Hello all, I trying to slowly get out of the arm chair and back into modeling. My next investment is a good Air brush. I have never used one before and don’t know much about them. Anyone have any recommendations on what type, style to get. Any accessories I should consider. I am going to be mainly using it for weathering right now but later I would like to get in full painting as my skills improve thanks.
I do custom painting of model trains.
The set up I use with very good results is a Badger Model 200. It is very easy to maintain and was rated the Best All round airbrush by Fine Scale Modeler magazine.
You will also want an aircompressor, and Tank, with moisture trap. These are going to be a little spendy but Paying the extra price for quality is worth it.
Glad I could help.
James
I’ll agree with James. A compressor is a must. While the initial outlay may be, as he says, spendy, the money you’ll save from not buying the little cans of compressed air will soon pay for the compressor.
I used a Badger 250, single action brush for years and have just started using a Badger 350. I am completely happy with both. Although not as versitile as a double action, they work for me.
I think you’ll find that any of the brands that have been around for awhile will have users that say they are great . . .be it Paacshe, Badger or whatever.
You may want to look around your area and see what brands are supported by Hobby Shops, Craft Stores etc. Kinda stinks if you need a .50 cent part to paint and you have to mail order it along with the 7.00 shipping cost.
You will probably get a recommendation for every kind of airbrush. “Mine’s the greatest!”
Bob Boudreau
A medium spray tip is mostly used for hobbiest type aplications. You will have better results with an internal spray, this give a better and finer spray.
I personaly went with a badger as the parts availability for me is better at local shops.
You will find personal preferences as there are brands.
I would consider first what type of bru***hat works for y0ou by not only the input from the great guys on this forum,but from the MFG of airbrushes on the web.
I went with a Badger 150 Pro that has the fine, med and course tips and needles. Its a double action type. Cost about $95.00.
Fine tip great for painting rail, med for cars, weathering ties, and course tip for a camo effect base before adding scenery.
As far as air compressors, search this forum for air compressors, and air brushes lots of great info there.
Hope you find what works for you and lots of luck in your search…John
Adding this today as this is an old post
When you look for an air compressor, oilless, be sure to check out its duty cycle. I picked up a chepo at an auto parts store, its rated at 30percent duty cycle, thats about four to six minits, then you have to wait for ten or more minits as the internal thermal overload cools. Will sell it in my next yard sale.
I have used Badger, Paashe, and now Testor’s Aztec. I’m a big fan of the Aztec. It’s an easy bru***o use and is a heck of a lot easier to clean and maintain than the others in my humble opinion.
That Aztec system looks a lot easier to use than others. No, I don’t work for them. I don’t own an airbrush but am looking at doing so.
Any recommendations for sources of the correct paints?
-Dave
I have a crescendo dual action by badger … I got it at the MICHAELS art and craft store…they have an ad flyer in the Sunday newspaper with a coupon for 40% off any one item not on sale…but every now and then they have one for 50% off…thats when I bought my air brush…they had it at full price of $99.00…and I got it for 50% off that price…the cheapest I could find at the time was about $69.00…it came with the hose …bowls…bottle etc…
According to the instructor who teaches airbrushing at the local technical college, the Iwata is the very best. I have two Aztecs that I acquired at a very good price when a LHS went out of business. They are very easy to clean and reasonably priced, but my experience is limited to these two only.
Aztec is the best for me. Anyway this topic is as constrovertial as asking which is the better DCC system.
I got the basic “Testors” air brush #8821 starter kit for Christmas just to see if I like it and could master it before I went on to bigger things. Let me tell you about “Testors”. It came with a missing part (the part that holds the bottle to the brush), I sent 2 e-mails and called Testors once and NEVER got a response. So much for Testors customer support. Another company that doesn’t care after they get your dollars.
I use the Testors double action airbruhat comes in the kit…This airbrush fills my needs.IMHO its a good inexpensive airbruhat is easy to work with.
Northern,
Both Polly Scale and Badger ModelFlex are great Acrylic paints. I used Solvents for 20 plus years and I switched over to Acrylics 2 years ago. Easy to use, and safer than the traditional sovlent based paints.
Hello Willy,
Sorry to read that Testor’s didn’t support you. Go ahead and look into one of the brands the fellas here are recommending. ( Badger, Iwata, Passache)
I lean towards the Badger 150, however, if you want quality at a decent price check out the Paasche’ VL air brush. Properly maintianed Badger and Paasche medium and high performance airbrushes will last years.
Even though they’re tempting, I would never recommend the cheap airbrush kits sold at “Wally World” (Wal-Mart) unless it’s for youngsters ( under 10) interested in painting the larger car or airplane models or doing artistic projects.
Just my opinion, but for teens and adults getting serious about painting, you might as well save up the money (or use layaway) [;)] and get a good, solid product to begin with. [4:-)][C):-)][tup]
I use the Badger 250 most of the time. I have three sizes of nozzles small, medium and large. I like the large for doing structures, scenery and shooting with water based paints. Medium works best, for me, with lacquer based paints for painting rolling stock. I use the fine tip for weathering with extremely thinned downed paints.
I have another off brand two stage air bru***hat I hardly use.
My Compressor is a portable 15 gallon, 1.5hp. Since I’m a mechanic and have air tools, I use it for other things arond the house besides airbrushing. Of course I have the water trap and pressure regulator (the compressor has one built in too).
Whatever airbrush you buy, be sure to clean it out immediately after each use. Otherwise it will clog, or at least give poor results.
I have a set of Micro Cleaning Brushes and a Badger Cleaning Reamer too.
I also have a spray booth that I bought for $99 from Harbor Freight Tools, but they no longer carry them. Sometime they show up on eBay.
That’s the one I started with.The air valve died after a month and a half, so it was alway blowing enough air to hear it. It at least let me know that yes I wanted a good airbrush, and no I didn’t want to touch another Aztek. I didn’t like the plastic nozzles, which are kind of fragile, and I don’t like that you can’t really get into them to clean them. It also gummed bad, whenever I tried to spray Model Master acrylic white primer.
Everyone I’ve heard from says that Iwatas are the best airbrushes, so that’s what I bought. I haven’t been sorry. I don’t have to change tips to get differnet spray patterns, it can be taken apart to get everything clean, and it’s made out of metal, so it doean’t break, when I put it back together.
For a beginner I’d recomend that you get an Iwata Revolution series. It’ll last you as long as you want to use it, and you may never need to upgrade from it. Whatever you get, make sure it can be dissasembled, for proper cleaning. Paint will build up inside things, even with spraying cleaners and thinners through. (red paint is bad about this) You’ll want to be able to get to the parts to thoroughly clean them.
I have owned at one time:
Paasche
Badger
The paasche ended up in the round file.
The Badger was sold to buy another Iwata
I own:
Azteck Brush
(these are great and I concider them disposable because the are pretty cheap but pretty darn durable)
Iwata HP-B (for fine line painting)
Iwata HP-BCS Eclipse (handles thicker paint, like pollyScale)
Iwata SAR Revolution (ditto on both)
As the fellow above me states the Iwatas are made of 100% metal th
Paint on your roadbed as opposed to using ballast? Has anyone done this? Turnout good bad?
I have my airbrush on order, but I’d stay away from the airbrush compressors, small and $$$. I have a 28 gal. campbell hausfeld upright a/c used mostly for auto work and it will be used for the airbrush and didnt cost as much as the airbrush comp’s.
I’ve got a Paasche VL I’ve used for about 11 years now. I like it so much I bought the company. OK, I’m not Victor Kiam of Remington fame, but I did buy a second one to help me paint several jobs in one sessions with minimum hassle.