What are the pros and cons between painting with a airbrush or spraycan? I think I am scared to try the airbrush! rambo1…
Well ,I see it this way. If your going to paint a locomotive or freight car,paint with an airbrush,it’s really not that hard. Large structures like say a, blast furnace for example, I use a off the shelf can ,of Kylon iron color primer. Then for weathering,the airbrush,its very easy to airbrush. To start off airbrushing,start small , using an old crappy freight car,till you get the hang of it.
Patrick
Spray Can: fast, easy to clean. Limitied colors, very little control.
Airbrush: any color you want, great deal of control, fine finish. Requires cleaning, expense up front.
Honestly, I use both. I primarily use the airbrush for rolling stock, and spray cans for structures.
Nick
I don’t have an airbrush right now but I can tell you that it’s gonna give you a much better end result in the end. The primary point being; It will give you a coat of paint that is more to scale than a can, by that I mean a much finer mist… It’ll take some practice to get good with it but will be worth the invest ment cost and time.
I feel it’s too hard to control the flow witha spray can. With an air brush you can start with fine coverage and build up. I like the relief on buildings too much to give it up with too heavy a paint job.
Another thing to think about is overspray. A spray can will coat EVERYTHING in the area with a light misting of paint. An airbrush will not.
I airbrushed some new trackwork last night…didn’t even bother to cover the wall 2" away, and I was using black paint, (coal loading yard).
I finally talked myself into an airbrush, and after some practice swipes, tried it out on my ancient little M.B.Austin Santa Fe 2-8-2. Before that, I’ve used a combination of brush and spray cans on my steamers.
Frankly, guys, I can’t tell the difference. Except for the money I spent.
Airbrush:
Spraycan:
Tom [?]
OK, I’m one step closer to the air brush.
I bought a small compressor that I’m going to use when I need air powered tools around the house.
All I need now is the air brush.
Any suggestions?
Does any of you use an inline drier brfore the brush?
Gordon
A good spray can is very effective - I make a lot of use of the Citadel Miniatures range as their black and white sprays make excellent undercoats (and top coats for those rare models that are supposed to be black or white). The snag is that you have a very limited range of colours available to you, and there are some terrible spray cans out there - I steer well clear of some brands now as they don’t work properly with “spots” of paint coming out rather than a spray.
I use an inline air dryer. I also bought a pressure regulator valve. And I replaced the gauge with one that reads from 0-30 PSI. Many of the paints are to be sprayed at 12-20 PSI.
Right now I’m using a 7 gallon airtank as an air supply. I replaced the airhose with airtool fittings so I can remove the regulator / air dryer “contraption” before I head to the gas station for a refill.
If you’re doing single color stuff like steam,N&W diesels,PC,Pennsy,ETC,spraycans are fine.If you’re gonna be painting multiple colors,like UP,CNW,Milwaukee,and masking between them,ya GOTTA have an airbrush.If you’re gonna use it pretty much just as a small spraygun,get a single action like the Badger 150.Double actions are a total pain to keep clean,and are really only necessary if you’re going to be doing actual AIRBRUSHING,where you need control over air AND paint flow.If you MUST own a double action,the smallblock Chevy of double action brushes is the Passche “VL”. Most serious painters,guys that do T-shirts,cars,ETC,have at least one or more.DO NOT under any circumstances,buy an “external mix” bru***he ones that have the seperate air/paint nozzles in the front,I’ve owned 4 of them,and every one was JUNK. I ended up giving them away.On the other hand,I’ve been beating the crap out of the same Badger 150 since 1978.I’ve probably painted close to 750 loco’s,no idea how many structures,and probably close to 400 RC car bodies with it. It’s finally on it’s way out…The air valve and nozzle have been taken out so many times,the threads are finally worn out.I’m gonna be buying another one,and another VL.
