Airbrushing in Aus - for Beginner

[Old Wombat]

OK, guys, especially you Aussies (buzzbomb, I'd especially like to hear from you), I'm looking at buying an airbrush & compressor when I get back home from Christmas Island. I've saved a few shekels for this but I don't want to got overboard on price.

Currently I'm thinking of buying 2 Iwata Neo's (a HP.CN, gravity-feed, for fine work & a HP.BCN, suction/siphon-feed, for broad-area application) but they are both dual-action, as far as I can tell, & I'm not 100% sure that's what I want. However, for about $135 (+p&h) for both, they are about the best buy I can see.

The compressor is throwing me completely! I've read/heard/been told that compressors with tanks are the best (with water traps & filters being essential) but I'm having trouble finding a site with enough info for me to decide &/or find a suitable price (preferrably under $400).

So, gentlemen, what do I get & where do I get it?



Guy

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Guy,

If you are only doing occasional air brushing then all you really need is the compressor with a decent pressure guage, moisture trap and hose for the air brush.  Most of your time is going to be spent in planning and preparing for you few seconds of spray painting with the brush anyway so the compressor will only be on for the duration of the events. 

Larger operations where you are painting multiple items in different colours or very large things in one colour would dictate some kind of tankage as being mandatory to preclude excessive operation of the compressor that will lead to shorter operation life.  In this case going large from the start and spending the money is justified based on the amount of time you will actually pressing the button and shooting paint instead of the preparation time for each shoot.  A lot of this I suppose could be handled with air brushes that are configured for quick change of paint cups/containers or multiple air brushes each loaded with the desired paint colours prior to start and then you would quick change between the air brushes to keep the process flowing otherwise it is load, prepare, shoot, clean, and repeat as often required.  The prepare time is by far the most time intensive as that is where you make sure the paint is thinned enough to be applied without issue to the subject.  Air pressure is also set at that point as well. 

My first experience with a Badger air brush and canned air went well I suspect as the air brush worked very well and the pressure regulator was mounted on the can of air (no guage though) so my first shot sent the Monogram 1:48th scale F-105 Thunderchief flying off the kitchen table to crash on to the floor.  Thankfully the carpet was a great shock absorber and the Monogram Thunderchief was solid as a rock so nothing was hurt except my pride but I learned real fast that if you are going to run with the big dogs you need to have the right tools (toys) to do so.  So that was the last time I ever used canned air for a model :)

[Old Wombat]

I guess I want to buy something fairly good, that doesn't cause fluctuations in pressure (which I'm told is an issue with "on demand" pumps) & will last me into my retirement (if I ever get that far - 16 years officially, 25 years practically) when I hope to use it more often.

I'm also thinking of changing my process, because I'm beginning to look at themed builds for dioramas, with the vehicles usually having similar paint schemes, & painting in batches rather than individually.

I know I can buy Badger, Paasche, Aztec & Iwata & other airbrushes in Australia, & Iwata pumps but I don't know what other pumps are available nor which is value for money.

Thanks!



Guy

[Frank3k]

Get the double action airbrush. Once you get the hang of it, you won't be sorry.

I have a quiet compressor that I bought from Harbor Freight (a US chain that specializes in cheap Chinese hardware). It has a built-in moisture trap and a very long hose (which I replaced with a longer hose). The air output is pretty constant with no noticeable pulsation.

The main purpose of a tank is (as Jeff mentioned) air storage to keep the compressor from running all the time.

Another option is to buy/rent a small CO2 tank and a good regulator. This works extremely well - you don't need a moisture trap and it's completely quiet.  A 5lb tank will last for several models and it's cheap to refill.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Frank! :)

Guy

[Buzzbomb]

Guy,

first stop for you on your is on your doorstep in Adelaide.
Adelaide Moulding and Casting
http://www.amcsupplies.com.au/
Grant has all the goodies at very competitive prices. I bought my Iwata airbrush a HP.CP and compressor from AMC.
Not entirely sure why you want two high end airbrushes that do exactly the same thing though.
If you really feel you need a "big job, broad work" airbrush something cheaper from Peter Shum at Runway 13  (http://runway13.com/store/ )will more than do the job, or ebay for that matter.. but Peter is local and a nice guy.
I do exactly the same, I have a Runway 13 brush like this for most of my painting and use the Iwata for fine detail work. Get one of these with quick connect fittings and done

I use this compressor from AMC.  It is an on demand compressor and starts when you press the airbrush trigger.
I have had a Runway 13 Tank compressor as well. It died due to poor maintenance by me..nothing else.
The one thing you must do with any compressor is regularly empty the water than will inevitably build up in the tank or the water trap.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks for dropping by, Brian! :)

I know AMC is an Iwata supplier but airbrushmegastore.com had Neo's at $10 to $15 cheaper & they have the Iwata IS875 for $65 less (here). I'll probably go with AMC, anyway, because I prefer to buy local if I can & the price isn't that different.

I was looking at the cup-feed for detail work & the siphon-feed for broadstroke work.

A guy on What If... has put me onto this Artlogic AC1418 compressor (very nice price & he's had no real trouble with his) & the Paasche H single action airbrush set.

However, thanks heaps for your input, mate! I'm still in the brainstorming mode but hope to have a decision & a plan before I go home (Hi, Babe! Um, I'm just going to duck out & buy an airbrush set-up, now. OK? Thanks! 'Bye! [whoosh, bang, thump, vroom] )

Anybody able to tell me of any quality differences between external & internal mix finish quality?



Guy

[Buzzbomb]

Guy, I think to bear in mind is that "silent" compressor is a relative term to most folks.
if you compare an airbrush compressor to the $100 big jobbie from Bunnings that sound like a JP6 when they take off.. yes it is quiet.
But compared to a CO2 bottle, they still make a bit of noise.

You appear to have a pretty good handle on all this. I my opinion there is not that much difference between a $600 and a $150 airbrush in the hands of the "average day to day" modeller.
For the guys with the real artistic flair and superb hand skills, yes there is a difference, but it certainly helps to have the  best tools.

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, mate! :)

I think I'm settling on the Iwata cup-feed Neo for detail work & the Artlogic compressor but still fumbling about on a single-action siphon-feed broad-stroke 'brush. Yep, the less I spend the better - coz that leaves me with more money for kits!

Ah, well, back to the research.



Guy

[kim margosein]

I use a bowling bag sized home compressor that I got from a home improvement store about six years ago for $100.00.  It is noisy, but I have the basement to myself, and it has other uses here and there.  There is an air tank inside, and this easily moderates any fluctuations in the pressure.