Airbrush For Total Newbie?

[Guest]

When I was a kid I used to make quite a few Airfix models which I really enjoyed building but I was never really any good when it came to painting them. I haven't built a model in over 20 years but the other week I thought I'd have a go at building one again to see if I still enjoyed it and if it was something I wanted to get back into.

Well I did find that I really enjoyed it and whilst I know that I still have a lot to learn about building models 'properly' rather than just gluing bits together I think that these are things that I will only improve over time. The one thing though that still dissapoints me is the painting.

I don't expect to achieve 'professional' results after just building one model and accept that my skills will only improve the more I paint but ultimately I can't help but think that the only way I will achieve results I'll be happy with is by using an airbrush, trouble is I know absolutely nothing about airbrushing and prices for them range from worryingly cheap to scarily expensive.

I therefore have lots of questions which I hope someone might be able to help with.

1. Do I really need an airbrush?

The problem I find is that I find it very hard to get my paintwork to look 'natural' i.e. you can often tell that it's been applied by brush. Is that just the nature of using a brush or could I get better results with using acrylic paints rather than the enamel that I've always used?

2. Which airbrush should I buy?

I'm finding it very hard to work out what type of airbrush to buy and I really don't want to spend a lot of money on the wrong thing or on something better than I currently need.

I understand the difference between single and dual action airbrushes and as a beginner I feel more comfortable with the idea of a single action but that's about as much as I understand.

What confuses me is the nozzle size and the minimum width of paint that they spray. On a lot of airbrushes I see that the minimum width is around 2cm which seems very wide to me when I'm building model aircraft of 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scale (this is the next model I want to do Revell - C-47 Skytrain (Berlin Airlift), 04697 - Modelzone )

This airbrush seems to be the kind of thing I think I need Badger Precision Airbrush Kit from Halfords Price £49.99 but is it?

3.Bottom Feed or Gravity Feed?

I do understand the difference between the two and understand that Bottom Feed is better if you are doing large amounts of the same colour but whilst I'd like a gravity fed one, I can't find any that aren't seriously more expensive than the one I've linked to. The main question I have about a Bottom Fed airbrush is how much paint do you have to have in the jar for it to work? With a gravity fed one it seems that you can use very small amounts of paint at a time but would you need to mix up more paint in order to use a bottom fed one?

4. Compressors

These are a total mystery to me. I know I need more pressure for a bottom fed airbrush compared to a gravity one and I understand that getting water in the hose will cause problems with painting but at the same time I am just a beginner and the cost of an airbrush and a compressor might be too expensive for me as compressors seem to range from £70 to several hundred pounds.

I would be very grateful for any guidance. Should I be considering an airbrush or should I stick with the brush for the time being? If I should get an airbrush then which one and what compressor should I get too?

Also I know that the cans of compressed air are not going to be as good as a compressor but are they worth experimenting with or are they more trouble than they are worth?

[Guest]

Hi mate,

With regard to painting, I would always say that spraying is preferable because we're dealing with scale here so a brush mark on the wing of a plane or the glacis plate of a tank wouldn't even be visible on a model even in 1/32.

If the idea of airbrushing is off-putting (and we've all been there-I still am!) how about cutting your teeth with rattle cans? I believe the Humbrol acrylic range are around £4-£5 a can & from experience they do 2-3 kits each so it doesn't work out too expensive. Of course, you're limited by the colours available but with some practice I've seen cans used to produce even mottled camo effects on 1/72 Luftwaffe planes.

I've got the Badger 200 that's in your link (cost me £70 a few months ago!). It's a pretty straight forward single action AB & will spray down to a pencil line or up to a wide spray so it's quite versatile. Some of the other guys on here have got the cheaper AB's (the suff you see on ebay) and they have had great results from them. I'd still go for the Badger simply because it's robust, easy to clean & even if you buy a more advanced AB in the future, you can still use the Badger for the mundane work like base coats.

The Badger is a bottom feed & that feature would be the main reason that I change AB's-I do have to mix more paint than I'd like, especially when doing stuff like camo that only needs a small amount.

To answer the last point & some of the above, I'd have a look at this link:

COMPLETE AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR KIT AIR BRUSH ACCESSORIES - eBay (item 300358402884 end time Dec-16-09 14:29:17 PST)

It looks a good deal & I'm sure a few guys on here have got the same or similar & haven't any problems with them.

I hope all this helps a little.

Patrick

[Guest]

Thanks so much for your reply. I am tempted by the Badger one but by the time you add a compressor to it, you are talking quite serious money when I don't even know if I'll be any good at it. The kit you linked to on Ebay does sound incredible value for money and whilst I accept it won't be as good as more expensive models I wonder if this might be a good entry for me. I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has this kit or something similar and what they think of it. Is it too good to be true?

[Guest]

Here's a link to a thread about this-with a recommendation from someone who has the same kit!

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/chit-chat/8166-cheap-airbrush-setup.html

Patrick

[stona]

Hi there, Patrick has covered just about everything in his comprehensive reply. I'd just add that I wouldn't bother with cans of air. Uncontrollable and ultimately expensive.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks again!

Very interesting. I think that this may well be a good choice for me and will at least let me dip my toe in the water without having to risk too much money. No point in running until I can crawl!

[Guest]

Hi all

Yep, I would def recommend the cheap Chinese airbrush kits as a starter as per the above link. I'm also one of those amateurs returning back to modelling since my teens so it was extremely daunting what current modellers are using and achieving.



However, so far no problems yet (fingers x'ed) with applying or cleaning. I must admit I was quite nervous about applying the paint, and in some circumstances have done some botch jobs with plenty of orange peeling etc. but you do eventually get the hang of it. The results are amazing, far more effective than the hand brushed option, and so far I have no urge to purchase a more expensive unit - yet!



Have a look at the pro modellers airbrush basics as this helped me a great deal to get my confidence up.

Hope this helps out.

Chris

[Guest]

Thanks for all your good advice. I have just ordered that kit from Ebay so hopefully in the next day or two I'll be trying to figure out how to use it!

[sjrixon]

Thanks for all your good advice. I have just ordered that kit from Ebay so hopefully in the next day or two I'll be trying to figure out how to use it!

I read this with interest.. I am thinking the same thing..

How's the kit? £60 looks like a steal for a newbie!

[Guest]

Thanks so much for your reply. I am tempted by the Badger one but by the time you add a compressor to it, you are talking quite serious money when I don't even know if I'll be any good at it. The kit you linked to on Ebay does sound incredible value for money and whilst I accept it won't be as good as more expensive models I wonder if this might be a good entry for me. I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has this kit or something similar and what they think of it. Is it too good to be true?

I have 2 Badger airbrushes, although they are good my personnal choice is an Iwata airbrush, more expensive but believe me they are very good, and in the end if you are just starting out with spraying buy something that you can afford, then if you are more confident then buy an Iwata, you will also need a compressor, best ones are with the extra tank, but don't waste your money until you are satisfied spraying is for you.

[Guest]

Hi Peakoverload, like you I`m a newby to airbrushing , after reading what the guys said on here I opted for a compressor kit ie:- 2 x airbrushes (spraymaster), compressor and other bits that came with the kit, it came to around £80ish (got it yesterday), I was going to spend about £60 on an airbrush kit that you have to replace the gas/air cannister but thought better of it as I`m in for the long haul and for an extra £20-£30 I think its worth the gamble,

I will be using it for the 1st time at the weekend so will report back if your interested.

Richy.

[Guest]

Richy :goodidea:

I would be very interested

Regards