To airbrush or not to airbrush that is the question

[count zero99uk]

Undercoating minis has allways been the bane in my life. I suffer from asthma so using spray cans can cause issues. However I did find a solution to this Gesso. Works great on minis shrinks up, dosnt obscure details and is generaly a great surface to paint on.

If your brushing it on say a 10mm, 20mm or 28mm model your fine. Its pretty straight forward on vehicles too just takes a little longer due to the size.

This year however my table will be getting crushed with the Kingdom Death Kickstarter. If you haven't seen the models in that there are some rather large, rather pointy models. Here are 2 examples

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poots/kingdom-death-monster/posts/773489 The Phoenix is at the top I think its got about a 10 inch wingspan (I could be wrong)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poots/kingdom-death-monster/posts/729067 The dragon king is just big.

Now it would not only be for this project I have hoards of minis that want painting and have been lining up just waiting for there time in the lamp light so I would have to look at the thing as being an investment.

The airbrush would *only* be used to prime minis and maybe once in a blue moon paint a large piece of terrain.

Ok onto the research.
I did some digging around on the internet and found that as well as an airbrush you want a compressor, canned gas just isn't worth the hassle and cost over time. Prices vary and lot I could get a full kit with compressor and a couple of airbrushes for £75 for some generic thing with a tank. Or I could spend hundreds on a compressor and then hundreds more on an airbrush.

I spoke with my good friend pete whos been painting 20mm minis for a long time and he said that the airbrush is more trouble than its worth and that in order to get anything worth using, should you accept the set up and tear down time - that is mixing the paint and the cleaning after. His comment was "I don't want to spend 45 mins prepping and cleaning up from a job that could take 5 mins". He did also state that cheap compressors were a waste of time due to them lacking regulators, moisture traps etc. but he hadn't looked into getting one for a llllong time.

If I was to get an airbrush and compressor kit it would have to be this one, or something in a similar price range. http://tinyurl.com/q5jxwzo
this would still be a big investment to me.

The other option is to get something like this
http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ArwEeG32YKM/U...4/kAv7XjLR-Kc/breaking-bad-mask-wallpaper.jpg

And this option works out at about £15

That's a big difference.

If anyone could comment on the efficacy of the cheap compressor sets that would be usefull though any comments that might help swing my mind one way or the other would be great.

Thanks for reading.

 

[RuneBrush]

You mate is right in that there is some set up, clean and take down time. However even when I lived at my Mum's and airbrushed in the garage, it never took me 45 minutes, even taking into account thinning paint down I generally earmark around 5 minutes to do a simple clean and every now and again will strip the whole airbrush down which can take anything between 5 and 15 minutes.

The compressor in the set you've linked is the fairly 'generic' brand you'll find in quite a few bundles. It's the one I've got - along with my brother and a mate of mine. Some people have had this compressor break on them, but mines still going strong some 4 / 5 years on and although it's not used as anything as regularly as monthly, when I do use it, I'll put it through a good couple of hours work (until it gets to the point you can smell how hot it's running).

Personally, for what you're after, this set: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Airbru...386&sr=8-30&keywords=airbrush+with+compressor would be better. It's the same price, but instead of a bottom and side fed airbrush, has a top fed one, which I think should be easier to clean (and certainly will use less paint than a bottom fed one : )

I would also say pick up some Vallejo Surface Primer in the colour you want. I use this neat and spray on roughly 20~25psi.

To clean your airbrush of the above primer (which sticks like glue), you'll want some Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner which you'll need to mix 50/50 with water and can just run that though the airbrush.

Finally Cleaning Brushes are useful (you can use inter dental brushes to similar effect) and if you suffer with any chest problems, a Cleaning Station is great for when you clean your brush as it has a filter that prevents all of the fumes in the cleaner from escaping

However (and this is a big however), you're talking of around £100 for this set up, which if you're only ever going to use it for priming one colour, is really quite expensive! If you're likely to use multiple colours or to want to start base coating (or even start to go into painting vehicles) then you're going to get more mileage out of an airbrush set up. The other benefit with an airbrush is that you can airbrush indoors so you can prime stuff even when it's piddling down outside.

