What air brushes are you using?

[dkev]

So I'm curious what everyone uses. I noticed from watching Chen's video's, he has several. So it got me wondering why so many? Anyway, I have 2. I have my Badger Patriot 105 that uses a medium fine needle. I'm amazed what I can push through it with out clogging it. But at first I was using way too much paint with it. Getting the hang of it now. I use that one pretty much for priming and painting general areas that are masked. My other is a Badger Velocity. It uses an extra fine needle. Great for real fine detail. But you really have to thin the paint with this one.

 

[Daf57]

Hi,

I have an Iwata Eclipse I use for miniatures and fine applications and a Revolution CR I use for most everything else. These are for acrylics only. I have another Revolution CR and a Revoution SAR (single action/siphon) I use for larger application enamels and lacquers.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

What do I have for airbrushes................

The 2 I use the most, I have a Mr. Hobby airbrush which is a knock off of an Iwata Hi-Line CH, use it for general use primer, base coats, etc. Badger 200, mostly use it for future, or other varnishes, haven't used in for awhile however.

Also have an Iwata Revolution BCR....siphon feed, basically only use it for Alclad, and other metallics.

Used to use a Testors Aztec A470, which I still have, but the internals are made out of plastic, and has since broken. Should really send it back to Testors to have it fixed, as apparently they have a lifetime warranty.

My main airbrush that does most of my camo and fine work is the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity, just simply the perfect airbrush.

 

[dkev]

What do I have for airbrushes................

The 2 I use the most, I have a Mr. Hobby airbrush which is a knock off of an Iwata Hi-Line CH, use it for general use primer, base coats, etc. Badger 200, mostly use it for future, or other varnishes, haven't used in for awhile however.

Also have an Iwata Revolution BCR....siphon feed, basically only use it for Alclad, and other metallics.

Used to use a Testors Aztec A470, which I still have, but the internals are made out of plastic, and has since broken. Should really send it back to Testors to have it fixed, as apparently they have a lifetime warranty.

My main airbrush that does most of my camo and fine work is the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity, just simply the perfect airbrush.

So let me ask you, why do you use a separate one for Alclad and metallics? Is it a good idea or just preference?

 

[dkev]

Wow, that Harder & Steenbeck Infinity is very nice but seriously pricey.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Metallics are notoriously hard to get out of an airbrush. Unless you want to break the airbrush down and run it through an ultra sonic cleaner, a regular cleaning usually won't get all the metallic particles out of the airbrush. Run another paint through the brush and you wonder why it is coming out with a metallic sheen, and that is why.

I do use it for more than just Alclad, as I will use the airbrush for spraying lacquers and enamels. Probably don't need to have a separate airbrush for lacquers and enamels, but saves from replacing seals in all of your airbrushes, this way you only need to worry about one.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Wow, that Harder & Steenbeck Infinity is very nice but seriously pricey.

Not really depends on what you compare it to. About the only airbrush that can compare to it is the Iwata Micron C, and you will pay a whole heck of alot more money for it.

 

[Ravhin]

I use a iwata eclipse dedicated solely to acrylics, another Iwata revolution for basecoats general purpose stuff with lacquers and enamels and a Mr hobby procon boy for detailed work (these are not knock off's since they are sold under license), which I bought for a great price when I went to Japan just before the 2008 crash.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I use a iwata eclipse dedicated solely to acrylics, another Iwata revolution for basecoats general purpose stuff with lacquers and enamels and a Mr hobby procon boy for detailed work (these are not knock off's since they are sold under license), which I bought for a great price when I went to Japan just before the 2008 crash.

What I mean by knock off is that it isn't a genuine Iwata AB....not that I care, it works just as well.

 

[spud]

I have 2 Badgers the 155 Anthem and the Krome, the Krome is used mostly tough

 

[WebbyNZ]

My main AB is the Iwata HP-M2. Very comfortable to hold and simple adjustmets means awesome control for what is basically a single action AB.
For small jobs I have a cheap ebay model with .2 needle and small cup.
For big jobs like clears i have another ebay cheapie with a .5 needle with various size plastic screw on cups.
All gravity fed as thats just my preferance.
I really want a krome but they are not cheap to get here.

 

[MrNatural]

Me have badgers, the Anthem 155 (what i started out on) and a Patriot 105 (my main workhorse)

After I got used to using the Patriot I honestly dont like using the Anthem anymore just not comfortable in my hand and a huge pain to clean and switch colors due to the siphon feed.

 

[dkev]

I agree. I really like the 105.

 

[Glorfindel]

I use two Iwata's. The HP-BCS (bottom feed) for priming, base coating, and gloss & dull coating. I can mix larger amounts of custom paint if need be and always have more then enough for 2/3/ or even 4 coats. I then switch to the HP-CS (gravity feed) for detail painting, small part painting, pre-shading, and some weathering. I just picked up the HP-CS two weeks ago and already love the ease of cleaning with a few drops of cleaner in the cup. Far easier to change colors with a quick blow out of cleaner to move on.

 

[hooterville75]

dkev I use the Patriot 105 as well but it has me severely curious to ask you a few questions in regards to your patriot. I dont know if I have a defect in mine or what but anytime I paint a kit it appears that Im using twice the amount of paint I should be till its all said and finished. Im in the finishing stages of the Nascar kit Im currently building. From start to finish, I used 3/4 of a 1/2 oz bottle of both Gloss and Flat Black (All parts BUT the Nose, Hood and Body), and 1 1/2 oz of Flat Yellow all bottles Model Masters Enamel thinned 2:1 with cheap cold lacquer thinner, spraying at 20 PSI.

