Airbrush comparison?

[Modler bob]

I was mooching about on youtube and came across this......

as some of you know, I purchased the Fendga compressor kit including the Fendga FE 130 he's comparing here.
is he talking carp, or should I jump with joy at betting a bargain ha ha

 

[Jim R]

I had one of those 130 airbrushes and it served me well for many years. Remember though that he is very skilled so perhaps his experience and skill is going a fair way to getting good results from the cheapie. That cheapie is a bargain for what you want at the beginning. It isn't as well made and the seals will fail with anything other than water based acrylics.
It's a bit like comparing a £50,000 BMW with a £4000, second hand Fiesta. They will both get you and your passengers up the motorway and round town to the shops but the BMW will be quieter, more comfortable, safer and better made. The Fiesta will do the job though and you'll have lots of money left over.
An interesting video.

 

[outrunner]

What Jim said but I would like to have seen him strip the airbrush for cleaning, I have a cheap airbrush which I bought when starting but it has a really tiny nozzle which is so easy to lose and if you were a bit rough with the tool removing/replacing it I am sure it would be easily damaged. Having said that I am not an expert, nor will I ever be and the cheapo does the job but my Iwata eclipse is much easier to handle, you pay your money so you make the choice.

Andy.

 

[Modler bob]

cheers Guys.
Obviously, I'll be using it (When I get up and running) Then go from there.
I've yet to read through John's book yet lol.

 

[Dave Ward]

Bob,
I've had quite a few cheapo Chinese airbrushes, the 0.2mm brushes haven't been much good, - sticky needles, blocking nozzles - but the 0.3mm nozzles are OK - I've bought replacement needles, nozzles & nozzle caps from AiliExpress with success ( better than throwing things away! ) - very cheap, but you have to wait!
The brushes themselves work fine - some of them aren't the most comfortable to use ( one of mine has insulating tape wrapped round it to protect my delicate fingers! ), and cleaning them can be a bit laborious. However for spraying primer coats & all over base coats they are excellent - you won't get thin lines, but that's what your expensive airbrush is for! If you use masks, then you've no need for a fine airbrush anyway!
The airbrush is a tool - on a completed model, it's irrelevant what airbrush you used - it's the finish that counts. The user is the key - practice & practice with the airbrush & get to know it's limitations & strengths & always clean it before storage.
I bet Vincent Van Gogh would still produce masterpieces using the cheapest brushes & paints from The Works! - Just because an airbrush costa lot of money, it doesn't guarantee a prize winning finish!
Dave

 

[Andy T]

I've watched a lot of his videos over the past year and he really knows how to pull a trigger!

As has been said his experience is likely the main factor here as great airbrushing is all about trigger control and that's something you just can't buy.

I'm not saying anything against the airbrush itself but don't expect those kind of results yourself for a long time, you'll only get discouraged. It's a skill that takes time & practice, whether you have the fengda or a micron in your hand. In fact the former will probably be better as the iwata has such a fine nozzle that it'll be forever blocking until you learn to thin your paints perfectly.

Just pick the thing up and blast some paint

 

[AlanG]

If you use masks, then you've no need for a fine airbrush anyway!

Erm! Doing mottling on certain Luftwaffe aircraft requires fine airbrush skills.

 

[stillp]

Erm! Doing mottling on certain Luftwaffe aircraft requires fine airbrush skills.

Or mottling masks! Saw some at the Hinckley show today, I was tempted but they were silly money - £15.50 (I think) for a sheet of flexy plastic with holes in it...
My wife uses some flexible perforated silicone liners in her air fryer; next time she throws one out because it's discoloured I might see if I can re-shape some of the holes and give it a new lease of life.
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Or mottling masks! Saw some at the Hinckley show today, I was tempted but they were silly money - £15.50 (I think) for a sheet of flexy plastic with holes in it...
My wife uses some flexible perforated silicone liners in her air fryer; next time she throws one out because it's discoloured I might see if I can re-shape some of the holes and give it a new lease of life.
Pete

That sort of mottling does need a soft edge though Pete, so you’d have to raise the mask off the surface a little.

 

[Modler bob]

Crikey, there's more to airbrushing than I first thought.
I'll have to get stuck into my book soon

 

[Dave Ward]

Bob,
It's better to practice on an actual model - I use an old Matchbox He-111 to try out paints & masking - it's very much a harlequin! It works well - you can see how well a paint covers over other paints, and you can nail the paint dilution, without risking your expensive model!
I never mix paints in the airbrush cup - I use the cheap plastic shot glasses - you can really mix the paints, and you can save yourself a heap of trouble if there's a reaction between paint & thinner/diluter - which can happen ( coagulation, sludge that you don't want in your airbrush ).
Dave

 

[stillp]

That sort of mottling does need a soft edge though Pete, so you’d have to raise the mask off the surface a little.

The ones I'm thinking of are a couple of millimetres thick Tim, so a slightly soft edge should be easy.
Pete

 

[Modler bob]

Bob,
It's better to practice on an actual model - I use an old Matchbox He-111 to try out paints & masking - it's very much a harlequin! It works well - you can see how well a paint covers over other paints, and you can nail the paint dilution, without risking your expensive model!
I never mix paints in the airbrush cup - I use the cheap plastic shot glasses - you can really mix the paints, and you can save yourself a heap of trouble if there's a reaction between paint & thinner/diluter - which can happen ( coagulation, sludge that you don't want in your airbrush ).
Dave

Sure, I have an old Spit I can practice on Dave.
Cheers
Bob

 

[Ian M]

I have had a few cheaper airbrush and they have sprayed rather well! Promotion to a couple of midrange models was a new experience in some respects, never really got 100% with them .
Latest is a highend one. A very noticeable difference. For the better.
Best way to learn is to do. Play with thinning play, with air pressure just not at the same time lol.get to grip with the start and stop sequence:- air-paint-paint-air. Air on paint on then paint off air off.

If you are making spiders, either the paint is to thin or air pressure to high.
Splattering is to thick paint or to low air.
Spits and splutters at start up is mostly due to stopping the air before paint.
Practice on card, plastic bottles, then once you have found a good place the be, on a cheap model.

 

[PsiFox]

A good tip for the Fengda and other cheap brands is to sand/polish the needle.
one of the reasons they are cheap is because the finishing on metal parts is not as fine as on the next level up,
I find polishing the needle and lubing some of the moving parts and threads makes a big difference.
I buy them and use for one task only, so one is for primer, one for clear coat and one for general painting.