New to Airbrushing question?

[David Lovell]

Bear in mind there is nothing what so ever wrong with the airbrushes included in the set up ,they will give perfectly acceptable results in fact correct thinning of paint and air pressure there is no difference ,yes more expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle and use but were spraying plastic kits here not spraying ferrari cars, I've got both expensive and as there known cheapo generic Chinese ones ,the cheap ones are used as often if not more than my expensive ones .
Once again at the risk of becoming boring it doesn't matter who's airbrush you use its down to correct paint thinning and air pressure else they won't do what it says on the box.

 

[JR]

Bear in mind there is nothing what so ever wrong with the airbrushes included in the set up ,they will give perfectly acceptable results in fact correct thinning of paint and air pressure there is no difference ,yes more expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle and use but were spraying plastic kits here not spraying ferrari cars, I've got both expensive and as there known cheapo generic Chinese ones ,the cheap ones are used as often if not more than my expensive ones .
Once again at the risk of becoming boring it doesn't matter who's airbrush you use its down to correct paint thinning and air pressure else they won't do what it says on the box.

Exactly , thinning and air pressure. Rather like using a hawk David, its a skill learnt.

 

[Jim R]

That compressor, John, is a quality piece of kit. It gives a constant air flow as it has safeguards built in. If my memory serves me it costs around £300. Cheap compressors with no tank, around the £60/£70 mark will not be so protected against fluctuating air flow.
Jim

 

[JR]

That compressor, John, is a quality piece of kit. It gives a constant air flow as it has safeguards built in. If my memory serves me it costs around £300. Cheap compressors with no tank, around the £60/£70 mark will not be so protected against fluctuating air flow.
Jim

Probably wasted on me then Jim , I was so hacked off when the AS186 packed up I thought no more tanks !and bought it.

 

[Jim R]

Definitely not John. The way your current French cafe dio is developing puts you up there with the best.
Also with savings interest rates at about 2.5% at their very best and inflation getting close to 10% you might as well spend and enjoy it!!!

 

[David Lovell]

Not that's its of any interest to Modler Bob but I have a tankless compressor , bought it after my AS186 packed up. Posted this because some say you get a pulse with out a tank ! Iv'e never had that occur.

View attachment 457958

John i havent a clue what this pulsing air pressure phobia is how far back in the past do some of them live ,twenty odd years ago I had a second hand tamiya compressor and airbrush this was the diaphragm type you could almost hear it wheezing but it didn't puls bad enough to even imagine it was affecting the paint job ,as you know I dont belive in all the myths and secrecy that have become associated with airbrushing i always try to use the manufacturers thinner along side their paint as it was developed to be used with it there for it should give the best results. OK if others want to use witches milk or dragon spit ,window cleaner whatever that's fine crack on but someone starting doesn't need to hear it ,just grab a airbrush paint and recommended thinner and enjoy learning the pit falls no one gets right straight out of the box.

 

[JR]

Definitely not John. The way your current French cafe dio is developing puts you up there with the best.
Also with savings interest rates at about 2.5% at their very best and inflation getting close to 10% you might as well spend and enjoy it!!!

Thank you Jim , yes at the rate is going Mrs R is going to have a new I pad

 

[Modler bob]

Bear in mind that those airbrushes are the generic cheapo Chinese ones, and you'll probably want a better one (H & S, Iwata, Badger, Bartsharp, etc) fairly soon.
Pete

If my memory serves me well peter.
Didn't people say similar things about the Japanese goods/market?
and just look at their cameras et al
Just saying loike

 

[stillp]

Bear in mind there is nothing what so ever wrong with the airbrushes included in the set up ,they will give perfectly acceptable results in fact correct thinning of paint and air pressure there is no difference ,yes more expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle and use but were spraying plastic kits here not spraying ferrari cars, I've got both expensive and as there known cheapo generic Chinese ones ,the cheap ones are used as often if not more than my expensive ones .
Once again at the risk of becoming boring it doesn't matter who's airbrush you use its down to correct paint thinning and air pressure else they won't do what it says on the box.

