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Without a tank, the pressure fluctuates as the diaphram in the pump sends pulses of air out. At lower pressures its not much of an issue, but once you start getting to around 20+ psi (which is about the minimum needed to push thinned GW paint) you'll start noticing the pulsing affecting your paint flow. If you were to paint a straight line the effect is sort of like this:(dont laugh at me lamer asci graphics!)

--o--o--o--o--o--o

So, it can screw up detail work, or cause spidering if your brush is too close. It does have one minor benefit of seeming to keep your nozzle from blocking up as often- but you're usually too busy swearing at the results to notice

So, a tank with a regulator is nice ot have to get nice smooth airflow.

I've skipped over the last few posts but saw something that got my attention.

Almost all online tutorials say to use ammonia free windex. Mine is an organic off brand glass cleaner that is 100% safe. I've also never had ANY buildup or drawback to using it.

For people looking for a cheap air supply with tank:
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/oilless-compressors/1-3-hp-3-gallon-100-psi-oilless-air-compressor-97080.html

the regulators work just fine on these, all you need to add is a water trap. If it's coming from an air tank, the compressor itself is of little importance aside from noise and perhaps how fast it fills. Neither of those factors are issues for me.
I also like these as they have 2 gauges: 1 for the current tank pressure, and one for your output. This lets you know when your tank is full, and also watch your output volume.

Now this is a thread that I needed to find, thanks everyone!

Buying an airbrush is just one part of the equation, type of paint is the other. I would like to recommend Vallejo model air paints. They are a dream to paint with. I do not need to thin them, you can use them straight from the bottle.
Best metallics I have ever used. I spray at 18 psig and they
give terrific coverage. Well worth the investment for airbrushing.

Tamiya acrylic paint + thinner, cannot be beat. Really not sure if you need the thinner, but it increases coverage and lets you get a nice smooth coat.

Today I bought a Harbor Freight CentralPneumatic oilless compressor for 59.99 and let me tell you it is life changing!!!

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-8-eighth-hp-40-psi-oilless-airbrush-compressor-93657.html

Mind you I was skeptical but I decided that the oilless I had wasn't cutting it and I didn't want to spend a absurd amount of money nor did I want to deal with the noise of a pancake compressor(My roomates would flipsh#t) lol. So I did some looking around online and found this Harbor Freight compressor for relatively cheap. I went to a local store picked it up, still very skeptical mind you. I got it home, unboxed and used it for a good to and a half hours solid. It only runs while your using your brush, super quite and the best part... no pulse action at all... CONSTANT PRESSURE!!! This thing is a dream. It has a pressure regulator built on, with a moisture trap that both work very well.

Currently I'm using a Snap-on Siphon feed brush which I love. I use Golden Airbrush medium with a 1:1 ratio and I use GW paints. I use a toothpick to dab into the paint pot and mix my paints drop by drop directly in the paint pot. I think I'm going to buy this brush here in the next week because its a great price and has gotten rave reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013NBQLA/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A23ADOZFIJNPFB

Here's some poorly taken photos lol. No detail work just base coats






Terminator

MoM thanks again for all your great advice and efforts. I now am the happy owner of 2 ps-900's and a Sparmax 610h, and am about to dedicate myself hardcore to air-brush-fu!

Note on that subject, I would like to recommend the Mathieu Fontaine Miniature mentor Dread Airbrush and weathering tutorial as an excellent place to get up to speed on what to expect and good fundamental technique!

http://www.miniaturementor.com/painting_tutorials.html

about halfway down, white weathered dread -

Eh, ignore me, though still curious if there's any difference between the PS900 and the G44 beyond the name (and whoo tapered paint thing wossname).

I've recently been given a gift of a airbrush (hooray for amazon wishlists), but it seems TCP Global sent out a "Master Airbrush G44" rather than the Pro tools PS 900. Has anyone any experience with this airbrush?

Amazon reviews suggest it to be lackluster, but a google search suggests it's not a bad bit of kit, any first hand experience here with the brand?

I have a Masters G23 and it does everything I need it to do... which is basically spray metallics that I won't put in my other AB's.

The only problem I've had is that the seals are pretty crappy and leak air. This problem was solved rather easily with 'Bees Wax'.

In the US you can buy a 'Toilet Repair Gasket' that is basically a cylindrical tub filled with Bees Wax... and it's cheap!

