Airbrush advises

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debrito

A Fixture
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
1,673
Location
Outpost in the North
Hi friends,
Need some advise
I am considering to buy a used airbrushes+ compressor etc..., so what do I have to pay attention and considered? Never used before

Thank you

Rodrigo
 
I would make sure you were able to try it first with some who has used one. It's hard to tell the condition without examining it and if you've never used one before, even a new one might perform badly in your hands at first, so it's a tough call. You may know if there's a problem with the AB, you or both.

A good brush will last a long time, so there should be good used ones available. I've had the same Iwata HP-BC2 for over 30 years and it still works flawlessly with all the original parts. I just bought a new one, a HP-AH for quicker color changes (gravity feed vs siphon) and the design is the same with little change over all these years, mostly just a plastic box instead of wood. ;)
 
If there is one bit of advice, it would be start with a slightly cheaper Airbrush, and play with it to get a feel.. as you can easily spend 170 euro +, and find that its not for you. Also you may need to research which type of feed you prefer,.. i.e.. Syphon, Side, or Gravity! ... I think most go for Gravity. Such as this!.. a good make, but also affordable.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neo-for-I...Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item1c37975c20

Mark
 
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I actually disagree with Mark about going for the cheaper option. There is a lot inferior quality copies out there on ebay etc and if you get a bad one it can put you off airbrushing for life. Badger brushes are good all round brushes and are reasonably priced. Initially I would go for a lightweight compressor similar to those used by nail artists, they are cheap and are up to the job if you are not spraying for hours on end. Make sure you get an inline moisture trap though.
 
I would think figure painters would want gravity feed, I just bought the HP-AH with that in mind. My siphon fed HP-BC2 is great for medium to large projects, but I need to use a good deal of paint to fill the AB body, siphon tube and color cup just to get a spray. When you're only overspraying a little highlight, shadow or blush, it's a huge waste of paint and time. The gravity fed AH is literally a drop or two to get going and a dunk in some water to clean for the next color.

I'm in the buy quality camp, like I said, I've had the same one for over 3o years, it's not a tool you outgrow. I paid around $300 back then, but the new one was $200, same design and quality. I'm not sure how those prices stack up in Europe, but Iwata's based in Japan.

Saving on a compressor and upgrading later makes more sense than the AB itself. What pushes the air means little as long as it's steady and clean. The more you spend on a compressor usually just means more comfort in terms of quiet and size.
 
hi rodrigo

i have now an iwata HP-CH bought new on ebay for 170$ from power_hobby
it is perfect
you can hook your airbrush to any compressor but i use a silent compressor (uses oil).
if you come to Montreal, let me know, i can show it to you
cheers
alex
 
I actually disagree with Mark about going for the cheaper option. There is a lot inferior quality copies out there on ebay etc and if you get a bad one it can put you off airbrushing for life. Badger brushes are good all round brushes and are reasonably priced. Initially I would go for a lightweight compressor similar to those used by nail artists, they are cheap and are up to the job if you are not spraying for hours on end. Make sure you get an inline moisture trap though.

Hi Ken!

I was not suggesting that he should go for an, inferior copy! of which there are loads out there! especially (as you say on ebay), far from it .. But to possibly go for a less expensive Airbrush from a reputable manufacturer and supplier, such as Badger, or Iwata, etc. all of these companies have a range of different Airbrushes, at different levels of cost! I certainly would not suggest spending, 200/300+ Euros, on something that is for now an experiment in usage! as this could be a very costly mistake.

It may be a case of Debrito, sourcing a reputable supplier, of these manufacturer's in his home country, and go from there as regards choice and cost.

As an example, see below! all well known makes, and suppliers in the (UK). with the difference in cost.
http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/Airbrushes.html
https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=d2d55ad75172d3ad2603408d3354c40a


Regards,

Mark
 
Hello Mark
Didn't mean to cause offence (if I did) by disagreeing with you. Just that Debrito said he was thinking of a second hand airbrush and if he was looking on ebay he may have been tempted by one of the numerous Chinese copies. I know from my own experience that these brushes can be of pretty poor quality and I was nearly put off airbrushing for good because the first one I bought would not work properly. Luckily I had a little experience of using a Badger many years ago and knew it wasn't me making a mess of it. I now have two Badger brushes which I think are perfect for the work I do with them.
 
I have a Harder & Steenbeck. It is a beautiful airbrush and mine came with 2 sizes of needle sets. I also have the Iwata HP-C+ which is widely known as the workhorse of the modelling world. You can get both on E-bay.

Gary
 
Thank you guys, once again is much appreciated the time you took to reply....

I have been looking around and there are lots and different quality brand, shapes etc... For sure is always temping to go with the less expensive ones, special on my case as I am a very poor collector....
Nonetheless, I don’t want to have something very cheap, even so airbrushing will not be my main way to paint my figures, what I am looking for to use this, is to give me a nice and smooth layers on large surfaces like big busts, capes and bodies....
I have a friend that is willing to give an old and used airbrush-pistol, but he told me that I will need to buy some new parts, so I am also considered that possibility, of course sometimes is better to buy a new one...

That been said, thank you very much for all feedbacks and if someone is willing to sell his, please let me know..

Best regards to all
 
Ken!
No offence taken whatsoever mate. (y) as I did miss the 'Used', bit. (My fault) So in context, you are absolutely correct in saying beware ,of cheap stuff on ebay! when I first dabbled with Airbrushes, some, 6yrs ago. I also got 'shafted', with a cheap copy ... yes! ..from China! a lesson learnt, and never to be repeated:cry:... what a fool I was!:ROFLMAO: .. But now! I am much older and wiser.. (ish) :D .

Mark
 

Personally, I would say no! But I may be wrong in my thoughts. ... The Airbrushes are non-descript, $20 type of stuff, plus one is an external mix ! (the one with the bottle) which is only good for very large areas,( like Canada!:D ) and all seem cheap! the compressor is not high performance as it states, .. more of a standard piece of kit which overheats very quickly. It may be worth looking at building up separate pieces, and getting quality, rather than bargain bucket quantity.. then look at compressors a little later, if you feel that this is an avenue you want to expand upon ... although in the meantime you can use canned propellant with a regulator and hose.. to play around with the brush! to get a feel for it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BADGER-Mode...791?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7560699f
 
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Rodrigo
The first thing to check on a second hand brush is the condition of the needle ,if the point is bent then you will have all sorts of problems .
Other things that can go wrong are the seals , cheap is not best but don't go for the top end either as they really only work with ink ,also a duel control is best for our hobby .
See if you can get hold of Geoff Illsley's DVD or Rob Hendon's before you buy anything ,both have great advice.

Ron
 
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