Air Brush questions

[MarshalAdamar]

Ok, I'm thinking about taking the next step in my hobby evolution.

About me, I would say I am an above average painter, I have good artistic sense studied it a bit. Point is I think I could learn a new skill with out blinding myself.

So I'm thinking about an air brush to do more subtle blending, base coating and painting vehicles. All of which I’m told the air brush is brilliant at.

I want to hear from those of you who use one how hard is it to learn REALLY?

How long / how many models did you destroy before it became a useful tool not just a compressed air monument to poorly spent money.

And if it’s worth getting what kind is good / reliable and how much did it cost

[energongoodie]

I have just taken the first step into the world of Airbrushing myself. My second go will be today hopefully on a Tauros Venator. My first go on a Valkyrie is here.
[url]http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?t=10130[/url]
It took me a while to get the right paint consistency. I tried using Adeptus Battle grey neat, which didn't flow at all well. Then I made it too watery and it just ran off the model. It just needed a little water to make it flow nicely. just a few drops mixed in. That's the only advice I've got so far. Have fun with it.

[MarshalAdamar]

Nice, I like the Valk! I like all the stuff you've painted I'll be interested in seeing the Venator!

Thanks for the info. Any suggestions on what kind of air brush? What kind do you have and do you like it?

[Iceman]

In my opinion, an airbrush is indispensable. I initially used a Badger airbrush but found that cleaning the nozzles and internal parts was too much effort. Currently, I use an Aztech brush. It is fairly inexpensive and all the parts you have to clean are in the nozzles. If they get messed up, they are inexpensive to replace.

I do recommend you get an air compressor rather than using the cans of compressed air. I have used those and find that the air pressure is inconsistent and over time you will spend way more than you will on a compressor. Compressors come in all price ranges and mine is on the lower end.

Finally, I would say that the hardest part is the consistency of the paint. Any paint that you normally brush on will have to be watered down. A general guideline is to water it down to about the consistency of milk. You will have to experiment with what works for you. Also with acrylic paints, you may find that with longer paint jobs, you will have to stop and clean up the nozzle a bit since the paint dries very fast on the nozzle. There is probably some paint additive you can get that will slow down the drying process but I have not experimented with those.

Good luck. You will be very pleased with how good your models look with overall less effort.

[MarshalAdamar]

Very cool, I'll have to look up Aztech and see what kind of air brushes they have.

Question, the air compressors are they noisy?

What kind of ventilation do you have to have to use the air brush?

Any other tips, advice or tricks out there??

[Lordgimpet]

I use an Airbrush for many things, they are very handy for large project both in size and quantity.
Some things to remember though. Unless your intending to use it as a simple spraygun, practice it will make a noticable difference.
Mixing paint to the right consistancy for me is a pain as I use many brands of paint and each seem to have varying mix ratios. but its a no brainer once you work it out.

On airbrushes, a double action airbrush is better than a single action and give you more control.

Agreed that compressors are way betterthan the spray cans. The noise they produce varies from unit to unit. I have 2 compressors 1 is a small one about the size of a baneblade model, it is as loud as a large fishtank pump so I use it indoors without upsetting people. the drawback is that it has not storage tank
and has a tough time keeping a constant pressure above 10psi, and it is continually running. The other I use is much larger and is a standard compressor I keep in my back shed its noisy but shuts off when the tank is full. and I use this for when I need a constant high pressure

Ventilation. if using oil/thinner based paints treat the same as a spraycan. waterbased you can get away with less. what I did was put a cheap celing exhast fan in the back of a carboard box with some screen door mesh to act as a filter and spray infront of it it also helps with overspay mist. I then have a tube going to an open window.

hope this helps

[MarshalAdamar]

Cool, I like the vent idea. I would be using the air brush for as much work as I can. So base coating and blending and such before I take the brush to the model.

I'll make a note to get a double action air brush.

Thanks for all the info!

[energongoodie]

I bought a cheap double action airbrush off ebay as I did not want to spend a lot of money on it and find I couldn't use. I was lucky enough to get given an old but very reliable compressor by a neighbour. The only problem I have found so far is with the changing colours. My airbrush has a small fixed cup on top, nothing is interchangeable so it must be cleaned out between colours. Maybe if I had got one with a couple of removable paint reservoir/cups I could get through it quicker.

[MarshalAdamar]

Good thing to watch for. I didn't think about changing colors.

THANKS!

I'll check out some sites and see who has interchangable paint pots. I guess you would still have to flush out the nozzel before you start painting again.

[Cherub]

I have a couple of airbrushs my favorite is an Iwata Eclipse.
[url]https://store.opusframing.com/sagro/storefront/store.php?mode=showproductdetail&product=3645[/url]
I went and got the smaller needles for it and alot of extra pots so I find i can do alot with it with out alot of fuss. Ive found out that its more important to get one that you like and are comfortable with the just to go out and get the cheapest one you find. Alot of the art stores have learn to airbrushing classes so its pretty easy to learn the basics.