Nephilem wrote:Eh, ignore me, though still curious if there's any difference between the PS900 and the G44 beyond the name (and whoo tapered paint thing wossname).

I've recently been given a gift of a airbrush (hooray for amazon wishlists), but it seems TCP Global sent out a "Master Airbrush G44" rather than the Pro tools PS 900. Has anyone any experience with this airbrush?

Amazon reviews suggest it to be lackluster, but a google search suggests it's not a bad bit of kit, any first hand experience here with the brand?

Im pretty sure the g44 is the ps900, a different company picked up the importation and seem to have slapped a new logo on and sort of rebranded them.

I have several Master airbrushes. I have the Master G444
set and it is a pretty good airbrush. The cup is a little large
for what I use it for. I use my Master G41 and G48 for painting mini's.The G41 holds about 6 drops of Vallejo
model air paint and is great for detail. I also have a Master
G79 which is great for laying down a lot of paint, great for
terrain. I purchased all of these from TCP global, they have
great customer service.

I know this is a bit late on the discussion but I bought a nice airbrush on ebay for 140 including shipping and came with a compressor. I think you should do an article but also include headings and subheadings to organize thoughts and ideas. Overall great read.

Gaaahhhh!! I am sorry for the Threadcromancy, but I have something to add!

I've had an airbrush (Badger siphon feed) for about 2 decades, and never used it much, mostly because when I first bought it I got a cheap tankless compressor, and I couldn't stand the pulsing, so I forgot about it. Then this spring i got a cheap 3 gallon tank air-compressor at Harbor Freight. I love it! It works great for airbrushing needs! It even pumps up tires if you don't mind how long it takes. Then I got into Airbrush Tattoos. Which is a whole different can of worms, but I am often at a place where I don't have access to power. So I switched to Compressed CO2! You can rent a 20 lb. tank for around $10 (or less) per month, plus a $20 tank fill charge, and get a regulator at Harbor Frieght for around $25. If you buy your tank out-right, you'll expect to pay around $100 to $130, I didn't go that route, but I might in the future. For me, at least for now, renting is the way to go. So, if you are on a budget, like me, $60+/- plus a small rental fee for a completely silent, electricty-free alternative to an aircompressor is the way to go! If I had heard about this alternative ealier, I wouldn't have bought the aircompressor at all. I just wanted to let others who are looking into this to have additional options. If you have any questions about CO2 tanks, send me a PM and I'll tell you what I know.

On the down-side, however, the tank is heavy, and I had to put mine in a hiking backpack to haul it around. But the one I am renting is made of steel, they also make aluminum ones that are much lighter, and they make smaller ones too that are more portable, but obviously don't hold as much CO2. As for places to find them, Norco in the USA is always an option, but I have found they are over-priced. If you have a welding supply place near you, I would try there, they seem to be more resonable. Also, a note of caution, you can find regulators that will go for as much as $400! You don't need anything fancy! Go to Harbor Freight! The spendy ones are for welding and stuff where a leak could blow you up! Co2 won't kill you, maybe if you are in an airtight room and you use it for hours...but if you are spraying paint, what on earth are you doing without propper ventilation!?!?!

Also, on the matter of airbrushes, you get what you pay for. The cheap ones will be fine for base-coating, and maybe even for shadows and area highlighting, but they won't be any good for smaller more detailed work, like stenciling logos on vehicles or shoulder pads. I'm not saying to spend hundreds, just don't go over-board just because "it's the best"! If all you are doing to base coating, why spend more money than you have to? Unless you eventually want to get better, and do more things like stenciling emblems and stuff, then you don't want to pay for something twice, right?

I'm sure I may have repeated somethings that others have said, I first read this thread quite some time agao, and it helped get me motivated at the time. But I don't recall anyone talking about Compressed CO2, so I wanted to talk about that possibility.

Cheers!

Jake

I've got to say. I have a Paasche VL double action airbrush and have had it for quite a while.

On a eggroll's recommendation I searched out and found a VEDA 180 on ebay. It's essentially a chinese clone of the Iwata Revolution and I have to say, it's easily as good as the paasche and I've found I have improved quite substancially by having a gravity fed airbrush.

So there's deals to be had but remember, you won't get any support from the chinese knockoffs you get on ebay. Think about it as disposable and you'll be sweet.