Hey all.

I really want to have a go with an airbrush. Seems like a really good way to paint!

However only having ever used brushes (a long time ago) i'm at a little bit of a loss where to start. Feel free to mock me and take the pi$$ if they are really noddy questions :-D

Anyway, ive been looking around and yes I know you get what you pay for, however I dont really want to go splashing out on all singing all dancing airbrush kits. I saw this on fleBay. Looks good to me. And I presume hardware whis that will be all I need? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-...T-/300440402416

OK next. I have always used humbrol or revell paints... presume the run of the mill are enamel? Correct me if im wrong. Would this be OK to use? Or do I need to add thinners or water.

I'm going to be experimenting anyway once its all bought and i'lllearn by trial and error, just be nice to get a little head start.

Cheers in advance.

I'm not going to comment on the airbrush & compressor side of things, as there are as many different outlooks & opinions as there are owners of them. I'm a firm believer in "buy cheap buy twice" though, but if you're not sure you'll enjoy using an airbrush, I can see the need for a lower budget

As to paints, a lot of us use acrylic paints these days, as they've come on in leaps & bounds, with lots of manufacturers these days. I use Lifecolor by choice, with Vallejo and Xtracrylix filling the gaps, and a drawer full of Tamiya acrylics to round off my collection. Acrylics are fast drying, non-toxic (well less so, and a lot less smelly), but they're a little less robust than enamels once dry. I usually prime my models before spraying, so have little issue with paint lifting with masking tape, or wearing off, but your mileage may vary.

Best thing would be to find an airbrush to play with - a mate or a seller at a show, or shop. That should give you an idea whether you'll like the act of airbrushing - You'll probably get a bit of "the fear" to begin with like I did, but perseverance pays off. Any useful skill needs some practice to get better

Hi

Thats the same kit that I started with and I cannot fault it for a starter, I have up-dated the airbrushes with a couple of Iwatas as I got better, but for a starter its the way to go, there is no point spending a forune only to find you don't like airbrushing is there. as I said I have up-graded the airbrushes but to be honest there is nothing I can do with the Iwatas that I cannot do with the ones supplied in the kit and even if you are tempted to by a better known airbrush down the road, the compressor will still be up to the job so its worth keeping.

Humbrol and Revell paints are both available in Enamel and Acrylic versions. Enamels are thinned with something like white spirit and Acrylics are thinned with something like water. Most paints but not all need thinning for use in an airbrush.

Paul

Cheers Mike.
Yeah I think I will enjoy it as I have always sprayed my own race bike fairings. All be it with rattle cans. Just want the best i can afford really. I dont think £100 is too steep for a bit of a gamble. I'm sure If I didnt like it someone would swap me a few brushes for it :-D

There's no such thing as a really noddy question.

I bought this set.

The gravity feed airbrush (the one with the paint cup on top) is pretty good for a starter. I tried the other brush don't dont really use it.

But the compressor I do like very much, it is surprisingly quiet, and starts and stops when needed.


I'm sure one day you'll want to upgrade to a better AB but the compressor..... well I can't see me changing mine..


Hope this hepls



Tony

You are better investing in the airbrush rather than the air source if your budget is small.

Have a look at the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra for £50. German design and manufactured and great as a first airbrush.

Details here, just after the airbrushing starter set: www.little-cars.co.uk/airbrushes.pdf

Have to agree.

I have the same compressor, albeit I have the one with the metal "Casing" round it (I figured for the extra fiver...).

It's a fantastic little machine, provides adjustable, dry, Pulse-Free air and is VERY quiet in use.

I can't comment on the brushes, but I'd imagine they'll fine to start out, and (as said) you'll have a good little compressor as a base for upgrades later.

The gravity feed brush supplied as actualy quite good, even more so when you consider its retail price can be around £10, The syphone feed may also be just as good but I have never used mine so I cannot comment. Obviously at cannot possibly be as good as any of the brushes from the better known makers like Badger, Iwata, H & S etc but it is more than good enough to get you interested in airbrushing and will be good enough untill you sercombe to the temptation of buying one from the better makers and you will in the end.

If money is no object then buy the best just remeber this, the most expensive is not always the best and also if you are rubbish you will still be rubbish no matter how much you spend.

As someone once said buy cheap and you buy twice, but remember if you buy cheap and don't get on with it you have lost a lot less than if you bought cheap and then bought twice and still didn't get on with it.

If you must buy a named brush the the one offered by Little Cars above is an excellent buy along with the Iwata Revolution range.

Paul

When I started modelling again I was sold a pup and it put me off airbrushing for years.
I've talked to a lot of people over the years that have bought cheap and have gone back to brush paining.

Cheap airbrushes do vary in quality a lot, I would always suggest spending a little more on a quality name, H&S start at £50, Iwata at under £80.

And if at all possible, try the airbrush before you buy.

Well I personally have 5 of these Chinese airbrushes and 2 Iwatas and a Badger to compare them to. 2 of them are the same as listed above and 3 are copies of a well known make. I moved onto Iwata after reading on this and other forums that the Chinese copies just cannot match the quality of finish obtainable with the genuine article. All I can say is that I now only use the Iwatas not because they are so much better but because after spending all that money I am going to use them. They are not that much better and considering the price difference they should have been.

Spend £10 or £110 they will all do what you want.

3 of my Chinese brushes have the name VEDA etched on their body, do a search you will not be disappointed, until you start listening to people that sell more expensive brushes and then you start doubting yourself and end up spending loads more dosh only to find you were actually doing ok with your £10 Chinese brush after all, but now you have a more expensive brush and have to use it to justify buying it.

I here a lot of feedback about the cheap copy brushes from my customers.

A lot have had bad experiances which is why they are talking to me, some have had good ones, but want to keep the cheap one for clear coating and get a brush that is easier to maintain for their fine detail work.

As with most markets there are products for everyone, what suits one person isn't for the next, it's personal preferance and confidence in using the tool.

Sometimes People are just no good with an airbrush no mater how much or how little they cost, yes there are some bad cheap brushes about, but there are also some good ones as well. I am not saying they are all good and you should do us all the courtesy of acknowledging that they are not all bad instead of just sounding like some seller pushing what he has for sale in his own shop.

I'm sorry if it comes across that way, I have a lot of satisfied customers who had bought chinese copies and replaced them with more expensive items and are now a lot happier. I also have a lot that use their cheaper brush along side a second more branded brush. I even have customers that are getting what they need from the chinese copy, so haven't any need to upgrade.
There are good and bad brushes, there is a problem of consistancy with so many factories making the same models.

Just been to an airbrushing session tonight with people using Iwata, Badger, H&S & chinese copy brushes side by side.
Most people just need confidence, practice and a little guidence to start airbrushing. Most are suprised at the results they are getting even after a couple of hours.
At the end of the day people choose a brush in their budget range that feels right for them and is capable of producing the finish they want.
That's why these sort of 'try it' events are good, it gives people the information to choose for themselves.