Airbrush Poll

[PaulTRose]

my two pennuth.......


i use an Aztek, not sure which model but its the best AB ive ever had


ive had a badger that never worked that well..........ive had a Iwata Neo that was garbage............had several cheapo chinese ABs that worked well for a while before dying.....had this Aztek for 2 years and its great, if it ever needs replacing it will be with another Aztek

[Guest]

The main difference between a high-end airbrush & a cheap one is the quality of the machining of its components Monica.


Although generally ok, some Chinese clones suffer with their nozzle cap being very slightly out of true. So instead of the nozzle tip & cap being perfect concentric circles, they're like this





If there's an o-ring at the junction of the nozzle cap & airbrush body, that can affect it too. As the cap tightens & the o-ring compresses, it can alter the position of the air hole in relation to the nozzle tip.


I chuck away supplied o-rings & wrap PTFE tape around the threads to ensure an airtight seal.


The part I'm referring to is the one marked 'air cap' in the picture below (I always call it the nozzle cap)


[ATTACH]256016.IPB[/ATTACH]


The really important thing is not to adjust the cap too much. If its unscrewed too far, the nozzle tip will end up too far back & the paint won't flow properly. The tip of the nozzle should always be slightly proud of the cap like this





Of course, everyone's airbrush is a wee bit different because of use & cleaning regimes etc. So my advice is to break down your one & reassemble it without the needle. Then have a good look at the business end using a magnifying glass.


See if there's any misalignment & adjust the air cap a little until it looks ok. Mark the position of the air cap & put the needle in.


Then try it out to see if it works better. I did that with my one & it made a big difference. Not only was the spray pattern straight (it was slightly off before), but there was no spitting or splattering.

Completely agreed. Just to complement what you said mate,


The chinese airbrushes, as you probably know, directly copy the iwata designs. I used them once at a model show, as a mate of mine had a chineses copy, and it could not do fine lines. The nozzle was off centre...... AS a matter of fact, that looks to be a direct copy of the Iwata custom micron


I have the mentality that paying for something in a high price pays for performance

[Guest]

Just interested, how does the aztec work?


There are mixed stuff about them

[Guest]

my two pennuth.......


i use an Aztek, not sure which model but its the best AB ive ever had


ive had a badger that never worked that well..........ive had a Iwata Neo that was garbage............had several cheapo chinese ABs that worked well for a while before dying.....had this Aztek for 2 years and its great, if it ever needs replacing it will be with another Aztek

Good too see the aztec works for you mate, the iwata neo is a piece of garbage, after all, it is not even a real iwata. If you had a real Iwata, you would not had had that problem.

[Guest]

I own an Iwata Revolution and a cheapo "gold" Plated Chinese no brand. - I have had both for about Three Years and the honest truth is I have never found The Iwata to be any better than the £10 cheapo.

Try owning a HI Line Iwata...


I recently bought one, and it is a top of the line tool. I know it looks like the other cheapo ones, but the performance is vastly superior to any other airbrush, apart from the Iwata Custom Micron. I used to have an Infinity by H and S, but this just offers a lot more control.

[Guest]

I notice you don't have any Paasche airbrushes listed. I am using an Iwata Eclipse right now and it is by far the best I have, but I have single action and a double action by Paasche. I haen't used the DA in a couple of years, but don't remember any real issues with it (other than being siphon feed) and I still use the SA for bigger primer and basecoat jobs on occasion.

That's because the poll limits the amount of stuff I stick up there. I just listed which brushes were important and listed Paasche amongst other airbrushes.


The iwata eclipse is an excellent mainstay brush isn't it? I started on the Neo for Iwata, moved to the Iwata eclipse, moved to an h and s infinity then to the Iwata Hi Line HP CH, which is by far the best brush 

[Guest]

Try owning a HI Line Iwata...


I recently bought one, and it is a top of the line tool. I know it looks like the other cheapo ones, but the performance is vastly superior to any other airbrush, apart from the Iwata Custom Micron. I used to have an Infinity by H and S, but this just offers a lot more control.

I Take your word for it John - It may be i'm not much good no matter what i'm using.  O.o

[Guest]

I have a H&S Ultra, probably the worst airbrush I have ever had.  It is now confined to the naughty shelf as it is virtually unusable.  I replaced it with a 'Chinese Iwata copy' which has faultlessly sprayed my last ten kits without a single problem.


You have to remember that not everyone can afford the price of a top end airbrush and, unless you do a lot of fine line work, do not need one.  Yes, a top end brush is nice to own but that could be said about anything.  We don't all drive Rolls Royce cars do we  9_9


I see that John is stocking the Mr Hobby branded airbrushed which according to a review I read recently is manufactured in the same factory as Iwata and takes Iwata parts but comes in at £119.

http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/0-2mm-mr-procon-boy-double-action-platinum-airbrush-ps270-mr-hobby.html

This is still a lot of money for a lot of modellers, in fact it is £104 more than the 'cheap' copy that I am using.


