Help Choosing an Airbrush & Compressor [UK]

[Firedrake Cordova]

++EDIT: Solved - I got a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution and Sparmax TC-620.

 

Hi guys,

 

I’m thinking of getting an airbrush and compressor, and could do with some recommendations/guidance.  I’m initially looking for it to help with quickly priming, base-coating, and varnishing models, as well as blending power weapons, although I would like to get one I can “grow into”, should I decide I want to make greater use of it.

 

Airbrush:

I’m looking for a gravity-fed model, which is easy to clean, and preferably has a chrome exterior (I have fairly acidic hands, so a chrome finish will “wear” better than a nickel one).  I mostly use Vallejo’s Game- and Model Colour ranges, along with their polyurethane primer and acrylic varnish, so it needs to play nicely with those.  I don’t really know about needle sizes, beyond Badger saying it’s more determined by the medium you’re using, and to look at a ~0.3mm for acrylics.

 

I was originally looking at the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra (£60), as it gets very good reviews and is easy to clean.  However, I was wondering if an Evolution Cr+ (£120) might be a better idea due to having a hardier finish, being able to accept a wider variety of needles, and being slightly better-engineered.  Other options would be the Badger Patriot 105 (£85) or Renegade series (£110), which seem to be about as easy to clean, but don’t seem to be as modular (fixed cup, fewer spares, etc), and parts are more expensive.  There’s also the Iwata Revolution (£110), although it’s not as easy to get apart, and parts are more expensive.  The Sparmax SP models, which I don’t really know anything about, seem to get good reviews and are the same price as a Harder & Steenbeck Ultra.

 

Compressor:

I’m looking for a quiet, relatively portable compressor (I’d probably be doing airbrushing in the garden…), which also has a pressure gauge and pressure adjustment.  Unfortunately, I’m somewhat tight on storage space, so I’m ideally looking for something smaller than 12”x8”x12”.

 

Whilst I was originally drawn to the Iwata Neo due to its tiny size, I’m guessing this may not be a great long-term idea, as it may not be as durable or controllable as some of the other options.  Iwata’s Silver Jet (£150) looks like it should meet most of my requirements, although it’s noticeably more expensive than the Sparmax AC-27 upon which it’s based (which is also out of stock everywhere).  Sparmax’s AC-501 (£130) is a little cheaper than the Iwata, and seems to be a bit more fully-featured.  Having said that, Sparmax’s TC-610H (£170) isn’t much more money, but adds a 2.5l air tank, which should mean it’s quieter and is a bit more durable (although it fairly large).

 

I’m not sure what others I should be looking at..?  I've had a quick look at the "trade" compressors, and whilst they're cheaper, they're generally bigger and louder (one was 97dbA!)

 

Finally, is there anything else (other than cleaning supplies) I should be looking at?  And can anyone suggest a good UK supplier? (I've seen air-craft.net and Everything Airbrush mentioned in a few places)

 

Thanks for any input!

Edited September 8, 2017 by Firedrake Cordova

[m_r_parker]

One piece of advice I got my local GW manager (Rod in the Southampton store, seeing as you're in the area  ) was to start with something cheaper if this is your first experience, as they can get very expensive very quickly, and the last thing you want to do is invest a massive amount of cash and find you're not really into it.

Given that, he suggested the following on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(looks like it's no longer available, but you can probably find something similar)

 

For the price, which was £75 back in 2013, you get a lot for your money. One important thing was a tank attached to the compressor, which allows you to not have the compressor on all the time. The airbrushes themselves aren't great but you do get two, and will do for things like base coats and undercoats without needing to get into fine-detail. For the money even if you buy a better airbrush it's still not too bad. Plus if you find you're not really into it then you haven't lost too much money on it. You could probably find something similar on eBay, from others who found they didn't particularly like it. 

