Airbrushes

[carey morgan]

Hi, some years ago I got fairly good with an airbrush. OK, that was 28 years ago. I've recently had my desire to model rekindle thanks to the "Sundance Central Railroad." I'm looking at airbrushes now and I'm finding it very difficult to determine which airbrush to buy. I've read some good reviews on Iwata airbrushes but would really appreciate hearing from the professionals on the different brands.

I'm thinking that internal mix, dual action with fine-line capability is important, again I would love to hear from the experts.

Price is an issue, I would like to spend less than $300 for the airbrush and the compressor. I would love to know if there is a preference on compressors as well.

Thanks for taking the time to help with this. Money is getting harder to come by and your advice good make the investment a better one.

[RoughboyModelworks]

Carey:

Like all tools you use, the airbrush you choose is determined by what you want to do with it. A dual action, internal mix would certainly be my recommendation for weathering work, especially since you have had past experience with an airbrush. For the novice they take a while to learn. As to particular brands, I haven't bought an airbrush in years, so can't make a specific brand recommendation. For several years I used a Devilbiss Aerograph Sprite which was an excellent weathering airbrush. I'm not certain whether that brush is still available, but it's certainly worth investigating. I eventually replaced it with a Paasche AB Turbo, a dual-action external mix, which will bust your budget. It is without a doubt the best airbrush I've ever used for weathering but not suited for lacquers, acrylics or other fast-drying media. For my general painting I use a detail spray gun which gives much better and smoother coverage. Any good auto-finishing shop will have those. As with all tools, get the best you can afford. I'd stay away from Harbor Freight, you're just asking for trouble. There's an old saying that I try to live by - "A poor man can't afford cheap tools."

As far as a compressor is concerned, my advice is to get the largest you can afford. You want something with an air reservoir tank, so your air supply is smooth and continuous. I bought an 8 gallon compressor from Sears about twenty years ago and though noisy, it's still going strong. I'd stay away from small hobby compressors without tanks. The air flow is not continuous and pulses which will wreak havoc with your spraying. The other option is to use cylinders of compressed gas.

Paul

[marc_reusser]

Carey,

Welcome to the forum.


As it happens I just sent the following text to a fellow member of our modelling group, who had asked me how I liked my new Iwata "Highline HP-CH" in comparison to my old Paasche VL....maybe it will help insofar as giving you some idea of what to consider.

"Up until this weekend, I did not feel I could give you a true assessment. But In the  last two days I used both to paint the same areas and details on a model (They needed multi base coats of different "rust" shades).....so it was pretty much a straight  up comparison.  As this was only for the base and "prime" coats, and primarily in interior or worn areas of the boat model I felt that it did not necessarily need to be "ultra fine" work, ....so I opted for the Paasche for the first color go around.  The following day I also needed to put a "rust" colored base/primer coat on the VW model....and since this was all going to be fine work, I decided to use the Iwata.....and as I had color left, I also used the Iwata to apply the second round of color onto the boat models in the same areas that I had applied the previous coats with the Paasche.

The paints that I used:
For the initial paasche boat painting. I used Floquil (petrol based) thinned with Floquil thinner.
For the second go around with the Iwata I used Tamiya acrylics thinned with Mr. Hobby (Gunze) thinner (for their oil/lacquer based paints),

I used a #1 (the finest) needle & tip in the Paasche, and the basic needle/tip assembly that came with the Iwata (not sure what size it is but it's damn fine...02/03mm?)

The basic result....painting between the two felt pretty much like night and day.

Comfort in the hand: The Paasche with the side cup, felt clunky, and at times unwieldy when trying to shoot into tight spaces or through openings. Siveral times I spilled paint out of the cup (luckily only once did a little get on the model). The tip and front end is larger/bulkier than the Iwata and was thus harder to get into openings, tight corners and spaces. The Iwata with top cup with lid, was lighter, more slender and more comfortable to handle and control (When I first got the Iwata, this sensation felt a bit odd after years of the Paasche, and took getting used to.) I was able to get in much closer and at odd angles (thanks to not having to always worry about spills)...I was even able to place the nozzle in through window and door openings to get tough to reach corners.

