Anybody familiar with airbrushes?

[Jeffwo]

I do paint and body work on cars but am beginning to do motorcycles as well.

I would like to buy an airbrush set to practice with one painting flames and light artwork on junk tanks and car parts..

But I don't want to sink alot of money in a set only to discover that I am just not cut out for that type work.

Anybody familiar with airbrushes, compressors and paint that can give me some advice on what brands would be good enough for a beginner like myself?

I would like to buy stuff that I could use down the road and maybe just add onto it as I go but keep the initial costs to a minimum.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

 

[xj0hnx]

Paasche, or Badger, neither are real expensive, just get a cheaper compressor till you decide if it's what you want to do, then invest in a better compressor later on.

 

[Jeffwo]

Paasche, or Badger, neither are real expensive, just get a cheaper compressor till you decide if it's what you want to do, then invest in a better compressor later on.

Thx for the advice xjohnx!

 

[foghorn67]

You will probably want a dual action airbrush. You can work in detailed areas easier.
Single actions are great for uniform areas. Either one is useful in body shops.

When you get fancy, gravity fed ftw.

 

[waggy]

i got a small one i use for modal cars...

but i don't think that is close to what you are talking about lol

 

[IronWing]

Anybody familiar with airbrushes?

Intimately.

 

[foghorn67]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsW-vN0_lHw

 

[Jeffwo]

i got a small one i use for modal cars...

but i don't think that is close to what you are talking about lol

Yeah, I think that is the same type used on automotive custom paint. I have been digging thru youtube and other places on the web but I came here for opinions. No shortage of that here...LOL.

Jeff

.

 

[Midwayman]

Badger Patriot is a really good starter brush.
http://www.amazon.com/Badger-Air-Bru...badger+patriot


Then this compressor. Its a utility compressor but quiet and works well for airbrushes. I use it for models
http://www.amazon.com/Senco-PC1010-1...keywords=senco

Thing with airbrushes is if you start too cheap you'll just leave frustrated. They have a pretty steep learning curve to even get them working properly. I'd reccomend sticking to pre-thinned inks etc when you're starting out. Trying to thin paint yourself is a recipie for frustration.

 

[Yreka]

I have a Badger Patriot & Krome, both brushes are fantastic.. US company (if you care) and great service (you can actually pick up a phone and get ahold of someone if needed).

I use it for smaller scale aircraft models.. not sure if this is the type you would use for your application.

Another good brand to look at is Iwata..


For compressors, I just use my shop compressor with a regulator and water separator.

 

[Yreka]

Also, I would recommend starting with a Dual Action brush. You will want this for shading and custom details.. Single action brushes are ok for uniform coverage of larger areas (like the inside of the flames).

The higher end consumer DA brushes ( like the Badger Krome) have a trigger throw lock setting so you get consistent paint volume for covering larger areas (where you would normally use a SA brush)

Some good comparisons and reviews from:

Link is borked for some reason. Google "Don's airbrush tips"

 

[Kaido]

I'm not sure what your budget is, but my go-to airbrush is the Iwata HP-C (now the HP-C Plus), $200 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/IWATA-HP-C-PLU.../dp/B002K5P83W

Unless you have a more specific need (extra-fine pinstriping or large area coverage), this airbrush will last you a lifetime. I used to get a lot of stuff from Bear Air:

http://www.bearair.com/

I started out with compressed air cans (horrible lol) and eventually got a nice compressor. I don't know how this one stacks up, but this is my baby, still chugging from ~15 years ago:

http://www.bearair.com/Super-Silent-Sil-Air-20-A-Compressor/productinfo/120052/

 

[Midwayman]

I have a Badger Patriot & Krome, both brushes are fantastic.. US company (if you care) and great service (you can actually pick up a phone and get ahold of someone if needed).

Badger service is awesome. When they say lifetime warranty they mean it. I had a problem with a brush and live near the factory. Went down there and within a couple minutes I had their head tech problem shooting my brush in their testing room. They sent me away with a couple extra nozzles and needles.


Iwata makes a good brush too. I would have no reservations about sending someone to buy one other than they are substantially more expensive than the comparable badger models.

 

[1sikbITCH]

I do paint and body work on cars but am beginning to do motorcycles as well.

I would like to buy an airbrush set to practice with one painting flames and light artwork on junk tanks and car parts..

But I don't want to sink alot of money in a set only to discover that I am just not cut out for that type work.

Anybody familiar with airbrushes, compressors and paint that can give me some advice on what brands would be good enough for a beginner like myself?

I would like to buy stuff that I could use down the road and maybe just add onto it as I go but keep the initial costs to a minimum.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

Jeff, go to your local Harbor Freight if you have one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=airbrush+compressor

Get either combo. They come with a generic airbrush. This will allow you to practice and learn the equipment (but will not dial down enough to do really intricate patterns). You can then start saving for a better airbrush as you have money and get experience. The compressor will still be fine. The only difference between this airbrush and a good one you may buy is that this one is not gravity fed. When you buy a good one it will likely be feed from the top instead of the bottom but that's actually easier to load and less to clean.

This is what I did to get started airbrushing models. However, I never attempted any artwork so when it comes to that I have no high-end recommendations for you.

 

[Midwayman]

You'll be tossing all that HF stuff really quickly if you ever get semi-serious about it. Time and money waster imho.

 

[1sikbITCH]

*snip*

But I don't want to sink alot of money in a set only to discover that I am just not cut out for that type work.

I would like to buy stuff that I could use down the road and maybe just add onto it as I go but keep the initial costs to a minimum.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

Yep he's not looking for a cheap compressor/airbrush at all.

 

[Midwayman]

Yep he's not looking for a cheap compressor/airbrush at all.

Nowhere does he say cheap. He wants something he can use down the road, and not sink a ton of money into. That's != cheap crap. Doubly so since he wants to do it professionally. Something along the lines of the Patriot with a tanked utility compressor is about as cheap as you'll get and still get professional results.

If he really really wants to get a cheap brush I'd point him here.http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/abdbrandkits.aspx

They may not be the same quality as badger, but at least they have parts and a cheap tanked compressor (Though the compressor is more expensive and less powerful than the one I linked at amazon.) I would never use a cheap diaphragm compressor again. Pulses in airflow, and can't provide enough pressure to shoot thicker mediums. Airbrushing is hard enough to pick up without battling crap equipment.