 

As for other things to buy, you might want to get a combined airbrush holder and cleaner, especially if you're going for a gravity-fed brush as you don't want it laying on it's side with paint in it. LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005DM37MI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also some cleaning brushes are quite handy to have too. LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ABEST-Airbrush-Cleaning-Repair-Stainless/dp/B00UFDZE3K/ref=pd_sim_21_28?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=553KAGQHF4CCVTVPSGF8

[Guest uk_crow]

Fully agree with m_r_parker on recommending that compressor and airbrush set. I started with that just to mess around with and the compressor is still going strong after 3 years.

 

I've since upgraded to this airbrush and I love it: https://www.everythingairbrush.com/harder-steenbeck-ultra-2-in-1-airbrush.html

 

I'd be careful with brush sets though, some have rough bits of metal on the end (the first set i bought anyway) which makes me slightly nervous about them wearing away the metal plating. I stick to cotton buds then use this nozzle cleaning needle to clean the nozzle:

https://www.everythingairbrush.com/airbrushing-accessories/cleaning-products/nozzle-cleaning-set.html

[Silentz]

So I was lucky enough to get a Sparmax TC-601H for Xmas. I then bought myself a cheap eBay airbrush, which was super :cusse so quickly replaced it with an Iwata Revolution.

 

My initial mistake was that I thought a smaller nozzle (0.2mm) was best for detail. In reality it was a total pain in the arse. Constant blockages and work to clear it. The revolution has a 0.5mm nozzle and is just fine. Unless you're really advanced you're unlikely to be trying to paint details with it. You can still do thin lines with a 0.5 if needed.

 

The compressor is great although I have no other reference point. I would advise you prioritise getting one with a tank - having it running constantly would be annoying and would make it get hot a lot quicker. There's something to be said for turning your airbrush on at the start of a paint session and having it silently ready to use whenever. It's airflow is very stable with no weird pulses or anything.

 

It's a touch noisier than I hoped it would be, but I think my expectations were out. When I use it while the Mrs is watching telly in the same room it winds her up a bit. If you're not in the same room it will be no issue.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Thanks for the replies, guys - much appreciated!

 

One piece of advice I got my local GW manager (Rod in the Southampton store, seeing as you're in the area) was to start with something cheaper if this is your first experience, as they can get very expensive very quickly, and the last thing you want to do is invest a massive amount of cash and find you're not really into it.

Ah, yes, Rod ... very helpful guy, and has been there since the dawn of time..!   Whilst I've not airbrushed any minis, I have borrowed my dad's airbrush & compressor (a Devilbiss Super 63 & Badger XF100 with a 6 gallon 150psi/compressor*) for a bit, and used it to touch up some "kerbing" on a car wheel trim, and a couple of other bits, so I'm not a "total novice" (just close to one).

 

* unfortunately, it's not practical for me to keep this ...

 

For the price, which was £75 back in 2013, you get a lot for your money. One important thing was a tank attached to the compressor, which allows you to not have the compressor on all the time. The airbrushes themselves aren't great but you do get two, and will do for things like base coats and undercoats without needing to get into fine-detail. For the money even if you buy a better airbrush it's still not too bad. Plus if you find you're not really into it then you haven't lost too much money on it. You could probably find something similar on eBay, from others who found they didn't particularly like it. 

Yup, it certainly looks like you get a lot for your money with that.  Out of personal preference, I would rather buy a "good" airbrush once, and then never worry about upgrading or being limited by it though (basically, if I have a problem, I know it's me...  ).

 

As for other things to buy, you might want to get a combined airbrush holder and cleaner, especially if you're going for a gravity-fed brush as you don't want it laying on it's side with paint in it. LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005DM37MI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah, an airbrush holder is kinda a necessity!  As the Ken Schlotfeldt (owner of Badger) said, you don't realise one until you have an airbrush full of paint you need to put down ... 

 

Also some cleaning brushes are quite handy to have too. LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ABEST-Airbrush-Cleaning-Repair-Stainless/dp/B00UFDZE3K/ref=pd_sim_21_28?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=553KAGQHF4CCVTVPSGF8

I had thought about some brushes, but Ken Schlotfeldt recommended against them, as he'd seen brushes which had been damaged by them (he advocated liquid cleaner only).  

