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Well I went and found a $4 adaptor to fit it, and did some test spraying.

I'm sad to report that while it sprays a very nice fine line, the needle limiter is ..OK, not very accurate, but it works, the worst part is the trigger..when you let go of the trigger it is supposed to stop airflow, this one sticks, keeps a slight air flow until you pull up on the trigger slightly. I am sad. I suppose it'll be good for primer coats, basecoats, washes, and other general dirty work.

Ah thats a shame Would make painting detail mind destroyingly frustrating id imagine

Well, the paint flow isn't on, just the airflow, just annoying.

Hey, don't be sad For $12 you have a spare for those jobs like priming etc that you mention, it's sounds pretty good for that price - what does that silly GW thingy go for?


Is there a chance to adjust the tension on the trigger? Swap out a spring or something similar?

I's in the valve that is attached to the trigger..a strange design, I must admit, Badger has much better/simpler parts design, I've read that this is a copy of the Iwata CS, so I'd assume the Iwata is designed similarly. maybe a seal or tiny O-ring or something..


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Remember, I ordered two of these airbrushes, so I swapped the valve assembly from the other - Works a treat now boss

..And now for an actual paint test



Metallics are a bitch with any airbrush I've ever tried them with, this one is no exception



Much better control now.

Voted on the top one, gave 10-10 all across the board

Thanks Shas! Appreciate it!

enough playing for tonight.
Bottom line: I wouldn't recommend this as your first airbrush, funny little problems could discourage you, but for the price, buy a spare for parts and enjoy

Dave, any of these suitable for my stuff? I'm still really not very bright when it comes to working out what will fit scale wise! I see some with the O but not sure if it's the part number? I figure as you have a history of working with this you may shed some light for me?
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Stairs-Ladders-Railing-s/3244.htm


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Oh just found this too lol! thought of you! Awwwwww :-)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Praetorian-Imperial-Guard-Lascannon-Team-/330827792863?pt=AU_Miniatures&hash=item4d06df81df

Dude, Z, N, and HO stairs are tiny- you need O or about 1:48 scale.
Styrene is what we usually use, but PLastruct also makes things in ABS (LEGO-like plastic), which are stronger and they always mold ABS in Dark Grey.

Mind you, these stairs look correctly to scale to our minis, but a mini with a base can't stand on a step. If you wan that functionality for games, you almost need to scratchbuild the stairs, but they will look funny next to these.

Great looking wall, Dave! Just out of interest, how long did that take you, start to finish?

I'm really close to picking up an airbrush - they seem to have such great potential, and so many techniques almost require them... Could you please talk me out of buying one? I'm super jealous of your badgers, but there must be a serious downside, or everyone would be using them

Thanks Scarp, well according to the timestamps of the posts less than 3 hours including modest dry time between coats.

Well, you want to get a brand that you can source parts locally if possible, otherwise you should stock up on extra needles and nozzles. Nothing sucks worse than bending a needle mid-project. You should always buy the best airbrush you can afford, and I realize now why everyone talks about having a backup airbrush too. The top brands are Badger, and Paasche made in the US, Iwata is Japanese, and Grex is made in Taiwan. I would avoid Testors/Aztek, they just seem cheap. The part that sucks the most about choosing an airbrush is there is no way to try them before you buy them. At GenCon, Grex was the only company there offering hands-on testing. You also really need to hold the thing in your hand. I know it sounds funny, but better quality airbrushes really do just "feel" better in your hand, they have a heft to them. This Master is sort of front-heavy, you want a nice heavy metal handle to balance that weight when you paint. The real trade-off when using a "detail" airbrush like my Badger renegade Krome is the needle/nozzle size. The smaller the needle/nozzle, the finer line you can spray,but that requires more careful paint manipulation with thinner. Vallejo Air paints are pre-thinned with high pigment, but with my Renegade with it's .3mm needle, I still need to add a few drops of acrylic thinner. To use it straight from the bottle, I need to use my "general purpose" airbrush, my Badger Patriot 105. Look at the needles and nozzles

Renegade Ultra-fine on top
Patriot GP on bottom
See how not just the point of the needle matters, but also the taper, length of taper, and how much opening you get when the trigger pulls the needle back and creates that opening in the tip.

