pressure making your work more comfortable.
Brand new colour box package, with foam to protect your dispatch safely.
Certificate: CE,ROSH,GS Please choose the right AIR BRUSH for your easy work.
Connection: 1/8'' BSP/NPT Electric Cable: 1.9M With detailed operation manual
Can be used for all airbrush applications, spray tanning, modeling, cake decorating, make up, tattoos, T shirt's nail art, bike helmets... This comes new boxed and ready to dispatch.
END
Based on the discussions above I'm thinking avoid? It's about £65.
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Hello Elk,are the airbrushes gravity fed? This is a must,as for most modelling work you need low pressure and the gravity feed make this just a little bit easier;I rarely go above 15 psi when spraying,only jacking it up when I put cleaner through.
Wolfie's airbrush suggestions:
Badger Renegade Krome
Badger Sotar
Iwata,I have the HP-B plus
These three work very well for me,easy to clean(a must) and reliable,I would like to try a Harder & Steenbeck,however this maybe may a little frivolous,it's not as if I can use all three at once anyway lol
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@Elk101:
Don't do it. That's one of those Chinese knock-offs I was talking about. There's a crap load of them out there under a wide variety of no-name brands (and some well known cheap tool brands like Harbor Freight and Master Airbrush). You see these a lot: combo kits with two airbrushes and a small compressor going for like 1/4 what any of those items would sell for individually from a reputable brand. They exist to exploit newbies who think they're finding a good deal.
Again: stick to known brands with good reputations, and if the price looks too good to be true, bail. Seriously: this is "no such thing as a free lunch"/"get what you pay for" territory.
The cheapest reputable brushes I know of are the Paasche VL and Talon (about $50-85, depending on where you find them), and the Badger 100 series ($35-60), and like I say: I don't recommend Paasche, and can't personally vouch for Badger. Cheapest brushes I'd personally feel comfortable giving a thumbs up on are the Iwata Revolution HP-CR or HP-BR (about $85).
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Thanks! I'll check those out.
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Oh, wanted to add in relation to the OP: for cleaning I use 90% rubbing alcohol. It's "hotter" than Windex, just as cheap, and sidesteps the whole ammonia issue completely.
Denatured alcohol would be even better, as fumes from spraying it through your brush would be less toxic (denatured alcohol is usually ethanol, rubbing alcohol is isopropyl). No water also means it dries fast and clean.
When cleaning, flush and scrub; don't soak. Soaking can damage o-rings and seals, and can actually redistribute paint residue into nooks and crannies where it wasn't before and/or is harder to get out. Whatever you use to scrub, make sure it's lint free so you don't end up with loose fibers inside your brush. Use nylon brushes instead of pipe cleaners, and shop/garage paper towels instead of regular kitchen paper towels. Q-tips have long fibers, so are usually relatively OK as long as there aren't any burrs for the fibers to snag on.
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I have 2 Badger's a Sotar and a 200. I highly recommend both.
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Awesome contributions Connectamabob. I doff my hat, sir. :D 8)
Once again, I would encourage folks to look into the 20lb bottle of CO2 as an alternative to a compressor. This is an equivalent to the highest quality compressor available and there is no compromise in terms of safety. In fact this is even quieter than the most silent compressor...
When starting out I was able to save a lot of money by going the Co2 route. Now I spend $35 every 18 to 24 months to exchange the empty bottle for a full one.
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Only safety thing I've heard about CO2 (aside from not mistreating the pressure cylinder, but that goes for compressor tanks too) is you don't want to use it in a small enclosed space, as you can displace the breathable air in the room with CO2. Don't know the maths on how big a room vs how much spraying though, and if you're using a spray booth/hood with an outside outlet, that may sort it out anyway. Cost varies according to how much you use it: pro painters/illustrators don't use them 'cause they'd be filing the tank every week, but for a hobby modeler they last a very long time.
