could someone please tell me what I have to do to airbrush my first model. I’ve only ever used an air brush a couple of times at school so I know frig all about them, like maintanence, cleaning, dimantling and rebuilding them etc . However the magazine has a lot of airbrush related articles in it, and I have the ‘how to paint and weather scale models’ special edition which explains airbrush trouble shooting. so that’s a starting point I guess. And mike v says not to go for any of that cheap aerosol can bullsh**. I can afford a single action airbrush and air compressor, but with single action you have to manually change the paint flow. are they hard to learn how to use? and one more question for now, what primers and solvents do I need to buy to get my first airbrush job done properly? Any advice and suggestions muchly aprecciated.
Head on over to airbrush.com it’s mostly artistic, but everything you need to know is over there. Including helpmods to your airbrush if it doesn’t come with certain features. As for solvents and primers it depends on what kind of paint you want to use. If you use laquer you will need laquer thinner, and a good sealer. Enamels, a good sealer is still recommended. Primer of the same type as the paint you are going to use. If using acrylic you don’t really need a primer unless you need to cover up body work like red putty on a white kit or something. Model Master acrylics don’t need any thinning out of the bottle and coat well. Tamiya acrylics need very little thinner. Tamiya Thinner is the acrylic thinner I recommend for Tamiya, Model Master, Testors, and Gunze acrylic paints. It works great with all of them with no adverse effects. Unlike some other thinners, Tamiya thinner includes agents to break surface tension which is good. It is essentially, water, alcohol, and some type of detergent soap. Exact formula is not known. For acrylic paints, I recommend using alcohol for cleaning the airbrush, it works good and is dirt cheap. The model master stuff works good too but expensive. I would still get one bottle of model master acrylic airbrush cleaner though and after it’s empty reuse the bottle because it has a great spout for cleaning. Other types of paints you can use the thinner to clean the airbrush. If you are using an aztec airbrush, or a testors of the same design with the interchangeable tips, make sure the tip is appropriate for the type of paint you are going to use, as they have a seperate acrylic tip lineup that works really good with the acrylics. I’ll be honest I use my Aztec ONLY for airbrushing metalizers by Model Master. I use standard paint thinner for cleaning, and it works great. My other airbrush I picked up is a double action by model maker. I paid 69 bucks for it, and it’s the equa; of any other metal bodied double action. Plenty of features too. My comrpessor is from HArbor Freight and is identical to many compressors you can get from other sources, but isntead of being 200+ it costs 69 or 79 bucks. Plus the cost of the regulator which I recommend getting at harbor freight if your funds are at a minimum. If not then I still recommend that same comrpessor(why pay more for the same item with a different name?), and get a regulator of ebtter quality somewhere else. If you are using anything other then acrylics GET A WATER/MOISTURE TRAP!!! I can’t stress that one enough. It is still a concern with acrylics but nowhere to the same degree. A tiny bit of moisture isn’t going to hurt an acrylic job but will destroy anything else. I hope I have covered enough here to get you going with what is on airbrush.com. Only other thing I can recommend, is if you are going to get a double action, don’t buy the aztec. Most of the advantages of a double action aren’t there with the aztecs for some reason. I think it is the tip design. Forget about freehanding camo jobs, or doing great custom graphics on auto’s using double action techniques if you hve a DA aztec. Althuogh the aztevs still make good airbrushes. The reason Aztecs aren’t so good with acrylics is cleaning. Acrylics dry nasty hard, and you an’t disassemble the needle assembly when it eventually gets gummed up like you can with a metal body airbrush. If you want a link to model maker airbrushes I’d be happy to get you one.
I see you want to buy a single action airbrush, right? Some people might try to steer you towards a double action. That’s your choice but I think a single action airbrush is easier to use and can do about 95% of everything you need for modeling. The two best single action airbrushes I’ve seen are the Paasche H (which is the one I use) and the Badger 200. The big difference is that the Paasche H is external mix and the Badger 200 is internal mix. The only reason I don’t use a double action is that I don’t have the time or patience to learn to use one. That is a factor when learning to airbrush. The Paasche H has been around for a long time and nearly bullet proof in it’s usage. Dixieart.com has some great deals for Paasche airbrushes and compressors. The Paasche H set with three tips is $52.95. A good, powerful Paasche compressor (D200) is $149.00 with a moisture trap and regulator. Shipping is free.
I asked similar advice a while ago…I had experience with a single action and I’m comfy with it…I bought a cheapie (that works fine) and a reasonable Badger 200…like that too. Have a Paasche double action I haven’t even open yet…plus the different accessories it requires…but I will open it…and practice with it.
Nam
PS: the advice here helped me more than I can explain!!!
Ok, so it sounds like the Paasche H and the Badger airbrushes are the ones to get. What about tip/nozzle sizes? Is the right size absolutely crucial? If so, what size do I NEED for one color auto bodies, modern aircraft and tanks with intricate camo jobs? and are they expensive? Also, these moisture trap devices, apparently they are a must have for the well being of your model. are they put on the airbrush or on the compressor? cheers, somenewguy
I’ll throw in another vote for the Badger 200 - dead easy to use, and a very fine spray pattern.
I have no idea about local pricing for the 200 though, I can’t seem to find any local suppliers for this unit online.
On the other hand, the Paasche “H” can be had in a basic kit form (airbrush, hose, jar, wrench and propellant can valve) locally for $85-$90(AUD)
As to actually using your airbrush, you will probably have noted that you need to thin your paint. One of the most frequently asked questions on this and other modelling forums is “What’s the correct thinning ratio” Don’t get too hung up on specific numbers - they’re a general guide, but are by no means set in concrete. There’s no universal “magic number” that gives you a perfect result every time.
I recommend Badger 200G (gravity feed) if you like detailed works such as lines and camo. It requires less air pressure than siphon feed and it flows better IMO.
A moisture trap is essential…when a compressor makes air for your brush…the air is ‘hot’ and moisture heavy…it needs to be trapped and removed to keep it off your model spray…please make sure the compressor you buy has one…you can get them and add later, though
PS: can’t help with nozzle sizes…my brush alway did what I needed
While I always recommend double-action airbrushes, if you are dead set on a single-action model I would definitely go with the Badger 200-20. It is the finest single-action airbrush you can buy IMHO. It’s easy to clean and the micrometer on the back is very nice to adjust the needle where you want it.
Hi, I purchased a few double action airbrushes from Victor airtools, great stuff, great airbrushes, I used cake coloring on old styrene or old kits ( cannon fodder ) to practice it helps getting used to the feel of the airbrush.
