Airbrush painting

[Keithbrad80]

Hello everyone, 

 

So I’m an absolute novice with an airbrush, I have never owned one but am looking to buy one. I’m wondering if any one has some advise on how to get into airbrushes? The start up costs of a generator, cleaning material, and the airbrush seem a little steep for knowing little to nothing about it. I have paints, I typically use acrylic on wood, I’m not sure if that matters. I have found some stuff on using an airbrush and personally I think I’m pretty good with a regular can of spray paint so I’m looking more for suggestions on air brush systems that you would recommend for a total novice. Thanks! 

 

Bradley 

[Danstream]

I own a Badger 150 since about 10 years and it has been always a good and reliable airbrush (it is an US brand which is known to provide a good customer support especially in the US) which I extensively have been using for plastic aircraft modelling. It works with a suction cup (a cup hanging below the airbrush). It is a double action type (i.e. you can regulate the quantity of paint and the air flow), which at the beginning you might not really need. Badger provides also a model (I think it called Badger 100, you might want to check on their web site) with a single action which you might consider. For use for naval modeling you might be fine with a medium tip or even a large one, depending on the use. The cup can be replaced with a fairly large glass container that it might be appropriate for airbrushing large areas. Recently I bought an Haarde & Steenbeck airbrush (a German brand) which I like really a lot, but it is more expensive and has a gravity feed (cup on top of the airbrush) good for fine works, however it might be not that good for naval modeling because of the small quantity of paint that it can hold in its cup.

 

To have a good overview about the different types of airbrushes with their pros and cons, I strongly recommend you to look for videos posted on you tube by Paul Budzik, who extensively and very clearly explains all you might want to know about airbrushes (he has many other videos also about other modelling subjects, so you have to select the ones about airbrushes).

 

One thing that I found to be of paramount importance is the availability of good air supply. Unfortunately this is another expensive piece of equipment. I have a compressor which is quite reasonable (bought from Revell about ten years ago) with a fair air tank (the air tank provides a constant air flow). One quality of the compressor is also its noise level that might be important if you live in a flat with a family. The cheapest models are the ones working with a membrane which do not have a tank, but I never tried them. You might think of starting with cans of compressed air, but you will soon realize their inadequacy for the job. In fact, to clean properly the airbrush you need a large quantity of air that the cans cannot provide satisfactorily (unless you buy many of them, but they are not cheap and after you bought a dozen of them you might have spent the same money to buy a small compressor). Other modelers are happy of using large cylinders of compressed CO2 which are cheap, but I cannot comment on them because I never used them.

 

There might be many other aspects that I have omitted, but if you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

 

Best regards,

Dan.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Danstream

[Bob Cleek]

Yours isn't a new question. Check the "search" feature in the forum top bar. There are tons of posts about airbrushes and air brushing. (e.g.,

Also check the large number of airbrushing videos on YouTube to soak up some background information. Check out USA Airbrush Supply's website by clicking on their banner in the forum "advertisers" block on the lower left of the home page.  Kurtvd19 (https://modelshipworld.com/profile/177-kurtvd19/) is the resident airbrushing guru here. He will likely respond and can steer you straight. 

 

Speaking generally, you should buy the best airbrush for your needs that you can possibly afford. (Ask Kurt for a recommendation) You only have to buy an expensive tool once and if you want to sell it, the resale value will be better. Cheap tools you have to buy over and over again. Kurt can help you decide if you want a "double action" or "single action" airbrush model. That's a matter of personal preference and your primary application intentions. An airbrushing rig is one of the "major tool purchases" for serious modelers, but not one that should require any especially painful belt tightening.  Most guys should be able to save up enough for a good airbrush set up by just drinking the cheap stuff for a month or two.

 

While there are other alternatives, you are going to want a compressor. Like airbrushes, there are lots of compressors to choose from. One major consideration is noise. A small compressor made for airbrushing will probably not be particularly noisy, unlike a larger general purpose compressor which you can also use for running large spray painting guns, pneumatic power tools, inflating your car tires, blowing dust and dirt off of things, and stuff like that. A general purpose compressor can also be used to fill portable air tanks which will permit you to airbrush without any compressor noise at all. Used general purpose compressors are a dime a dozen at garage sales and on-line resale sites, but be careful about used tank compressors. Folks often don't take the time to properly drain the tanks of condensate after use, causing the tanks to rust out from the inside, a defect that is practically impossible to detect until your tank springs a pinhole leak. Replacement tanks aren't cheap, probably because that's where the product liability exposure is greatest for the manufacturers. Small dedicated airbrush compressors are usually continuous pressure compressors and don't use tanks. 

 

The cost of cleaning materials is negligible. They are no different than the cost of cleaning a good brush, really. 