The atomization and  pressure, and operation : I used both at the same pressure (around 22 lbs). This is where the differences really show.  The Iwata has several control features which immediately put it above the Paasche; the ability to easily, with a thumb screw, adjust and set your air-flow on the airbrush, and the ability to set a  stop for the needle to limit/control paint flow/quantity.  These features pretty much allow you to dial in the airbrush, set it, and then not have to worry about any sudden jerks or sticking  and subsequent sudden too heavy splotches/areas of paint....it also allows you to focus a lot more on where and how you are spraying than always being careful about not pulling back too much on the needle/control. If I needed to change settings o the fly/while working it was simple, quick and they could be done in fine increments. The Paasche allows none of this...it does have the small needle adjustment wheel, but that has always been clunky, "sticky" and pretty useless to me...I actually never really saw a difference when I used/adjusted it. The Iwata also really surpassed the Paasche on atomization (some could be due to the paints themselves, but likely not much)....I was able to get far finer atomization with the Iwata, I was also able to get far finer lines and controlled "cone"/spray with the Iwata (all the way downd to the size of a thin pencil line). Because of the finer atomization and control I was able to get into tight corners, inside edges of such things as .060 channels and other small areas, without any paint build-up on the sides leading to the corners or dry "back-spray" in the areas, as  I would at times tend to get on the Paasche. I was also able to get into the "actual" corner...not just "close".  Because of all this working with the Iwata does take me longer to paint with, the coats are thinner/finer, and you actually have to go in an work/paint all the small details edges and corners (the Paasche in comparison seems more like a Binks gun, that just covered everything)....but I do not mind this, because as I mentioned before, the ability to control and set the airbrush allow me more ability to focus on the painting than on the airbrush itself.

Clean-up: Here too I felt the Iwata was superior. For the Paasche, after shooting thinner through it,  I still  had to break the entire brush down, then ream, clean, and Q-tip it with lacquer thinner (I am sure you know this lengthy process [:-Grin  )......for the Iwata, I cleaned the cup with a rag, rinsed it with thinner, shot clean thinner, pulled the needle, and unscrewed the tip wiped both down with a rag with thinner...put the tip back on, shot some more thinner through it..ran the needle through once to see of it was clean, then tightened the needle back in....and that was it. Took about 5 mins....whereas I spend an easy 15+ on the Paasche.

Bottom line......really one of the best tool investments I have ever made. I like it so much I am considering buying the Iwata with the smaller cup as well. (BTW: The price and service I got from Coast Airbrush was just great)

Conclusion:  The Paasche is not a bad airbrush...I have used it for 10 years....but it is not in the same league as the Iwata. I still will keep and use my Paasche, but it will definitely be relegated to more mundane, broad-scope, and general tasks......and the Iwata will be the one I use on the models.
Another thing that has definitely shown to make a difference has been the Iwata compressor. I was using Dewalt construction type compressor (with tank, regulator, and filter/moisture trap).....and when I switched to the Iwata I have found/experienced what seems to be a much more controlled/controllable, finer, drier and just plain better air stream.......it is also so quiet, that I can run it in the house, near the bedroom, at 3:00am, and not wake the wife. (though she does get up and say "You have got to be kidding me!" when the lacquer or thinner fumes waft into the bedroom.)"

A couple of notes to add:

It was pointed out to me that the Paasche works best at 35-40 psi...which I knew...but which also is too high of  a pressure for my needs for really small and fine detail work, or for "interior" corner/tight space work.

As much as I respect Paul, you can see that I disagree with him on the compressor size/type. ....though his is a more cost effective way, I still highly recommend a specialized high quality compressor. As a side note, if you are looking for really quiet and highly portable; for a long time during my graphic art & product model building I also sprayed using a refillable air tank, and it worked really well. The only hassle was getting it refilled (at that time, with lots of use, about once per month).

I do agree wholley with Paul about getting the best tool you can afford. You want it to last, and you need to be able to grow with it, or into it.

The Iwata airbrush and compressor (I use the "PowerJet") noted above are definitely outside the price range you are looking for (though the airbrush combined with pauls compressor suggestion might fit)......but regardless, I would suggest that you look for an airbrush that has as much ability to fine tune.

Coast Airbrush, the people I bought from have a website http://www.coastairbrush.com/ that shows some of the types and models availale from different mfrs. (click on "Airbrushes" and on "Compressors" on the left side tabs) Don't be intimidated by the sites "image"....they are great guys and really knowledgable (far more so than the hobby dealers that sell airbrushes)....and their service/shipping has been outstanding.