 

Fully agree with m_r_parker on recommending that compressor and airbrush set. I started with that just to mess around with and the compressor is still going strong after 3 years.

Seems to have done quite well (longevity-wise), then!

 

I've since upgraded to this airbrush and I love it: https://www.everythingairbrush.com/harder-steenbeck-ultra-2-in-1-airbrush.html

Good to know you're happy with it!  Do you find yourself using the 0.2mm or 0.4mm needle more?

 

So I was lucky enough to get a Sparmax TC-601H for Xmas. ... The compressor is great although I have no other reference point. I would advise you prioritise getting one with a tank - having it running constantly would be annoying and would make it get hot a lot quicker. There's something to be said for turning your airbrush on at the start of a paint session and having it silently ready to use whenever. It's airflow is very stable with no weird pulses or anything.

Lucky chap!  I was originally looking at a tank-based one just so the compressor wasn't running all the time, although from what I've heard in other reviews, some of the smaller tank-less compressors are pretty quiet (I just don't like the idea of them constantly running, or a slight lag as they "spin up", and also moisture may become more of an issue then).  From what Badger say, pulsing shouldn't be an issue unless you have a really short air line (apparently it normalises out over the length of it?).

 

It's a touch noisier than I hoped it would be, but I think my expectations were out. When I use it while the Mrs is watching telly in the same room it winds her up a bit. If you're not in the same room it will be no issue.

It's supposed to be ~50dbA, which I don't think I'd find too bad.  The GPU in my PC is ~45dbA under full load, which is quite bearable, especially with "house noise" (or game noise...).

 

... quickly replaced it with an Iwata Revolution.  My initial mistake was that I thought a smaller nozzle (0.2mm) was best for detail. In reality it was a total pain in the arse. Constant blockages and work to clear it. The revolution has a 0.5mm nozzle and is just fine. Unless you're really advanced you're unlikely to be trying to paint details with it. You can still do thin lines with a 0.5 if needed.

Other than the clogs, how are you finding the Revolution?  Iwata's get universally good reviews (except for the Neo), but some of the reviews had said to look at the Eclipse because the nozzle is more like the H&S ones (easier to remove)..?  From what Badger's owner said, you shouldn't need to disassemble the airbrush too often, but it's one of those things, I guess.

[StruManChu]

So, I just got a whole setup for my birthday on Friday, and have been mucking around and getting advice from friends and so on, so let me pass some of this on.

 

I've done a little (not much) airbrushing in the past, but long enough ago now that I thought I should start from scratch. I got an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS off Amazon and this compressor - https://www.everythingairbrush.com/compressors/as-series-compressors/ab-as186s-airbrush-compressor-with-3-litre-air-receiver-and-cooling-fan.html

 

The compressor, while relatively cheap/non-branded/etc., is fantastic. It delivers constant pressure and isn't constantly running. It only turns on again when it needs to refill the tank. Also, it's super quiet, even when refilling the tank.

 

The airbrush itself is also very good, really intuitive to use. However, if you're anything like me you'll find that the brush isn't necessarily spraying where you thought it would, or you're putting through too much paint and not enough air and it's getting all over everywhere, or vice versa. All of these things get easier with practice (he says, after four days of mucking around).

 

The most helpful thing I've found was to put some paper down on my desk and just try and make dots of increasing size, and then draw thin lines in between those dots. It sounds really simplistic, but it helps you get a handle on how much pressure does what, and how much paint to release through at what pressure, and so on. 

 

With regards to cleaning, get the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner. The stuff is gold. I spent about £140 on my Eclipse, so I want to keep it nice and shiny, and I've probably gone a little overboard, but it's something that I want to last.

 

Three simple tricks I've been taught - 

 

1 - The Nozzle - Get some q-tips/cotton buds. Every couple of minutes, dab a little cleaner on the end and touch the end of the nozzle with it. You don't want to put any pressure on it because you don't want to damage the needle, but the cleaner is strong enough to break down any pigment or paint bits stuck in the end and stop them blasting off onto your mini or gumming up the needle itself. On the Eclipse the nozzle unscrews super easily if you need to get more access to the needle or if you need to give the nozzle a proper clean.

