Airbrush Question

Grumpy · 12-04-2007, 07:02 PM

I'm thinking of getting into airbrushing and am looking for advise. Is this a difficult to learn and expensive hobby? How much am I looking to spend for a good starter kit or should I go for something bigger/better than a starter set? What brand should I look for and where would I find it? What paints do you recommend? I am not untalented when it comes to painting and built models when I was a kid but always used paint brushes or aerosol spray. I'm hoping to do more detailed work. Anyway, I'm open to suggestions and direction. Thanks in advance. I know you guys won't steer me wrong.

moon_knight1971 · 12-04-2007, 07:15 PM

I'm still learning myself but I'd suggest getting a Badger 100 series (about $70 shipped) and a decent air compressor ($200) that has a regulator & moisture trap.The Badger 100 will be good to learn with and you can still use it when/if you decide to upgrade to a finer detail brush like the Sotar 2020. You'll probably have to spend $70 alone on basic paints. You'll need a Dremmell rotary tool (about $80) to pin & sand whatever kits you're working on. You'll need some hobby glue ($6) and hobby putty to fill the seams to connect the parts. That's just to start. A great place to buy all this stuff at great prices is dixieart.com.

moon_knight1971 · 12-04-2007, 07:25 PM

Forgot to answer your 1st question. Yes, it can become an expensive hobby. After you get the supplies you need to get started painting you will then have to buy the kits to paint. Kits vary in price but usually go from $60 - $200. Obtaining rarer kits can get much more expensive than that. If you're shopping on ebay be aware that most kits coming from Thailand are recasts.

Grumpy · 12-04-2007, 08:04 PM

Thanks MK! Some good advise. Here's a question. What is a "kit"? Is that the current term for "model" that I grew up with? Or is it more complicated than that? I'm going to be in Jacksonville, Florida over Christmas. Is it possible to find some of the items you mentioned in a retail outlet?

Danno · 12-04-2007, 09:06 PM

I moved this to the painters pit stop, this seems a bit more appropriate for the topic.

Hi Grumy...ok...here are my opinions,

Is getting started with airbrushing model expensive? Well, I guess that is all relative. But MK hit it right on the head, the Badger 100G is a great beginners brush, it can spray fairly fine and atomizes the paint nicely. For $70.00, it is about the best deal on an airbrush that I could recommend. Great little brush, easy to maintain and clean.

Now, getting the compressor can be a little expensive. You may want to go the route of getting an old fashioned (loud and noisy) diaphram compressor first. You can pick one up for a good price and get you entered into the world of air brushing. As MK mentioned, make sure you get a pressure regulator/water trap combo for the compressor. You will need to make sure you can control your air pressure.

As for paint, try this thread:
http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=57389

Grumpy · 12-04-2007, 10:05 PM

Hey Danno! Thanks for putting me in the right area. I'm not too familiar with this part of the forum but hope to be. I checked locally and found there are airbrush classes offered near where I live. Probably a good idea to take an into class before I go spending money on a hobby I may not enjoy or have the talent an skill for. Thanks again.

moon_knight1971 · 12-04-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Thanks MK! Some good advise. Here's a question. What is a "kit"? Is that the current term for "model" that I grew up with? Or is it more complicated than that? I'm going to be in Jacksonville, Florida over Christmas. Is it possible to find some of the items you mentioned in a retail outlet?

Yes, model = kit nowadays. Most of the ones you see here on the forum are not available in stores & are extremely limited. My best advice to you regarding finding kits is too do your research 1st and join some other forums like clubhouse.net. There's lots of cool stuff out there.......

ROM · 12-05-2007, 03:05 PM

I myself wound up getting a CO2 tank for my airbrush set up. I never got a compressor so I'm not sure if I'm missing out on anything but I do like the tank, as it's totally quiet and I never have problems with moisture or pulsations. I certainly am not an expert but I would consider a CO2 tank as your air source. You would probably have to buy a regulator but it could be cheaper in the long run overall.

Tommy Allison · 12-06-2007, 12:43 AM

Actually, you can get one of those 5 gallon air tanks that are refillable at any gas station. You just need a few extra parts to make it refillable, and I added one to my compressor set up and saves a lot of wear and tear on my machine.