Airbrushes

[NickDonitz]

We had started to discuss airbrushes as an adition to part of a thread and I thought id start this thread to get those who dont use or are inexperienced more comfortable with airbrushes and what can be done with them.

Im lucky enough to have several airbrushes, an Aztec which comes with several different nozels and is able to be fitted with different size bowls so it can cope with larger models and small fine detail work-=- I have had mixed results with this I find the tips of the nozels gather overspray quite quickly which can then 'drip' into the air stream causing splashes its dual control which is good because you can control flow of paint and the amount of air delivered to so its very versatile Ive been spraying with that for 16 years on and off. Ive a badger which is a basic point and shoot model nice even coverage though limiting in spray effects you can achieve. But my all time favourite is my Aerograph Sprite Super 63 its dual action with a small chrome fixed bowl which needs to be refilled often (its only drawback) Its build quality is fabulous and is easy to clean if you are careful ( there are a few small parts and a small o ring) I think ive had value for money as ive now had it 30 years it fits very neatly in the hand and is a joy to use.

Id like you all to add a bit about your airbrushes the pros and cons , compressors, moisture traps, mixing paints , paints used etc. I know theres a mine of knowledge out there and im learning new things on here on a daily basis so come on educate us

[streetfighterjeff]

i've got three airbrushes, all no name from machine mart. the first one i got worked great untill i cleaned it one day bent the tip of the meedle( my fault) thats a duel action. the other two i got this christmas. one is a standard duel action with an external cup and the the other is duel, with a small cup attached but you can set the line width using a lock nut on the needle. this also came with two extra different size needles and two different size tips. as for a compressor i've got a 24ltr machine mart special, cost about a ton i think.
jeff

[caddyshack]

My collection of brushs are mostly iwata not because i want to brag ooh i have Iwata. I do i lot of fine art work on bike tanks,cars etc also this hobbie. With Iwata i know what the quaitly of the brush will be.
yes you can get cheaper,and Iwata knock off etc, + other brands. All of which i have used in past years. But the time spent trying to get the brush to perform as it should. Just wasn't worth the effort in most cases.

Compressors.. when some one says i have a 24ltr..or i have a 80ltr tank..All of this size is going to come down to the jobs you will be doing with it. I.e ..the bigger the brush size .50 agaist a .18. That .50 is going to drain the tank a lot faster than a .18.
Also the thing that most newbies do when starting to spray, is spray a bit air off..start again then try and get air on and paint.Thus finding a big blob of unwanted paint now sitting on their project.
Its air on at all times..then add paint...paint off..air still on full..move to the next pass ,or new area, paint on...never air off.
So think of this when getting your compressor tank size. As when you use the dual action airbrush as it should be used. It will soon drain your tank. If the motors on the tank can't keep up you end up with a very very hot motor. One of which you will not even be able to put a finger on and keep it there even for 1 sec. So when chosing a compressor think about some of the work it will be having to do.

Paints..oil very good but needs lots of gear, but you get less tip dry
Water based...AA paints wicked paints and com-art, but have started to move over to trident paint as there pigment loading is just out of this world. Also tip dry is down to a min very close to oil. I always mix my own colours,all you need is a colour wheel. It saves a lot of money in the long run,and only takes seconds to mix.