Jump to content
joelhains

School Me On Airbrushing!

Recommended Posts

I use a Paasch VL. It was my very first airbrush. It is 15 yrs old now and still shooting just fine. It is a double action gun. In my opinion, that is a must no matter what brand you buy. I use the #3 tip. It is not an expensive gun and it is not a cheap one either. It is good equipment. I used this gun exclusively for 8 yrs. to shoot everything. It is very easy to break down and clean. Plus tips and needles can usually be bought at the local hobby shop. It also accepts nipples on jars and cups from many other manufactuers.

 

Skeeter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the Paasche VL for everything... even with the #3 needle. If I'm doing any kind of detail I use a stencil of some sort. I've thought about trying a top feed brush but just haven't seen anything I do that I can't do with the Paasche.

I will put some water in the cup and with a qtip wipe it around and dump it out. Then add more water. When I'm cleaning the brush I jack the pressure up to 60 to 90 psi (you read that right) and spray a little water out. Then I stick my thumb over the cup and hold pressure. The gun will start to spit. Let it spit a second or two and lift your thumb. Then do it again. Then backflush for a second or two. The gun comes out clean as can be. When I pull the needle it looks like a new gun inside. The entire process may take 30 seconds. I still open it every night to make sure it's clean but since starting this, I've not had to do anything extra. Even thick pigment white comes out clean doing the above. The ease of cleaning and the spraying makes me keep it for everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty much what everyone else has said!

Invest in a nice little airbrush. When I first started I got this crappy little thing that was actually a pack of 3 different types of airbrushes that cost around $50 for all 3. Before 6 months were up all 3 were broken in some way. I got an Iwata replacement and the difference is insane. A quality airbrush can make you, a bad one can break you. Just keep that in mind.

Same thing with paints, I stand behind Iwata + Wicked Colors combo every day of the week. You can see the difference in the baits from my old setup to my new. Learning new skills aside, the quality of my baits due to my setup change has improved DRASTICALLY.

Also Iwata has FANTASTIC customer service. When I noticed my gun had a cracked nozzle about 2 weeks after using it, I called Iwata to see if there was anything they could do, which I figured they would say was my fault and I'd be out another $100. No questions asked, no receipt from original purchase of the airbrush needed. Just an "I am so sorry, we'll send you a new one...". I got a brand new airbrush in box with a hand written apology from the woman I spoke with on the phone 2 days after that phone call. Five stars for Iwata.

Edited by Venutian_Lures
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was looking around on Ebay last night and they had some great deals on Iwata airbrushes. There were a couple of NIB Iwata Hi-Lines for around $150 that I paid almost double that 3 years ago. I did get an extra nozzle/needle and an air hose so that ran the price up a bit. They were shipped from Japan so shipping would take longer than if they were here in the states. There were also some good deals on some lower end Iwatas. If your looking for an airbrush it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

 

Ben

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the iwata eclipse and its a good gun. I bought the neo first and never painted anything with it.I never got it to work well enough to use. I'm stubborn and have gotten it back out a few times determined to make it work when I should have taken it back. I bought the eclipse after I figured it was to late to return the neo. I thought I must be doing something wrong in regards to the neo because of other posts I read where people had gotten good results with it. Wasted money there. I haven't used the high line series so I can't help you there.

Edited by Jaw
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with a cheap Chinese brush that came with the compressor and I had issues with it from the start with clogging and splatter, I thought it must be something I was doing wrong..? I did a little research and went for the Iwata Hi Line with mac adjust valve,

 

I bought it from  from Ebay straight from Japan for half the price I would pay from an airbrush store, its been a revelation! sprays Createx paints and acrylics (which are less than half the cost of airbrush paints) that have been reduced with window cleaner, I shoot a cup warm water  through between colors and have very few problems now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't used the Eclipse so I can't give you a side by side comparison. Like others I bought a couple cheaper brushes and had the problems associated with those cheaper brushes. The purchase of the Hi-Line was fueled by that aggravation.

