I plan on buying an airbrush, I will mostly use it for weathering buildings, and trains and to repaint certain items. I know that dual action is better than single action but thats where my knowledge ends. Do I want it gravity fed, internal or external mixing. Please your suggestions are more than welcomed. I figured I would take some advice before spending my money.

I was in the same thing a few months ago. I couldn't decide between a badger or a pasche. I bought a Pasche VL starter kit brand new off ebay for 54.99 shipped. If you want a gravity feed then the pasches model is a VJR (i think) Im happy with mine it does everything i need it to do and it was afordable.

What does gravity feed mean? is it good for what I want to do or should I go with the other choice. there is a vl on ebay now for 54.00

quote:

Originally posted by stevin:
What does gravity feed mean? is it good for what I want to do or should I go with the other choice. there is a vl on ebay now for 54.00

Gravity feed just means the paint cup is on top so the paint gets in easier.Works better for small amounts of paint like weathering etc. The VL set with three tips is a very good all around brush. Definitely learn to use a double action, they are a lot more flexible than the single action. Probably the best place to learn or buy is dixiearts.com down in naw'lens, check out their website for explanation of the different types and brands.

Paasche has a bit of information to help you decide on a model.

Paasche Air brush chart

I have a Paasche V from years ago that I love.

Kurt

I bought my first airbrush a few months back and settled on a Badger 150 and it works great for me. I don't think you can go wrong with either brand though.

I have a Badger 200 single action airbrush. It works great, is mostly metal, it's easy to use, and easy to clean. I've used double action brushes and think the one I have now is much easier to use and clean.

I got the bottom of the line Badger (2 actually!) and have used that now for better than 15 years. Have not seen the need for "better" (or more costly) yet. Seems to be all that I need or all the complexity that I can tolerate,

Thanks for all the help guys, it seams like from all you are saying that the single action brushes are easier to clean and give you wider painting surface. The advantage of double action is for the finer stuff but cleaning requires taken t apart. On ebay there are a few of these package deals . Any thoughts on these. It would be nice to buy the brush and compressor in one shot.

One more question, is a regulator absoluteley needed? What are the advantages of using a regulator?

mini compressor Here is another item with compresor and brush, looks like the brush will need to be updated but what do you think about the compressor, will that meet my needs?

quote:

Originally posted by stevin:
One more question, is a regulator absoluteley needed? What are the advantages of using a regulator?

Stevin, here's some good info on the need for a regulator and filter. BTW the Testor's Mini Blue might be OK but I would buy it.
Pressure Regulator -- As mentioned near the top of this document a pressure regulator is frequently necessary to keep the compressor pressure at a level usable by an airbrush. Most compressors will generate much more pressure than is necessary for airbrushing. In fact many compressors can generate enough pressure to cause an airbrush hose to rupture. The compressor I use has a tank pressure of 140 psi and I seldom use anything over 15 psi for airbrushing. If I were to connect the airbrush directly to the tank pressure (assuming nothing ruptured) I would blow through a paint cup in only a couple of seconds and would never be able to control the flow. A regulator is absolutely necessary to reduce the pressure to something that is useful for our purposes.
Moisture Trap -– Also as mentioned earlier moisture is a common enemy of compressed air, and it must be dealt with unless you are willing to run the risk of ruining a paint job. Moisture traps are used to separate water droplets from the air before it is expelled through the tool. They should be located as close to the tool as possible so that they capture all of the moisture before it gets out.

Particle Filter -– Tanks and fittings rust over time because of the moisture in the air. This rust can flake off and be blown down the air line. A filter to capture these particles is important. Luckily most moisture traps also double as particle filters.

Keep in mind that with inert gas tanks neither a filter or moisture trap is really necessary. The gases used are completely dry


Hope this helps.

I have two airbrushes. One is the Paasche Dbl. action and the other is the Badger model 200, which is a single action. I find myself using it more often than the Paasche.

very helpful thread, can anyone offer advise on the type or size of compressor needed with the Pasche or Badger? Thinking of getting an airbrush as well, but need some education.