I did like Gordon…got the compressor first and I’m still waiting to get an airbrush. The only reason why I don’t have one yet…I don’t need it right now. However, I think by Christmas, I will have one to help out at the club layout after the holidays. We have a whole new lower level to scenic, so it will get put to good use.
i’m not as sophisticated as some modelers, and spraycans work for me.
i have an airbrush outfit i bought at harbor freight for around seven bucks and a can of air to power it. i figured it would take a couple of hours to learn how to get passable results, but they came in about five minutes. no problem. the toughest part of your learning curve will be learning the infinite variety you can produce with this tool, and there are folks out there that are quite good at airbrushing, but in my case i could duplicate the results of a spraycan in about five minutes. the can froze up, and the hose exploded, otherwise it should still work if i ever get back to it.
i recommend the cheapo setup until you have a feeling for what exactly what you want in an airbrush. the guy in the post above that wore his out: i would follow his advice as to which brand and model to get next. the guys that are good at it tend to be real good, and their advice has value.
motivational motive power! guys them pics are totally awsome.
and to not be off topic as i am usually. finding a paint gun you are comfortable with in your hand be it air brush , hvlp touch up size gun or even spray can. comfort allows control you need to lay down the pattern .
and any of them need to be user friendly for disassembly and with that spray can will always win that one.
i have a tiny spray booth for my mini painting using an old welding rod heater box with
a bathroom exaust fan attacjhed to dryer hose. very little fumes and no overspray that way and it has drying lamps that are nothing more than zip sockets with soup cans over rubber coated rough service 40 watt lamps. worked great when i could see to pattern
please wear your mask even just painting an n scale shell as it does not take much imron or any paint to hurt you badly or worse.
best regards , john
Since I got my first airbrush YEARS ago, the only thing I use spray cans on (model wise) is with clear flat or Dullcoat (depending on the brand). It’s easier to lay down a thin, even coat with an airbrush and I usually mix paint and a glaze for the proper finish for decals.
Re: Air Compressors.
If you already have a hobby compressor, o.k. Always use a water trap and it’s not a bad idea to attach a tank to the compressor.
However, if you don’t have a compressor yet, go with a heavier duty unit. Home Depot and Lowe’s currently stock self contained air compressers/tank units for around $100. A far better deal than paying that same $100 for the small hobby compressors that you find at the LHS.
Your posting name is rambo, and you’re scared of an airbrush?
Don’t use a cheap can, whatever you do! The paint is blobby, and I ruined a BB AC4400 like that!
Matthew
Gordon,
Check out the Badger Air Brushes. Easy to use and clean. I’m getting a batch of them for my students.
At home, I’ve been using a Paasche VL airbrush. Also a good little unit.
For long life, you must keep airbrushes clean! After using, flush out with the appropriate cleaning solution and always clean the aircap and needle. Make sure the tiny orifices (holes) are clean. For water based paints (acrylics) I flush out with alcohol. For solvent based paints, such as Floquil, I use lacquer thinner.
Hope this helps.
By the time you’ve bought several cans of spray paint, you could have bought an inexpensive airbrush, and a “cheap” compressor.
I started out with a Paasche H model and a cheap second hand compressor from a garage sale. About $60 total in 1975.
Rick Bonfiglio had a good tip about buying a very basic airbrush. Air tanks can be an inexpensive recommendation that can serve very well for several years, but a regulator and an inline moisture trap are a must.
I’ve had a Paasche VL for 25 years and find it to be a great tool. Their Millenium is essentially the same brush with a metal tail and and cutouts for the adjuster nut. I can be a bit ham fisted, but I like the balance of the Millenium. I took some airbrush lessons at a local crafts supply for a few months for about $15 -20 a week. One of the best hobby investments I’ve made IMHO.
AntonioFP45 makes some excellent recommendations about compressors, and keeping your airbrushes clean. Badger and Paasche seem to be the most common, and easiest to get parts and accessories for. Try the www.dixieart.com airbrush page.
John Hall’s point about safety is the most important concern. Use a mask and glasses or goggles.