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Airbrushes - Try before you buy


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Hi,

 

In the same way that the general advice before buying a DCC system is to try before you buy, are there any shops in either Kent, Devon or Cornwall that offer a similar service for airbrushes.  In the past I have bought airbrushes on line without having the chance to try them out beforehand and for one reason or another I seem to have three airbrushes that don't seem to be delivering the results that I want.  Perhaps this is because I have previously bought due to the cost rather than buying a known brand such was Badger or Iwata but I am now considering buying on quality and paying a bit more in the hope that what I buy delivers the results that I witness by people on YouTube and on videos etc. 

 

I currently have a gravity fed double action airbrush, a gravity fed since action with trigger grip and a bottom feed double action airbrush - this latter one being the Expo airbrush.  For convenience I would prefer a bottom feed airbrush but would consider another gravity fed one if it provides a better airbrushing experience.  I already have a compressor and am satisfied with its performance.  I always strip my airbrushes down to their component parts after airbrushing sessions in the hope that my next session will be a success.  However, I am not able to obtain cellulose thinners here in Cameroon as I could when I was in UK but as I paint with acrylics, I simply run water through the airbrush between colours to clean it and then do the strip down after.

 

Any suggestions on airbrushes to buy based on personal experience or satisfaction would also be welcomed.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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Eileen's Emporian offer demonstrations at many of the exhibitions they attend.

 

I suggest a call or a email to them to confirm which exhibitions they are attending and if they will be demonstrating airbrushes for you to try.

 

They will be at Stafford next February.

 

Hope it helps

 

Terry

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Thanks for the replies.  I didn't do a search before typing my enquiry to be honest.  I am back in UK for two weeks in mid-September and then won't be back until around August/September next year.  I will do some research during our visit in September and buy something before I leave.  I will check out the Badger 150 and others in their range.  I keep hearing good things about Iwata (spelling?) as well.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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I have an Iwata Neo trigger version and it is excellent - both performance and cleaning

 

Try a proper Iwata, you'll be blown away. The neo only offers similar performance to no name and chinese copy brands, because ultimately that's what it is. 

 

for the OP, search various models on youtube, you're bound to find some user reviews. 

 

FWIW, I swear by my Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as a gravity fed gun. I was initially concerned about the paint cup being integral with the airbrush body and the effect it would have on cleaning - but I can state that they were all unfounded and it cleans beautifully being considerably wider in the throat than I was expecting, plenty of space to get in there with a brush and clean out any awkward bits of accumulated paint. 

 

I used to use a Badger 200, which was a brilliant brush for paint finish but a nightmare to keep clean being siphon fed, hence the switch to gravity fed dual action via the Neo. 

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Try a proper Iwata, you'll be blown away. The neo only offers similar performance to no name and chinese copy brands, because ultimately that's what it is. 

 

for the OP, search various models on youtube, you're bound to find some user reviews. 

 

FWIW, I swear by my Iwata Eclipse HP-CS as a gravity fed gun. I was initially concerned about the paint cup being integral with the airbrush body and the effect it would have on cleaning - but I can state that they were all unfounded and it cleans beautifully being considerably wider in the throat than I was expecting, plenty of space to get in there with a brush and clean out any awkward bits of accumulated paint. 

 

I used to use a Badger 200, which was a brilliant brush for paint finish but a nightmare to keep clean being siphon fed, hence the switch to gravity fed dual action via the Neo. 

I have recently got a virtually new Iwata second hand from a friend but I've been so comfortable with the neo I've not tried yet - maybe I should...

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Get the best you can afford, but be prepared to do a lot of experiment with pressure settings to suit the paint and thinners mixture. Acrylics are not easy, the quality varies a lot with makes, and a lot depends on the primers used. Cheap Chinese clones do work, but introduce variables not there with Iwata or Badger.

My best airbrushes are still Paashe and aerograph, but I use cheap brushes as well, one came with a small compressor from China, and costs under £10 on Ebay, and it works exactly the same as my Badger, but cannot do art misting in the same way as the top makes.

The vital component on all except the Paashe is the needle, it must be polished and dead straight, and concentric with the nozzle end, look under a strong magnifier to check this on a suspect gun of any make.

I do not disassemble every use, it risks damage, but flush fully and store only after they have stood in thinners overnight, with a further blow out.

Never risk acrylic drying in the gun, terrible to remove.

Stephen.

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A very basic point fr newcomers to any airbrush, never aim it at the work and press the button, or release the button when aimed at the work. The button is depressed aimed away from the surface and is gently swept towards the surface to minimise any chance of spits of paint that might have built up in the nozzle area. The reverse applies to release, move the gun away from the work and release. A gentle steady sweeping and swooping action is needed to get the finest results. Practice on old tin cans till you develop the touch to control the surface being produced. Practice makes perfect as always.

Stephen.

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Iwata are very good with ink and art work, they produce a mist better than most makes, only an Aerograph can duplicate the fine finish, which is useful for weathering, an art that is still wildly overdone in the UK by most modellers, it is a very subtle process, and can take hours to get each effect right.