 

2 - Backflow - Once you're done painting, fill the paint cup with water, swoosh it around and tip it straight out. Put some more water in there again, and put a bit of paper towel of the end of the nozzle, and blow some air through. Congratulations! You just made an Airbrush milkshake! This is another good way of making sure there's no bits of paint left around the needle. Once you've run this for 10-15 seconds, tip the water out again. This is also a really good method of mixing paint in the cup if you just want to add a drop of another colour in to your mix. Drop the new colour in, backflow the airbrush so it bubbles and mixes itself, and you're good to go!

 

3 - Cleaning Pot -  As m_r_parker said - But get one of these, so you've got the helpful long-nosed spray bottle thing - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ABESTAIR-Purpose-Airbrush-Cleaning-Painting/dp/B019RM4VG0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1502191705&sr=8-4&keywords=airbrush+cleaning+kit. Once you've done Number 2, whack some of the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner in the cup and let it sit for a few minutes. Dab some on a bit of cloth and run it around the inside of the cup to get any last bits of paint off the sides as well. Once it's sat for a little bit, tip it out and blast whatever's left into your cleaning pot. It's also really good if you've got leftover paint that you've mixed in the cup and don't want to pour back into the pot. 

 

Hope that's helpful mate!

[Firedrake Cordova]

So, I just got a whole setup for my birthday on Friday, ... I got an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS off Amazon and this compressor 

That's a nice birthday present!  The Eclipse is supposed to be very good (certainly Kenny Boucher on YouTube gets some very good results out of it).

 

The compressor, while relatively cheap/non-branded/etc., is fantastic. It delivers constant pressure and isn't constantly running. It only turns on again when it needs to refill the tank. Also, it's super quiet, even when refilling the tank.

Ah, I'd seen that one during my brief search (before getting overwhelmed...).  It seems suspiciously similar in appearance to the Sparmax TC-610 if you remove the metal cover (some of the metal is replaced by plastic, and there's no fan cover, but otherwise...) - it's half the price, and has 20% more capacity.

 

I'm not averse to buying "non-brand" items, as long as they're good quality, which that one sounds like it may very well be.

 

The most helpful thing I've found was to put some paper down on my desk and just try and make dots of increasing size, and then draw thin lines in between those dots. It sounds really simplistic, but it helps you get a handle on how much pressure does what, and how much paint to release through at what pressure, and so on. 

Yeah, I've seen a few videos suggest tracing shapes, drawing lines, etc (I think it was Orc Painter Nerd on YouTube...).  I was intending on trying to do some writing, and painting the rims on some spare bases I had as a learning exercise. I know it's going to be a learning curve, building up the muscle memory for controlling the trigger effectively ...

 

With regards to cleaning, get the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner. The stuff is gold. I spent about £140 on my Eclipse, so I want to keep it nice and shiny, and I've probably gone a little overboard, but it's something that I want to last.

That's the stuff I was looking at (I was taking Ken Schlotfeldt's advice and using the paint manufacturer's cleaner).  I'm very much of the same mindset as you, as I try to look after my stuff as best as I can, and am possibly a little "OCD" about it..!

 

2 - Backflow <snip>

Yup, that's how Badger recommend doing it.

 

3 - Cleaning Pot  <snip>

 One of these is on the list

 

Hope that's helpful mate!

Indeed it is - thanks!

[Silentz]

To be clear... I explained badly... my Iwata is 0.5 mm and it takes true incompetence (or undiluted Citadel paints) to clog it. Can use it for ages with the Vallejo ones without any issues. The eBay special was 0.2 mm and you could use it for a couple of minutes before having to clean the needle/tip

[Firedrake Cordova]

@Silentz: Ah, gotcha.  I should've twigged, as the Revolution has a 0.5mm needle which is largely clog proof (as you say :)) 

 

Thanks! :)

[Rik Lightstar]

One purchase I haven't regretted to go with mine is an Ultrasonic jewellery cleaner off Amazon for about £30. It'll lift any paint off your airbrush and you can strip your models with it too if you have any "teething troubles".

