AIRBRUSH

[Albert Moreto Font]

Hey folks, I am to buy an airbrush. I saw how Historical painters used it and the blending is simply AMAZING AND PERFECT. It can only be used for big surfaces or first lights on miniatures, but it is really worth. Does anyone knows prices, brands, or is anyone already using one?

CHEERS!

 

[finn17]

Airbrush

Airbrushes are great, but don\'t forget you also need a compressor and somewhere to spray!!
Air cans are more trouble than they are worth IMO and bloody expensive in the long run.
Most airbrushes are unsuited to 28mm scale, but you might want to look at the Paasche Turbo, which is a beast of a machine. It does take a lot of mastering however.
I would recommend an Iwata...you can pick them up relatively reasonably from eBay.
See if you can try one out first though in o0rder to see if it will give you what you are looking for. Borrow a friends...:flip:

 

[Kingloser]

Originally posted by finn17
Airbrushes are great, but don\'t forget you also need a compressor and somewhere to spray!!
Air cans are more trouble than they are worth IMO and bloody expensive in the long run.
Most airbrushes are unsuited to 28mm scale, but you might want to look at the Paasche Turbo, which is a beast of a machine. It does take a lot of mastering however.
I would recommend an Iwata...you can pick them up relatively reasonably from eBay.
See if you can try one out first though in o0rder to see if it will give you what you are looking for. Borrow a friends...:flip:

Your right Airbrushes are more suited towards vehicles and model kits. I am a Badger man myself can\'t beat the lifetime warranty. As a cheaper alternate to people who cannot afford a compressor and do not want to spend money on cans of compressed air. Most airbrushes come with a screw on attachment that fits onto a tire tube. The tube last about as long as a can has constant pressure (it is low though) is portable and cheap to refill.

 

[Garyo]

Airbrush 28mm? Yes you can.

It\'s not easy and you\'re not going to be able to do it overnight, but with practice and good masking tecniques you can do some fabulous stuff. Forget the Turbo its way to hard to master and delicate for the paint we use for mini painting. The Iwata suggestion is much more suited to the task. I use the HP-C, but would recomend any of the HP series and if you have the cash you can\'t beat the micron. In addition a compressor with a tank is a must, the inexpensive diaphram compressors pulse causing your line to vary in width. This is no good at the 28mm scale.

 

[Albert Moreto Font]

hummm so Iwata is the best one.... and how much is a compressor? (aprox) damn everything sounds pretty difficult

 

[Albert Moreto Font]

Originally posted by Garyo
Airbrush 28mm? Yes you can.
This is no good at the 28mm scale.

??? is it good then or not? I don\'t pretend to paint all the skin or details, but big areas like cloaks, or horses.... or even to undercoat I dont know..

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I have used a Badger and a Pasche\'. Both work well and arent too expensive. If you want the best and are willing to pay ALOT, Aztec is about as good as they get. I bought an air compressor with a 2 gallon tank for about 100$.

 

[Propaintjob]

I use a Paasche. Great airbrushes but need lots of maintenance/cleaning.

I\'ve used an Aztek too and I think they\'re just as good as a Paasche. The bonus is that they\'re really easy to clean and need hardly any maintenance at all.

IMO Paasche, Aztek, Iwata and Badger all make good airbrushes and the quality of compressor you use really determines the standard of work the brush will produce.

I\'d recommend a variable pressure compressor with a moisture trap. Good ones can be found on ebay for about £80-100.

 

[finn17]

Iwata...

This is the one I bought. It\'s so damn sexy, if I stop using it I am going to frame it

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=28111&item=8162743122&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I have had a couple of Azteks but found them to be plasticy and cheap...just my opinion. They come in a great wooden box, but the contents don\'t live up to the hype IMO.

 

[Garyo]

Mmmm Paint tastes funny

The Iwata that Finn posted is a bargan. It would be excellent for doing minis. I recommend you get the crown to go with it that is noted further down in the post. If you can stand the noise the compressor like Shawn mentioned can be had at most hardware stores. If not you can get a silent compressor like I have from most of the major airbrush suppliers. Those will run you in the $3-500 range.