Truly quiet compressors are pretty expensive, so CO2 could be very viable for apartment dwellers and folks with families. IIRC there is an intro cost in that you have to actually buy a tank the first time, but if you're only filling it once a year or so, it could take over a decade for it all to add up to the cost of a good silent compressor.
Other (relatively) low-cost option is to DIY a silent compressor from a fridge motor, but this isn't recommended unless you're a methodical perfectionist type, as if you screw up or cut corners, the results can be very unsafe. Also fridge motors have a low-volume air output, so fridge motor compressors take longer to refill their tanks, leading to possible awkward duty cycles unless you gang several motors together.
Badger Sotar gets very high marks from most sources, and it's the Badger I'm hoping to get*. Usually it's around $400 new, putting it outside the comfy range for most newbies, but past few years Amazon has done deep discount promotions on it during the holidays, wherein it has dropped down to $50-100. Keep your fingers crossed and eyes peeled.
*I want to try swapping the body & trigger with a 100S (yes, apparently you can do that!) to make a side-feed Sotar.
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I have a friend who pro paints and he put together a small regulator and then attached it to a 3' CO2 bottle. He sprays often and it can last from months to many months.... Honestly, I wish I had known before I bought my compressor.
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I'll admit, I was guesstimating/collating from stuff I've read.
I imaging you can actually work it out pretty straightforwardly if you know the right maths to use. How many hours will it take to vent X volume of liquid CO2 at Y pressure?
*EDIT* With a little googling, it looks like a 20lb tank lasts approximately 30 hours when spraying at pressures below 20psi. I say "approximately", because the best resources I found had maths for the tank, but did not mention what pressure they were ABing at. I had to dig around to find what the usual PSI range was for their application (body and face painting, which uses low pressure for safety reasons).
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I think solvents and particulates remain the primary concerns when airbrushing.
If you are observing sensible safety precautions, and not working in a totally sealed environment, you are good to go with CO2.
You would have to be working in a very well sealed closet before you ran into issues with the CO2 at typical airbrush pressures and volumes.
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Great thread chaps; actually inspiring in a weird way,I guess because once one learns to use an airbrush it opens up so many possibilities( for instance; I paint horses with my Sotar,giving a very realistic appearance).I love my airbrush(es) :D
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Anyone any experience with this:
Airbrush Starter Set - Neo Iwata CN Airbrush + Neo Air Compressor
The ideal starter set for those wanting to get into Airbrushing, but want to do it on a budget.
This starter set features the Neo For Iwata Gravity CN Airbrush and The Neo For Iwata Neo Air - Air Compressor.
2 Fantastic pieces with a fatastic saving of just over 12% Off The RRP....
The Neo for Iwata CN gravity feed airbrush features:
A 0.35mm needle and nozzle combination for finer detail spraying and medium sized spray patterns
Interchangeable large 9ml (1/3oz) and medium 1.8ml (1/16oz) cups designed with a funnel shape, which makes for easy clean up and more efficient paint flow. (Both cups are included with airbrush).
Airbrush will hold 0.9ml (1/32oz) without a cup attached
Fine detail to 1" (0.3mm to 25mm) spray pattern with the one size nozzle
Dual-action
Internal-mix
Gravity feed
Air Pressure: Recommended operation is between 5 and 35 psi. Ideal for use with smaller air compressors.
The Neo Air features:
Low maintenance, oil-less miniature air compressor
Compact and portable – weighs less than a pound!
Air flow at 0 psi: 0.37 CFM (10.5 LPM)
Working pressure from 1 psi to 15 psi.
Comes with a vinyl hose
Manual On/Off and 3-speed control button
Built in airbrush holder
Size: H 13 x W 9.9 x H 6.5 cm (approx)
Weight: 0.43kg
Motor: DC 12V, 1.1A
Power Supply: 100V-240V 50/60Hz, 2.0A
Duty cycle: Will automatically shut-off after 10 minutes of continuous use to protect the motor. Please allow the motor to rest for at least 20 minutes after each cycle of use.
