Buying an airbrush

[Nebenfish]

I'm looking to blow some of my tax return on an airbrush and compressor. I was wondering about two things; first does anyone have any suggestions on the type of airbrush or a particular brand I should look at. I'm going to be painting hard bait and some plastic. And second, is there anything a person who is new to this might need and overlook buying at first? Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

[68KingFisher]

My advice is buy the best you can afford.....both in airbrush and compressor.....stay with a double action airbrush and a major brand....Badger,Paasche,Iwata,Peak,etc.....I wouldn't go with a no name cheap aftermarket brush...they are fine for awhile but a quality brush will last you a lifetime.

With compressors you want something that has a holding tank.....personally i'd buy the largest compressor I could afford, but thats me and I use air tools and such so I want more than just for airbrushing......but your needs may be different and you might be able to get away with a small unit....i'd still get one with a storage tank so the compressor will pump up the tank and shut off.....those little diaphram "Airbrush" compressors are quite but they aren't really anygood....specially if you want to shoot some of the thicker waterbased paints....you'll want more pressure then what those little units can make.

Compressor noise becomes the next issue.....some units are super loud while others are silent.....silent compressors are great but very expensive......other units can be much cheaper but alot louder, but you can construct a box to house the unit and help cut down on noise if you keep it in the same room you paint in or place the unit outside or in another room.

I hope this helps a little.....feel free to hollar if you have more questions.

Michael

[BobP]

I second what KingFisher said. IMO, you want a compressor with at least 40 psi constant pressure to shoot airbrush acrylic paints. Airbrush compressors typically advertise max pressure, which is usually 15 psi less than constant when using an airbrush. Many guys opt for a tool compressor with an integral air storage tank, which can be bought for less than $100. Whichever you choose, you'll need a moisture trap and a pressure dial/regulator control. As far as airbrushes go, there are lots of choices. To me, it's mostly about the size of the tip. I use .2mm and .3mm tip Iwata airbrushes and like their high quality. If I could use only one, it would be a .3mm tip gravity feed airbrush with a small cup like the Iwata Revolution B. It sprays about any acrylic airbrush paint including thicker pearls and flakes. Don't forget to order the airbrush hose and any adapters needed to connect everything together.

[Army Doc]

sorry to hijack the thread, but I had some of the same questions. So, an air compressor like one you would use to do construction (IE... a dewalt or something similar) would work, as long as you had a regulator to adjust the psi to the brush?

[mark poulson]

Yes it will. I use an old 4hp compressor with a 30 gallon tank that I used to use on the jobsite, before I bought an Emglo.

I've used pancake compressors, and they work, too, but are noisier. The pressure regulator and water separator are key. And an inline air shut off valve just before the airbrush regulator, so you can do maintenance on your brushes or chaing airbrush hoses without having to drain the entire feed line and tank, or without having to readjust your regulator.

[68KingFisher]

I agree with what Mark said......I also use quick disconnects on my airbrushes....they are just like the larger units were used to seeing on full size airhoses, but these fit the tiny airbrush hose.....so I use one hose that has the female fitting and each of my airbrushes have a male fitting....I can quickly change from one brush to another and not have to deal with a bunch of airhoses.