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As the title says, I was considering getting an airbrush. However, I don't know much about airbrushes, so I'm not sure what to go for.

I want a decent one (not necessarily a super-fandango-professional-type-thing) but not for an enormous price (£45 is really as far as I'm prepared to go). Does anyone have any reccomendations on airbrushes?


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is that the price your willing to pay with or without a compressor???
the problem is for that price you can find some pretty good airbrushes without an compressor... maybe a airbrush with an propellant...
i know that if you look on ebay for starter airbrushes with a propellant you can find one for maybe half that price to see if airbrushing is even your thing

I love my Paasche Talon. But there is no such thing as a perfect or best airbrush. It's all a matter of preference and what works with your budget.

My Talon ran me about $90 on ebay with a full needle set, and my compressor ran another $70 from Harbor Freight.

Aerethan wrote:I love my Paasche Talon.

I also wholly recommend this one.

My first airbrush was the Rich-RB2

http://ik-painter.blogspot.com/2011/08/advanced-tools-iii-rich-rb-2-airbrush.html

and here's my review for the Paasche Talon, my second brush.

http://ik-painter.blogspot.com/2011/08/advanced-tools-iv-paasche-talon.html

Cheers,


IK-Painter

Any brush that meets your price range in the Badger or Pasche line would be good choices. If at all possible, go ahead and get a dual action brush and start learning with it.

A compressor is just about a required item if your going to do a lot of painting. Do not use the "canned air" (i.e. propell). It is very difficult to use at best.

If you don't want to get a compressor, then use an air pig (i.e. a large air storage tank, spare tire, etc.) that you can fill up at the local gas station. You will still have to make sure you can adjust the outgoing pressure of your air pig.

Just some suggestions. I hope this helps.


In addition, whichever brush you wind up getting, keep it clean. Almost all the issues I've ever seen anyone have with an airbrush are due to it not being kept clean.

Multi-Purpose Gravity Feed Dual-Action Airbrush with Air Compressor and Hose Kit
by Airbrush Depot

I got this on on Amazon for 80 dollars. Works good for me since I used it to get my scales on my Star Adder Chapter

Iwata Eclipse.....'nuff said.

except this.....

"the cheap is expensive"

Ashton

What about the new iwata neo brushes?

Skippy wrote:What about the new iwata neo brushes?

Not familiar with that one...not to say that it is bad or good, I just dont know....however if I was to ever switch from my Iwata, the only other brand that I would change to would be this one;

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/hastevso.html

Ashton

Just started learning to airbrush... but so far I'm loving my Iwata Eclipse.

Thanks everyone. What's the cheapest you can get a compressor for?

Squigsquasher wrote:Thanks everyone. What's the cheapest you can get a compressor for?

The cheap is expensive my friend.....save your pennies.

Ashton

I bought a cheap compressor to start, and i'm regretting it.

It has no PSI regulator, so it is way too high pressure for my airbrush and I can't adjust it.

During long paint sessions, it shoots water out of my airbrush... there's nothing like ruining a model because a burst of water shoots out and spatters paint all over.

I just bought a new air compressor, hopefully it will work better.

Cost like $120 for a good brush, and like $150 for a good compressor.. going cheap on either will just result in you being frustrated and quitting, or buying new stuff, making your initial purchases a waste.

Redfinger wrote:

Skippy wrote:What about the new iwata neo brushes?

Not familiar with that one...not to say that it is bad or good, I just dont know....however if I was to ever switch from my Iwata, the only other brand that I would change to would be this one;

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/hastevso.html

Ashton

Yes, i dont know anything about them either, i just stumbled across them the other day here http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/neo-for-iwata-cn-gravity-feed-airbrush.html?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=gshopping

Theres a review here if anyone is interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY4sxN12Uss

Redfinger wrote:

Squigsquasher wrote:Thanks everyone. What's the cheapest you can get a compressor for?

The cheap is expensive my friend.....save your pennies.

Ashton

In Germany we have a saying: "He who buys cheap, buys twice"

for a compressor you need one with a regulator and a water trap.

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

this one works just fine if you are in the US. It has the required parts and is whisper quiet.

i bought an airbrush and compressor, the compressor was fine but the airbrush never worked, it just sort of spat paint out of the well...

i have a tanning airbrush that fits onto the compressor, if i changed the nozzle, would this work?

Airbrushes that are designed for specific tasks should be used for said task. If you have an airbrush for spray on tanning, it's designed just for that and may not work well for smaller things like models.

Also, it's almost never worth the money to buy a cheap airbrush IF you are serious about wanting to use one on a regular basis. If all you want to do is primer and base coat, then a cheap one will work. If you intend to do shading and gradients, then a cheap one is a waste of money as it won't do well.

A regulator and a water trap for your air compressor are must requirements.

Everyone I've heard who has used an Iwata loves them. I haven't used one yet so I can't speak to them.

The Badger 150 I have works well and has held up for over 20 years. If you can't swing the price of the Iwata, then either the Badger or Pasche make good brushes.

Thread necromancy, I know, but what's the best place to get these things from?

http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/

I ordered my airbrushing supplies from : http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/

I got an Iwata HP-CS, http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/iwechp.html

and a paasche D3000R, http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/d3000.html

You'll need an airbrush hose with that, combined with a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. Total cost is around $300.

http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=PAS+TG-3F $115(includes hose and all 3 needle sizes)
http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/compress.aspx#abd_tc20$ TC-20T $150

That is what I use. Affordable with great performance.

Iwata Eclipse is the perfect starter airbrush if you think you'll get into more advanced techniques in the near future. Great components and Iwata has great warranty and customer service. I would recommend an Iwata compressor as well but seems like its out of your price range. Just make sure you get a compressor with a regulator and water trap and it should be fine for now. I can say from experience though that going cheap is not a great idea. I went cheap, got a setup from harbor freight to try and learn with and it produced a poor quality paintjob and was impossible to progress and learn more advanced techniques. Ended up spending about $300 on a decent starter package from Iwata. In hindsight I should have spent the extra scratch on decent equipment from the start. It's worth it, and once you start putting out that awesome paintjob with the airbrush you'll be hooked. Good luck in your adventure!

Buy a double-action if you want to control paint flow while spraying. Badger makes some great sets that aren't too expensive and that come with different size needles and nozzles. A Badger 150 is a good one, it's the one I got my first less on from GW's John Shaffer.

If you can't find a good price in local shops, try http://www.bearair.com/. They heavily discount everything and usually throw in some free stuff with your first order. Mine came with a free video on air brush basics that was quite helpful.


UPDATE, November 9

Fantastic deals started today at BearAir:
http://www.bearair.com/Holiday-Gift-Guide/departments/1587/

Some great combination offers in there. A compressor and airbrush for $125 US!