I must start by saying that I'm no artist, but having ended up with 3 of the "ten quid" variety of airbrush, by experimentation, I've found I prefer the side feed gravity fed type. Below is a pic of my first attempt at using it, Lima stock being an ideal and cheap way into spraying. I decided to replace moulded handrails and Lima glazing with wire handrails and flush glazing, and to my feeble mind, it doesn't look too bad for a first go, although the 'light weathering' on the roof ended up being a bit splattered. Attached files
Thing is, now I'm wondering if an airbrush upgrade is required? I was thinking along the lines of maybe Iwata TRN1 or TRN2, possibly a Sparmax GP50, all being the 'pistol grip' type of gun, as I'm thinking these would be easier for my slightly arthritic hands and 'sausage fingers' to handle, whilst still being around the £100-ish price mark, which, for my occasional use, would be the price range I'd be comfortable with. My second effort is below, which I think turned out a bit better, but should I just persevere with the 'cheapo' gun and hopefully improve, or bite the bullet and upgrade? Any airbrush recommendations/suggestions would be welcome. Keith. Attached files
Hi Keith, I've got a couple of the a cheaper air brushes that came as part of a compressor deal and also a Pastasche Talon which set me back about £90.00 . I have not used the Talon yet.i tried the cheaper airbrushes which in my little experience were ok. I maybe taking the talon for a test drive as soon as this weekend so I can maybe come back with my experience of it. Doesn't help much at the moment but I wouldn't go racing into it. Your current versions might just do as much as you need. Maybe some of the guys with more experience can chip in with more authority. Toto
G`day Keith, The spattering effect you are getting from the airbrush could be down to a few things. Air pressure too low, paint not thinned enough or a combination of those factors plus the nozzle adjustment allowing too much product through at one time. By the way....do you have different size needles for the gun or is it a one size fits all.??? My gut feeling is air pressure and thinning. I have recently started using automotive thinners and I think they perform better than the standard Humbrol I was used too......massively cheaper too.!!!! I have also experienced differing qualities between paint colours in the one brand of paint. I have a charcoal grey Humbrol enamel, for example, that is far thicker than any of my other Humbrol paints. It may be a one off reject.....don`t know.????.....but it`s different and requires considerably more thinners to make it usable in the gun. I would practice with the gun some more maybe on scrap card or paper???.....doesn`t matter. Check your air pressure settings, make sure you are adequately thinning the paint and set your nozzle to deliver a very thin coat. I use a Paasche.......cost me AU $90.00 ...25 years ago....dread to think what it would cost now, but it`s superb......a quality item. http://www.clickGormo PS....when my paint is thinned and ready for use, I guess you could say it has the consistency of water, or possibly thinner than that.???........basically it`s thinners with some paint in it.!!!
I'll second what Gormo has written I have lots of guns from various brands but one of the best is a elcheepo no brand name, I got on a discount table at a local discount auto parts store princely sum of $12 I got the set just for the 4 glass bottles that came with it and one day out of interest decided to look at the gun have to say it's a Chinese Knock off of a top class double action gun very similar to a pasch or my bluepoint the needles and tips are interchangeable. It's a great performer with acrylic paints as some of the older enamels and lacquers disappear from the hobby shops I have been trying some of the new gen paints in this gun using isopropyl alcohol to thin the paint. So the expensive guns these days are often a little overkill for the odd job when a cheap one may well do the job just as well and like Gormo said a bit of testing till you find a sweet spot with some paint mixes and you will be spraying like a pro.
Keith M wrote: Hi Keith, same here, I struggled with not been able to spray with a standard gun so bought a knock off Iwata TR pistol grip. This has worked very well for me with both enamels and with correct air pressure adjustment acrylics. Kim
I don't use enamels for spraying, only for the odd touch-up by brush, as I'm not keen on the pungent thinners, so have stuck to spraying only acrylics. Normally I use white, red oxide or grey acrylic aerosol 'rattle cans' for primer spraying, depending on finished colour, then airbrush the colour itself, finishing off with an artists clear satin varnish. I use a mix of distilled water and Isopropanol in a 66%/33% ratio for thinning/airbrush cleaning, having followed the George Gent books for paint mixing and applying. I've seen the 'knockoff' pseudo-Iwata pistol grip gun you mentioned Kim, and wondered if it might be any good, so your input is appreciated. The Sparmax guns I gather, are used by many of the mobile dent/scratch removal car repair guys in the UK, and several of that range bear a very strong resemblance to Iwata guns. Apparently, the 'cheap end' Iwata guns are Taiwan made, not Japan, so it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the 'knockoffs' are made by the same subcontractor. I'll give it some though, but might end up sticking with my £10 airbrushes for the moment, but get some more practice in. Thanks for thoughts and advice guys. Keith.