...as with everything, you really need to tailor the whole set-up to YOUR needs and how YOU use the airbrush, everyone is different, has different needs, different skill levels and different ambitions of how good they want to get with them. ...and there is always a better airbrush out there....all it takes is $$$ ....if I had had my way I would have probably bought the Iwata "Micron CM-C Plus"....even though it is beyond what my skills are at this time

Besides just the airbrush itself, it is important to know/understand the medium you are shooting through it, and to use the correct and best medium for the job. No matter how good the airbrush, if you use poor quality paints, don't mix them correctly (or with the correct materials), don't prep the surfaces properly, and don't shoot appropriately for the given conditions, your results will suffer. You also need to make sure that you take proper care/cleaning of your airbrush....it is a precision instrument, and as it suffers, so will your work.


Marc

[carey morgan]

Hey Paul and Marc,

Thanks for the advice. It really does help. I hear you both loud and clear on the importance of buying quality.

I think based on both your comments that I will eventually need specific airbrushes for specific jobs. I'm currently building my first structure, a sort of ticket office, loading platform and yard tower combined. I've made some small detail pieces for the inside like a fireplace, bookcase and such and I'm anxious to get them painted but don't want the brush strokes.

Marc, I really enjoyed the article on your new Iwata and I do remember the clean-up time, Yikes! I think you sold me right there on the Iwata. I will push the budget as far as I can, I've never regretted spending a lot on tools.

Thanks again for the insight, and thanks for welcoming me to your group.

Carey

[RoughboyModelworks]

Good post Marc and some excellent points. I do have to agree with you on the noise issue. If I ran my compressor at 3 in the morning, I'd probably have the cops at the door for waking the neighbors if I hadn't already been shot . If sound level is an issue, then definitely consider newer techology compressors than the run of the mill construction or mechanic type machines. The important point is that it has some form of reservoir tank plus the required moisture traps and filters. Despite claims to the contrary I have never seen a compressor that did not generate some level of moisture. I used a refillable air tank for a while, but found it more of a hassle to keep getting it filled - never seemed to last very long. I know some fellows who have used CO2 tanks with excellent results which naturally are absolutely quiet. You can usually rent the cylinders but generally have to buy the regulator which can cost as much or more than a decent compressor.

I do take respectful issue with the cleaning comments though. I have always disassembled my airbrushes to clean them thoroughly. It is absolutely vital for the proper operation of the brush, especially with the higher precision models, that all components be perfectly clean. I never viewed the time taken to clean the tool as wasted. Time saved is always a good thing, but not at the expense of the equipment or work. If you look after your tools, they are unlikely to let you down and properly cared for, should last a lifetime, especially important when you're shelling out big hard-earned bucks for gear. The better brushes and spray guns are better designed pieces of equipment and as a result are often easier to clean and I think that may be part of what you're experiencing Marc.

Anyway, hopefully our comments will be of some help. Keep us posted on your progress.

Paul

[marc_reusser]

Paul,

I fully agree with your viewpoint on the cleaning, and you are correct in what I am experiencing, I think my description may have come off slightly wrong, I fully break mine down after each session (I wipe, rinse and flush between colors or if I have to wait a bit between coats) What I was getting at is that because the Iwata is in some ways a simpler design,  and has less parts that need to be cleaned/broken down, it is easier and quicker to do a thorough cleaning/breakdown as compared to the Paasche. I also find it has a less complicated feed system, (fixed cup top feed, compared to seperate cup/jar bottom feed) that gives any remaining paint residue in the system less places to build-up and dry/set during use or between coats/colors ....thus I have been able to get the same results with less aggressive cleaners (IE. Acetone)...or at least having to employ less of them less often.


I also want to be clear to any other readers, I am not knocking the Passche...I thought my Paasche was great (and I probably would have gone on with it until it wore out)......but then I got the Iwata.  For me it really was a huge difference....it does not mean that it will be for others (for some it may be more tedious), or that everyone needs this....but it definitely has helped my work, and gives me a lot of room to grow and improve.


Marc

[TRAINS1941]

Marc

Some very good information.  I haven't used an air brush for a long time.  And will be trying something new and just started looking at air brushes.

