Airbrush question

[Sudd]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this or not.

But for a beginner airbrush painter, what would be a good kit to start out with, that paints fine lines and med to wide lines? I do not want to break the bank, something that is good quality but not too expensive.

[AZ Fisher]

 Youtube airbrushing for beginners and there are a bunch of how to's on there.  Show you how to do lines, dots, shading etc. There are also some threads on here in the hardbait section on brushes and equipment from the past few years. I started with a Master kit off Amazon for 99$ for brush, comp and a few paints and turned out some decent work with it. The compressor started overheating soon and I had to switch to a better comp. What I learned was I wish I had bought good stuff to begin with and I would have had less problems to begin with. Have been using Iwata's for several years now and love them and I just picked up a Cal air comp on sale over Memorial weekend.  I look forward to a quiet air compressor now!  Iwata's are at Hobby Lobby well priced with the 40% off coupon.  A good brush helps paint nice lines but most of that skill is in your hands. Youtube Dakota Lakes Tackle for some good vids.

[Sudd]

Are the Neo's any good or should I just try and find a deal on the eclipse? I saw TCP had the eclipse and a master Comp for $214 but idk if thats a good price or not.

[BobP]

Paasche, Badger and Iwata all make good reliable airbrushes.  My favorites are the Japanese Iwatas due to their precision and build quality.  I think a brush with a .3 to .35 mm tip is the sweet spot for crankbait painting and I use an Iwata Revolution BR with .3 mm tip for everything.  It is moderately priced at about $100 retail.  Painting detail is more a matter of technique and control than what brush you use, and that takes practice.  The Neo is Iwata's bargain brush and is not made in Japan.  Some guys say they work fine, some report problems with them.  If you paint where noise is not an issue, many guys opt for a tool compressor vs a small airbrush compressor.  They are cheaper and offer higher air pressure and long endurance without cycling on/off if they have an air storage tank.  I'd choose an oil-less compressor with a min 5 gal air reservoir and min 100 psi pressure,  and add a moisture trap and an auxiliary fine pressure control in the 10-40 psi range that you would use with an airbrush.

[Sudd]

7 minutes ago, BobP said:

Paasche, Badger and Iwata all make good reliable airbrushes.  My favorites are the Japanese Iwatas due to their precision and build quality.  I think a brush with a .3 to .35 mm tip is the sweet spot for crankbait painting and I use an Iwata Revolution BR with .3 mm tip for everything.  It is moderately priced at about $100 retail.  Painting detail is more a matter of technique and control than what brush you use, and that takes practice.  The Neo is Iwata's bargain brush and is not made in Japan.  Some guys say they work fine, some report problems with them.  If you paint where noise is not an issue, many guys opt for a tool compressor vs a small airbrush compressor.  They are cheaper and offer higher air pressure and long endurance without cycling on/off if they have an air storage tank.  I'd choose an oil-less compressor with a min 5 gal air reservoir and min 100 psi pressure,  and add a moisture trap and an auxiliary fine pressure control in the 10-40 psi range that you would use with an airbrush.

I was looking at a paasche with I believe .5 smallest tip, but read that you couldn't paint fine lines with it. The whole kit was like 179. I thought that was a good price until I ran across some eclipse reviews. The paasche just had more stuff for less price than the iwata.

[BobP]

I was never a good detail artist and after many years trying, decided I never will be.  I use paint templates for detail.  It's the refuge for those of us who are ham handed hammer heads.

[Sudd]

6 minutes ago, BobP said:

I was never a good detail artist and after many years trying, decided I never will be.  I use paint templates for detail.  It's the refuge for those of us who are ham handed hammer heads.

I will be using templates for my designs as well. So thats why I'm wondering is I should go with that paasche setup

[BobP]

The Paasche and Badger standard brushes usually come in a kit with 3 different tips and needles, which is nice if you want to paint things larger than crankbaits.  But they are siphon models and I strongly prefer gravity feed brushes.  They  work a little better, are easier to clean, and use less paint.  But all said and done, it's the guy holding the brush and not the brush that gets the art done.

[Sudd]

1 minute ago, BobP said:

The Paasche and Badger standard brushes usually come in a kit with 3 different tips and needles, which is nice if you want to paint things larger than crankbaits.  But they are siphon models and I strongly prefer gravity feed brushes.  They  work a little better, are easier to clean, and use less paint.  But all said and done, it's the guy holding the brush and not the brush that gets the art done.

I understand but I believe I would like just having paint in bottles and being able to just switch them out when I need to change colors.

[BobP]

To each his own!  You still have to clean out the paint in the siphon tube and airbrush tip between colors.  There's less leftover paint in a gravity feed brush to clean out, so I prefer those.

[Sudd]

32 minutes ago, BobP said:

To each his own!  You still have to clean out the paint in the siphon tube and airbrush tip between colors.  There's less leftover paint in a gravity feed brush to clean out, so I prefer those.

So in the GF what do you do between colors? Do you pour thinner in, spray it out, then pour a different color in? I just don't know how those work. I've only seen siphon. Also if you were me and beginning, which kit would you reccomend me get and I will check it out?

Edited June 4, 2017 by Sudd

[BobP]

I spray some water in the cup with a spray bottle and shoot it until clean into a trash can.  Some guys submerge the brush in water or cleaner and pull the trigger.  Guess you could do the same thing with a siphon model.  Paint comes in plastic bottles with a nozzle, so just squirt a little into the GF cup for the next color.  For many color shots, that's just a few drops of paint..  There are lots of ways to "get it done".  It just depends on your equipment and where you're working.  For me, it's my garage.

