Airbrush considerations?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m looking to get an airbrush but don’t know much about them. Back in the 1970’s Paasche reputedly made good ones, but while I don’t misd spending money on solid quality tools, I don’t like to throw it away.

I have a compressor, 125 PSI, 1 gallon tank, 1.4 cubic feet per minute that keeps up with my smaller nail guns, but which works pretty hard to keep up with an 8 penny finish nailer. Will this work with an airbrush or will I need a bigger one?

What are the main considerations when buying an airbrush? About how much do you recommend spending to get a quality tool that will deliver years of good service?

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

2

Your compressor will work fine… Make sure to add a water trap. Paasche is still a great brand… In my opinion the only decision you need to make is what Type you want… Single action or Double action… Single, the paint nozzle has a constant opening, though adjustable at the nozzle, and you simply spray paint. The double action is more like a painters spray gun, using a needle that is moved in and out via the trigger to adjust paint flow…

Single, Look at the Paasche H
Double, VL

http://www.paascheairbrush.com/

I’ve had my H for 30 years. Keep it clean, it’ll last for ever (almost anyway)… Had the VL airbrushes for about 25 years, same advice.

I know Badger also makes a good tool but I’m not experienced with them…

Good luck,
Jeff

3

i would recommend the badger 155 anthem. it is half the price of the paasche or the iwata. they are easy to get spares for and it is dead easy to clean. also its single nozzle/needle configuration makes it ideal for our modelling applications.

you will need a pressure regulator and moisture trap to reduce that pressure. graphic atrists normaly use about 15-20psi. i spray fairly thick enamels and so i turn it up to about 30-35psi.

unless you plan on spraying the great wall of china then you will not have a problem with capacity on your compressor! your resevoir is far larger than mine.

one thing i would recomment is splashing out on a decent 10 foot braided hose. they make life so much easier. i could not believe the difference it made to the way i handled the brush and it showed in my results. i think that is as important as choosing the right brush.

it is an english page but phoenix precision paints has a good hints page that pispells alot of the myths (like cleaning your items with washing up liquid before spraying (dont EVER do that!))
you can find it here http://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/hints.asp

Hope this helps you out.

Peter Morgan

4

I just got my Paasche H. I have not tried it yet but I’m sure I will be happy with it. It seems that the Paasche H is a very common airbrush. You can get a good price at ebay.

5

I have had a Paasche single action for 30 years and am very happy with it. A friend bought a cheap Testor’s single action and it seems to work great as well.

6

Here is my two cents worth on this topic [2c], if you are going to be using an air brush a lot, make sure you have the proper saftety equipment. #1. You should have a vented spray booth with an ehaust fan that will suck the paint fumes from your working environment to the outside. A respirator with good filters is also worth having. Many of the paints that are used in our hobby are solvent based, they are flammable and there are individuals who have died of various types of cancer due to long term exposure to the chemical makeup of solvent based paints. I don’t have any of this equipment, which is one very good reason why I choose to have locomotives and rolling stock custom painted by someone who does.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

7

Thanks to all for the help and advice.

The compressor I have (Senco PC1010) has a pressure regulator already on it, along with a bleed off valve, handy for switching from a nailgun that uses 125 PSI to an airbrush at 20 to 40 PSI. It doesn’t have a water trap. Where do you go looking for one of these? Tool store that sells compressors or a hobby shop that sells airbrushes?

What makes a good water trap? What makes a bad water trap?

What other accessories do you recommend? I intend to paint locos and rolling stock, buildings, and terrain on a small layout.

Why would I want a single action airbrush? Why would i want a double action airbrush? Sorry for so many questions, but at this point, all I really know is that I’m not going to get where I want to go using cans of spray paint and after that it’s all a blank wall.

8

I don’t have the answer for you on where to get stuff Jeffers.

My take on single versus double action:

Single - trigger only controls airflow, paint flow is controlled separately. You can’t alter paint flow mid-stroke. This means less finesse in control of paint flow. But they’re easier to use.
Double - Trigger controls paint and air flow (typically up-down = air, forward-backward = paint). In one stroke you can go from barest mist of paint to full-bore and back again. This gives more finesse in control of paint flow, but it’s harder to use effectively. If nothing else, I think I can safely say a great deal more practice is required to achieve effective results.

I use a single myself. I’ve found that for modeling purposes, I don’t need the ‘on the fly’ paint flow control of a double action, and those I’ve tried I’ve had great difficulty using well anyway. I think the doubles are more used by artists than hobbyists. My impression, from this question being asked in the past, is that most folks on this and similar boards use single-action.

But I’m sure there are those who swear by double-action too, let’s see what they have to say.

9

Good deal, Kchronister, now I know the difference between single and double action. I had been thinking I was going to have to pull back the hammer for every pass and leaning towards a double action unit before.

:slight_smile:

Can I assume that airbrushes for sale at hobby shops include basic accessories for model work. the right tip size or bottle size, whatever? Why the difference in price from unit to unit? Some run $50, and others are twice that or more. The more expensive ones have bigger boxes, with presumably more stuff inside.

What “stuff” do I need, and what “stuff” is only of use for other than railroading paint work?

10

I gess I’ll chime in on the double acction side.

I have both a Paasche single action “H” model and a double action “VL”. The “H” has been collecting dust for several years now.

I love the versatillity of the double action. And it is not harder to use, in fact with a bit of practice it is easier. Sure, you have learn a little coordination holding down the trigger and pulling back at the same time but with about 20-30 minutes practiice it becomes second nature.

The advantages of control are huge over the single action. It allows you to get up close to hard to reach areas (like under steps on a loco) without flooding the model with paint. You have the ability to go from a mist to full on paint in a continuous motion, very useful for weathering anything from trains , to buildings, to terrain. I’m only scratching the surface here.

