Airbrush kit

[MAXXxxx]

Hi,

I\'d like to ask if anyone has experience with this airbrush?:
Spraymaster kit

I\'d like to know if it is worth buying or has flaws and should be avoided or not.
I haven\'t found any independent reviews for it.
And what they write for the product description looks promising, especially with the price-tag it has.

so please help me, is it worth buying or should I rather get a more-expensive iwata or similar (at least I\'ve seen reviews of them and could decide if they should work or not)

thanks

 

[Gareth©]

its the wrong type of airbrush for miniature painting, I find dual action bottom feeds better.

The compressor is fine, same as the one I have. But mine came with a dual action bottom feed and all the adapters.

I wrote a quick guide for newbies by a newbie (me)
http://www.swchq.co.uk/articles/buying_an_airbrush_guide.html

The link for the one I bought is at the bottom.

 

[generulpoleaxe]

gravity feed is far better than suction feed mate for fine detailed work.

 

[MAXXxxx]

thanks, so it is worth buying.

as for bottom-feed vs gravity-feed: both are sold at the same place, but for some reason I prefered the grav-feed.

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Gareth©
its the wrong type of airbrush for miniature painting, I find dual action bottom feeds better.

Eh? No idea what the quality is like but it\'s a dual-action gravity-feed model; the same basic design has been used by pros for more than 100 years!

Einion

 

[War Griffon]

Originally posted by Gareth©
its the wrong type of airbrush for miniature painting, I find dual action bottom feeds better.

I disagree completely.

Don\'t use a bottom feed airbrush for mini painting. Most bottom feed guns are not dual action.

The one you are looking at is dual action it says so in the blurb about it and looking at it, it is similar in design to the Iwata brushes.

At the end of the day the choice is yours, if you go for a bottom feed airbrush unless you are painting large objects you will be mixing a lot of paint and waisting most of it also this type of airbrush can be heavy (because of the glass jar) and cumbersum to use.

I had a quick seach on google was unable to find a review for you but did come up with >>This<< being sold by Amazon. Funnily enough by the same guy on EBay but sold through Amazon... (No its not me)

 

[airhead]

Airbrushing is another hobby/profession where you tend to get what you pay for.

A cheap airbrush is worse than a cheap paintbrush that won\'t hold it\'s point. It will never shoot right and be a pain to adjust.

A good airbrush is much better to work with.

That said, I\'ve never heard or used that particular brand, so I cannot classify it. BUT, where are you going to get parts for that gun? Needles and cones go bad - fact of life when you shoot paint.

Iwatas are expensive, but they can be had in lots of places. Badgers are very common as are Paasche.

What are you wanting to do with it?
Spray basecoat? It\'ll probably work fine.
Shoot skin on 54 mm minis? I wouldn\'t know with that gun.

 

[MAXXxxx]

What are you wanting to do with it?
Spray basecoat? It\'ll probably work fine.
Shoot skin on 54 mm minis? I wouldn\'t know with that gun.

54mm minis and larger 1/6 models are my main aim, as there is no way I\'d try painting them with a brush.

and that is the problem, there are no reviews and such, so I simply don\'t know.

if the compressor is good, then the whole might be worth the price just for the compressor. Then the airbrush could be used for basecoating, and another iwata for details. But I simply don\'t know and fear I might buy some useless crap. (or I might pass one usable good one...)

 

[airhead]

As you say, the compressor might be worth it, but I would not count on that gun.

I\'ve seen too many no-name or unknown-name guns. Find out what your local shop carries for replacement needles and cones. No local shop means you have to stock spares. You will crash needles.

I\'ve bought compressors on ebay that lasted a day, and some that are years old that are still going strong.

I like the large diaphragm models for working quietly. The small piston or small diaphram are very noisy. The rotarys are very quiet (refridgerator compressors) but are very expensive and tend towards being maintenance fiends.

 

[Gussy]

So...this won\'t work?

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/bad/bad155-1.htm

 

[airhead]

Not what I said. It may work great. (it is a Badger)

In fact, I\'ve read a few reviews on the Anthem\'s and would like to try one.

It is a bottom feed - and comes with all those shortcomings - even if you use the sypon cup.

