RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I have read previous posts and reviews etc and still my mind boggles
Which airbrush / compressor to buy.
My Gal is going to buy me a setup for my impending birthday
I have decided a double action gravity fed brush would probably suite my needs , but compressors ?
So many choices and a wide spectrum of good/bad reviews on Amazon etc.
I will only be painting tanks. Quiet is a plus but I work in the garage so won't be disturbing anyone.
Should I stick w name brand ? Badger, tamiya etc or would a Master setup off amazon fit my needs?
Sorry this has been over time and time again but not sure what to do?
Cheers Mark

I've had my aerograph super 63 for thirty years and it still works perfectly (I've 4 different airbrushes of different sizes). If I was replacing it id get an Iwata they are great to use and there is a good selection of models, for large models like tanks you'll need a large bowl or bottle feed as you'll use a fair bit of paint but they will do fine work too. If you can get to a model show at which they have a stand they will let you use one so you can pick your favourite.. http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/iwa ... hp-c-plus/ that would be my choice from their range.

As for compressor choose a small one with an reservoir tank and get a moisture trap for the hose, most new compressors a really quiet and can be pretty cheap. You don't need an expensive one find one you thinks ok and google it for a review. Lots of dealers do combination deals and at the IPMS nationals I picked up a compressor that came with two airbrushes for 60 pounds (the airbrushes are really quite good to) You can get great results with cheap airbrushes but you'll feel the difference as you use them more and more and find that the quality shines through as you experiment. Hope you enjoy whatever you get, regards Nick

It is quite the dilemma you have Mark.... it really depends on you...A friend of mine had a rig from Harbor Freight...several years ago.. the compressor was a diaphragm type...and his airbrush was a badger double action knock off... total cost was 75 dollars... lasted him for years before he sold it

I still have two Pasche Airbrushes and one badger... all siphon feed ...I have three different compressors to choose from ... all piston.. if you want quiet ...don't get a piston ...diaphragm units are quieter..reliability about the same on both... I just like piston because it gives more pressure

Good luck with your search Mark

ALPHA

I use an Iwata also and would not buy anything else. Get a gravity fed one for sure. The HP series is very nice; if it is too pricey the Iwata Neo does a great job for the money. As far as compressors I just have a basic small one from Testors, 40 psi max, its lasted me for years, I use it in my office, not very loud at all.

I use an Iwata revolution CR. Whatever you get, I recommend making sure it's a double action brush. Being able to control pressure and flow at the same time is very useful.

Thanks fellas for the replies, I will look into Iwata , sounds like they are very popular, there is an Iwata double action brush with a master compressor on amazon for $299 that seems to have good reviews. Still a little ove a month so I can read up more on them , thanks again for the suggestions

I use a cheapy Chinese one I got off eBay for £80 with compressor! Has never let me down. However it doesn't like Vallejo paints!

I got my airbrush from a national auto parts chain store for $49.
Got a big compressor that can inflate tyres, from the same place for $199.(differnt time)
The compressor is very versatile when you think how much you use it just because its there.
I havent blown up an airbed in over 5 minutes since
Kids push bikes, car tyres, airbeds, this RC model caper................divide the cost by the number of uses and its cheap.

HERMAN BIX wrote:I got my airbrush from a national auto parts chain store for $49.
Got a big compressor that can inflate tyres, from the same place for $199.(differnt time)
The compressor is very versatile when you think how much you use it just because its there.
I havent blown up an airbed in over 5 minutes since
Kids push bikes, car tyres, airbeds, this RC model caper................divide the cost by the number of uses and its cheap.

Cheers Herman, been giving it a bit of thought and $300 does seem a bit much, especially since the missus and I have decided to get married in July
So think I will go with a cheaper set up from amazon about $100-150 for a compressor and airbrush
Then I can always upgrade the brush if I see the need.

Markocaster wrote:

HERMAN BIX wrote:I got my airbrush from a national auto parts chain store for $49.
Got a big compressor that can inflate tyres, from the same place for $199.(differnt time)
The compressor is very versatile when you think how much you use it just because its there.
I havent blown up an airbed in over 5 minutes since
Kids push bikes, car tyres, airbeds, this RC model caper................divide the cost by the number of uses and its cheap.

Cheers Herman, been giving it a bit of thought and $300 does seem a bit much, especially since the missus and I have decided to get married in July
So think I will go with a cheaper set up from amazon about $100-150 for a compressor and airbrush
Then I can always upgrade the brush if I see the need.

Hey Mark..nothing wrong with a cheap unit.... several are manufactured by the same people that make the name brands...the friend I told you about... his airbrush was a badger knock off...but you could use all the same parts for it... came from Harbor Freight ...cost him like 25 dollars I think...seen the same airbrush on Ebay for about the same... some are even sold in a package with the compressor... which is also a knock off of the Passche and Badger diaphragm models worked great... put out good pressure and it was quiet ...so if you life close to a Harbor freight store... I would say just go there... to shop
His was like mine a siphon feed... personally I like them better than gravity feeds...because I can hold larger volumes of paint ...which came in handy when I painted figures... Nowdays though ... on my tanks... I just use brush ...I'm not going to say it's better... I do think you get better blending on the cammo patterns... but I do avoid a lot of the trappings of air brushing
If you notice on a lot of the builds that people use spray or airbrush applications...the "texture" is an extra step...wheels almost require that you totally remove them.. and that doesn't count cutting a template to isolate the area to be painted...so several pro's and con's to both styles...one good thing about brushing is...once you have a good technique down..and if you like weathered tanks... by controlling the stroke you can almost automatically determine that effect...the best thing is... it super quiet

Happy tanking ................


ALPHA