Do I want an airbrush?

[dwbullock]

As the title suggests, I'm pondering an airbrush.  I'm a tabletop quality painter, on my best days.  I know I do not have the skill for an airbrush on a miniature, but looking at my pile of terrain and vehicles.  Wondering if airbrushes would be worth it.

Any suggestions or advice?  I have a very nice air compressor that is probably too much for an airbrush, to be honest - neighbor was a contractor and gave me one of his fancy compressors.  Thinking $100 or less range, and wondering if I can get the same results / speed with the traditional approach. 

In short, really torn.

[BZ]

Im here just for the advices, because I have the same struggle...

[monk2002uk]

I wasn't sure about getting an airbrush but it has been a huge help. My main focus is on 6mm figures. I can spray hordes at the same sitting. First the bases in an earth colour and then the whole figure in the colour of the uniform. Takes 10% of the time.

Large vehicles (15mm and 28mm) come up really well. And super quick compared to hand painting them.

Robert

[the_inquisition!]

Go for it - it can be a bit tricky, but airbrushes are great for vehicles and terrain. I've started using mine to do initial basecoats and highlights on 28mm minis which are mostly one colour.

Mine was called 'nail art' airbrush or similar on amazon.

[SotF]

Go for it - it can be a bit tricky, but airbrushes are great for vehicles and terrain. I've started using mine to do initial basecoats and highlights on 28mm minis which are mostly one colour.

Mine was called 'nail art' airbrush or similar on amazon.

I'd suggest avoiding the nail art and cake decorating ones...they're far more flimsy and everyone I know has told me some horror stories about them in how they kind of come apart over time...or explode.

What you want to have is a moisture trap if you're using a compressor (Which is actually a far better option than buying cans of compressed air). A gravity feed is normally also a better option for minis since the suction feed ones are really only easier if you're doing extremely mass projects due to the pots being harder to deal with.

I've been messing with a rather cheap airbrush since last July and haven't regretted getting it. I'd spent about $150 on a kit on Amazon.

You also really want to get an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the parts of the airbrush and a cleaning kit is a nice thing to have.

I don't really have the best ventilation for mine and it's been off and on with use due to the local weather and using it in the garage with a fan and one of a few leftover filters from a furnace I'd had to replace a long while ago.

[Daeothar]

I've done without one for over 30 years now, but I recently caved and bought a (very) cheap one on AliExpress.

For some reason a bunch of review/testing videos on these came up in my Youtube feed, and I was surprised at the generally positive reviews they got, even from seasoned professionals. All of the reviewers I could find were generally positive and called theirs good value for money, so I figured it was worth the €30,- gamble.

In the box were the airbrush, a tiny (membrane?) compressor (obviously without tank), hoses, moisture trap, cleaning kit and assorted connectors, clips, spare needles and nozzles, etc.

And then it dawned on me that I was not going to start spraying right out of the box.

All of those reviewers already were knee deep in experience and airbrush peripherals and supplies, something I'm not. So I found that I also need to get me a cleaning pot, thinner, cleaner, and most importantly; a spraying booth.

And that one's going to be the most costly investment here.

The €30,- or so MDF spraying 'booth' made by Hobbyzone is not going to cut it, since it has no ventilation/suction, so paint will get everywhere.

If you have a shed or garage you don't care about, I suppose a good light and a cut up cardboard box in combination with a lazy susan will serve you well. But I need to do my airbrushing on my hobby desk, which is in the same room I also have my gaming table and display cases in, so settling clouds of paint are the last thing I want in there.

Which means a complete spraying booth, with an air filter is another expenditure. The ones I saw on Amazon and other channels rack in at about €150,- or so, but I feel it's an essential piece of kit.

So, my €30,- investment will eventually turn into at least a €220,- investment, and that's for an ultra-cheap airbrush that may not even be satisfactory. Which means I would probably be getting a new compressor first, then a better airbrush (because it would be a waste of a good spraying booth otherwise, right?), and so on.

In conclusion; in my enthusiasm, I jumped in with a minimal investment, but before I can even start experimenting with it, a lot more money needs to be spent. You'll be well advised to weigh these extra costs against your projected gains before taking the plunge!

