Hey Folks-
My old PAASCHE has finally given up the ghost ( it’s about 12 years old). I only want a Paasche but which model would you recomend for serious detailed painting. There are so many choices-
Just want some opinoins since it has been awhile
Thanks
Larry
i don’t know which model you had but i have been happy with a VL for many years. i takes a bit of getting used to compared to the single action airbrushes but it is worth the trouble.
charlie
I agree with Charlie; the VL is a versatile airbrush with a wide range of capabilities. It is a little quirky to get used to but once you do it is fun to use.
Joe
Which one did you have? I would look for a new one who’s accessories match the old one’s. And that is why I don’t currently have a Paashe. My Paasche was a 1/32" model V, and was 35 years old. It didn’t give upt the ghost, I simply dropped it. They no longer make the part that broke - sigh. Anyway it was a side feed. All my cups and paint bottles are so configured. Paashe no longer makes a side feed brush so I had to buy all new. double sigh.
I now have 4 different ones of different brands. Have not liked any of them like that original.
A gravity feed air brush is a whole lot easier to use and clean. Using a brush with a bottom feed bottle is a PITA after having a gravity feed type.
You know I don’t recall the model of the one I had but I do believe it was the V. Truth being I did have a few mishaps myself so like many hobby tools they really don’t wear out they get accidently abused - did I say that right?
I like the double action and I want soething with a very fine spray but, I know that isdone with the nozzles and pressures.
Enjoyed the comments
Larry
I’ve been using a VL for over 30 years, but what model is best for you will depend on what you’re painting and your abilities and expectations. There’s some good info HERE for anyone in the market for an airbrush.
That depends a lot on your painting needs. I’ve used the cup on my VL perhaps two or three times for painting, but otherwise it’s used only for clean-up - spraying thinner through the brush and for holding the small parts for cleaning. While you do have the extra step of cleaning the siphon with a bottom feed, I need to clean bottles only when a paint is used-up and that colour is no longer required. In most cases, I simply store the left-over thinned paint in its bottle, capped and ready to use. Since many commercial paint bottles also fit my VL’s siphon cap, I have about three dozen 1/2oz. bottles available for custom-mixed colours, with about 2/3 of them in-service at any given time. They came with paint inside them originally - I couldn’t afford that many paint cups and, of course, each one used would need to be cleaned, or, if you had only a couple, cleaned every time you needed to change colours. If you’re painting large objects like this:
…or 30 or 40 of these at a time:
…or even o
Hi Larry,
For my metalizing work I’ve been using the Paasche’ VL. Instead of the bottle, I now use the chrome cups, which are so easy to clean. I use two units: one only for the Alclad metalizer, the other for paint and clear coats. My first VL lasted me 20 years but I dropped recently on concrete (for the 3rd time!) and it was beyond repairs.
This VL is the one I use for metalizing:
In this photo, the VL with the orange-red handle was my older unit, which is the one I just retired.
I recently purchased a new VL (by itself, no accessories) for $80, it’s hard to beat. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, the new TG-set is an impressive gravity feed unit.
Clean up is critical for performance and longevity. It seems like a hassle at first, but it becomes a simple routine after a while.
Another VL user of 25 years. For the past 15 years I only shoot acrylics. I never shoot straight from the paint bottle, there’s too much chance of sucking up hard particles and/or lumps and ruining a paint job, so I strain the paint and use the color cups, (fewer parts to clean up too).
If you’re referring to my statement about using paint bottles, I’m using bottles which fit the siphon cap. However, the paint that came in those bottles was thinned and airbrushed many years ago. I agree that most paints need to be thinned before spraying, and, as you say, don’t spray directly from a new bottle of paint. [swg]
Wayne
Something I forgot to mention regarding cleaning…,
This is just me as methods can vary from modeler to modeler.
Whenever I use solvent based paint products, such as: Alclad Metalizer, Scale Coat 2, Floquil, Testors MM, etc…I flush and clean the airbrush with Lacquer Thinner. (not mineral spirits)
For acrylic (water based) paint products, I’ve found that a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and 70% isopropyl alcohol works well. Generally distilled water, which we use to thin acrylics with, is cheap as is the alcohol. A gallon will last you through many acrylic paint jobs and cleanups.
This way you can save your LT, which has become more expensive, for solvent paint thinning and airbrush cleaning when using solvent based paint.
I’d never use mineral spirits in my airbrush, as it leaves a greasy residue which needs to be removed - lacquer thinner would probably remove it and perhaps alcohol, too.
While I do use distilled water for thinning acrylics, I always clean-up with lacquer thinner. It works well and evaporates quickly, the fumes removed by the fan in the spray booth. Water, on the other hand, would remain in the spray booth and, during the winter months, freeze on the interior of the booth. This would make a mess the next time I needed to paint and pre-heated that small room.
A very useful item for clean-up, regardless of the type of thinner you use, is pipe cleaners. Dip one end in your thinner, then shove it through the passageways of the airbrush, siphon cap, and colour cup.
Another useful accessory is gloves. For many years I used disposable latex gloves to keep from getting paint on my model-holding hand. This worked well even for lacquer-based paints, although only if the paint was atomised. However, if lacquer was spilled on the glove while thinning paint, the glove was quickly destroyed. I recently bought a box of nitrile gloves and have found them to be much superior to the latex ones for this kind of work, and they seem to be resistant to most of the chemicals which we use while airbrushing.
Wayne
I have a H and a VL depending upon what I am doing determines if I will go single action or dual action. I use both the cups and the siphon bottles, again depending upon the circumstances. I change tips infrequently as the one I use seems to cover most of my circumstances. You can do everything with the double action, you can’t do everything with the single action. If I had to get just one it would be the VL, but I got the H first then later with more experience I realized I needed the double action VL. My vote goes to a VL. I went with another Paasch (my VL) as the acessories were the same as the H and I liked the way it felt and worked.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR