Hobby air brushes: Recommendations

[the_matrix_guy]

Wow, offer accepted, $190. Thats like almost half off from retail

[SignOfZeta]

The best thing for air is a huge shop compressor with a tank somewhere else in the building that you can’t even hear when it runs.

Second best is that same compressor in the room with you but with a tank so big you only need to run it once a day.

Currently however I’m using a Iwata Silver Jet because I got it for Xmas. I need to get a foot switch for it but I like it. Messing with the input pressure is easier than with a real reg on a real compressor. It’s also amazingly quiet and portable.

[SignOfZeta]

They have a whole kit for $150 on Amazon, I think its the same compressor:

https://www.amazon.com/NO-NAME-Airbrush-Compressor-Decorating-Painting/dp/B0CCST8HDV/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RjO3l3RWgYrR0iUR7WZkM_ kbFhl_4uc-BMgmN1LCSUAIo4NBNkd2dHxuuRaSzMcjqKXmwcxLNmSMZXRTQB 3jJmzyxq8lPN20R0d8UA9Qnz1O7wQPAhSCdpuMilOdTwWDyuS6 FnzAQblkqJEZZPM8LN-YZr5TtiwMYlLn26DafUX24FXdR_G6Wia6VcePx7T1E7jlnuFO6 8BWf_wcliq2x0iybDWPLs4I4ocnNw3LqoJoD7a5RC1ZuuqGmYJ 7ByoLXa5WoydGad5unLr7CktfTQP7DTgW48IKATwYDbxpm80.l lzxjWJqPQR7HyQ33VYoCJeX0My-5S3SZituNy1Rc-4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Cool%2BTooty%2BAirbrush%2B Co mpressor%2Bwith%2BTank%2Bby%2BNO-NAME%2BBrand&qid=1731537901&sr=8-6&th=1


Edit: and what about acrylic paints? Which do you use/recommend? SignOfZeta Rickfactor2

The paint used totally depends on the subject. I only use AB for modeling, pretty much.

For weathered military stuff you can’t go wrong with Mig Jimenez stuff. He’s a Russia-loving pervert but THE master of his art. If you follow his advice you will make the best stuff you’ve ever made in your life.

For most other modeling I use Tamiya or Mr Hobby for everything. For car bodies I usually use rattle cans.

I prime everything that isn’t wood with Mr Surfacer or Tamiya Super Fine, usually in rattle cans also. I typically only AB primer and top coats when I’m working on super detailed resin mecha kits, etc.

For 40k size miniatures I just use a traditional brush for everything. I just prefer it that way.

[SignOfZeta]

Some pictures attached of 1/144 Bandai Juaggu built using AK/Mig/Valejo methods.

[the_matrix_guy]

thats amazing, amazing weathering

[the_matrix_guy]

it looks metal *insert head banging emoji* (figuratively and literally)

Im checking out mig jimenez on YT now

[Deus Machina]

I'll chip in, a little late. A good Iwata is going to spoil you for other things. Learn the maintenance and that airbrush won't be what holds you back.
My one complaint about Iwatas is that they don't seem to have much in the way of parts interchangeability. Different model, different spares. Not much of in issue if you focus in doing one thing with it or get multiple brushes for different things.

Aside from that, I have currently have several brushes.
Paasche Talon: A set. Needles in .25, .38, and .66. Would have been amazing when it came out, now the atomization is a little lacking behind the new crop, but much better than some other stuff of the type. The .38 works well for all-purpose and the .66 does very well for larger things, like the life-size Pip-Boy I made, or the lacquer on a project guitar. Have found the .25 to be a bit finicky, or I just haven't warmed up to it yet. Or it just feels a little weird trying to do very fine stuff with an airbrush that is frankly kind of chunky. The brush doesn't fit in the general holders on the compressor. I do appreciate that the nozzles, caps, and needles have engraved lines to tell them apart.

Gaahleri GHAD-39: the 'Advanced' series. A bunch of good reviews by Youtubers, a sale, and I grabbed one. Not quite on level a high-end Iwata, but better than the NEO and maybe the middle of Iwata's range. At $45 now, it's definitely into the 'diminishing returns' area. I've been amazed for that price. Runs at a pretty low pressure and came with a .35 and .5 needle that cover everything I need for models. I tend to run the .35 except for clearcoat. Pretty well designed, easier to clean than the Paasche, and durable so far. One selling point was that the needles were made from spring steel, which makes it harder to damage them. Don't know if that's still true. My one complaint is that they don't have identifiers on them. Keep them organized.