 

A club member showed me a dreadful Black Five that looked like the cat had been sick on it, and he said he did it with car spray cans in a few minutes

 

I just had not the heart to comment on it to him, but I did take along two Japanese Brass locos I was working on, and let him look at them without comment....he just asked how it was done? so he did realise that his efforts had jumped the gun a bit.

 

I then walked him through the process, with a demo on a further loco, showing shading, highlighting, and introducing a bit of rust and grime into grooves and under details, the picking out details by brush, and finally glazing the whole thing in satin cellulose, adding matt effects to upper surfaces and water glaze to unions and controls, oil streaks and puddles, worn steps, worn handrail paint, and then the chassis, stripped and painted and weathered, and re-assembled. With the main painting and drying time it took about 3 days work, but always in a batch so that other items were being done, rather than waiting.

 

Unless the loco modelled is in an appalling condition I aim to have the weathered loco look almost normal till you see a pristine one next to it. It is very difficult to undo work, but you can always add more.

 

Patience is a virtue, but is a necessity with painting, and airbrushes need care to get the best from them.

 

Stephen.

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Thanks for the replies.  I didn't do a search before typing my enquiry to be honest.  I am back in UK for two weeks in mid-September and then won't be back until around August/September next year.  I will do some research during our visit in September and buy something before I leave.  I will check out the Badger 150 and others in their range.  I keep hearing good things about Iwata (spelling?) as well.

I don't know if you will be limited to UK South west in September but a mid-week visit and demo of Iowatas at Eileens Emporium near Gloucester could be requested.  OR visit Scaleforum in Aylesbury Sept 24-25th where they will do demos and give try before buy

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  • 1 month later...

Unfortunately, two weeks wasn't sufficient time to try out an airbrush but by watching videos on YouTube and researching them with suppliers, I wanted something that would allow me to spray models and railway items, preferably with suction feed but also with capability of gravity feed.  In the end I decided to buy the Iwata Eclipse SBS from the Airbrush Company.  This is a side feed airbrush that accepts paint jars for suction feed and cups for gravity feed.  The reviews were good and I look forward to receiving it.  I had been having some issues trying to spray Humbrol acrylics so I bought all the Revell ones and the results were better.  However, I prefer enamels or Tamiya acrylics so I bought the most used colours that I use from these ranges, whilst in the UK and I will try these out when the airbrush arrives in about two weeks time.  I also took the opportunity to buy a respirator with filters and George Dent's airbrushing expert DVD.

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to my enquiry and gave advice.  I might also get myself a Badger 200 and the stubby Iwata single action airbrush later on.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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Hi,

 

In the same way that the general advice before buying a DCC system is to try before you buy, are there any shops in either Kent, Devon or Cornwall that offer a similar service for airbrushes.  In the past I have bought airbrushes on line without having the chance to try them out beforehand and for one reason or another I seem to have three airbrushes that don't seem to be delivering the results that I want.  Perhaps this is because I have previously bought due to the cost rather than buying a known brand such was Badger or Iwata but I am now considering buying on quality and paying a bit more in the hope that what I buy delivers the results that I witness by people on YouTube and on videos etc. 

 

I currently have a gravity fed double action airbrush, a gravity fed since action with trigger grip and a bottom feed double action airbrush - this latter one being the Expo airbrush.  For convenience I would prefer a bottom feed airbrush but would consider another gravity fed one if it provides a better airbrushing experience.  I already have a compressor and am satisfied with its performance.  I always strip my airbrushes down to their component parts after airbrushing sessions in the hope that my next session will be a success.  However, I am not able to obtain cellulose thinners here in Cameroon as I could when I was in UK but as I paint with acrylics, I simply run water through the airbrush between colours to clean it and then do the strip down after.

 

Any suggestions on airbrushes to buy based on personal experience or satisfaction would also be welcomed.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

I've had a Badger 200 for many years. All metal construction makes it easy to clean and it's still as good as the day it was bought. It's designed to be bottom fed but you can get a colour cup instead of using jars. Badger's ready mixed paints fit straight on as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My Iwata SBS airbrush arrived on Monday and I used it on Wednesday with Tamiya acrylic to paint some parts on a 1/35 scale kit and I was very impressed with its performance, especially how simple it was to clean up afterwards.  Last night I tried it out with Humbrol enamel to spray an undercoat of matt black on a whitemetal coach kit and again I was impressed with the results and the cleaning routine.  The only drawback at the moment is that the gravity feed cup that was provided with the airbrush is very small so I will have to order some suction feed bottles and a larger gravity feed cup to really be able to use it to the full.

 

I had also ordered the Model Rail Airbrushing Expert video featuring George Dent and learnt many things that I hadn't considered before.  Possibly the reason why I have not had much success with airbrushing in the past has been down to air pressure on the compressor.  Until I watched the DVD, my compressor had been spraying at 35psi but according to the DVD, the maximum needed is between 10-15 psi.  I am overhauling my old airbrushes with a full strip down and clean and will try them again but spray at 10-15psi and see if there is any difference.  I am interested in getting the Iwata single action M2 airbrush or perhaps a Badger 200 to compliment the SBS and give away the other, cheaper ones.

