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Looking for a complete 'decent quality' airbrush setup


Howlindawg

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Hi All,

I'm sure the regulars must be fed up of threads like this but I'm going to ask for help anyway. :)

I'd like to get an airbrush kit that I can use for painting models, toys and detail work on motorcycles (pinstriping, touch-ups, flames etc... nothing large)

I'm fortunate enough to have a decent budget available and would prefer to buy decent quality tools that will last and can be maintained rather than something that will wear out or will become limiting very quickly. Long term spares availability is important to me.

I've done some research and find that a gravity fed, dual action airbrush paired with a compressor with a receiver tank seems to be the popular option. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at and what nozzle sizes are most suitable whilst learning?

Apart from the airbrush and compressor what else should I budget for?

Routine cleaning materials and tools?

Moisture trap and regulator?

Respirator?

Spares?

Consumables?

Budget wise I was thinking circa £350ish but that's flexible. Basically I'm looking for the sweet spot In the budget range where I'm getting good quality and features without going OTT on specs or features that I'll never need as a hobbyist.

Any help or advice will be gratefully received.

Martin

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Hi Martin,

We sell good quality starter sets, Various airbrushes, compressors plus the other things you need, basic face mask, cleaning pot / stand, cleaning brushes, get you started DVD and airbrush cleaner. Send me a PM and we can work out what you need.

http://www.modellingtools.co.uk/airbrush--compressor-sets-196-c.asp

Paul

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Said it before on this forum and I'll say it again - if you want helpful, no nonsense advice and/or assistance when it comes to airbrushes/compressors/accessories just ask Paul. Can't recommend him highly enough.

DC

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  • 10 months later...

Apologies for resurrecting a dormant topic, but it pretty much asks the exact question I have.

 

I'm also looking for a decent bang for buck airbrush set up with all necessary peripherals etc, for use with 1:35 scale AFV kits.

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44 minutes ago, NobleSavage said:

Apologies for resurrecting a dormant topic, but it pretty much asks the exact question I have.

 

I'm also looking for a decent bang for buck airbrush set up with all necessary peripherals etc, for use with 1:35 scale AFV kits.

 

Several things you need to decide.

1. What sort of areas and details will you be painting ?

2. What paints you are thinking of using ?

3. Your Budget ?

 

1- Are you just going to be painting overall colours and primer coats, or are you looking to paint fine lines and  fiddly details as  well.

2- Make sure they are suitable for airbrushing, use the paint manufacturers cleaner, thinner and retarder, at least until you are happy with things.

3 - The difficult bit, with anything engineered you only get what you pay for. The two main parts are the compressor and the airbrush.  The airbrush is the most important part, this is the tool you will be using and need it to be able to cover the areas you need. The compressor is the power source, if you have a good compressor, something like a sparmax, if you have a low budget get a chinese compressor. It probably won't last anything like as long, but gets you going for now.

 

Paul

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25 minutes ago, little-cars said:

 

Several things you need to decide.

1. What sort of areas and details will you be painting ?

2. What paints you are thinking of using ?

3. Your Budget ?

 

1- Are you just going to be painting overall colours and primer coats, or are you looking to paint fine lines and  fiddly details as  well.

2- Make sure they are suitable for airbrushing, use the paint manufacturers cleaner, thinner and retarder, at least until you are happy with things.

3 - The difficult bit, with anything engineered you only get what you pay for. The two main parts are the compressor and the airbrush.  The airbrush is the most important part, this is the tool you will be using and need it to be able to cover the areas you need. The compressor is the power source, if you have a good compressor, something like a sparmax, if you have a low budget get a chinese compressor. It probably won't last anything like as long, but gets you going for now.

 

Paul

Hey Paul, thanks for the reply.

1. Mainly primer coats and camo patterns etc, but also some fine detailing, I may consider getting one for each application further down the road, but for now would like to go with something that can do a bit of both if that's possible, of course not extremely fine, but not like a spray can either.

2. Not sure, my only experience with this hobby is brush painting with enamels, would appreciate some advice. Things I will be looking for though is a nice finish and historically accurate colour selection, also ease of cleaning and maintaining the airbrush. Perhaps they are contrary in some way, I have no clue :/

3. Budget, hmm... of course I realise you get what you pay for, I have some cash to spend but not a fortune. Initially I'd opt for a better airbrush while skimping on the compressor, with a view to upgrading the compressor if and when it begins to malfunction, fails altogether or when funds allow.