Yes, I agree that the engineering and materials of the cheap copies is not the same but for general spraying, it is good enough.  Like most things, it isn't the tool that does the job, it's the user.  Of course, the better made that tool is, the more reliable and repeatable the results will be.  Most issues that people have with their airbrush is caused by inaccurate and inconsistent thinning, use of the wrong thinners and their cleaning regime. 


What I don't like about the very top end in just about anything is why we have to pay more for a brand name.  If the Mr Hobby is made in the same factory as Iwata, and takes the same parts, why do I have to pay a hell of a lot more for the Iwata name?


If I do buy a 'better' brush, even though I have been so disappointed.... no disgusted by the Ultra that is sold under the H&S brand, it will more than likely be a H&S Evolution 2in1.

[Guest]

I absolutely agree with Graham. Just because it costs more, doesn't mean it's necessarily better.


The vast majority of airbrush problems are about how they're used & paint issues, not the airbrush itself.


Although something like a £16 Fengua might only give 12 months decent performance, the Iwata Hi Line HP CH costs around £200. So for that money, you could buy a brand-new Fenghua every year for 12 years!

[Guest]

I have a H&S Ultra, probably the worst airbrush I have ever had.  It is now confined to the naughty shelf as it is virtually unusable.  I replaced it with a 'Chinese Iwata copy' which has faultlessly sprayed my last ten kits without a single problem.


You have to remember that not everyone can afford the price of a top end airbrush and, unless you do a lot of fine line work, do not need one.  Yes, a top end brush is nice to own but that could be said about anything.  We don't all drive Rolls Royce cars do we  9_9


I see that John is stocking the Mr Hobby branded airbrushed which according to a review I read recently is manufactured in the same factory as Iwata and takes Iwata parts but comes in at £119.

http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/0-2mm-mr-procon-boy-double-action-platinum-airbrush-ps270-mr-hobby.html

This is still a lot of money for a lot of modellers, in fact it is £104 more than the 'cheap' copy that I am using.


Yes, I agree that the engineering and materials of the cheap copies is not the same but for general spraying, it is good enough.  Like most things, it isn't the tool that does the job, it's the user.  Of course, the better made that tool is, the more reliable and repeatable the results will be.  Most issues that people have with their airbrush is caused by inaccurate and inconsistent thinning, use of the wrong thinners and their cleaning regime. 


What I don't like about the very top end in just about anything is why we have to pay more for a brand name.  If the Mr Hobby is made in the same factory as Iwata, and takes the same parts, why do I have to pay a hell of a lot more for the Iwata name?


If I do buy a 'better' brush, even though I have been so disappointed.... no disgusted by the Ultra that is sold under the H&S brand, it will more than likely be a H&S Evolution 2in1.

I completely agree as well, I started out on those as well, but migrated on to the more expensive one through years of saving. As you said, it is a personal choice.


I find that the H and S airbrushes can be of inferior quality of the lower range as well, so I am not surprised why you are put off the ultra. Try selling it on ISM, they lap up H and S like anything, and someone will buy it.

[Guest]

The Mr Hobby looks interesting. I am looking into a secondary AB, might get that, but I only buy airbrushes based on spare parts

[Guest]

Try selling it on ISM, they lap up H and S like anything, and someone will buy it.

Lol, not a fan of ISM as you may have gathered but even I wouldn't dump that pile of cra............ Mmmmmm, hang on, yes I would  :P

[Guest]

Lol, not a fan of ISM as you may have gathered but even I wouldn't dump that pile of cra............ Mmmmmm, hang on, yes I would  :P

I would!!! They ruined my selling reputation there... >


BTW, this is what an ISM chap said about the ultra. I have never found another airbrush harder to strip down than the infinity, which is why I sold it


"[COLOR=rgb(51,51,51)]I have a H&S Ultra with a 0.4mm set up that I use for priming and varnish. They are great, easy and quick to strip down and clean. I'm really happy with them..."[/COLOR]

[Guest]

I used the chinese copy for a starter, works great and sprayed well. Then I bought an Olympos AB (the grandfather of Iwata AB) and I can feel immediately the difference in quality. 


Then I bought H&S Evolution 2in1, works really good, but I still prefer the Olympos for day to day use. 

[Guest]

I used the chinese copy for a starter, works great and sprayed well. Then I bought an Olympos AB (the grandfather of Iwata AB) and I can feel immediately the difference in quality. 


Then I bought H&S Evolution 2in1, works really good, but I still prefer the Olympos for day to day use. 

olympus airbrushes are certainly good, I know of them, and they are certainly excellent workhorses


btw, how is the evolution working? I am either getting an Iwata Eclipse or an H and S Evolution for a "lacquer airbrush" next.


Cheers