Typical Newbie needing your opinion

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

First, let me say that I’m glad to stumble across this forum. After reading through tons of posts, it really changed my thoughts on a few things. Unfortunately, I’m still a bit confussed and in need of some selection help.[:I]

Maybe first a guick rundown as to what I (better yet, family now) need an airbrush & compressor for.

Foremost activity: 1/24th plastic car models - my new to the hobby 10 year old son and me, an old spray can fart.
14 year old daughter - finger nails.
Wife - T-shirts, canvas (replace oil brush paintings), wall murals, clothing, body art maybe.
Myself - besides the models, computer cases, mailboxes, someday trying my hand again at automotive & motorcycles. But I already have a large compressor, spray guns, air sanders, etc… for body work in the garage.
10 year old son - paint anything he can get his hands on LOL.

Ok, so I was originally looking for an internal-mix, single-action, bottom-feed airbrush (simple to use) to replace the need for those Testor spray cans of paint that make a mess of our models and a studio type compressor. Until the wife got involved LOL.

First I spotted this - Airbrush City Kit #9411Z Airbrushing Kit and was wondering if the kit is worth getting, or at least just the compressor? (are all three Badger airbrushes?)

Now as far as airbrushes are concerned, I narrowed it down to these. I think these might be good choices, but now which one or two should I actually get? Keep in mind I think the single-action, bottom-feed would still be good especially for my son spraying his car models a solid one color (probably for me too hehe). We will be spraying in the house with a home made spray booth.

Iwata HP-BCS Eclipse and bottle assembly: $79.97 Free Delivery!!!

Badger175 Crescendo Set: $69.95

Badger 155 Anthem Deluxe Set: $67.95

For modeling - Badger 200NH: $41.95 or the Badger 200-20: $45.00

Or was also concidering the Old style Vega 2000: $45.00 & the Vega 600 $20.00

I’d rather not buy one or two airbrushes now to “learn” with and then buy new when we get better at it. I might as well buy the one or two really good quality brushes now and buy maybe the gravity-feed or extra brushes later down the road.

I really would appreciate any help in this decission making. I know you guys must be tired of newbies always asking the same thing. But I kind of have a little extra thrown in the mix besides just model making and really need the help. Wife is threating that I better chose the right tools for the job, we aren’t buying twice! [:D]

2

wow! a lot of reading there! [;)]

First, one airbrush would cover MOST of the needs you listed there… immediately stricken from the list would be nail art with any of the brushes listed. You would need something like the Badger 100SG to be able to do that. (Also available at www.dixieart.com)

For everything else either the Iwata or the Badgers 175 or 155 would work perfect.

Alternative solution: either use your existing air source with a 50 foot or greater hose fed into the house (hardly any noise) - you just connect it to a manifold at your workbench with a water trap connected to it before the airhose and you are set! My brother in law even spec’d out putting a wall outlet for the hose with a faceplate for me… kind of like where you connect the cable TV to but for an airbrush hose, or get a second commercial type compressor for like $70 from Lowes or Walmart. Unless noise is a HUGE concern it should work… My wife hardly notices my compressor even though it is not one of the “quiet ones” … in fact because it has the 2 gal tank I can usually paint for awhile after she has gone to bed just on the tank. It has enough to do the base color on a not too large 1/48 aicraft without refilling…

Second… you are wise for wanting to get an airbrush that will be around for awhile instead of buying something you might outgrow… Single action AB’s do nicely but there is more control with a double action… I think even your ten yr old can learn it without TOO much trouble. there’s only the push down to get air (no adjustment there except at the regulator) then you pull back for the right amount of paint.

If you are doing broad spectrum of materials you are painting like you said, a siphon (bottom) feed might be better for you… the three mentioned would be great… honestly I think the Iwata will do you good… I own the gravity fed HP-CR and love it, and know a few here with the HP-BCS or BCR with similar stories… But the Badger airbrushes work good as well. (I own both the 155 and 175 as well as the Iwata) Eventually you might want gravity fed for modeling (and nail art) but then the siphon fed would still have a use with the rest of the family so no waste!

Good luck to you and feel free to ask more questions!!!

3

Ok, I can’t tell you much about the compressor, but as for the airbrushes, they appear to be “generic” made-in-China clones of Badger units.

Is a copy of the Bagder 350, which I have seen in hardware and auto parts stores here in Sydney (Australia) for around the Au$20.00 mark. (US$14.65)

Likewise,

Is a copy of the Badger 150, available in auto parts stores locally for Au$30.00 (US$21.95) - This is the same airbrush that I wrote a preview of here

The third airbrush I am not familiar with, as I haven’t seen one up close and personal, but I would assume that it’s from the same source as the other two described above.