As for Passhe, Badger and Aztek they are fine brushes for larger models, but can\'t compare to the quality and control of the Iwata when you want to do fine detail work. Badger and Passhe are made from nickle plated brass and wear out quickly. The Aztek is plastic and works well until that day you forget to clean it after painting. The Iwata is made from stainless steel giving it much better durability than the other brushes above.

I personally own three brushes and a Badger silent compressor. The Passhe VL, VSR I rarely use and my Iwata get work all the time. I used to sell airbrushes at the hobby shop I worked at and have experienced just about every major brush on the market. I swear by the Iwata.

 

[finn17]

Nice to know others share my opinions...

The Iwata is definitely a \'cool tool\'. I have the one in the auction mentioned above, two Azteks, a Paasche turbo and a couple of \'cheapies\'. The Turbo is a challenge and a hobby in it\'s own right, although once mastered, it is a superb piece of (quirky) equipment.

As Garyo said though...the Iwata is the tool of choice.
(Yeah, and you do need the crown cup )

 

[airhead]

Garyo, I like you already. Iwata HP-B for me (until I can justify a Custom Micron). I have 3 compressors now ( large one in the garage with a pipe into the studio (spare bedroom). One small diaphragm in my face painting cart (12 Vega 2000\'s) on a manifold. And one 1/4 hp one that I found on ebay for a deal with a pancake tank under it. The diaphragms are ok, but only if you put them through a tank to take the pulse out.

12 Vega\'s (metnioned earlier) for faces, t-shirts and larger areas (everyone is afraid to let me near their cars). One HP-B that gets used for helmates and anything else that will hold still long enough. And one external mix for automotive clear coats.(that stuff is nasty).

I\'ve shot laquers (fingernails), cake paint (you think VGC is expensive), airbrush makeup, t-shirt paint, automotive paint, 2 stage ureathanes, cyanoacrylicate clear coats, testor\'s dull coat, and anything else I can get through the nozzels.


Albert,
The airbrush is about the least intuitive art tool there is to learn. Practice, practice and then practice some more. I have given away my Aztecs to plastic car modelers - good cheap starter guns.
This is one hobby where you tend to get what you pay for - there are lots of \"lesser/no-name brands\" out there, but my experience is that they are junk. Some of the better names are good.

Iwata,
Thayer & Chandler
Paashe (the VL is the original industry standard)
Badger
Rich pen (I have not used one of these myself - they are the new kid on the block.)

The Iwata eclipse and the omni are both good general purpose guns. The HP line is for finer work while the Vegas are for putting out lots of paint.


Try bearair.com for a cataloge (airbrusher\'s bible).

 

[Legacy Account]

Time to get saving.......

I would also recommend Iwata!

When you get one, check out Vallejo\'s Air Colour and thinners. They give a lovely finish. I use mine on my bases and for zenithal highlighting.

 

[Propaintjob]

Hmmm, been thinking about replacing my VL for a while now (clean-up drives me mad) so I might just be tempted by an Iwata...

 

[Albert Moreto Font]

thank you everybody! I first have to collect the money, which will take a looooong loooong time. :flip: at least I can start having a look of brands and so on, and maybe in about 45 years, when I\'ll be nearly retired, (when I\'ll have the moeny :flip I\'ll post a forum again to tell you how does it work......

 

[finn17]

Life is cruel...

You\'ll be my age then Albert and your damn eyes (close vision) will go just like mine

Just thought I\'d cheer you up:flip:

 

[Albert Moreto Font]

hehee hope not!

 

[Grey_Goat]

I wrote a tutorial a while ago about airbrushing mini\'s on my site at www.greygoat.net. The pictures aren\'t the greatest, but it\'ll give you a pretty good starting point.

There\'s a link to the tutorial in both the \'tutorials\' section and part way down the page in the \'news\' section.

As for the airbrush, I\'d recommend the iwata hp-b or hp-bh. Personally, I want a custom micron, but 500 bucks canadian could also buy a lot of minis.