Although I'm lucky in that I don't suffer asthma, my brother does and tends to use disposable masks. Providing he's outside he tends to not suffer too much - alternatively he passes things to me to spray

 

[count zero99uk]

I think what ill do is start saving some money, would be nice if I knew someone with an airbrush so I could give it a try. Friend is trying to find the one that he used, but from what he was saying it sounds like things have moved on a long way since he even looked at airbrushes.

More advice would be good.

 

[MAXXxxx]

well, those £7X sets are pretty good if you really intend to use it only for priming and/or basecoats and such.
But yes, cleaning and such can be really a hassle, so if you really want it to use ONLY for undercoats, I'd still say: get a spraycan + a good mask.

You'd need the mask anyway, as airbrushing might not kick your asthma in, but it's not really healthy to inhale the thinner+paint mixes, that comes from the AB.

 

[count zero99uk]

Yeah I think I will go the mask and spray option. At least then I can use the mask to do some cooking to get the money for a good set of compressor and airbrushes

Now to find some HUGE gloves to protect my hands from the paint.

 

[RuneBrush]

Yeah I think I will go the mask and spray option. At least then I can use the mask to do some cooking to get the money for a good set of compressor and airbrushes

Now to find some HUGE gloves to protect my hands from the paint.

I tend to have a box of surgical gloves (you can get them from Boots) and chuck them after I've used them, they're thin enough that you can hold onto a mini without crushing it. They don't cover your arms though, but then again you really shouldn't be spraying your arms!

 

[count zero99uk]

lol I don't need them to cover my arms, just my shovel like hands

 

[RuneBrush]

Lol I generally don't bother most of the time and end up with one black (or grey) hand with black nails (very goth). Only thing I try and remember is to remove my watch.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Don't bother with Boots, Poundland have them in regularly.

 

[ArmC]

IMHO, I think you should reconsider buying the airbrush & compressor deal. It will save you tons of time, and fumes are much less aggressive that the spray can. If you paint with acrylics and thin them with water, its much better than the propellants that most cans contain.
It probably seems a little daunting at first, I was really scared when I got mine, but once you try it a few times you'll feel much more confident. I really believe that its worth every penny, I still feel bad for not having bought it years ago.

 

[count zero99uk]

Its a money thing ArmC going to get the mask and booth first, and whilst saving for the brush and compressor use spray cans. Should have it all set up by the end of the year hopefully.

 

[brushmarks]

Having just purchased a compressor +3 gun ready-to-roll package, I admit to being in the beginning stage of use. An aggregate of a years worth of automotive and powder spray experience aside, this has been fun learning. As I primarily make terrain, I figured the larger, more forgiving scale would be a great practice before I could curse the gods over a bad mini spraying.

 

[count zero99uk]

Is it a branded kit or one of the generic ones Brushmarks? Id be interested to know how you get on.

 

[brushmarks]

Opinions vary on what route to go (e.g. cheap compressor/great brush, cylinder air for silence, top end compressor/cheap brush), so after limited research, I went with TCP Global's Master Airbrush set-up. At the time, (early January), TCP offered a 3 gun +compressor +hose package for $99 w free shipping. The Youtube video by SMConsortium reviewed the G-22 brush, citing the solid-but-definitely-not-an-Iwata quality and the importance of getting a brush backed by a company who will supply parts/support their product. If you order one (or more), get a "quick-disconnect" for each gun -tis' well worth it!

The style of brush is dictated by the type of work (TCP has a handy description for the models and their uses). The tip I discovered from shooting a rifle: determine your dominant eye. I'm left eye dominant, so if I get a side-mounted cup, I'd make sure to get it on the right side. (Despite being right-handed, I shoot lefty.)

 

[paul222]

​Airbrush is one of the best way for the making the paint of anything i also use the airbrush mostly when i want to make some thing like any sketch or many other things..I certainly would use an airbrush that's been used with enamel or oil based paints for food use a badger should also work just fine.