Considering that you already have a full-size compressor, another option may be a portable tank - fill it using your compressor and take the tank into your work-room as required.

4

Thanks Tom and Phil for your helpful replies. [;)]

Yeah, sorry for all the reading… [:I]

It looks like I’ll be starting out with an Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS and add a gravity-feed model as our needs warrant.

I called Badger and was hoping for better answers to my questions than I received, that turned me off. They didn’t even know what they were selling on their web site. [:O]
They did however tell me they make airbrushes for many other people that put their own label/name on them and “possibly” that’s what Airbrush City is doing.

I was hoping to get a small “quite” studio compressor, one that can travel with us when needed. It’s impossible for me to plumb air from the garage into the house (renting and garage & house distance apart) and winters are too cold for spraying out there.

I am a little skeptical about the air compressor only costing $164.50 regularly. I mean, I’ve seen similar selling for at least twice that. But then again, I guess I could always rebuilt it if it dies. [%-)]

Maybe for now I’ll look into an air tank.

5

Wonder what auto parts stores in the US carry airbrushes… Hmmmmmm … Anyone??

6

I know that Advanced Auto Parts (their old name was Discount Auto Parts) sells airbrushes in there Florida stores. a friend of mine works there part time and told me. He doesn’t know anything about them, but stated that a customer that does auto body work like them. I haven’t stopped by yet to investigate.
Mickey

7

Just thought I’d run by everyone what the final decision seems to be after my wife and the girl at the local hobby shop chatted for hours. It seems the girl has been AB’ing for years and has had more than her share of equipment (nice when dad owns the store LOL). [:D]

Starting with - Iwata HP-BCS Eclipse and bottle assembly: $79.97 Free Delivery!!!
Running air from my compressor to the house (lots of hose).
If the family enjoys airbrushing, the wife already agreed, then we’ll get -
Iwata HP-B Plus #94 H2001 $159.00 Free Delivery!!!
and then “maybe” we’ll check out Home Depot for a small, quite air compressor that uses less electricity. But the wife even likes this little one since our hobby space is limited and she can take it with her if she wanted too -
ABD TC-20; 60 PSI, automatic on/off: $129.98

I talked with many people (at Iwata, Air-Brush Depot, DixieArt, etc…) and they all said that my selection of airbrushes are great for what we want to do and covers all ground so to speak. They even said the little air compressor is an excellent choice and it’s quiter than a sewing machine. It can even do an “occasional” (not production) T-shirt.

I think Santa is bringing daddy two airbrushes… shhhh… [;)]

Jim

P.S. When we lived in CT years ago, there were a few auto parts stores that carried a few airbrushes. One was B & B Performance and another was called Henry’s Auto Parts. They “looked” something like the Badger 250, 350 & (150 or the 200NH, remember blue handle).

8

Jim - those two airbrushes should handle anything from the RC to the nails… and the compressor should be adequate as well… the BCS can handle the full coverage stuff to medium detail, the HP-B can handle even the finest detail. A friend from AU here has the HP-B and he swears he can write the national charter on a grain of rice with it! (ok he lies a lot , but it is still a very good brush by his standards, and he mostly does German squiggle patterns which are very fine lines)

9

Sounds like i need to swing by the local advance after work today… :slight_smile:

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Let me know how it turns out. I don’t pass one on the way home from work.
Mickey

11

Thanks Tom - It wasn’t easy trying to pick two airbrushes that would cover all that we wanted to put paint on. I was a little concerned actually as to how fine a detail I would get from the HP-B Plus. It seems that the CM-B sprays a finer line, but I don’t think it could shoot the different mediums we’ll be using.

Thanks for the feed back.

Guess now it’s time to send my list to Santa. [:D]

12

I picked up an A/B & compressor at Harbor Freight awhile back. Both are Central Pneumatic. The A/B is a single Action bottom feeder & seems to work pretty good. (looks like a Badger copy too)

13

The IWATA BCS is a good choice…I love mine! Same situation as yours, I do models, and my wife does crafts and some signs. The BCS can handle small siphon paint cups (the Badgers and Paasche cups fit) or the larger paint jars/bottles.

14

jhande - good luck! Not to throw further confusion to the foray… but if you are torn between the bottom fed BCS, and the HP-B for your models, I think I would pick the HP-CS or HP-CR. The CR is more apt for the larger area coverage with its .5mm nozzle, the CS better at the fine detail… The HP-CR does some pretty good detail though, not nail quality but definitely craft/t-shirt quality while giving you a good solid model airbush to boot. In the US it runs about $69.00 on www.dixieart.com. Being gravity fed gives it an advantage for detail…