Airbrush help please!

I have no experience of using an airbrush, and am considering picking one up for a vehicle project.

So far the online advice suggests I need to shell out at least £100 for an airbrush, compressor & paints. I'm reluctant to do this as I don't have many other future projects planned where I'd use the airbrush.

So any advice? Is there a budget version? Could I do something clever with spray cans instead? Is it worth the investment?

I've only just started using one so I can't offer much advice, but what I can say is a compressor is much better than using an aerosol can to power an airbrush.

I opted for a low budget model but you find the limitations really quickly on those (leaks, you can't choose pressure,...) so I wouldn't recommend this option.

There was a tutorial on Tale pf Painters, I found it clear enough, you might want to have advice from more peolpe though :

http://taleofpainters.blogspot.fr/search/label/Airbrush

First article (latest I mean) describes what you have to consider when buying one)

I can probably help out, i just went through the whole airbrush thing recently.
In a nutshell - a new chinese dual action gravity feed airbrush and the best compressor you can afford. - with correct paints.
If you start there ^ you will have a good feeling for where to go next - ie a more precise brush - more paint etc etc. I can give more info if required about my current setup - pm me if you want
** having re read your OP - to be honest you can't really get a setup for under a ton. You want to be spending as much as you can afford on a compressor or you are just creating more problems for later. A cheap setup won't really achieve much that a spraycan couldnt.

Airbrush is a real magic tool BUT it's necessary to know that it's a lot of investment, £ and time. A comparison which I often use, if an experimented skier wants to learn to use a snowbord, his experience of skier is totally useless to him, he must restarts at zero to mastered his board.

My opinion, if you don't project to do something other than paint your vehicles the GW airbrush is widely sufficient. Simple to use, clean and effective.

If you project to paint Bigguyz besides your vehicles, a "real" Airbrush will be necessary for you but the results are not immediate and it's necessary to learn the tools (airbrush and compressor) and many techniques.

It's not a "ready to play" tool, many people buy it but many are disappointed because it's too much of investment in times of learning. And generally after few weeks, they use it only to paint their under coats.

I do not try to frighten you but I just try to prevent you. In my case, I have an airbruch but I think of having made a bad investment because I do not use it enough for the price which it cost me. I prefer continue with my brushes.

Nico.

The Chinese airbrush aren't bad for a beginner. If you're the USA, I can point you to a decent one a buddy of mine uses.

Spend money in the compressor though.

Also, check eBay for used ones. Airbrushing I'd one of those hobbies that lots of people buy in and then get out.

Another note on the Chinese airbrushed. Most of them are essentially knock offs of iwata brushes. Same engineering, just not as "quality" materials and assembly.

What do you see your need being for "the vehicle project"? Undercoating, color modulation, etc? You might not actually need an airbrush.

Thanks for all the input guys. My desired outcome is a smooth paint job (possibly with stenciled flames) on my Brat gang car.

If airbrushing is a big investment (time & money), it's not looking like the solution I need! My main concern (for the above project) is to achieve a smooth paint scheme - perhaps I should look for alternative techniques for achieving that, rather than jumping in with the high end solution!

You don't need to buy an "airbrush compressor", if your not concerned about noise you can get yourself an automotive compressor that will do a far better job. They come with an adjustable regulator as standard, have a much larger tank than the airbrush specific compressors & are generally a damn sight cheaper.

But as others have said, if your only gunna use it just to paint one vehicle, then it's not worth it.

I would suggest that if you want a nice smooth paint job for this single application you could buy a Tamiya mini spray can.

The other thing to bear in mind is just how many cans of Army painter coloured spraypaint you could buy before you break even.

If you go the auto compressor route, just make sure to get a water trap.

ardyer":2fzizm4a said:

If you go the auto compressor route, just make sure to get a water trap.

Click to expand...

Generally that's part of the regulator on an auto comp.

optimus":3uoa9att said:

ardyer":3uoa9att said:

If you go the auto compressor route, just make sure to get a water trap.

Click to expand...

Generally that's part of the regulator on an auto comp.

Click to expand...

It wasn't on mine. Might be a regional (or price) thing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/iwata-compres ... 19ec55a8ab

If you snatch that it would be a good deal, you could always sell it on if it doesn't work out.

I'd go with some good masking paint/tape & use spray cans of model-quality paint.
An airbrush is an amazing tool, but it is like spending money on golf clubs: Pointless unless you want to actually learn the game.

I've had my Grex airbrush for well over 3 years, put in hundreds of enjoyable hours, & I'd still consider myself a neophyte. It isn't that it's tremendously difficult; it's just that there is so much you can learn if you want to. Almost like oil paints.