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Help me choose a quality airbrush and compressor on a budget

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ok so i woulld like to get into painting hardbaits and i have absolutely no clue what im getting myself into.... so i have a couple questions:

1. what airbrush and compressor would you recommend?

2. what sorts of paints can you use and how much do they cost?

3. which company has decent yet inexpensive blanks preferably wood for just starting out?

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Well, I'm not real expirienced myself, so take my advice for what its worth:wink:. I bought a badger 100sg airbrush from their garage sale, and bought a cheap harbor freight compressor. I havent used any higher end equipment, but I like my stuff pretty good.

I would highly recommend Createx airbrush paints. They come in the right consistency for airbrushing, no thinning required.

I'm not sure where you could find completely assembled wooden blanks, but jannsnetcraft.com has plastic blanks ready to paint and fish.

Hope that helps you out, and somebody else will probably add to my post!

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1. Here is a place to start for an inexpensive compressor and airbrush. I recomend the GD 100 kit.

http://airbrushcity.com/kits24/popular_featured.htm

2. Createx and/or Parma Faskolor........ both are water based, look good, and clean up easily..... about $2.75 a bottle. The createx is available at Hobby Lobby and the Parma at Hobby Town. Some good deals can sometimes be had via Ebay.......

3. Wood blanks can be found at:

http://www.lurecraft.com/catalog/search.cfm

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/Search/wood%20body.aspx

Hope this helps.........

BJ

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You won't find bettter deals than the Badger Garage Sale ....... the 360 will probably do everything you need for @ $30 or you can run the gambit by getting a SOTAR, 360 and 155 for @$150. Keep a close watch because they sometimes have compressors but they go VERY quickly ....... I got 3 Air Star V's for $75 ......... wanted more but as I said ....... thet went fast ........

If you can't wait then Harbor freight has a decent ont for under $100 ...... $60 on sale I think .......... you want an auto shut off, quiet, at leqast 30 lbs pressure but 50 would be better ........ and regulator and moisture filters

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I would wait till you can afford something decent because once you start this madness you are only going to want more so you are better off buying quality stuff and not budget stuff. Wait and save is my motto. IMO you can't go wrong with Iwata, Eclipse BCS is a nice brush. Do everything a beginner can want. Might be the only brush you ever need. Probably pick up the brush and hose for 90 bucks. As far as compressors go I like the largest tank you can afford. I bought a Sears 15 gallon tank, not oil less, as they wear out faster. I can crank it up and then shut it down and paint 20 or 30 plus plugs on a tank of air. I do large salt water plugs.The little compressors are going to cycle on and off frequently as their tanks are very small. Noise drives me crazy, a very short drive. Look for a sale at Sears. Hope this helped and this is what works for me others my have different opinions. I like Createx paint, although I know people who use cheap paint from the craft stores and do great things. Good luck and keep it fun. P.

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I'm with Steel on this one, Iwata is the way to go. There is nothing worse than spending money on something and then reaching the full limits of your equipment before your satisfied with the results. In the taxidermy world I use Lifetone paint which are airbrush ready, Laquer or water based and very affordable. As for a compressor, look on craigslist.com, I always find deals on there

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Here's some more advice to confuse you !!!

Look for the 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby ,(check out their website) take the coupon and you can purchase a decent Iwata eclipse and then check out this link

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93657

Someone here posted this a while back (sorry can't remember who) but it's a decent air compessor with a regulator and water filter..

This combo will get you going with some decent equipment..

Also as stated before , don't over look the Badger garage sale

Good luck and please post you results

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Here's some more advice to confuse you !!!

Look for the 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby ,(check out their website) take the coupon and you can purchase a decent Iwata eclipse and then check out this link

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93657

Someone here posted this a while back (sorry can't remember who) but it's a decent air compessor with a regulator and water filter..

This combo will get you going with some decent equipment..