Is this the normal amount I should be using or am I using way too much paint and if using too much why is this happening ? Is there a defect with my airbrush, am I spraying with too much pressure, is my fan in my spray booth producing too many cfm's and sucking paint before it hits the part ??? Another question I have does your trigger stick ? Alot of times when Im spraying when I leave off the trigger it doesnt pull all the way forward or continues allowing air out after I leave off the trigger. Question 3 I noticed just the other day while cleaning the airbrush, when I clean the airbrush between colors. When I put Alcohol, lacquer thinner or windex in it to clean it, then spray it out I notice that it doesnt shoot out at the pressure it is set at. Like the first burst is proper with the right amount but after about a second or two of it spraying out it sprays out as if its very minimal pressure. If you or Anyone can give me some advice or answers I would greatly appreciate the help.

 

[billb]

Aztec A470. Had it for years, it sprays everything from very fine lines to wide coverage. & you can swap between 4 or 5 cups depending on how much you have to spray.
Yes, the insides are plastic (although I think the latest one is all metal), but the only way to break the plastic is to force the trigger when it's very obvious that it's stuck. After doing that once and sending it back under warranty I learnt how to pull it apart. Voids the warranty but means you can clean it fully on the very rare occasions when the trigger does gum up. (hasn;t happened to me in 7 or 8 years)
There's a couple of tricks to keeping the nozzles clean but everything is very simple and it's 30 seconds after each spray session.
I actually got a sonic cleaner on ebay for $20 some time ago. Chuck the airbrush in every 2 or 3 models and have not had any problems with it since.
People ether love or hate Aztecs. I've tried other people's Badgers and Iwata's (I've also got a knockoff of one of them which I don;t use) but they can;t do anything the Aztec can;t and are far more fiddly.
I think it's what you're used to. Aztec was the first brush I used and I doubt i'll ever change. If you learn on a long needle, metal brush where you need 2 or 3 different types then that's what you'll stick to.
Each to their own

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Aztec A470. Had it for years, it sprays everything from very fine lines to wide coverage. & you can swap between 4 or 5 cups depending on how much you have to spray.
Yes, the insides are plastic (although I think the latest one is all metal), but the only way to break the plastic is to force the trigger when it's very obvious that it's stuck. After doing that once and sending it back under warranty I learnt how to pull it apart. Voids the warranty but means you can clean it fully on the very rare occasions when the trigger does gum up. (hasn;t happened to me in 7 or 8 years)
There's a couple of tricks to keeping the nozzles clean but everything is very simple and it's 30 seconds after each spray session.
I actually got a sonic cleaner on ebay for $20 some time ago. Chuck the airbrush in every 2 or 3 models and have not had any problems with it since.
People ether love or hate Aztecs. I've tried other people's Badgers and Iwata's (I've also got a knockoff of one of them which I don;t use) but they can;t do anything the Aztec can;t and are far more fiddly.
I think it's what you're used to. Aztec was the first brush I used and I doubt i'll ever change. If you learn on a long needle, metal brush where you need 2 or 3 different types then that's what you'll stick to.
Each to their own

I have used pretty much anything out there as far as airbrushes. I used my Aztec for a good number of year, but I bought it used, so no idea of the service it had before I got it. The internals being plastic, plastic only takes so many cycles before something will break on it, and I got a good many years out of mine. I just have to get off my butt and send it back to have it repaired. I likely won't use it once it is repaired, but there are a few kids in our model club that I am sure could use it.

It was a breeze to clean as all the paint is only in the nozzle basically, just take the nozzle off, pull it apart and viola....cleaning done.

Yes, it will do probably 80% of what most airbrushes will do, and while it can do some fine lines, it would never get down to the hair lines that I can do now with my H&S Infinity. Just no comparison really.

 

[billb]

hahah, fair enough, the Aztec probably doesn;t stack up against the Bugatti Veyron of airbrushes! Must admit I would like to try one of those. Unfortunately for $440 plus delivery in Australia, the H&S Infinity 2 in 1 isn;t going to happen for me I could probably get it cheaper on import but aftersale service becomes an issue then.

Really nice of you to pass it on to younger modellers in your club too! Should happen more often

I would question your comment that the Aztec can only do 80% of what other brushes can though? Even compared to the H&S infinity you say the main difference is fine lines. & yep, i'm sure the Aztec isn't comparable with lines less than a mm in width, but there's no way that that is 20% of model airbrushing.

Personally I think the big factor is user skill (as with most tools). Now i'm no great shakes as an airbrusher but someone like Chris Wauchop can get incredible finishes with the Aztec which implies that it can do a lot more than '80%' of what other brushes can.
I still think that this is one of the most fantastic bits of airbrushing around, especially the scales.
http://hsfeatures.com/features04/medusacw_1.htm
and this
http://www.hyperscale.com/2012/galleries/he21932bgcw_1.htm

Chris' work is well worth googling. (& yes, he was the one that taught me a lot about how to use the Aztec a number of years ago)

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

$440AU for an Infinity? That is about $170 more than I sell them for. Even with Xpress shipping, from Canada to Australia, it would still come out cheaper than buying it there.

 

[billb]

That's the way it normally happens down here unfortunately If I ever do decide to upgrade to very top of the range equipment I may well get in touch with you.