 

It's up to you what sort of paint you want to use. Airbrushes are very versatile in terms of what they will spray. The usual options are water-based or solvent-based oil or acrylic paints and inks and stains.  (Tip: Use water to practice airbrushing. It's cheaper than paint and there's no clean-up to do!)

 

If you think you're pretty good with a "rattle can," you'll think you're Rembrandt with an airbrush. They aren't even in the same zip code. Like anything, there's a bit of a learning curve to master them, but it's not difficult at all. 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Bob Cleek

[Ondras71]

56 minutes ago, Keithbrad80 said:

Hello everyone, 

 

So I’m an absolute novice with an airbrush, I have never owned one but am looking to buy one. I’m wondering if any one has some advise on how to get into airbrushes? The start up costs of a generator, cleaning material, and the airbrush seem a little steep for knowing little to nothing about it. I have paints, I typically use acrylic on wood, I’m not sure if that matters. I have found some stuff on using an airbrush and personally I think I’m pretty good with a regular can of spray paint so I’m looking more for suggestions on air brush systems that you would recommend for a total novice. Thanks! 

 

Bradley 

Greetings. I'm just starting an airbrush for a wooden model, I've studied model fibers, especially for plastic models, there's a lot of information.

The finding is that it suits everyone and everyone recommends something different, it is important to buy and try and try until you get used to it.

After a few experiments with acrylic paints, I am satisfied with the result, the brush never again ..

Good luck!! Ondras

[Keithbrad80]

Thanks every one! Your suggestions really help! I have wanted a an airbrush for awhile so maybe it’s time to just get one and figure it out lol. Thanks!

 

Bradley

[Danstream]

Very good! An airbrush is a wonderful tool, but let me tell you a last piece of advice, if I may. It requires some practicing and experimenting before obtaining satisfactorily results. Please note that the cumulative time you will spend using it on your model is very short and surely not enough to learn how to use it at best. Make some free trials before on pieces of cardboard experimenting the effects of varying parameters (mainly thinner/paint mix ratio and pressure) and later on try to simulate the desired effect that you are going to obtain on the model. In this way, you can accumulate a sensible number of training hours before you feel ready to attack your model. You might feel wasting your time doing so, but believe me, you will not. You might enjoy also this learning steps.

Good luck and best regards,

Dan.

[Keithbrad80]

5 hours ago, Danstream said:

Very good! An airbrush is a wonderful tool, but let me tell you a last piece of advice, if I may. It requires some practicing and experimenting before obtaining satisfactorily results. Please note that the cumulative time you will spend using it on your model is very short and surely not enough to learn how to use it at best. Make some free trials before on pieces of cardboard experimenting the effects of varying parameters (mainly thinner/paint mix ratio and pressure) and later on try to simulate the desired effect that you are going to obtain on the model. In this way, you can accumulate a sensible number of training hours before you feel ready to attack your model. You might feel wasting your time doing so, but believe me, you will not. You might enjoy also this learning steps.

Good luck and best regards,

Dan.

Thanks for the help dan, when ever I get one I’ll make sure to spend a good amount of time practicing and learning the machine before it touches my model. Thanks!

 

Bradley 

[wefalck]

Bought one almost 40 years ago and did not find using it a steep learning curve. Patience and patience with yourself is the keyword - as always. It may depend on what you are actually spray-painting - I am not claiming to be an expert in achieving a mirror finish on automobiles. I worked on ship-models and graphic illustrations only.

 

The difficult part is getting the right dilution/viscosity of the paint. Here, I must admit, that I decided early on to cheat and use only pre-diluted paints. Thirty years ago the range was quite limited - but for ship-models you don't need such an extensive range (unless you get into WW2 or newer ships, where they used standardised colours). These days several manufacturers, e.g. Vallejo, offer a wide range of ready-to-go paints that require only to be shaken well. Makes life a lot less troublesome.

 

I also only use paints that can be diluted/cleaned with water, meaning acrylics. Again saves you a lot of trouble, as the air-brush can be cleaned under the tap and you don't need to mess around with organic solvents. Cleaning the airbrush thoroughly is vital for trouble-free operation and a long service-life.

Edited October 30, 2020 by wefalck

[kurtvd19]

Look at the Badger Airbrush paints.  The Modelflex Marine Color line has 52 colors.  Their RR Colors have a lot more.  They are the exact same formula regardless of Marine or RR.  These are all ready to use in the airbrush.

USS Airbrush Supply is a sponsor here on MSW and note there is a discount for NRG/MSW (hoover the pointer over the banner to see discount code).  Discount applies to all products.  You will not beat the regular price from USS ABS - before discounts.

Kurt