Also as stated before , don't over look the Badger garage sale

Good luck and please post you results

That is how I got my Iwata eclipse.... and my Iwata compressor..... Got to love those 40% off coupons.......... :yeah::yeah::)

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If you are like I was look on the hobby lobby home page and find this weeks coupon I think this week is 40 percent off. Then go and get the Iwata eclipse you will have about 80 dollars in it and have a really good pen. Then go to walmart and get one of the 68 dollar compressors with the 2 gallon tank. Some createx paint and you are in buisness!

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Cannot go wrong with the Iwata Eclipse, I have a BS. I paint in my house with Createx & Parma, and use a Harbor Freight airbrush compressor, which I think is a real value--auto shut-off plenty of pressure, easy to adjust regulator, water filter, hose, and plenty quiet, for $70. My compressor looks identical to this one, has the same auto-on and off pressures. http://www.airbrushcity.com/144AC.htm Makes a nice outfit.

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I have 6 Iwata Eclispe connected to a 33 gallon Craftsman Conpressor! I like the .50 mm tip... .35 is ok for fine detail work!! but it can be a pain getting thick paint out of it sometimes.. and I like to shoot at 50 psi!!! so if you use thin paint you will find out what happens when you do this...

Now if your on a buget.. MCDONALDS STRAW!! you take the paint and put it in your mouth.. hold like you hold backer juice.... LINE UP YOUR BAIT!!! and BLOW!!! Makes a killer Crappie pattern.... and splatter bait!!!

NOW JUST GO BUY A FREAKING GUN and SHOOT!!!! no thinkin in paintin!!

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About the Harbor Freight compressor...just how QUIET is it??? I listened to a Fusion compressor at a HobLob yesterday and then compaired it to an Iwata and there is no comparison whatsoever. Butt, HobLob just jacked that Iwata $100 frim $249 to $349. That Harbor Freight model looke like an Iwata. Do you think they are made at the same Asian factory?? Also, a local artist bought a Passche H and their compressor, D100 I think. I know it is a diaphram model. He finally email me back and said he is still using it and has not replace the diaphram yet. He paints daily as he sells his baits. He has an H model since he needs to repeat colr schemes. That D100 pushes only 24 psi but said it works fine with H and VL ab's. My questions are; If you thin Createx to a milk consistancy, what pressure is needed to push it. How loud is it? The D100. I have a cheap compressor that is loud. It is strong enough to air up tires on your car. I want a silent on that I can have at my feet and still hear the cd player. You get what you pay for, I know. But how quiet are these lower end 'pressors? It did not give a db rating. Please hurry with answers...:worship:

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If you buy a compressor with a large tank you only have to listen to it once. If you are doing 100's of plugs it will run a few times, but I don't, it is a hobby. Crank it up and shut it off and paint. That way you can listen your favorite Frank Zappa tunes.:) I also have the Peak too and like it but prefer the bottle feed Iwata for most of my painting. I am a sprayer not an artist though.

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there is a bit of a problem with ordeing from harbour freight as i live in Canada and it looks as if they only ship with the US:angry: anywhere else that ships that will ship to canada for a air compressor or should i just buy a compressor locally? by the way i live in Ontario if anyone has recommendations on a airbrush shop locally.

thanks

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Hi:

I currently use a Pasche single stage to paint my muskies baits (tips 1, 3, 5). I am looking at getting a two-stage for more detail. My question is will the Iwata eclipse be OK for using metallic acrylic enamels (car paint)? I already have a good supply of these and prefer not to abandon them for painting lures; at least not at this point. I will be near a Hobby Lobby on Monday, so a quick answer would be appreciated. Also, if an Iwata would work, what model would be best? I would like a brush to paint gill, fin and narrow barred pattern on my baits.

Thanks,

JDW in MN.

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does anyone know anything about the badger 360. just looking for basic info and if it will suffice out of the box with various mediums. Also I was looking at the badger garage sale page and was curious if the 155 on the garage sale page is the 155 "Anthem" as listed on the airbrush section. Anyone know how user friendly this one is as well?

good lookin out on that page.

thanks,

Andy

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