Advice wanted for buying airbrush set

[Dreamworker]

Hi,

i have been painting for a very long time and i wanted to try the airbrush technique for painting miniatures. So i am thinking about buying a set. I have been reading several websites/ youtube movies etc but i am looking for some hands on experience. I have no experience with airbrush so a 1000 dollar set or so is not something for me. So what do you need/ brands etc?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MAXXxxx]

basically: any will do as long as you have a local shop to get replacements in case of something happens (mostly needle, nozzle. Altough in 3 or so years I never had to replace mine).
As for brands:

Most in the US like Iwata or Badger
in the EU it's more like Harder and Steenback (infinity mostly)

Personally I have no exp with badger, did't really like the iwatas I tried (and I think they are loved as a brand because there was no better in the 90's, nowdays they are still among the best, but not the only one) and swear by the HnS I have.
I simply love it.

that said for rough jobs (priming, basecoat) I use a 10 euro cheap noname chinese one. For the job it's more than enough.

the only part, where I wouldn't spare is the compressor. That should really be the best you can afford within your budget.

 

[shponglefan]

Generally to start airbrushing, you only need three things:

Airbrush
Compressor
Air hose

I agree with MAXXxxx's assessment about not cheaping out on the compressor. A good compressor will last you forever, so getting that right will save you replacing it in the long run.

When it comes to compressors, I've used both the motor-only variety (which run constantly) and what I use now, which is a 6.3 gallon shop compressor (made by California Air Tools). Personally, I love the larger tank-based compressor. Even though the motor itself is relatively loud when it is filling, the large tank means it usually holds enough air for an entire painting session. So once filled, I typically don't need to run the motor again. Since I like to listen to music while painting, lack of motor noise is important to me. And since it's a proper shop compressor, it also fulfills other duties like filling my car tires to powering nailguns. The downside is it is larger than a typical airbrush compressor. But that's the trade off of having the large tank.

For airbrushes I've had experience with an old ultra-cheap Testors airbrush to my current Iwatas. For starting out, I'd recommend an Iwata HP-CS Eclipse. It's a good quality airbrush, useful for everything from priming to detail work, and since it's an Iwata, spare parts are readily available. It is a little more expensive than some airbrushes (I think mine was around ~$160), but it will be something you can use for years to come.

 

[Splurch]

If you have a Harbor Freight nearby they have a good starter kit for $90 (http://www.harborfreight.com/1-5-hp-58-psi-compressor-and-airbrush-kit-95630.html), finding a 20% off coupon online is trivial. The airbrush is kind of annoying to take apart and the siphon feed system it uses isn't as good as the more common gravity feed (cup on top) in the hobby, but for learning how to use one and figuring out how to generally clean one up it is a good starter. I'd recommend a Badger Patriot 105 after if you're still interested (the compressor will work just fine for whatever other brush you end up with). I've loved my 105 and it is very easy to fully disassemble for cleaning.

Make sure to get an airbrush cleaning bottle, HF makes on as well, as does Iwata (which is a better design). If you clean the brush with Windex as is common you won't want to just spray that into something and spread it in the air as breathing it in is very harmful.

 

[Dreamworker]

thanks for all the replies!