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Looks good,quality cannot be faulted; I have an Iwata compressor,very good it is too :)
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The Neo compressor is tiny diaphragm type. It wont get you very far. It's only good for very low pressure (and can't be adjusted/regulated, so you're stuck with a single pressure option regardless of what you're trying to paint), and like any compressor without a tank, will put out a pulsing instead of steady airflow. It also needs to be run constantly instead of having a duty cycle, so it won't be long-lived. You'd be miles better off even just attaching a tire compressor to a cheap hardware store accessory tank.
Neo brushes are better than the no-name stuff, but still not really reliable enough for a newbie from all I've read. As a newbie the #1 thing you need is a brush that will give you as little grief as possible so you can focus on the actual work without getting bogged down, derailed, or discouraged. The need for a good airbrush is pretty much inversely proportional to skill: a really experienced ABer can use nearly anything for any job without experiencing much difference, but a noob is really best off getting the very best brush he/she can possibly swing. Trying to hedge your bets on the cheap stuff will only make it riskier for you in the beginning, not safer.
I'll reiterate again: you get what you pay for. Even the good companies sell super-low end stuff you're better off skipping because they feel like they have to compete with the Chinese crap for the newbie dollar. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ANY OF THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR THE NEWBIES THEMSELVES.
Your brain is trying very, very hard to weasel you down the wrong path because "the price is right". Swat it with a rolled up newspaper. There are reasons why decent airbrushes (and compressors) aren't that cheap. If you want to bargain hunt, choose a specific brush model first, and then go looking for a good bargain on that specific brush. Don't go looking for deals while keeping the actual brush negotiable in your head "if the price is right". Gamers are an instinctively frugal lot, but those instincts will be working against you here, so you need to resist them.
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The need for a good airbrush is pretty much inversely proportional to skill: a really experienced ABer can use nearly anything for any job without experiencing much difference, but a noob is really best off getting the very best brush he/she can possibly swing. Trying to hedge your bets on the cheap stuff will only make it riskier for you in the beginning, not safer.
Good point.
Take into account the fact that most of us aren't airbrushing all the time; we will pick up our airbrush when we need to, or want to and at that point we need it to do the job. A good airbrush will have you painting right away, not doing doing warm-up exercises or getting frustrated refamiliarising yourself with the thing.
If you want to bargain hunt, choose a specific brush model first, and then go looking for a good bargain on that specific brush. Don't go looking for deals while keeping the actual brush negotiable in your head "if the price is right". Gamers are an instinctively frugal lot, but those instincts will be working against you here, so you need to resist them.
There are few things as nice as owning and using quality tools. Set your mind on the airbrush you want and shop diligently for it. Put aside a bit of cash for it on a regular basis and soon enough you will own it.
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Ok, thanks for the advice. It's not so much a case of being cheap it's more a case of what I can physically afford and still pay bills! lol
Any recommendations for the UK market up to, say £200? That will probably be a long term save up job.
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This doesn't look too bad for a compressor :
The Silver Jet is suitable for mobile or occasional use for up to half hour sessions. If you need a compressor for heavier use, please see the other Iwata Studio Series compressors.
Click here to view a guide to which applications this compressor is best suited for.
The Silver Jet features:
Low maintenance, oil-less single piston air compressor
Quiet running 110W shaded-coil motor
Air flow at 0 psi: 0.33 CFM (9 l/min)
Working pressure from 0 psi to 18 psi
Comes with 3m (10') coiled vinyl hose and free Iwata Pistol Grip Moisture Filter
Pressure gauge
Pressure Adjustment knob
One 1/4 BSP outlet
Manual on/off switch
Built in airbrush holder
Cord wrap
Size: H 15 x W 15 x H 18 cm (approx including handle and fittings)
Weight: 2.9kg
Voltage: 220-240V 50Hz
Noise level: 55 - 57 decibels
Duty cycle: 30 minutes continuous use. Please allow the motor to rest for at least 20 minutes after each cycle of continuous use.