 

I'm kind of planning this somewhat in advance, I've only just ordered my first model and a few essential tools etc, so it may well be a few weeks before I need the airbrush, this will give me time to set aside some cash and allow me to spend a little more. Accurately calculating the budget is not straightforward as life has a habit of throwing unforeseen expenses at you, but I reckon I'll be able to manage around £300 for an initial set up.

Edited by NobleSavage
typo
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4 minutes ago, NobleSavage said:

Hey Paul, thanks for the reply.

1. Mainly primer coats and camo patterns etc, but also some fine detailing, I may consider getting one for each application further down the road, but for now would like to go with something that can do a bit of both if that's possible, of course not extremely fine, but not like a spray can either.

2. Not sure, my only experience with this hobby is brush painting with enamels, would appreciate some advice. Things I will be looking for though is a nice finish and historically accurate colour selection, also ease of cleaning and maintaining the airbrush. Perhaps they are contrary in some way, I have no clue :/

3. Budget, hmm... of course I realise you get what you pay for, I have some cash to spend but not a fortune. Initially I'd opt for a better airbrush while skimping on the compressor, with a view to upgrading the compressor if and when it begins to malfunction, fails altogether or when funds allow.

 

I'm kind of planning this somewhat in advance, I've only just ordered my first model and a few essential tools etc, so it may well be a few weeks before I need the airbrush, this will give me time to set aside some cash and allow me to spend a little more. Accurately calculating the budget is not straightforward as life has a habit of throwing unforeseen expenses at you, but I reckon I'll be able to manage around £300 for an initial set up.

 

Hi, Enamels are not a problem when brush painting, but when thinned for airbrushing you get a stinky  flammable vapor.  So you need to decide if you paint outdoors or use a suitable extractor  & suitable face mask. Water based acrylics would be worth trying if the solvents are a problem.   There are plenty of ranges to choose from & I'm sure people here will point you to one which fits the area of modelling you do.

 

A £300 budget is fine, you should be able to get what you need for that.

 

There are a couple of airbrushes that will allow you to cover areas and smaller detail that I would suggest you look at.

 

Our starter brush the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra 2in1 at £80 is a good choice. I has two paint cups 2ml and 5ml and two paint nozzle sets 0.2mm which will paint 1mm up to 13mm and an area 0.4mm nozzle set 2mm up to about 25mm.

 

Harder & Steenbeck Ultra 2in1

 

The next one up is the Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Silverline 2in1. It also has a 2ml & 5ml paint cup and a 0.2 & 0.4mm nozzle set. It also has a preset handle at the back. This allows you to set the maximum  paint flow, which is useful for pre shading and detail work. This brush set is £130

 

Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Silverline 2in1

 

Both will do the job the main difference is that the Ultra is a simplified cut down version if the Evolution airbrush for beginners.

What some people do is start with the Ultra 2in1, then buy a brush just for fine detail at a later date & use the Ultra for priming and varnishes.

Both brushes use the sam needles and nozzles and are easy to strip down and clean.

 

They are also available in starter sets.

 

Our standard compressor is the little-jet is £135. This is a good quality, simple compressor. It will put out  30psi and has a duty cycle of 40 minutes.  It is quiet and has a regulator on the compressor to set the air pressure.  It also has a 2 year warranty.

little-jet compressor

 

We also do starter sets. Airbrush compressor, cleaning pot, basic face mask, cleaning brushes, workshop DVD and bottle of airbrush cleaner.

 

The one with the Ultra 2in1 & little-jet is £220

 

Starter set Ultra 2in1 & little-jet

 

and the one with the Evolution Silverline 2in1 is £271

 

Starter set Evolution Silverline 2in1 and little-jet compressor

 

Hope that helps.

 

Looking at your other post , we also sell all the modellingtools, glues etc that you will probably need.

 

Hope that gives you an idea of the costs.

 

Paul

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18 hours ago, little-cars said:

and the one with the Evolution Silverline 2in1 is £271

 

Starter set Evolution Silverline 2in1 and little-jet compressor

 

 

I'm going to second this recommendation from Paul.

The Evolution Silverline 2in1 has proven to be a great choice for a beginner.

It's easy to use, easy to clean and the 2 needles are a great help when switching between fine work and primers.

The preset adjuster on the back has proven a godsend for a rookie like me as I can get the brush set up very precisely in advance and not worry about overdoing the paint flow while painting.

 

 

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