[Major_Gilbear]

Yeah, I've been tempted by getting a "cheap" airbrush too, but Deaothar's post exactly sums up why I haven't bought one.

Technically, you can use quite a lot of shortcuts to reduce cost and equipment requirements, but to get this to work suitably well generally requires extensive experience and knowledge of what you're doing in the first place.

Still, if you have a compressor already, you can get a moisture trap and cheap airbrush for not much money. You can use clear-coloured alcohol-based window cleaner instead of thinner, and a small jam jar for cleaning out in. If you also have somewhere like a shed or garage that you can make a mess in, and suitable mask to wear whilst you spray, it may be worth a go - at that point the investment is tiny, and you'll know if it's something you want to get into more or not. I wouldn't expect high-end results from a setup like this (especially if you're just starting out), but you should get reasonably decent results for terrain or applying initial basecoats to squads or vehicles.

[Burgundavia]

I got a cheap one for my birthday last year - the basic ~$150 dollar Chinese knockoff one - dual action, separate tank, etc. I find it well worth it for painting scenery. It takes mass painting scenery from a task that takes all day to one that takes a few hours.

From what I've read, you need to go cheap enough to not be worried about damaging it but expensive enough to be be good. So gravity flow, dual action, with a compressor tank is what I read.

[Blackwolf]

When I get home from work today I'll take a telephone photograph of a T-34 I painted in about 10 minutes to table  top standard with my airbrush, just to show what can be done

[Dr DeAth]

I've been using an airbrush for a couple of years now, I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I've been happy with my results.

If you're looking to replace your brushes with an airbrush, that's going to take time and money, but if you're looking to add some flexibility and save a bit of time on some things then I'd suggest you invest in one, especially if you already have a good compressor.  Don't know what your neighbour gave you, but if it's got a tank, a moisture trap and you can regulate a steady airflow between 10 and 25 PSI then you're off to a good start.

Buy a decent airbrush - I'd suggest something like an Iwata Eclipse, gravity fed and dual action (you regulate paint and air flow, so more control over results).  I wouldn't recommend a cheap 'chinese' airbrush, they might produce good results in the hands of an experience airbrusher, but not someone starting out. They're arguably harder to maintain and clean, which is key to getting good, consistent results.

I'm going to get flamed for this next statement I'm sure, and I'll caveat it by saying I'm not a doctor and you should double check for yourself, but I don't think you need worry about buying an expensive spray booth.  If you're only spraying acrylic  (not enamel or spirit based paints) then a home made booth will be fine - plenty of YouTube videos showing how to make one from a cardboard box and cheap bathroom extractor fan.

So if you buy a good airbrush, make a cheap booth and spend a small amount of money on some airbrush cleaner and flow improver then you'll have a useful setup that will let you prime and undercoat/basecoat figures, vehicles and terrain with very little practice (you'll need to watch some videos, there are plenty about).  It'll also be useful for varnishing figures quickly too - you'll might even save money on rattle cans to offset some of your spend.

Once you've got the hang of the basics then the airbrush is great for painting vehicles and buildings and other large pieces of terrain.  Once you've got some confidence with the airbrush you'll no doubt be doing zenithal shading and blocking in colours on figures, spraying glazes/washes over zenthal highlighted figures and doing fancy camo patterns on stuff too.

Personally, I suggest you give one a go.

[Blackwolf]

Excellent post Dr Death!

[Dr DeAth]

Excellent post Dr Death!

Thanks 

[syrinx0]

I agree with Dr DeAth.  I eventually bought a commercial hood but that was due to others in my house not appreciating any smell at all. 

I like my Badger airbrushes.  Makes priming and base coating quick.  Still working on fine control but I don't regret buying an airbrush.

[Blackwolf]

T-34 painted in about 10 minutes, details another 20,not including decals .
 

[ulverston]

You won't regret your investment. I am totally new to the airbrush thing but once the initial expense is out of the way they do make life easier. I have used mine for undercoating and basic colours especially on vehicles. It does make painting large areas much easier and quicker.
Go for it and enjoy.