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Looking at images of the silver jet it does look slightly like it's geared to nails and cake decorating! If it does the job though.
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Very useful thread chaps :)
I would personally go with Iwata and will do when Santa calls around in a few months :D
I do have the £50 set from Lidl and for terrain it's great. There's no tank and the paint is air-fed but for large areas and simple blending it does the job. I did the Dorset cliffs with it :)
cheers
James
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Very useful thread chaps :)
I would personally go with Iwata and will do when Santa calls around in a few months :D
I do have the £50 set from Lidl and for terrain it's great. There's no tank and the paint is air-fed but for large areas and simple blending it does the job. I did the Dorset cliffs with it :)
cheers
James
Which Iwata are you looking at James?
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Which Iwata are you looking at James?
Not sure yet. We went to a model show in Tokyo and they had a stand there so we came away with as much literature as possible but I think the ranges are less comprehensive in the UK. Don't quote me on that though as I haven't had a proper look yet.
It might be a case of getting the brush and accoutrements from over there and the compressor from over here :)
cheers
James
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Looking at the Iwata Silver there seems to be limitations on which airbrushes are compatible. It suggests that models like the Iwata Revolution CR is only usable at low pressure (the compressor only goes as high as 18 psi), but reading posts above it sounds like most modelling work would be within that parameter. I'm assuming that that doesn't make the CR incompatible, it just means you can't use the CR up to its design capacity, no?
Sorry for the dumb ass questions but it's a lot of money not to understand and get right!
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Well, as an example, the excellent and versatile Vallejo Surface Primers spray best at a higher pressure than that.
I spray them at 30 psi. However the majority of the time I'm working between 7psi and 15psi, sometimes 20psi.
If the silverjet only goes as high as 18psi, then it sounds like a bit of a dog to me.
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The Revolution CR isn't limited to low pressure. Though some brushes don't perform as well (or at all, in the case of siphon feeds) at low pressure, I've never heard of one that can't do higher pressure. The CR comes with a .5mm nozzle/needle set (which is on the large end), and from what I've read the cup bottom has a large throat well suited to high paint volume applications, so I would actually expect it to perform well at high pressure.
.5mm is a good tip size for a beginner. Smaller nozzle/needles make pulling super fine lines easier in terms of hand technique, but bigger nozzle/needles will be much more forgiving about paint dilution ratios, which is the trickier part to master as it is a bit more "blind".
There isn't really an ideal pressure for modeling in any general sense. It all depends on the specific task. For priming 28mm figures (which I like to do within a 2 cm or less to get even coverage in the low points) I like around 10-15psi, because otherwise it feels like you're going to either going to blast the figure off the desk or blow the paint right back off the figure with the force of the air. If I were painting general color coverage on a building or a vehicle from 5-9cm away, 20psi or higher would be perfectly fine or even desirable. If I were painting a graffiti design on a wall, I'd get close enough to almost touch the needle to the surface (literally- that's what those pronged tips you sometimes see are for: to guard the needle from touching the surface without obscuring your view of the needle or the line), and drop pressure as far as my paint viscosity will allow. Some paints and primers also don't handle dilution very well, so you have to spray them at higher viscosity, necessitating higher pressure. There's a sort of reciprocal relationship between viscosity and pressure, so you can't change one very far before you have to change the other to compensate.
This is why you want a compressor that allows for a range of pressures you can control with a regulator, rather than one that sticks you with a single pressure. An air source you can't adjust is extremely limiting. No matter what brush you get, you won't be able to access it's full range if the compressor caps out at 18psi.