It's not that there is something wrong because not everyone uses a Badger, it's just that I can e-mail the CEO of the company with questions and he will reply personally every time. And us wargamers are a market that Airbrush makers don't really know about.

Interesting to see the parts of the airbrush exposed.

It all seemed so complicated to me when I started, A clog would baffle and frustrate me, the more I learn about the innards, the more confident I am using the tool.

Dave, thanks for the actual images! 1:48 or O scale, I was looking for O scale but wasn't sure about the numerical translation into correct sizes for gaming, I only want them for aesthetics so models won't be standing on them, I can find a bunch of online places to get them but just wasn't sure when I was bombarded by pages and pages of numbers and plastic tubes, strips and doodads! :-)

Yep! There are a lot of doodads for sure

I've never painted a figure with the Renegade detail airbrush, so that's what I did to Col. Schaeffer.



From there, I used a trusty old brush. It really did speed up painting





It's about time, I've had this mini for at least 5-6 years now

Ah, Col. Schaefer. Yes, that man needs to be colored up!

Just needs the end of the cigar lit now.

For shame! I expected you to be highlighting with the AB

Always good to get the early steps out of the way faster

IIRC my Schaeffer is primed with one blue shoulder pad, and had been since before I moved to the boat, so 6+ years now


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And nerdfest, why the confusion - get them all

The downsides of using an airbrush:

1) Cost. Really, your first airbrush is going to cost around $300 for something of good quality. And you really don't want to skimp, here. Brush, compressor, some spare repair bits. Once you get over this initial hurdle...

2) "Brushes". It costs $20 to buy a good sable brush. It costs $100+ to buy a good airbrush. And you're going to want a general purpose airbrush and a fine detail airbrush.

3) Learning curve. It takes time and practice. Not a lot, if you sit down and just play with the airbrush. But there's definitely a curve. Just like any other skill.

4) Modification to your paint area. You need to be able to put down an airbrush station. It can be nothing more than a cardboard box you've cut open, but you really need a place you can spray without covering your work area with a fine mist. People who do a lot of airbrushing, or use more toxic paints, build a fan and exhaust port, right below the main port.

You'll also want thinner, maybe consider pre-mixed paints (because mixing is a pain in the arse). Definitely a painting mask ($30) to avoid breathing in fine particulate matter.

On top of all of this, you'll still need regular ole' brushes and paint. Unless you become a true airbrush master, and those people are ka-razy.

--B.

Good points, but when you only use acrylics, no special area or venting is needed, I just put up a board and take it down- takes 2 seconds.


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I'd like to officially announce the return to Necromunda, as my FLGS is starting a Munda tournament in Dec. and I'm very excited about it.

I came to truly value my airbrush when painting marines. It got to the point where i could do one marine in 15 minutes (including hand brush work).


edit: Great news dave! Looking forward to seeing some 'munda again.

 dsteingass wrote:
Good points, but when you only use acrylics, no special area or venting is needed, I just put up a board and take it down- takes 2 seconds.

I still advocate a cheap spray booth, but a board works as well.

Looking forward to the return to 'munda, Dave.

That weathering on the tank is sick.

Thanks guys! I MUST focus first and foremost on painting a gang I want to run, then have some more terrain ideas. This time though, I want to steal heavily from the old Studio Terrain, the infamous landing pad with the cargo lift specifically.

Oh hell yeah that sounds great! more Munda! more terrain! more awesome!

I forget if I have posted before on your wonderful blog, all your stuff is great and some excellent airbrush guidance to boot - must get mine out of the box and buy some Vallejo Model Air... Looking forward to your munda return...

Thanks Nerd and Ruglud!
Orlocks get basecoats

Ohh, incoming gangers and 'munda terrain! Good news

Going for Orlocks, or just prepping them anyways?

Oh yes back to the good ol days of Munda these guys are gonna be great

Hahaha, fantastic. I've been working on the same gang for like a year, and Dave's like: "I think I'll get back into 'Munda today" and BAM. Entire gang basecoated.

I'm really excited that you're scratching that itch again though - Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Thank you so much for all the tips on the airbrushes too - I'm swaying more and more towards getting one now that I'm actually getting paid. It's all the technological complexity that puts me off at the moment - it all seems so impenetrable. Would probably be a really steep learning curve, like you said, but a totally worthwhile payoff if you can weather the initial difficulties. Hmmm...