Airbrushing - The Buyer's Guide, tips on choosing the right airbrush for your modelling Options

[mr_maxime]

When I clean mine, I rinse the cup with water, then I take it all apart and rub the parts down with rubbing alcohol. Then I put it back together, fill part of the cup with rubbing alcohol and spray it all out.

[lordmetroid]

You do that between each color? How long does it take?

[Agatheron]

The steps that I listed, it takes about 5 minutes to do if that. Once it becomes habit, it's not onerous at all.

[Sorien]

this is the kit I bought, and am more then happy with it. It is basically the same compressor you get everywhere else anyway, and works fine.

The airbrush is a metal dual-action, not something cheap. It's a copy of a badger design and works quite well. You won't be doing super fine detail work but overall it's a great, inexpensive way to get into airbrushing.

1/5 hp compressor and airbrush kit

I had some moisture problems at first, but got a $10 inline filter off ebay that solved that completely.

Inline paasche filter

[I Rosputnik]

I know this sounds stupid, but do airbrushes use solvents? I've been toying with the idea of using an airbrush in both 2-D and 3-D art and I would like to know if it would make my room smell. The smell of glue is bad enough.

[Orxymandiuz]

Depends on what you're putting through it. Airbrush is a very versatile tool and you can use almost any kind of thinned liquid, paint, etc. through it. Bakers use food colouring to decorate cakes, detailers use heavy enamels and solvents, we modellers can use anything from paint, thinners, solvents, inks, varnishes, etc.

Anything aerosolized will have a smell but the degree will depend on what you're brushing. Enamels, etc, reek and the thinners for some paints will have a strong aroma when airbrushing. There are spray booths you can buy (tho they are quite expensive) or you can make one yourself - HOWEVER, there is a major fire risk when doing your own wiring (say on a fan for your spray booth) and using aerosolized anything. Even flour in a mill can explode when the particle content saturates the air too much. If you are making your own do the research, find an explosion/fire proof fan system or just pony up the bucks for a safe, manufactured one.

Always, always wear a respirator when using your airbrush as well. The first time I used it I didn't, thinking no big deal, and I was literally blowing that paint colour out of my nose for days. I cringe when I think of my painted lungs....

[crispy]

I've used a Badger gravity fed double action for years now, gone though quite a few needles and its still going strong. It has the paint cup built into the air brush itself.

Regarding the cleaning, I've found that aslong as I'm only using acrylic paints then I can get away with a quick rinse out with clean water and have a test spray before adding the next colour. Its only when I've finish for the day that i'll give it a proper strip down and clean with cellulose thinners and a cotton bud. This only takes 5 mins at most and completely removes any dried on paint.

Just a note I wanted to add, if you spray solvents you will be breathing them in and it could be fatal. If you cant get any proper ventilation you should be wearing a mask. Even if you dont think its effecting you now or the slight woosiness feels fun, brain damage or liver failure isnt!

[Agatheron]

In my case, because of ventilation issues, I cannot make use of Lacquer-based paints through my airbrush. It's unfortunate, because lacquer thinner can really make the already-smooth Tamiya paints even smoother, and Alcad Lacquers are hands-down the best way to get authentic metallic finishes on stuff. Even so, they would be toxic to use in my environment. As such, I use Tamiya X-20A Thinner (denatured alcohol) as my acrylic thinner of choice. As much as I make use of oils, I don't airbrush them... at best I may airbrush some white spirit to get a particular effect, but I use the odourless stuff.

[Grotskul]

I received an Aztek airbrush for Christmas, and have been testing it a little here and there. Still a long learning curve, I think.

Any tips or suggestions for this particular airbrush?

[ScatRD]

There's a lot of really good info in this thread and I wanted to drop a bit more into it.

One of my jobs is airbrushing face and body art as well as temporary tattoo's with a 7 color changer setup.
For most of my work I use an Iwata HP-CS or a Iwata HP-BSC for my color changer.
I purchase my airbrushes and hardware from Dixie Art.

http://www.dixieart.com/Iwata_Eclipse_Airbrush.html#cs

Recently Iwata put out another compressor that I use and LOVE!!!
It's in their Studio series call the "Power Jet Pro"

http://www.dixieart.com/Iwata_Compressors_Main.html#is975

I can carry this compressor with one hand if I have to go to the client or onto a job site/party or whatever and have never had a complaint about noise, most people don't even realize it's running when it fills it's tank.
Is it a Silentaire? No, but I didn't pay twice the price so I don't care!

You definitly want a compressor with a tank as it keeps your air flowing smooth and no pulsing as you get with tankless compressors, it's quiet enough that I can come home from a 2am job and put it on my kitchen counter and clean up my brushes and gear without worrying about waking up the girlfriend.

All and all I've been down this road a few time and hit a lot of bumps and when/if it can go wrong, it will when you least expect it and then I'm glad for Dixie Art as they usually have any parts I need and get them to me fast!

[Kaan]

To directly answer I Rosputnik, an airbrush using an air compressor does not use solvents. The only thing going through the air brush is air, paint, and what ever you thinned your paint with. The only solvents you might put through it is what you use to clean off the paint in between colors (such as Isopropyl Alcohol 70%).

I used my airbrush to help paint up my Morkatron model (Ruzzbot), it worked a treat in getting smooth Yellows and Reds onto the model (and anyone painting yellow understands how difficult it is to get a smooth yellow coat onto a model). I have about 8 - 10 ruined buildings (effectively an Imperial Sector's worth) that I'm going to try it out on next. It will greatly help complete that project.

As far as ork skin, if you are painting up Bad Moons (Yellow) or Savage Orcs (mostly skin), I'd give it a go. Otherwise, I don't know if the time savings is truly worth it for infantry models. But if purchasing an airbrush will get you over the hump to actually paint the models instead of being so overwhelmed that you can't even start to paint them, then I'd say go for it!

[ARBAL]

Two options:
CHEAPER: http://www.coloureddust.com.pl/2013/02/air...inese-k208.html
BETTER but expensive: http://www.coloureddust.com.pl/2013/03/air...-harder_15.html