Compressor-wise, if that's all you can afford, I'd recommend getting a cheap hardware compressor and an accessory tank instead of an airbrush compressor. That's what I've used for a long time. The compressor is loud, but with an 11 gallon tank I can charge the tank up to 100psi opportunistically when it isn't going to bother anyone, and that gives me an hour or two worth of silent air at 15-20 psi with a 3.5 tip I that can spend whenever I need/want.
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Thanks for the info.
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I own six. My badger 200 bottom feed which I've had for twenty years and its busted. I lent it to GW meadow hall to paint the Imperial Fists for the Emperors Palace diorama for games day back in the the late 90s so that's a claim to fame. The Aztek double trigger which was produced for Kodak to touch up photos ( the days before Photoshop ). A good little airbrush that's easy to use. A revell spray gun that's used for very large areas. A badger 100 gravity feed single trigger that I got off Amazon for the extortionate price of ten pounds. And my pride and joy. The Iwata Kustom that set me back £230 but it is worth every penny. I also have a nondescript double trigger gravity feed with a small cup that I think is an artists airbrush for spraying inks, but it works just as well with thinned paints like Vallejo air. All in all my air brushes are probably the most important weapon in my model arsenal and if looked after can last a live time. If I can work out how to put up photo from my ipad I'll show you some of my latest work.
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Unfortunately the more I look into this the more I can't afford a 'decent' one! lol
A diy compressor with a Iwata in the £100 range might be the only way to go anytime soon.
If anyone is selling one off (UK) please let me know.
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The price of compressors have come down a lot in the last decade. But like an airbrush you might get what you pay for or you might find a diamond in the rough. The first one I got from Badger and I killed it from running it at to high a pressure. 140 psi is way to high and is the reason my Badger 200 is shagged. 12 to 35 psi should be used for spraying depending on the style and finish you want. I also have a nondescript compressor that cost £45 that I got with my nondescript airbrush that I use now most of the time. I also got one with my Iwata Kustom as a mail order deal with some other stuff.
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Don't let the costs discourage you too much. I think it's pretty normal for hobby airbrushers to get started by saving and buying things a bit here and a little there for a while before they're able to really do anything. That's certainly the way it was for me. I got my first airbrush with Christmas money when I was a teenager, and IIRC it was like a year before I was even able to try it out for the first time, as it took me that long to get a compressor.
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Unfortunately the more I look into this the more I can't afford a 'decent' one! lol
A diy compressor with a Iwata in the £100 range might be the only way to go anytime soon.
If anyone is selling one off (UK) please let me know.
Steve I bought one of these recently - very happy with results - mainly using for terrain, tanks and priming
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=370268372610&view=all&tid=633913641024 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=370268372610&view=all&tid=633913641024)
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Thanks Giles, though unfortunately it's coming through as "item information no longer listed ".
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Try this link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370268372610?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item5635b6fe82 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370268372610?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item5635b6fe82)
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Try this link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370268372610?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item5635b6fe82 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370268372610?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item5635b6fe82)
I have had one of these for a couple of years and although I would not want to do a motorcycle tank or helmet design with it, it is more than capable of handling all my hobby / modelling needs. And if it breaks it is not a big hit to just replace it. I use this compressor with better brushes too, you could never say it is silent but I would not say it was noisy either - read the wife is yet to complain.
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Thanks Giles! That looks very doable as a starting point. I want to paint buildings, terrain tiles, scenery and vehicles so I'm happy to take a punt on it.
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Its worth watching a number of you tube videos to get the basic info.
I practised on some really watered down paint.
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:?. Three pages of detailed warnings about the cheap crap and about how your brain will try super-hard to scam you into buying it, and all it takes is a one-line endorsement and you're immediately caving again. This is what I was talking about when I said your instincts will be working overtime against you here.