 

Fortunately, I have several paint jobs waiting in the wings that I have been putting off until the SBS arrived. 

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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What is the cleaning benefit of a gravity fed brush over a siphon brush?

 

I am torn between getting a new trigger and needle to refurb my Badger 175 or buying an Iwata Neo, cleaning was always the biggest pain with the Badger so I'd be interested to hear if it is any easier with a gravity fed brush.

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The Iwata SBS is a side feed airbrush that allows you to add bottles so it becomes a suction feed and cups so that it becomes a gravity airbrush.  So far, only having the suction feed cup that was provided with the airbrush, I have not had any cleaning problems.  I have used acrylic and enamel paint and have just filled the cup with either acrylic thinner or white spirits and have sprayed this through until it has sprayed clear with no trace of colour.  It is helps to use the blow back method too; covering the nozzle with some tissue while pulling ther trigger so that the air comes back towards the cup and clears the passageway between the cup and the nozzle.  I have not yet had to resort to a full strip down and clean.

 

With other gravity feed airbrushes that I have, cleaning is easier if the cup unscrews from the airbrush.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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My Iwata SBS airbrush arrived on Monday and I used it on Wednesday with Tamiya acrylic to paint some parts on a 1/35 scale kit and I was very impressed with its performance, especially how simple it was to clean up afterwards.  Last night I tried it out with Humbrol enamel to spray an undercoat of matt black on a whitemetal coach kit and again I was impressed with the results and the cleaning routine.  The only drawback at the moment is that the gravity feed cup that was provided with the airbrush is very small so I will have to order some suction feed bottles and a larger gravity feed cup to really be able to use it to the full.

 

I had also ordered the Model Rail Airbrushing Expert video featuring George Dent and learnt many things that I hadn't considered before.  Possibly the reason why I have not had much success with airbrushing in the past has been down to air pressure on the compressor.  Until I watched the DVD, my compressor had been spraying at 35psi but according to the DVD, the maximum needed is between 10-15 psi.  I am overhauling my old airbrushes with a full strip down and clean and will try them again but spray at 10-15psi and see if there is any difference.  I am interested in getting the Iwata single action M2 airbrush or perhaps a Badger 200 to compliment the SBS and give away the other, cheaper ones.

 

Fortunately, I have several paint jobs waiting in the wings that I have been putting off until the SBS arrived. 

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

The pressure recommended for acrylics is between 15 and 20psi, and for enamels between 20 and 25psi. The actual pressure used will depend on the compressor, the airbrush, the degree of thinning of the paint and your techniques! Only you can make the final decision.

 

I'm intrigued to read that you have an SBS and now want an M2. If you need a single action airbrush you can buy this part (https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=51&product2_id=21) for your Eclipse and effectively turn it into a single action device. Unless, of course, you are starting an airbrush collection . . . . . . . :no:

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I already seem to have started an airbrush collection.  Prior to ordering my Iwata I had an unbranded single action gravity feed with interchangeable cups with trigger control that for some reason seems to spray to the right when pulling the trigger (!?), an Expo suction feed airbrush and a PremiAir G35 double action gravity feed with small cup permanently fitted.  I have been so impressed with the results achieved with the Iwata that I want to buy another but I want it to be a single action and then the two Iwatas that I will own will replace the other three quite easily.  I like the controllability that a trigger allows but I want a single action to use when I want to lay down a lot of paint and simply have to pull back the lever rather than be concerned about pressing down and pulling back on the lever.  Last night I sprayed the upper surface of a 1/72 aircraft yesterday using Revell acrylics and their thinner and got results that I have achieved in the past on a hit and miss basis, without any runs or blotching.

 

Regards,

 

Stevee

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Get the best you can afford, but be prepared to do a lot of experiment with pressure settings to suit the paint and thinners mixture. Acrylics are not easy, the quality varies a lot with makes, and a lot depends on the primers used. Cheap Chinese clones do work, but introduce variables not there with Iwata or Badger.

My best airbrushes are still Paashe and aerograph, but I use cheap brushes as well, one came with a small compressor from China, and costs under £10 on Ebay, and it works exactly the same as my Badger, but cannot do art misting in the same way as the top makes.

The vital component on all except the Paashe is the needle, it must be polished and dead straight, and concentric with the nozzle end, look under a strong magnifier to check this on a suspect gun of any make.

I do not disassemble every use, it risks damage, but flush fully and store only after they have stood in thinners overnight, with a further blow out.

Never risk acrylic drying in the gun, terrible to remove.

Stephen.

This is good advice in my opinion, as eventually you will put a bend in the end of the needle, however careful you are in removing and replacing. How do I know this - well its happened to me for the second time in the thirty odd year history of my Badger 200! I have managed on both occasions to straighten the needle by rolling on glass and sanding with very fine paper, the Tamiya finishing variety. It isn't an easy thing to do and the best advice is to have a spare needle in stock (which I have). A tell tale sign of a needle not straight is that it will whistle and hiss when paint goes through it, although if only a little bent and the job is not too delicate the finish can be fine.

 

John.

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