Airbrush and compressor combo for around £150

[Andy350]

Due to my issues, and I'm going to blame cheap quality hardware and my lack of experience on this, can anyone point me in the direction of a branded airbrush and compressor please?  I don't know if £150 is enough?  It needs to be able to airbrush Vallejo primer and paint, and also Tamiya Acrylic please??

 

Thanks

Andy

[bmwh548]

From an easy maintenance point of view I'd say go for an Ultra. The 2 in 1 if you can, that way you can swap the needle-nozzle combo according to your needs.  That will eat most of your budget though so a realistic number would be around 200 pounds for a quality airbrush and a Fengda compressor with a tank. 

[Andy350]

1 hour ago, bmwh548 said:

From an easy maintenance point of view I'd say go for an Ultra. The 2 in 1 if you can, that way you can swap the needle-nozzle combo according to your needs.  That will eat most of your budget though so a realistic number would be around 200 pounds for a quality airbrush and a Fengda compressor with a tank. 

Thanks, I will have a look at these range.

[Andy350]

19 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

From an easy maintenance point of view I'd say go for an Ultra. The 2 in 1 if you can, that way you can swap the needle-nozzle combo according to your needs.  That will eat most of your budget though so a realistic number would be around 200 pounds for a quality airbrush and a Fengda compressor with a tank. 

Hi, found this compressor on Amazon, looks to be an entry level Fengda.  Seems to have ok reviews.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airbrush-compressor-reservoir-Fengda-FD-186/dp/B019CKXBOU/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=compressor+FD-186&qid=1574417236&s=kitchen&sr=1-2

 

And this airbrush.  I know this is a good brand, but is it worth the extra over an Expo?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultra-2-in-1-Airbrush/dp/B0090ZD6WA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PARLK88CYBZB&keywords=ultra+2+in+1+airbrush&qid=1574418073&s=kitchen&sprefix=Ultra+2+in+%2Ckitchen%2C195&sr=1-1

 

 

[bmwh548]

A friend of mine has that compressor I think, been running ok for a few years. However make sure you drain the tank often! It's made of steel and it will corrode.

I have the Ultra 2in1. I still have some Chinese ones, but the Ultra is my go to airbrush. Other than the fact that the paint cup isn't threaded I can't find anything wrong with it. I'm actually considering treating myself to an Infinity as soon as the budget allows it. 

[Andy350]

20 minutes ago, bmwh548 said:

A friend of mine has that compressor I think, been running ok for a few years. However make sure you drain the tank often! It's made of steel and it will corrode.

I have the Ultra 2in1. I still have some Chinese ones, but the Ultra is my go to airbrush. Other than the fact that the paint cup isn't threaded I can't find anything wrong with it. I'm actually considering treating myself to an Infinity as soon as the budget allows it. 

Interesting point about draining the cylinder, I'm a scuba diver and we have to make sure that our tanks have at least over 50bar in, this stops any moisture getting in, but I know that there is moisture in the compressed air.  But then our cylinders are rated to either 232 or 300 bar.

I will definitely get that compressor, I'm just not sure on which airbrush to get.  I think I like the idea of being able to change nozzles for a different application.

[bmwh548]

I think that H&S might be the only ones offering a really quick swap on the needle/nozzle. I think @little-cars could offer you a demo on how easy they are to take apart and clean and you could test them in your hand.

[rayprit]

21 hours ago, Andy350 said:

Thanks, I will have a look at these range.

Anytime your not sure of anything and need info fast, kit builds, reviews, compressors, how to paint with a brush/airbrush, how to make or thin paint, etc, etc, always turn to YouTube, these are real time films actually taking you through the process, not words on paper which can leave you confused...……. I always do this, even before consulting Britmodeller.  Britmodeller is good, but not as good as YouTube...…...if I cannot find answers on YouTube, then I revert to Britmodeller, but in over 20 years I have never had to revert to asking anything from Britmodeller.  Here is just ONE(there are plenty more reviews) relating to the particular airbrush your interested in:

 

 

[Kushan_Farsight]

On a somewhat side tangent, genuinley how useful/usable are the £35 chinese ones you find on ebay? Example one off ebay

 

not expecting master quality like a badger or iwata, but are they actually usable for model spraying?

[Andy350]

37 minutes ago, rayprit said:

Anytime your not sure of anything and need info fast, kit builds, reviews, compressors, how to paint with a brush/airbrush, how to make or thin paint, etc, etc, always turn to YouTube, these are real time films actually taking you through the process, not words on paper which can leave you confused...……. I always do this, even before consulting Britmodeller.  Britmodeller is good, but not as good as YouTube...…...if I cannot find answers on YouTube, then I revert to Britmodeller, but in over 20 years I have never had to revert to asking anything from Britmodeller.  Here is just ONE(there are plenty more reviews) relating to the particular airbrush your interested in:

 

 

Thanks for posting the link, I do use Youtube a lot for other things, I just find some info a little contradicts what others have said.

[rayprit]

1 hour ago, Andy350 said:

Thanks for posting the link, I do use Youtube a lot for other things, I just find some info a little contradicts what others have said.

