Air Brush Recommondation

Back in my modeling days, the hot ticket was a Panache or Badger double action, internal mix airbrush. Just about any compressor will crank these right along.

For general spray painting of smaller objects, check out "The Critter".

Barry

Sorry, PAASCHE. The spell checker nailed it.

Barry

Places to start looking. Some of the larger internet vendors:

Places to look for general airbrush info:

Iwata makes great airbrushes and their Revolution line is reasonably priced. You might want to pick up a Paasche VL set, though. You get three nozzle sizes and it's siphon feed, which you may want to do larger areas. Note that the nozzle size is related to the "thickness" of the paint you'll be using; smaller nozzles want paint that's about as thin as milk.

Almost any compressor will do. You do NOT want pressure pulsations so a tank or surge volume is necessary. Pressure should be from about 10 to about 35 psi, depending on the paint and the airbrush. Moisture separator recommended.

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 21:15:55 GMT, "Bernie Hunt" calmly ranted:

You might try one of their dual-action brushes and let us know how you like it. I have a $5 HF single action which doesn't work worth a hoot, comparatively (coarse spray, less controllable) so I've been looking at these inexpensive but guaranteed dual action models.

If you have any air compressor now, it will work if you have a oil/water filter and pressure regulator for it. (10-30psi)

-- Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ---- --Unknown

OP might consider the Badger touch-up gun instead of an air brush. Its a bit larger, holds perhaps half a pint of material. Spray is almost as controllable as an air brush. A google search will find it, and they can be had for about $70 (somewhere in New Orleans, URL and name escape me)

That would be Dixie Art -- and probably this link to the Badger

I have a Badger 150 and use it for scrollsaw work. Highly recommended. If you don't have a compressor, unless you need something really small, don't bother with the airbrush compressors. They work well for that use but haven't enough capacity for anything else. This wouldn't be so bad except they are usually far more expensive than larger compressors. I run mine off a PC pancake.

I initially tried a cheap airbrush for scrollwork years ago, and it wasn't worth the effort. After some research on different types, I found the Badger

I've heard of others using the larger Badger 250 and getting good results. I believe it has a somewhat larger spray pattern, which is both good and bad.

I've used it for several years with scrollwork, and usually start at angles, focussing on coating the cutout edges. They can often absorb quite a bit, so I may give them several passes, each time simply wiping off the face to prevent any puddles. When the edges are done, I'll make a few passes on the face. With larger pieces containing scrolled areas I start the same, then use a touch-up spray gun for the final coats.

Even some of the smallest compressors will work, though I'd recommend one with a tank. The compressors sold for airbrushes are about the same cost, but this'll work at least as well and have other uses also (e.g. small touch-up spray gun).

BTW, you still cannot escape the cleaning. An airbrush may be less to clean that a larger spray gun, but it also clogs up easier.

GerryG

I second the recommendation for the moisture separator, especially if you're using a very small compressor. I made the mistake many years ago of getting an "airbrush" compressor and found that in the winter in Ohio it worked fine, but in the summer in Florida or Georgia it tended to periodically shoot dollops of water, which did not do good things for the finish.

But it's much less surface to clean and you waste much less finish. Even with a small container the HVLP gun burns way more finish getting cleaned than it actually sprays on the project. Then count all the thinner you have to spray to get the gun clean. I suspect it will be a big difference.

Bernie

Snip

I feel your points are all quite valid, and an advantage for the airbrush. However, when doing more than a single piece, or if that item was larger than maybe 3x3, and if you wanted a film finish on the surface, that a larger gun was needed. With a number of small pieces, I'd handle all the edges and crevices first with the airbrush., then clean it and put it away. I'd then either layout or hang the pieces and use a small spray gun.

Another advantage is be>But it's much less surface to clean and you waste much less finish. Even