These brushes are not reliable buys. They're cheaply machined out of poor materials, and their tolerances are anything but consistent. It's a coin toss as to whether the one you get will be decent or not (or in some case, merely usable or not), and regardless, you'll never be able to get parts for them. The compressors are prone to overheating and have a rep for often not lasting very long. Some people do have good experiences, but that doesn't mean they're a good deal: it means those these people got lucky. Individual endorsements literally mean nothing because their quality from unit to unit is so inconstant: one might be almost as good as a reputable brush, and the very next one off the line will be a hunk of pot metal that spatters like a flicked toothbrush.
Buy one of these, and you're tripling the chances that your formative experiences with airbrushing will turn you off to airbrushing. You might get lucky... but it's really not a good gamble, and even if you "win", you lose in the long run financially.
Seriously: don't. I know your brain is all like "But... so cheap... and they said it was OK even though the others said it wasn't...", but no: your brain is being a weasel. Don't
Take it from someone who learned the hard way: the ABSOLUTE VERY WORST thing you can do for yourself is to start out with a brush that is unreliable or hard to use and/or clean. You NEED these traits more than anything else when you're a beginner. DO NOT make them dump stats.
You don't need a fine line airbrush. You don't need bells and whistles like MAC valves or needle stops or whatnot. You don't need chrome plating when nickel will do. You don't need a silent compressor. All that sort of stuff can be dumped in the name of budget. But if you dump reliability you are not just shooting yourself in the foot; you are sticking your foot in a meat grinder.
If you can't afford non-crap, take your time and save up. Don't feel like you need to get everything ASAP or all at once. Good AB companies all have lifetime warranties, so no matter how long it takes you to get yours up and running, you're still perfectly safe if it turns out something's wrong with it when you finally do. You don't need to bleed yourself saving for the best ABs you can find, but for a beginner there is less than zero benefit to buying bottom of the barrel. The cost vs risk math just flat out isn't good, no matter how you try to cheat it.
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Point taken.
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That is rather where I am. I got a very good deal on a high-quality custom-assembled airbrush (Olympos with aftermarket Iwata adjustment fittings added). I bought mine from a seller who owned over 70 airbrushes and since it wasn't his preferred brand or setup so he let it go very reasonably. I still need some fittings as well as a compressor, so it's not in operation yet, but every now and then I keep an eye out for a deal and eventually I'll have a full kit.
I find high quality is very much a money-saving thing in the long run.
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I'm still saving /looking at this topic and one of the other things I was wondering was whether people used spray booths or no? I was planning to use the garage with the door open, which wouldn't be too much fun this time of year (with a facemask too). Of course there is the small matter of getting an airbrush and compressor before such things actually become an issue! I'm still keen on the Iwata Revolution CR with an Iwata Studio Sprint Jet compressor.
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Yup, as I posted, I use a spray booth....
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There are a couple of pretty decent portable spraybooths available for between £70 - £100 pounds, they come with a vent kit which expels the fumes outside. I would highly recommend using a respirator too, as you only get 1 set of lungs
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Thanks, I've got a load of respirators from DIY work. The thought of all those little paint particles being breathed in doesn't appeal!
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Echo the mask use - I tend to spray outside on non windy days. This does limit the use but better to be safe than sorry...
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I use this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Spray-Booth-Extractor-Fan/dp/B003IJWYFO/ref=sr_1_3) spray booth inside, and I second/third wearing a mask as well
If you get a compressor, try and get one with a tank. It smoothes out the air flow and should be quieter (compressor only runs to refill the tank, not the whole time). By the looks of it, the sprint doesn't have a tank (assuming the compressor is this one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iwata-Studio-Sprint-Jet-Compressor/dp/B00150T43S/ref=sr_1_4))
You need to make sure the compressor and airbrush have the same size fittings, although if they're both from the same manufacturer, that shouldn't be a problem.
You'll need to clean out the airbrush, and that usually involves chemicals. I use one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airbrush-Cleaning-Station-Holder-Hanger/dp/B008S7L92K/ref=sr_1_1) to cut down on fumes. I also have a separate hanger thing that clamps onto the table and holds the airbrush while I'm not using it.