Yes David, but how long have you been airbrushing? I find my H & S is a lot more tolerant of incorrect thinning and air pressure than the cheapo that I started with. It's also a lot easier to clean.

If my memory serves me well peter.
Didn't people say similar things about the Japanese goods/market?
and just look at their cameras et al
Just saying loike

Nothing wrong with Chinese manufacturing per se Bob, but a lot of stuff shipped from there is rubbish. The Chinese government is making some efforts to stamp out counterfeiting and copying, and to encourage more high-quality manufacturing, but they have a long way to go.
Pete

 

[David Lovell]

Exactly , thinning and air pressure. Rather like using a hawk David, its a skill learnt.

As we say anybody can plaster the trick is using a trowel to get it from the hawk to the wall ,but as with a airbrush if it ain't mixed right sand and cement or plaster its bloody hard going. Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

John i havent a clue what this pulsing air pressure phobia is how far back in the past do some of them live ,twenty odd years ago I had a second hand tamiya compressor and airbrush this was the diaphragm type you could almost hear it wheezing but it didn't puls bad enough to even imagine it was affecting the paint job ,as you know I dont belive in all the myths and secrecy that have become associated with airbrushing i always try to use the manufacturers thinner along side their paint as it was developed to be used with it there for it should give the best results. OK if others want to use witches milk or dragon spit ,window cleaner whatever that's fine crack on but someone starting doesn't need to hear it ,just grab a airbrush paint and recommended thinner and enjoy learning the pit falls no one gets right straight out of the box.

My first “proper” airbrush set up was an Aztec airbrush driven by an AS186. The compressor simply couldn’t keep up with the Aztec. It was so air hungry that the pressure tank used to empty over about fifteen seconds so I had to stop and let the air tank refill before continuing. I was therefore never airbrushing at a constant pressure. That affected the paint job alright . Think of it as really slow cycle pulsing and you’ll be pretty close to the effect I got. Still did some decent paint jobs with it though……..I got used to the sound it made and just stopped spraying while it refilled the tank.

Once I changed to a better airbrush it improved because the compressor could keep up. I then changed to an Iwatta compressor (gave the AS186 to models for heroes, along with two airbrushes like those in the eBay add) and improved it yet again. As an aside, I tried the Aztec with the Iwatta compressor, and that couldn’t keep up either……I know many people have got great results with an Aztec, Jakko uses one, for example, but there must be something wrong with mine

Completely agree ref proper paint thinning with the correct thinners. That is by far the most important skill you need to learn. As I’ve said several times, as a starter set, these are fine. If/when you get your skills to the point where these airbrushes or compressor don’t do what you want, then that’s the time to upgrade.

In fact, if you are just starting out in the hobby an airbrush is not a necessity. Magazine modellers will tell you they are, but they really aren’t. I’ve been doing this for around forty years now, but only really started using an airbrush regularly about twenty years ago. Most of my railway modelling was done with flat brushes, not an airbrush. Ron spanner doesn’t use one at all and his results are excellent, for an example on this forum.

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Those Aztec airbrushes have not always had a good press. Some love them and others wish they had never bought one!

With any airbrush there will be a bit of a learning curve to overcome.

 

[David Lovell]

Yes David, but how long have you been airbrushing? I find my H & S is a lot more tolerant of incorrect thinning and air pressure than the cheapo that I started with. It's also a lot easier to clean.