 

I love the MAC valve and use it pretty much all the time. It makes fine tuning the airbrush much easier. Am I talented enough to justify needing an airbrush of that quality? That would be an emphatic no. Has it made the learning curve easier? Very much so.

 

If I had it to do all over again I would stay away from the cheap knockoff airbrushes coming out of China and go with something like the Eclipse. I've heard both good and bad about the Iwata Neo. It's an Iwata airbrush that is built in Taiwan to Iwata's specifications. It's their attempt to build an entry level brush at cheaper prices than what can be built in their Japanese plants. Putting the Neo aside any Iwata you buy is going to be a good quality airbrush. They are readily available all over the U.S. as are their replacement parts. Being able to get parts for your airbrush means a lot. Getting parts and service for Chinese made brushes can be an exercise in futility to say the least.

 

One of the most important things about airbrushing is to buy a brush that is of decent quality and then keep it clean. A lot of the problems people have with airbrushing can be traced back to improper cleaning.

 

Ben

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 Eclipes's and can tell you hands down they spray thicker acrylic with ease and are a very good brush for the money. Now I have 5 brushes and 2 of them are Paasche Talon's 1 gravity fed and 1 siphon fed, the siphon fed is used for volume base coat and the other is setup with the.25 for fine detail, the 2 Iwata's are setup with a .35 and a .50 to round out the bunch - system works great for me, oh and the Neo I have although I never had a problem spraying with now keeps the wife happy it has been relegated to a fingernail brush :halo:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 2 cents on the Neo.... Stay away from it. I keep it clean, thin my createx and it still clogs and spatters and then breaks loose at just the wrong time. Last night I was just finishing up a perch pattern and it broke loose on me and ruined the bait. So today I ordered an Iwaya Revolution off of Amazon. There is no reason to spend hours on a lure and have a crappy brush make you go ballistic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something else that makes a huge difference, and hasn't been mentioned, in how well an airbrush works is the type of paint and the viscosity of that paint. I started out spraying Createx. After a couple years I started adding some of the Auto Air colors. The Auto Air was a step above the Createx, but the difference didn't just jump right out at you. Here in the last few months I tried a couple of colors from the Wicked line. The difference in the Wicked paints and the Createx is immediately noticeable even from someone like me that doesn't know a lot about the makeup of paint. The Wicked paint seems to atomize better with less reducing than the Createx and gives better coverage when it is reduced. (I only use the manufacturers recommended reducers)The Wicked does cost a little more, but I will definitely be buying more from the Wicked line and less of the Createx.

 

Is there a need to buy a more expensive paint when first starting out? In my opinion that would be no. You can always upgrade your choice of paint after you develop a feel for using your airbrush. It is something to keep in mind though as you progress.

 

Ben

Edited by RayburnGuy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

well said in the above post. Wicked sticks so much better and don't pull off when you remove the scale material or put vacuum formed stencils on.

 

paint properly reduced is as or more important than the brush your using.

 

just another good option for someone wanting a new brush. Check out the talon series. You can get them with three tips to do whatever you need.

Edited by riverotter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/27/2014 at 6:43 AM, joelhains said:

I actually have a hobby lobby close and my wife say she has the 40% off coupon. What paints do they carry that work in airbrushes that also work well for cranks?

1

Hello, my dear Joelhains! I don't know what paints do they carry that work in airbrushes that also work well for cranks? But I think that it is a very important thing - choosing paints for this -> so you have to study and some professional have to teach you! It is a real ideal for all fields, not only for your field. For studying how to write correctly, you have to study and a real professional teacher has to teach you! You can although use some companies like Essaybison that proposes apa paper writing services and other types of writing papers services! But I think that you will agree with me that study it with professional is a better idea! So in your field studying this question is better with professional, so you have to go to the professional, and don't ask it in this forum! Okay?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, desertbird said:

FYI on hobby lobby coupon:

 

HP-CS Eclipse Airbrush Kit

*40% off Coupon may not be used with this item.

Yup, I tried to use at my local store yesterday and the lady working told me I couldnt use it on that item. But there are currently a few Iwata Eclipses on Ebay for good prices. 

Edited by Plouden728
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


×
×
  • Create New...
Top