Master G-22: Got another sale, $40 (at the time) for the airbrush and a chintzy little portable compressor that actually worked surprisingly well. Now the airbrush is $30. A little chrome is flaking on replaceable parts in non-critical areas so the fit and finish aren't as good as the others, but I didn't expect that. I bought it to do a Duracoat project on a rifle build, and the only spots that project doesn't look factory are entirely my fault from the prep.
The reviews suggest it might be more hit-and-miss than the big brands and maybe I got lucky, but I'm impressed for what it is. I've had $100+ Badger brushes that were worse.
Want a knockaround airbrush you won't stress about ruining with weird paints (Duracoat is impossible to remove if it dries), or to dedicate to base coats or primer? Here ya go.

YMMV. I use the airbrushes as a replacement for spray paints. I do models and occasional prop type stuff, not realistic miniatures. My 'fine' work is all in texturing and weathering.

[Deus Machina]

For paints, most of my collection of acrylics is Vallejo. It's relatively cheap and comes in a million colors and specialties. I often use their Air lines to brush with; the basic Model and Game lines need thinned anyway.
Not a fan of their primers, but some people adore them. I'm either unlucky or mismatching them to the project.

My primer for models is Mr. Hobby's Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500. Self-levels well, supposed to hide micro scratches, and leaves an amazing surface finish, better than the original. Not a filler. It absolutely will not dull out any surface texture. Can't sand it, but you won't need to. I thin it about 1:1 with Mr. Leveling Thinner to airbrush, and the primer coat is just... chef's kiss.

A fan of Tamiya's colors, but not always working with them. My collection for them is metallics for base coats and you won't find better transparent reds and ambers for lights. But they're a pain to thin for airbrushes and brushing second coats is a hassle; the solvent softens the coat under it and starts to streak it. Even brushing on an initial coat has to be quick. Even thinned, it quickly forms a 'skin' that tugs and might leave marks. But work quick, and it looks great.

There's both better and worse paints more expensive than what I have, though. I prefer solvent paints but not cleaning them up in my apartment, so this is what I use. I keep hearing good about AK and such, but don't have a good source local.

None of the current popular paints are bad, just might not be the best or what works for you. A fun part about hobbies like this is finding what you like. Find a store, pick out some things that look fun and like they would work, and try them.

One thing I will recommend is a mixer. Mine is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1 I got on a sale, and I adore it. Especially for things like my primer (the Finishing Surfacers have a superfine grit) and metallics. Say goodbye to uneven mixes and aching wrists.

For premixing primers or common paints, I bought a couple bags of dropper bottles in a couple sizes. Mix, drop in a little stainless ball bearing, no headache in the future. Especially with the mixer. For custom-mixing smaller selections of paints, a set of test tubes in a rack.

PS: looking this stuff up for my reference just reminds me how much prices have gone up. Eesh.

[the_matrix_guy]

Deus Machina, SignOfZeta


Thank you. I already purchased the Iwata. I think it's a good starting point for me, even with that little compressor. I did notice many of the professional air-brushers on Yt running the Makita Quiet Series Electric Air Compressor 1 Gallon. Maybe down the line, I'll upgrade the compressor.

I still have to figure out which paints, and thinner, and accessories I need. I'll look into Vallejo, multiple people recommended those.

And good masking tape:

FBS K-UTG Gold Crepe Masking Tape, still trying to figure the thickness that I need to do the lines/markings/stripes on the racetrack. ( I know Ill need different ones but trying to narrow it down to 2-3 sizes, and also trying to find trhe best place to buy them)

For landscaping, I'll probably try hand brush first, using more of a blotch approach with different earth tones. Thats what I saw on YT, and it came out really great:

This guy is like the David Ross of model scenery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_N2m9hPagA&t=1149s

[Deus Machina]

Yeah, it was a bit late, but thought it was worth some input. That Iwata's a great pick. Good job.
My choice of Vallejo is also because the Model Air line and the like are going to at least be close to what I want. I can just drop some in and go and don't often have to thin it.
For Vallejo (and at least worth testing with other water-based paints) I use a 1:1 mix of their Airbrush Thinner and Airbrush Flow Improver. I also use just a little to thin brush paints in a pallet. Water works for all that, but these slow drying a little and get me a bit better results.

Experiment!

[the_matrix_guy]

Yeah, it was a bit late, but thought it was worth some input. That Iwata's a great pick. Good job.
My choice of Vallejo is also because the Model Air line and the like are going to at least be close to what I want. I can just drop some in and go and don't often have to thin it.
For Vallejo (and at least worth testing with other water-based paints) I use a 1:1 mix of their Airbrush Thinner and Airbrush Flow Improver. I also use just a little to thin brush paints in a pallet. Water works for all that, but these slow drying a little and get me a bit better results.

Experiment!

This seems like a dumb question, but Im just trying to visualize everything: with the thinner (and additives) you just mix everything in a cup with a brush or stick, and then load it in the airbrush pod?