Nothing wrong with Chinese manufacturing per se Bob, but a lot of stuff shipped from there is rubbish. The Chinese government is making some efforts to stamp out counterfeiting and copying, and to encourage more high-quality manufacturing, but they have a long way to go.
Pete

Ooh twenty odd years longer if you go back to the little badger siphon airbrush I had the one that used aerosol cans stood in bowls of warm water even bought a adapter to use with a inflated lorry tyre inner tube before leaving the hobby for girls and beer. Still ive sussed mixing paint and setting the air pressure so my cheap brushes work just dandy. If you had read what I had said earlier you would have noticed that I said my expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle i don't know why a expensive brush should be easier to clean a airbrush is a airbrush they all basically have the same parts ,mind I only clean mine by flushing through with mr hobby tool cleaner and maybe a squirt of thinners just to finish off ,oh and if I can be bothered I occasionally pull the needle out the back way and wipe of any residues works for me.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Those Aztec airbrushes have not always had a good press. Some love them and others wish they had never bought one!

With any airbrush there will be a bit of a learning curve to overcome.

The issue is the amount of air it needs to work properly. When it does work it is a very good tool. Easy to clean, easy to swap nozzle and paint cup sizes, and the ability to change from double to single action on the fly. Nozzle quality was a bit hit or miss, but they were cheap enough to bin and replace.

I should have gone the same way as my brother in law. He’s a model engineer with a very well equipped workshop. He just uses his heavy duty shop compressor. Switch it on, let it fill with air, then airbrush for hours without the compressor needing to switch on again and refill the tank……nearest thing to silent airbrushing there is

 

[Tim Marlow]

Ooh twenty odd years longer if you go back to the little badger siphon airbrush I had the one that used aerosol cans stood in bowls of warm water even bought a adapter to use with a inflated lorry tyre inner tube before leaving the hobby for girls and beer. Still ive sussed mixing paint and setting the air pressure so my cheap brushes work just dandy. If you had read what I had said earlier you would have noticed that I said my expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle i don't know why a expensive brush should be easier to clean a airbrush is a airbrush they all basically have the same parts ,mind I only clean mine by flushing through with mr hobby tool cleaner and maybe a squirt of thinners just to finish off ,oh and if I can be bothered I occasionally pull the needle out the back way and wipe of any residues works for me.

I had one of those badger jobs…..worked surprisingly well. Only ever used it for primer though…..it was a bit like having a refillable spray can.

 

[David Lovell]

My first “proper” airbrush set up was an Aztec airbrush driven by an AS186. The compressor simply couldn’t keep up with the Aztec. It was so air hungry that the pressure tank used to empty over about fifteen seconds so I had to stop and let the air tank refill before continuing. I was therefore never airbrushing at a constant pressure. That affected the paint job alright . Think of it as really slow cycle pulsing and you’ll be pretty close to the effect I got. Still did some decent paint jobs with it though……..I got used to the sound it made and just stopped spraying while it refilled the tank.

Once I changed to a better airbrush it improved because the compressor could keep up. I then changed to an Iwatta compressor (gave the AS186 to models for heroes, along with two airbrushes like those in the eBay add) and improved it yet again. As an aside, I tried the Aztec with the Iwatta compressor, and that couldn’t keep up either……I know many people have got great results with an Aztec, Jakko uses one, for example, but there must be something wrong with mine

Completely agree ref proper paint thinning with the correct thinners. That is by far the most important skill you need to learn. As I’ve said several times, as a starter set, these are fine. If/when you get your skills to the point where these airbrushes or compressor don’t do what you want, then that’s the time to upgrade.

In fact, if you are just starting out in the hobby an airbrush is not a necessity. Magazine modellers will tell you they are, but they really aren’t. I’ve been doing this for around forty years now, but only really started using an airbrush regularly about twenty years ago. Most of my railway modelling was done with flat brushes, not an airbrush. Ron spanner doesn’t use one at all and his results are excellent, for an example on this forum.