A top-feed requires less pressure as it does not have to lift the paint to shoot - thus allowing finer lines with less overspray.

might give dixie art or bear air a check before you order that if you really want an Anthem.

And for the same money, you can get a Paashe VL - this gun has been an industry workhorse for half a centrury.

 

[QuietiManes]

Gussy: I have an Anthem 155. You would be hard pressed to get the \"pencil\" lines they say it can do. I haven\'t gotten too close to them anyway and I\'ve tried with paint, inks and water, even strait alcohol just trying to use the thinnest liquid I could think of. Anyway, for miniatures or fine detail work, you might want to avoid this model, it\'s really more of a general labourer. It does work well, cleans and adjusts easy, it\'s just a medium gun, not a fine gun.

I\'d say just go for the Iwata. Sure it costs more, but it costs more because it\'s worth more and they have the reputation to prove it. You will know what you are getting. You might save a few bucks going with some unknown airbrush company, but if you have to buy 7 or 8 guns (or even just 2) before you get one that works, how much are you saving?

 

[airhead]

I\'ve only had/seen two guns that would actually do hair lines:
Iwata HPB-CM
Paashe AB-Turbo (strangest looking tool ever)

The Iwata HP-B (or HP-A) will get very close for about half the price - the HP-C has a larger nozzel/needle.

I\'ve got an HP-B and it is my workhorse for detail. Six Vega 2000\'s do my production.

 

[Gussy]

I finally started to seriously look for an airbrush but discovered that the Iwata branded stuff are so expensive!! A few hundred dollars each! The one available at a local show sells for $520!

There are so many models that I don\'t know which one to pick. Any advise on a decent model that won\'t eat all my money? The badger ones are just a little under $100.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Gussy
I finally started to seriously look for an airbrush but discovered that the Iwata branded stuff are so expensive!! A few hundred dollars each! The one available at a local show sells for $520!

There are so many models that I don\'t know which one to pick. Any advise on a decent model that won\'t eat all my money? The badger ones are just a little under $100.

There\'s a reason that the good brushes are so expensive as an initial purchase...Quality of manufacture.
Badger are the \'lower end\' of the airbrush market. Cheap and Cheerful but not too fine.

 

[airhead]

Gussy, where are you at that Iwatas are going for that kind of money?

HP-B or HP-C should be around $200. and that is with hose and possibly the new Hi-Line version. Even a CM should not be 5 bills.

Try Dixie Art?

In lieu of an Anthem, I would consider an Iwata Eclips. Great general purpose guns.

 

[Gussy]

I\'m in San Francisco. Yesterday, I checked out another store in Berkeley, CA and they only had one...it just a single thing on a box...$299. I believe it says eclipse on the box.

Do I really need something that fine? The airbrush will mainly be used for vehicle and sometimes larger figure. If the Anthem can\'t do pencil thin realistically, how much can it do...5mm?

I didn\'t know Badger was the low end as I\'ve seen even cheaper stuff here in San Francisco.

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Gussy
Do I really need something that fine? The airbrush will mainly be used for vehicle and sometimes larger figure.

*cough*Aztek*cough*

Good enough. If you want specifics: good enough for 1/35 scale figures without any visible atomisation in the finished paintjob.

Originally posted by Gussy
I didn\'t know Badger was the low end as I\'ve seen even cheaper stuff here in San Francisco.

Cheaper doesn\'t necessarily mean not as good - think Japanese motorcycle v. Harley

The cheapest Aztek (1000s) used to be only about 20 bucks! It was a single-action (but variable) and used the same nozzle and paint feed as its more expensive siblings - so essentially exactly the same spray quality. That model has been discontinued unfortunately but hunt around, the Internet is a big place so you might still find it in stock if you want to start spraying on a real budget without a major sacrifice in quality.

Still inexpensive by the standards of metal brushes their dual-actions can usually be found in sets with multiple nozzles and colour cups for between $55 and maybe $100. Hard to beat the value found in this or this.

Einion

 

[Einion]

Had a feeling it might be, 1000S showing as in-stock here.

The 80 to 180 dollars you save can go toward the compressor!

Einion

 

[Gussy]

Is this 1000 thing better than the ones made by Badger?