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Hey everyone,
So I know there is a ton of airbrush threads and I didn't really want to start a new one but after looking for a while I can't seem to find the right answer.
Basically I want an airbrush for base coating my vehicles and that's about it. Most threads say that you need to spend like $200+ to get a good compressor and airbrush. I don't really want to spend that much.

I found this one on ebay
http://m.ebay.ca/itm/360754698823?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

I was just wondering if this would be fine to do base coating only. 4 cans of army painter primer is this much
I understand that it won't be the best but will it be fine for base coating and not much else?

I'll probably get some heat for starting another airbrush thread and asking about cheap budget options so sorry about that.
Just don't want to drop $150-200+ on airbrush kits that I will use to base coat.

No, the compressor is no good. You get what you pay for. Honestly, using something like the Vallejo primers and some w&n varnish, and you'll pay off the investment in short order.

All those threads say the same thing for a reason.

Is the problem with the compressor that it doesn't have a tank? Because it does go at 30psi, I know it's probably gunna burn out quick but the amount of painting I do I can't seem to justify the money some people pay for them.

I got a cheap compressor with 2 airbrushes for Christmas and added a veda wd-180 gravity fed airbrush aswell all in it came to £102 (GBP)
It's amazing and would easily do what you want.
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/200600974912?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

Thanks for the link!
I have looked at a few similar packages but it's the shipping that kills, $100 Canadian for the kit plus $50 for shipping and then another $20ish for import charges. That's why it's expensive since there aren't many places in canada that have free shipping plus good deals on airbrushes.

Grab a cheapo airbrush that comes in a blue box. Any one of them will do. Over here we can get them for about 15 quid, but looks like you might need to pay a wee bit more. Still a good deal though. Here are a few examples. Check this one and this one. Just look around. I'm sure you can find a good deal. You can do pretty fine precision work with the .2 and .3 mm needles as well as basecoating. I was living in Canada about three years ago, and I'm sure you can grab a cheap compressor at one of these places. Just, head to Canadian Tire, Home Depot, and the like and grab an air compressor there. This one will give you a two gallon tank for under a bill.

Thanks for the info! I was looking at just getting the airbrush as I do have 2 work compressors with tanks (20 gallon and a smaller one) I was under the impression that you can't hook up the airbrush to it tho?

Is there a special hose needed? Because I think the hoses I have are 3/4 inch which won't work.
Do you know what kind of hose I need?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Thanks for the info! I was looking at just getting the airbrush as I do have 2 work compressors with tanks (20 gallon and a smaller one) I was under the impression that you can't hook up the airbrush to it tho?

Is there a special hose needed? Because I think the hoses I have are 3/4 inch which won't work.
Do you know what kind of hose I need?

Compressed air is compressed air. But, you'll want to grab some accessories. You just need an adapter so that the airbrush will plug into your hose which goes into the tank.

You'll probably also want to get a quick release with pressure control so you can control the pressure easily. Grab a moisture trap for the compressor if it doesn't already have one. I like to use an inline moisture trap in addition to the one off the tank.

Oh, also you should get a refillable respirator that is classed to protect you from the atomized paint particles. This is probably your most important buy. I like 3M cause the refill cartridges are easy to find.

Good tips thanks! Are the adapters easy to find? Are the hoses 1/4 inch or 1/8th inch?

I will definitely have to look for some of that stuff tho, I will just find the adapter and get the cheaper airbrush then some accessories.

There are several different fittings for the hoses. A lot of hoses have the 1/4 inch on one end and 1/8 on the other. But it really doesn't matter, just grab yourself the necessary adapters so that everything mates together nicely.

They are easy to find and inexpensive. Once you know what sizes you need check places like home hardware, canadian tire, home depot, etc. or else you can just order from ebay or amazon.

I'd recommend something a bit better and here is why. How often in this hobby do we start with something small and end up with way to much? The same principle is inherent in this. You'll start out priming and base coating, then want to start highlighting and blending, next thing you know you will want to try OSL and rusting etc. Do yourself a favor and get something that can handle it all and you'll never regret it.

This was a bit cheaper a couple of weeks ago but it is still a good price if you want something a little better. Seriously though, any dual action gravity feed will give you solid results. And the cheap ones give you the whole brush, often with extra needles, for the less than the price of replacement parts for the brand name varieties. Your call in any case. Have fun.

I have an AS186 compressor and it is fine for basic airbrushing. I use it to prime and base-coat models and terrain but it does heat up pretty quickly (takes about 30min of almost constant use but It has not shut off due to overheating .... yet. ) but I do live where ambient temps are around 30 deg C. It is pretty quiet for a cheap compressor and when i close the door to the garage and walk a few meters away I can't hear it at all!

The cheap airbrush it came with kind of does the trick but is pretty nasty.

I grabbed a Badger 350 pretty cheap (half price to what they are locally over here).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001517UM4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

as well as Patriot 150 as the reviews of these are really positive. Seems to be a great all-rounder!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W84GTO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can't wait to use them! Don't go too cheap. You'll regret it and get really frustrated!

These guys have some reasonable prices on whole sets.


http://www.tcpglobal.com/?gclid=CJa32I6ugLwCFQWTfgod3BwARA

For the compressor, I picked up http://www.homedepot.ca/product/3010-10-hp-30-gal-ultra-quiet-oil-free-steel-tank-air-compressor/998790 mainly because it's quiet. My set-up is in the basement so controlling the sound is important when trying to airbrush when the wife and kids are in bed. It's also powerful enough to be used around the house on home projects with my brad and framing nailers.

I bought a more expensive airbrush along with a very very basic one and I never use the basic one. The control and spray using the better one (H&S Evolution) was just sooo much better even in my inexperienced hands, it made a huge difference.
Also, I'm not sure what brand of AB you linked but you have to think about getting replacement parts at some point. You'll damage the needs, gaskets and springs may need to be replaced, and you don't want to have to replace your whole kit because you cant easily get the parts.

As others have said, don't go with the bottom rung stuff when it comes to hobby tools as you'll soon be replacing it with something better. Go mid-level and you should be good until you become a pro, if not beyond.

I'm in Ottawa and I have ordered a lot of things from http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/ Not always the cheapest price but their customer service is great and they have frequent sales and coupons if you sign up for their emails and those make the difference.