Are there tricks in spraying different tones at once? Like this guy does in the video by mixing different tones but not mixing it all together completely, so when he takes the brush: he's getting a blotchiness of different tones. Can you do that with the air brush? or you would do that in different coats and using wiping /scraping methods afterwards... or both... yeah I'm gonna have to experiment lol ... thats obviously part of the gig

[the_matrix_guy]

Coast airbrush again for the masking.... https://www.coastairbrush.com/prodde...e_Masking_Tape and again - starting here might be spoiling you a bit, but the wrong tape on your perfect acrylic paint job can really ruin your day. this stuff is just as good not better than the gold standard Tamiya tape. accept no substitutes no matter what the morons on youtube say they found at Michaels for 50 cents.

sold

and this on here: I was actually trying to figure out how to do curvature, I thought i was going to have to use a compass with an exacto knife, this is awesome, 10000x better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zDOInIex4

[Deus Machina]

If it's a one-shot thing, you can load multiple things into the airbrush, mix it with something like an old brush, and paint. Pretty common if you need to just need thin paints a little.
Since most of my stuff is repeatable, I measure it into a bottle and label it with the ingredients and proportion for the future. Like my primer and common base coats. Then I can just shake, squirt some in, and go.

I've seen the car painters do the unmixed thing and get like a nebula effect. Not sure how well that would work for an airbrush, especially considering the paint tends to be thinner. But still: experiment! If it works, could be cool. Probably not consistent though.

[the_matrix_guy]

Coast airbrush again for the masking.... https://www.coastairbrush.com/prodde...e_Masking_Tape and again - starting here might be spoiling you a bit, but the wrong tape on your perfect acrylic paint job can really ruin your day. this stuff is just as good not better than the gold standard Tamiya tape. accept no substitutes no matter what the morons on youtube say they found at Michaels for 50 cents.

I think National Tool Warehouse has all of the FBS tape on sale, BTW. Or at least it's the cheapest that I could find it. According to that video, (the one for the fine line tape) each color has a different rigidness, meaning they can achieve different radius with the red able to achieve the tightest turns...



But this website has the same price for the red as the other colors, so there's some redundancy in their product line, National Norther Tools FBS Tape I just got the regular gold tape and fine line tape in a couple sizes each:

[the_matrix_guy]

If it's a one-shot thing, you can load multiple things into the airbrush, mix it with something like an old brush, and paint. Pretty common if you need to just need thin paints a little.
Since most of my stuff is repeatable, I measure it into a bottle and label it with the ingredients and proportion for the future. Like my primer and common base coats. Then I can just shake, squirt some in, and go.

I've seen the car painters do the unmixed thing and get like a nebula effect. Not sure how well that would work for an airbrush, especially considering the paint tends to be thinner. But still: experiment! If it works, could be cool. Probably not consistent though.

Im still trying to figure out which paints to get. i think amazon has good prices on the vallejo kits... but I feel like I gotta do more due diligence to see if I should even get vallejo. I would rather pay a little more to get something that doesnt need thinning & pre-mixing

[Deus Machina]

Im still trying to figure out which paints to get. i think amazon has good prices on the vallejo kits... but I feel like I gotta do more due diligence to see if I should even get vallejo. I would rather pay a little more to get something that doesnt need thinning & pre-mixing

Most paints will. I use Vallejo just because the local shop has a whole rack, including a good selection of their airbrush paints, which work for me.

Even if a paint is sold for airbrushing, there's a good chance you'll have to thin it a little. It's no big deal once you get an eye for the consistency. 'Like milk' is the old rule of thumb.

I'm not going to push Vallejo, it's just what I've settled on and got familiar with. There's a lot of good paints out there. Try what looks right!

And if you find colors you like that aren't sold for airbrushes, remember you can usually still thin it down to work. It might need an extra coat or two, but experimenting with that is fun.
Bonus: some painters do this to be sure the colors are consistent between their airbrush and brush work.

[the_matrix_guy]

Most paints will. I use Vallejo just because the local shop has a whole rack, including a good selection of their airbrush paints, which work for me.

Even if a paint is sold for airbrushing, there's a good chance you'll have to thin it a little. It's no big deal once you get an eye for the consistency. 'Like milk' is the old rule of thumb.

I'm not going to push Vallejo, it's just what I've settled on and got familiar with. There's a lot of good paints out there. Try what looks right!

And if you find colors you like that aren't sold for airbrushes, remember you can usually still thin it down to work. It might need an extra coat or two, but experimenting with that is fun.
Bonus: some painters do this to be sure the colors are consistent between their airbrush and brush work.

I watched a few YT videos, I feel a little more educated. I arrived at these: Monumental Hobbies Acryl 26 Pro kit: Amazon link
. Amazon has a better description, that's why I'm linking it, but I got everything for less at gamersguildaz.com they have a lot of cool stuff, check them out. I got this: I still need brushes, glue, sandpaper, markers…