Can someone explain the difference between the single and double action?

tks,

quote:

Originally posted by Lyinel:
can anyone offer advise on the type or size of compressor needed with the Pasche or Badger?
Can someone explain the difference between the single and double action?

They all use very little air so almost any compressor will work, lots of folks use one of the small workshop or garage types. You'll need a pressure regulator and gauge and a filter/moisture trap which can be added to a basic compressor. The smaller artist type compressors are usually quieter and easier to move but not as flexible for other uses. I power my air brush with a small portable compressor that I also use for nail guns etc.
Look at the photo above of the single action badger brush. The air button is on top and the paint screw is on the back. To paint you push down the air button and turn the screw with the other hand till you get the amount of paint you want, once it's set it stays until you change it. A double action brush only has the top button. To paint you push down for air and then pull back on the button to increase the paint flow.( the button works in two directions down and back-double action). There's advantages and dis-advantages with both types. For steady painting of large surfaces a single action works well but for weathering and other tasks that need continuous paint adjustment I prefer a double action.

I got a Paasche single-action at my LHS; when I asked to see his Badgers, he said, "Badgers? We ain't got no Badgers. We don't have to show you no stinking badgers!"

Almost all the hobby compressors will run pretty much the whole time paint is flowing. Being overly sensitive to "junk noise", I much prefer a compressor with an air tank: these will run til pressurized to, say, 150 psi, then stay silent til they drop to maybe 75 psi. A good tank has dual regulation, so you can set the pressure for the tank separately from the pressure for the airbrush (which you'll run in the 15-25 psi range most of the time).

Lowe's & HD always have 5-gallon "pancake" compressors; these are overkill, but can also be used for nailers, house painting, and tire pressure. There are also a bunch of 1-2 gallon compressors available for about the same price once you add the regulator and moisture trap hardware; these may be more convenient if you plan on moving it around to use it & put it away. I just keep the compressor buried in a baffle-box in the shed, and leave the air hose strung out to the painting station.

Speaking of painting stations, remember you are going to produce a LOT of fumes and overspray with any sprayer. You'll need to set up some kind of booth with a fan and hopefully a filter. My "booth" is a cheap box fan with a furnace air filter taped to it, set up on a cardboard box on the porch. Once I get more "into it" I'll probably make or buy a more permanent paint booth, but for now even the compressor seemed a bit much.

BobDavisNPPF

interesting info, hadn't thought of a paint booth though. Figured this was something to do in the garage (painting a few model buildings). Is it necessary in that environment?

stevin,
that package deal looks pretty good, what did you decide to go with?

Even in the garage you still don't want to be breathing sovent fumes and paint. You might not think that you are until you blow your nose and the tissue are the same color as the paint you were using.

You can invest in some very effective and economical surgical masks...

The guy at the hobby shop said that the gravity feeds are more likely to spit paint on occasion. From all the info I have gathered, I think I am going for a brush with siphon feed, internal mix, and double action. There are some nice paasche brushes on ebay, I think I might bid on one of them.

lyinel,

A really simple and cheap way to have a spray booth is to use a plain old cardboard box. Take one large enough for your needs and find a turntable (cheap lazy susan) for it. Now get an old 110v computer fan and mount it in the back. Put a board of anything one inch in front of the fan so the air will pull from the sides and not directly through the center. Over all of it buy two furnace filters to put in front. That will create a type of "plenim" and filter out the spray dust.

During the winter you can add a dryer vent hose to the back of it and direct it to a window into which another piece of cardboard is mounted with only a hole for the duct. I got really carried away and installed an old circline flourescent fixture for lighting.

For the occasional use most of us will use it for this simple "booth" works just fine.

Love cardboard boxes, used to sleep in one.

Just to give an update I settled on Paasche VL dual action airbrush. I just won the auction on ebay for 56 dollars. Was that a god price? Now I need to get a compressor and regulator.