Did I mention the double action brushes are easier to clean and maintain as well?

If you choose the Paasche VL, you get 3 different tip/neeedle sizes (spray just about anything from inks to acrylics), a couple of paint bottles (get extras), a paint cup (all I use), and a braided hose. It also comes with instructions with some basic get started hints and practice exersizes. Best $70 I ever spent (you can probably find it for less). I’ve had mine for about 25 years and use it almost daily (I’m a custom builder and painter).

The compressor is plenty big. You only need a regulated 15-40 PSI with water trap.

The differences in prices and brands has a lot to do with their clientelle. Badger and Paasche are generally designed for the hobbyist and graphic artists whereas Wren and Binks come from a more industrial origin and make heavier duty tools wiith a comensurate higher price. Specialization also affects prices. A fine-liner air brush will cost more than general purpose brush etc…

11

Whew! After that I might even have to give double-action another shot myself… Thanks.

12

I got my water trap at Lowes, I think it was around $20.00. Less than half the price of one from Paasche at the LHS. Don’t forget to get what fittings you need to hook everything together.

13

Okay, I feel good, the black hole has been illuminated.

Onetrack, I have several hundred feet of hose and more fittings than I can keep track of from nailgun use, but I suspect there will be at least one male-male instance or size difference that will require an extra trip to the store. You know how that works.

With Modelmaker convincing the single action stalwart Kchronister to give DA another try, I’m powerless to resist, VL it will be.

I have to admit that paint versus no-paint control during a single pass sounds attractive. I’m starting the kids (Jake is 11 and Holly is 5) out with blue box kits, so there will be plenty of practice fodder to get the kinks worked out, and easy clean-up is always a plus.

Paint booth, hmmmmm.

This issue has come up before, during finishing operations for furniture and woodworking operations. Got a pole barn going up starting in spring, but that doesn’t help now. I used the spare bedroom before, closing the door and A/C ducts to cut down on dust, and moving my climbing ropes out so the solvents wouldn’t weaken them, but the thing is, there’s now a railroad shoehorned in there.

How about…old bedsheets hung on three walls of the laundry room, to keep spatter off the walls, a drop cloth or sheet over the washer/dryer “paint bench”, the exterior door open with the glass up on the screen door and a 20 inch window box fan blowing out the screen?

Do I have to worry about the brushes on the box fan igniting the fumes?

What about the 200 amp house mains breaker box in the same room? Water heater in an adjoining closet?

Will the aerosol paint mist waft and paint any uncovered surfaces?

14

Water traps can be purchased from any tool outlet. Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears are a given, but you might even find a water trap in Walmart. Just check what size connections and hoses you have. Without adaptors, it would be impossible to hook in a water trap with 1/2" connections to a 1/4" hose, but 1/4" water traps are available.

15

Something that no one has mentioned is the options for your air supply. I use a air storage tank 5 gallons. I fill it up with a compressor in the garage and use a regulator to keep the pressure where I want it. The nice thing is that it is completely silent to use, and always at a constant pressure. before I bought the compressor I would fill it up at the local gas station. I have a water trap on it as well and it has given me about 10 years of great service so far. Also it was far cheaper than a compressor, and when I did buy a compressor I was able to get a big one that I can use in the garage as well.

16

I like your refillable tank idea, but a couple questions as I’m finally ready to get my airbrush out of the box.

I understand oil-free air is important in painting. Is your compressor oil-free, and if not, does a water trap adequately capture oil as well? Also, how much painting time do you get out of a 5 gallon tank? Would you recommend going bigger or smaller on the tank? What pressure do you fill your tank to? - Thx

quote]Originally posted by scole100

Something that no one has mentioned is the options for your air supply. I use a air storage tank 5 gallons. I fill it up with a compressor in the garage and use a regulator to keep the pressure where I want it. The nice thing is that it is completely silent to use, and always at a constant pressure. before I bought the compressor I would fill it up at the local gas station. I have a water trap on it as well and it has given me about 10 years of great service so far. Also it was far cheaper than a compressor, and when I did buy a compressor I was able to get a big one that I can use in the garage as well.
[/quote]

17

Not sure if you have a Harbor Freight Tools near you but they have good prices on Air stuff.

http://harborfreight.com/

18

I don’t know what SCOLE100 experience is but a 5 gallon tank filled to capacity (about 110PSI) will get a decent paint job on 2 50’ HO scale box cars in my experience… There should be no oil in the lines unless you are putting it there for tools that require it…

Jeff

19

I’ve owned a Paasche VL (double action) for a very long time and have found that they live up to their reputation. Some people have a bit of trouble getting used to a double action model but with a little practice you will learn to paint very well.

One of the things I like best about the Paasche is that spare parts are sold at many places. I keep an extra set of the smaller parts on hand so I can replace any that are lost or dropped during cleaning. Please take this to heart since you WILL lose or drop an occasional part.

The Paasche VL is VERY easy to clean, an absolute requirement anytime you finish painting. This holds true for any paint but specially for acrylics.

You will definitely need a water trap. A simple inline type is fine, particularly if your regulator has a trap.

Your air compressor is more than sufficient. It doesn’t take a large tank to even out the airflow for an airbrush.

If you are going to use the airbrush indoors, garage or house, you WILL NEED a spray booth that vents to the outdoors. It is my understanding that most spray booths use a standard aluminum 4" flexible dryer vent piping for this purpose.

Hope the above helps.

Bob Whitten
Dallas, Texas
bobandbonnie@earthlink.net

20

All I’m going to say is that I like my double action airbrushes. Most of the time I tend to use it like a single action, but there are times when it’s nice to be able to lay down a thin line of paint. I’m certain that ability is going to be very handy, when I start trying new weathering techniques on my N scale rolling stock.