Hi - Your very right about contradiction on you tube, but each video adds knowledge, one video may confirm what you suspect, then another adds something you didn't know about, another will tell you ways to detract from a kit build to build a kit better than the instructions suggest.  Before I bought my H&S airbrush, I must have watched in excess of a dozen videos on various airbrushes, going back and forth...….I find the more videos the better, you soon get to know the owners of the videos and which ones to ovoid...…., a lot of people on YouTube enjoy there builds whilst other who have a large following, Flory, Genisis but to name a couple are to interesting by far!!  I spend more time watching their builds, reviews and demos that before I know it, 4-5 hours of kit build has been lost through watching these fabulous sites...……..horses for courses...……….I dip into these sites more than I do Britmodeller

[Andy350]

Stupid question time!  is a double action airbrush when you can change the nozzle size.  

[Arild Moland]

No, a double action airbrush lets you chose both air- and paintflow at the same time. In a single action, you have constant airflow and adjust the amount of paint by pulling the needle back with whatever trigger the airbrush has got.

 

In a double action you can both pull the needle back, and push the trigger down to regulate the amount of air through the airbrush. A double action is a wee bit more complicated to control, but it shouldn't be that much harder to learn to master.

[Andy350]

7 minutes ago, Arild Moland said:

No, a double action airbrush lets you chose both air- and paintflow at the same time. In a single action, you have constant airflow and adjust the amount of paint by pulling the needle back with whatever trigger the airbrush has got.

 

In a double action you can both pull the needle back, and push the trigger down to regulate the amount of air through the airbrush. A double action is a wee bit more complicated to control, but it shouldn't be that much harder to learn to master.

So, if you can master this it's probably a good one to go for?

[Arild Moland]

I shan't tell you what is best for you, but a double action will be more useful in the long run. Whatever tool you buy, you will need to take the time and effort to practise using it. I don't really think the learning curve of a double action is that much steeper than with a single action. Either way you will need to get a feel for the proper thinning and air pressure and such, which dependant of the brand of paint you will be using, can be more tricky to figure out than the mechanics of the airbrush itself.

 

What I will say is best for you, though, is to get in the habit of cleaning your airbrush thoroughly after use!

[Ratch]

6 hours ago, Kushan_Farsight said:

On a somewhat side tangent, genuinley how useful/usable are the £35 chinese ones you find on ebay? Example one off ebay

 

not expecting master quality like a badger or iwata, but are they actually usable for model spraying?

I don't know about that particular one, but I bought an airbrush for £18 that worked very well (until I dropped it )

I started off with a £60 industrial compressor (with a tank) from Screwfix, it was noisy, but the tank held plenty of air 

With airbrushes I'd just say get double action gravity feed (I have an Iwata HPC+ and a cheap Expo AB900). I now have a Sparmax compressor from Paul at Little Cars/Modelling Tools and it runs almost silently. Not cheap, but worth the money. My experience says get the best compressor you can. You can learn well on a cheap airbrush and invest in a better one when finances allow. Get to a show that Paul is attending to see and try his range of airbrushes. It will give you a feel for things.

[little-cars]

On 11/22/2019 at 2:08 PM, Kushan_Farsight said:

On a somewhat side tangent, genuinley how useful/usable are the £35 chinese ones you find on ebay? Example one off ebay

 

not expecting master quality like a badger or iwata, but are they actually usable for model spraying?

You only get what you pay for, you may be lucky, you may not.  Check that you can get spare o rings, needles and nozzles.

 

[little-cars]

18 hours ago, Ratch said:

I don't know about that particular one, but I bought an airbrush for £18 that worked very well (until I dropped it )

I started off with a £60 industrial compressor (with a tank) from Screwfix, it was noisy, but the tank held plenty of air 

With airbrushes I'd just say get double action gravity feed (I have an Iwata HPC+ and a cheap Expo AB900). I now have a Sparmax compressor from Paul at Little Cars/Modelling Tools and it runs almost silently. Not cheap, but worth the money. My experience says get the best compressor you can. You can learn well on a cheap airbrush and invest in a better one when finances allow. Get to a show that Paul is attending to see and try his range of airbrushes. It will give you a feel for things.

I'll have them at the Hamex kit swap in Hanslope just north of Milton Keynes if anyone is interested in trying a H&S brush.

Paul

[tennentssuppa]

I already have, Iwata, H&S and Badger airbrushes, but recently bought a generic one from 'Everything Airbrush', and use this one more than the others.

[Andy350]

Ok, I don't think I was going to push to a new airbrush at £100+ before Christmas, so during a visit to the local shop, they had these for £19.99 for today only.  I know it's not a great brand but hopefully it will see me until after Christmas.

 

[little-cars]

On 11/22/2019 at 1:05 PM, bmwh548 said:

I think that H&S might be the only ones offering a really quick swap on the needle/nozzle. I think @little-cars could offer you a demo on how easy they are to take apart and clean and you could test them in your hand.

Yep, we have demo brushes for people to try at shows.  I would suggest the Ultra 2in1 and our little-jet compressor.  https://www.modellingtools.co.uk/airbrushing-set-br--harder-and-steenbeck-ultra-2in1-02mm04mm-nozzles---2ml-5ml-paint-cups-12695-p.asp  Compresor will chuck out up to 30psi, regulator is on the moisture trap, it's nice and quiet, we have people using them in flats and with people in the next room without a problem. Ultra 2in1 is a good quality easy to clean and flexible brush has been mentioned earlier.  Set with face mask, cleaning pot, cleaner cleaning brushes & H&S dvd is currently £235+postage