Tim when I started to take it seriously again a aztec was top of my hit list just imagine by quickly changing the diffrent coloured tips /needles id be able to spray from pencil lines to barn doors unfortunately or as the case may be fortunately I learnt the trade with a little compressor and a generic Chinese airbrush having to learn with this kit has im sure has given me much better self assurance when setting about the kit ive just spent hours on I have no fears of the airbrush or the results I expect from my use of it.
Thank you for the third paragraph perhaps people will take it in no matter how I put it it falls on deaf ears or annoys . Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

As I’ve said somewhere on here Dave, most modellers use an airbrush as a spray gun, so most of the finesse possible from the truly high end jobs is simply not worth paying for. A good quality mid price airbrush will do everything we want of it and then some. On the other hand, it’s nice to own good tools and nice things, so if someone wants to spend money I’m not going to stop them…..
As a final comment, I can play guitar quite well, but a great guitar won’t make me sound like Clapton. However, if Clapton plays one of my cheaper guitars…..he’ll sound like Clapton.

 

[David Lovell]

I had one of those badger jobs…..worked surprisingly well. Only ever used it for primer though…..it was a bit like having a refillable spray can.

Tim back then in my teens (I'm 67 this year and the government has told me I'm allowed to retire) I was bit of a wingy person looking back I probably built a 32nd revell aircraft once a week probably hashed and slashed it with glue and paint but thought I was the mutts ,but and here's the rub I throughly enjoyed my self didn't care what other people did or built never compared mine to other peoples ,sadly I think that's where the hobby has gone bad there is to much peer pressure almost all these wonder products that lets be honest dont really do what they say on the tin ,people comming into the hobby ģet badly burned and feel its them and not the product. I'm never going to be a Mike Rinaldi or a whats his name Britto (was bought up on Shep Payne and Verdalindon?)there's some excellent people on YouTube as well I never copy but if you can glean a little something and do it to the best of your abilities your own way then way to go , the quickest way out of this hobby is trying to be like the top guys their premiership players me I'm loving it in div three happy with my lot as long as my last build was as good or better than the previous one I'm doing fine thanks

 

[David Lovell]

As I’ve said somewhere on here Dave, most modellers use an airbrush as a spray gun, so most of the finesse possible from the truly high end jobs is simply not worth paying for. A good quality mid price airbrush will do everything we want of it and then some. On the other hand, it’s nice to own good tools and nice things, so if someone wants to spend money I’m not going to stop them…..
As a final comment, I can play guitar quite well, but a great guitar won’t make me sound like Clapton. However, if Clapton plays one of my cheaper guitars…..he’ll sound like Clapton.

What have I always said about golf clubs ,fishing tackle the same it doesn't mean I'll catch more fish

 

[stillp]

Ooh twenty odd years longer if you go back to the little badger siphon airbrush I had the one that used aerosol cans stood in bowls of warm water even bought a adapter to use with a inflated lorry tyre inner tube before leaving the hobby for girls and beer. Still ive sussed mixing paint and setting the air pressure so my cheap brushes work just dandy. If you had read what I had said earlier you would have noticed that I said my expensive airbrushes are nicer to handle i don't know why a expensive brush should be easier to clean a airbrush is a airbrush they all basically have the same parts ,mind I only clean mine by flushing through with mr hobby tool cleaner and maybe a squirt of thinners just to finish off ,oh and if I can be bothered I occasionally pull the needle out the back way and wipe of any residues works for me.

There you are then, you've had 20+ years of practice, I was trying to give advice to someone who hasn't. Yes, I did read what you wrote earlier, and my comment about the cheapo being harder to clean is just my experience as mine had lots of little nooks and crannies for paint to hide in, and the seals weren't up to much. Others' experience may differ.

it was a bit like having a refillable spray can.

Anyone else remember the Celspray? Ran from a car footpump! I sprayed a sunburst guitar with one. Couldn't get hold of a lorry inner tube in my early teens.

Thank you for the third paragraph perhaps people will take it in no matter how I put it it falls on deaf ears or annoys . Dave

Dave, I don't think anyone - certainly not me - disagrees that the thinning and pressure is most important, that's another part of the learning curve.
Pete