Jerry

[RoughboyModelworks]

That's what I thought Marc. I've discovered that the better the tool or piece of equipment, the simpler the overall design tends to be. That simplicity though hides a great deal of design and engineering effort and expense (hence the usually higher price) which pays off in a piece of equipment, like an airbrush, that is more precise, more responsive, affords the experienced user greater freedom and latitude, a shorter learning curve and generally speaking provides for easier maintenance. I'm not bashing Paasche either and I don't think anyone will think you were, but I am bashing places like Harbor Freight. Most of their tools are knock-offs of existing products. Their manufacturers simply copy an existing tool without investing the time and money needed to properly engineer a product. They produce them with substandard materials and sell them cheap. Their targeted market are folks who don't care about or for their tools and simply replace one shoddy piece of crap with another when the first breaks after its first use, if it's usable at all. So far all I've found of use there are storage boxes and cabinets and zip ties. Even their heat-shrink tubing is sub-standard. This is a huge problem in the custom motorcycle industry. There are several unscrupulous, deep-pocketed manufacturers who literally steal good product designs from small shops, then ship them overseas to be copied and manufactured. Then they flood the market with a cheap, inferior product at the expense of the original designer and ultimately the consumer who ends up with a piece of crap. There's a photo of an example of this on the Roughboy Blog "About" http://www.roughboy.net/shinola/?page_id=2 page. That shiny chrome primary cover (large chrome cover that covers the primary drive from the engine to the transmission) is a knock-off Indian cover that the customer wanted put on his custom Harley Softail. One of the transmission mounting studs had been hacked off in production and simply chromed over, hack saw marks and all. I had to remachine the back of the cover then turn a mounting stud from solid stainless in order to fit the cover properly. Without it the cover was absolutely useless. Ended up costing him more than twice what he paid for the cover in the first place. Harrumph, harrumph.... I digress, ok, I'm off my high-horse now...

Back to the maintenance issue. I've seen a lot of workshops (not just model shops) where maintenance was an as-needed activity. One of the valuable lessons I learned when I apprenticed as a cabinet maker with Wendell Castle, was the importance of regular, routine maintenance. We used to shut the shop down at 2 pm every Friday and do nothing but machine maintenance until 5 or 6. As a result we never had a problem with any of the equipment. That scheduled time expenditure was much better than having to shut down in the middle of production because something broke or cutters were dull or some other preventable maintenance problem popped up.

The important point, as you said in your last post, was that the tool has helped your work and given you a lot of room to grow and improve (though judging by some of your recent photos, I don't know how you could get much better. Your paintwork and color management are beautiful.)

Paul

[John McGuyer]

When I had Hobby John's, I sold more airbrushes by far than any other hobby shop in the area. Mainly because we worked with the people. At that time the two brushes were Binks and Paasche. The RC car guys preferred the Binks and the H model Paasche because of their simplicity and easier to clean. The double action was just not worth the effort. The serious plastic modelers however preferred the VL Paasche. I always liked the control but considered it a bit 'fiddily'. It liked to sputter and spit and was inconsistent in spray. It also did not 'pick off' well. Then Mac McCalla gave me a Badger 150. In fact, he gave me two. One has a very small open cup on top. It is very good at getting into tight places, for doing small paint areas and the top loader cup picks off much better. The other brush has a fairly good sized bottle on the bottom. It is better for painting big areas such as the base color on a freight car. They both tend to be much more consistent than the Paasche.

Now a couple things on the brushes. KEEP THEM CLEAN! After painting, take them apart and wash them out. Get some Q-Tips and clean the corners. Go to Micro Mark and get some of those filter screen funnels and screen ANY paint you put in the brush, no matter how small or if you filtered it before. Now here is a trick you might not of heard; When you finish cleaning your brush, take some light oil and oil it. Run oil through the gun and spray it through all the orifices. Why? It keeps paint from drying in all those tiny holes and places. You may think you made the brush clean, but believe me, you didn't. There will always be a small residue left. The oil prevents that from drying. When you get ready to paint the next time, just squirt a little thinner through the gun and you will be ready to go.

Lastly, on the compressor. I favor buying the most useful tool I can get for my money. You can pick up a 2HP 5 Gallon compressor for under $150 if you watch for sales. That is close to the price of a tiny hobby compressor. They will run your airbrush extremely well. Even better, they will pump up tires, blow out your shop and run small air tools. You can blow the chips and dust off of things. That is a big plus. It you don't like the noise, you can even put them outdoors in a box where you will barely ever hear it. If you are industrious, you can run airlines all over your shop.

Finally, practice.

John