Edited June 4, 2017 by BobP

[Sudd]

9 hours ago, BobP said:

I spray some water in the cup with a spray bottle and shoot it until clean into a trash can.  Some guys submerge the brush in water or cleaner and pull the trigger.  Guess you could do the same thing with a siphon model.  Paint comes in plastic bottles with a nozzle, so just squirt a little into the GF cup for the next color.  For many color shots, that's just a few drops of paint..  There are lots of ways to "get it done".  It just depends on your equipment and where you're working.  For me, it's my garage.

Ok so would a paasche GF kit with a master Comp be a good unit? I can get the whole kit for $180. Or I can get a Iwata revolution cr brush &Comp for $182. Which of these would be the better deal?

Also what's a good paint to use with hard foam crankbaits? Im thinking maybe createx 

Edited June 4, 2017 by Sudd

[gone2long]

IMO I would stay away from siphon fed brushes you don't need that unless you plan on production, as stated cleaning will be an issue trust me there is no convenience to a siphon fed brush they also require higher psi to properly work that is not conducive to painting small baits I personally use  a "b" cup brush as most times your using drops of paint not ounces. As stated go with a quality brush, you may pay more but the learning curve is more enjoyable learning how to paint instead of learning how to make the brush work. Good luck on your decision look forward to some nice paint jobs!

[BobP]

Personally I prefer the Iwata, but I'm brand loyal.  Compressors are important.  And one thing you need to know about airbrush comps is that ideally you want a SUSTAINED pressure of at least 25 psi.  Manufacturers typically list the maximum psi their comp can produce, and that's misleading because on a small aitbrush comp, the psi usually drops 15 psi after you press the trigger on your brush.  So I wouldn't buy a comp that promises less than 40 psi max, and preferably 50-60 psi if you have a choice.  Paint:  to me it's all the same as far as water based acrylic latex airbrush paint goes.  I mix and match brands according to the colors available from various companies.  Createx is the standard of quality for basic colors.  I also use quite a few taxidermy paints for special colors, flakes, and pearlescent effects.

[Sudd]

1 hour ago, BobP said:

Personally I prefer the Iwata, but I'm brand loyal.  Compressors are important.  And one thing you need to know about airbrush comps is that ideally you want a SUSTAINED pressure of at least 25 psi.  Manufacturers typically list the maximum psi their comp can produce, and that's misleading because on a small aitbrush comp, the psi usually drops 15 psi after you press the trigger on your brush.  So I wouldn't buy a comp that promises less than 40 psi max, and preferably 50-60 psi if you have a choice.  Paint:  to me it's all the same as far as water based acrylic latex airbrush paint goes.  I mix and match brands according to the colors available from various companies.  Createx is the standard of quality for basic colors.  I also use quite a few taxidermy paints for special colors, flakes, and pearlescent effects.

So would the master 20T comp be sufficient with the iwata revolution brush? Sorry for all the questions. We do have our own bait company, and I'm bringing back a crankbait my dad and uncles designed back in the 80s when they ran a bait company. They were completely handmade and airbrushed.

[mark poulson]

If you're going to be painting a lot of baits for sale, go with the best air brush you can afford, and learn to use it.  

Buy good air brush paint, not hobby stuff, because the pigment particles will be smaller, and easier to shoot.

Thinning your paints and developing a quick, efficient cleaning routine will go a long way toward success.

Practice on some white PVC pipe, and white cardboard, so you get a feel for how to achieve the effects and colors you want.

And watch the instructional videos on the website that sell air brush stuff, and on YouTube.

It isn't rocket science (I can do it) but it is a skill that needs to be mastered through practice to be successful.

[BobP]

It looks like the TC20T comp pressures to 57 psi and includes a small air tank to keep the comp air flow from pulsing, so yes, I think it would work ok  for an airbrush.  Is it the best solution for your purposes?  That depends on how quiet you need your comp to be and the environment it will be used in.  I work in my garage where noise is not an issue so use a Porter Cable 135 psi tool comp with a 6 gallon air tank.  It turns on to re-air the tank maybe once in an afternoon of painting and is small enough to fit under my work bench.  It's too loud to use in the house or in a studio but fine in my garage.  Most guys would say that more air pressure and the biggest tank you can get, the better off you are on a "cost to air basis" if the environment can accommodate it.  Player's choice.

[Sudd]

3 minutes ago, BobP said:

It looks like the TC20T comp pressures to 57 psi and includes a small air tank to keep the comp air flow from pulsing, so yes, I think it would work ok  for an airbrush.  Is it the best solution for your purposes?  That depends on how quiet you need your comp to be and the environment it will be used in.  I work in my garage where noise is not an issue so use a Porter Cable 135 psi tool comp with a 6 gallon air tank.  It turns on to re-air the tank maybe once in an afternoon of painting and is small enough to fit under my work bench.  It's too loud to use in the house or in a studio but fine in my garage.  Most guys would say that more air pressure and the biggest tank you can get, the better off you are on a "cost to air basis" if the environment can accommodate it.  Player's choice.

Yeah I do all my bait stuff in my 10x12 shop in backyard. So I am needing something on the small side as I'm limited on space. For the price and a good quality brush, I think I am gonna go with that iwata revolution cr and TC20T kit.

[Sudd]

Well I was giving a airbrush actually 3 today. They are Badger model 200 bottom feed single action. They were my uncles when they had their own crankbait company. So I know they are not gravity feed, but it saved me money other than having to buy a compressor. These brushes seems to be good ones from what I've researched. And the fact my uncles used them and made a living off selling thousands of handmade crankbaits means a lot to me. So for now these are he brushes I will be using.

 

 

 

 

[Musky Glenn]

I only use single action and those brushes will do you just fine. You will find the single action much easier to learn to use. You adjust the amount of paint by adjusting the needle at the end of the air brush. Just screw it in or out to get the desired pattern. The trigger only turns the air on where the pressure is controlled  by the separate air regulator.