 

Rik

[micahwc]

I have used a Badger Patriot 105, an Iwata Eclipse and Neo, and two cheap Chinese brushes. One of the Chinese brushes was great until I disassembled it. I was never able to get it back together. The Patriot was my first brush that I basically destroyed since I was inexperienced and had no idea really what I was doing. The Neo was okay. The Eclipse is great and is what I have been using for about 8 months or so.

 

My first compressor was a huge giant 2 gallon compressor from my garage. It did not work well for my needs, and while it was silent when it wasn't filling, when it decided to fill it would scare the crap out of me with how loud it suddenly got. This also meant that I could spray for about an hour or so at night without making any noise, but if I kept going I would wake everyone up in the house.

 

The compressor I am currently using is one of the many cheap Chinese knockoffs you can find all over Amazon bundled with airbrush kits. I can't post the link because the particular kit I ordered is no longer available. If you look at the compressor and compare it to several offered by big name airbrush brands, you will see that it looks ldentical and only differs in color. I am fairly certain that Iwata, Badger, Grex and other companies do not actually make their own compressors, they order them from China and have them painted different colors. Reason I say this is that you can see basically the same compressor offered at all their websites, as well as Amazon, eBay, and Harbor Freight. They all have identical specifications and only differ in color options and price. (Specifically the Grex AC1810-A model which has identical specs to my cheap Chinese one, but retails for over $200 more than I paid for mine).

 

My compressor has worked flawlessly for 8 months or so and hasn't given me any issues, but because it has a small air tank it does start running about every 7 seconds or so of spraying. Ideally I would take the 2 gallon tank off my other compressor and hook this one up to it, then I could get the best of both worlds, although it would take a very long time to fill the tank. At $50 or so for my compressor I can buy 5 more before I would have spent as much as the Grex costs, and I bet 6 of these would last longer than the Grex. An additional bonus is that my daughters love the temporary tattoos that came with it.

[micahwc]

As far as using the Airbrush itself, mine has a .35 tip and I have to be really careful to thin non-airbrush specific paints or it will clog constantly. However, Airbrush specific paints work great and I am finding that Vallejo game air is amazing stuff both sprayed and brushed. For cleaning I use window cleaner. In the past it wasn't recommended because the ammonia would corrode the chrome finish in the airbrush, but advances in coating technology have minimized this and there are many that do not contain ammonia. I've used the badger cleaner and it works great, but I just don't like spending a lot of money on something that I basically just use to throw away. (airbrush cleaner, trash bags, etc.)

 

I've found that about 75% of the problems I have while airbrushing come down to the paint being too thick. The rest come from the airbrush not being clean.

 

As far as needle size. I'd say go .5 all the  way. The time saved not cleaning it out as often and not thinning your paints as much will be amazing. If you are worried about fine detail you need to realize that you can do a lot with stencils, masks, masking tape, and blue tac.

Edited August 15, 2017 by micahwc

[Arkhanist]

I too started out with the cheapie AS186 based kit about 3 years ago with 2 basic airbrushes for ~£70 (off amazon, it was a gift). The compressor is still working fine, though I think the heat sink is a bit inadequate - it tends to overheat and go a bit clonky if run for too long (40-60 minutes) without a proper break, even with the tank so it's not running all the time. That said, I could have spent twice as much for basically the same compressor, and it works, and fairly quiet, so eh. I see there's now an AS186S version with an extra fan which makes a lot of sense!

 

The brushes were crap, but they're fine to start with and see if you want to airbrush - but they're not any good for anything much over basic basecoats and zenithal highlighting, and they do spit a lot. I did upgrade quickly to the iwata neo as a 'proper' airbrush, but it suffered from the same problem as the chinese knockoffs, i.e. very fiddy nozzle that's a bugger to keep clean and non-blocked for more than a few minutes at a time.

 

I now have the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CRplus (£165), and it's simply glorious. It's totally worth getting a proper brush once you've tried airbrushing for a bit and like it (which I see you have). The 0.4mm nozzle works well as long as I thin properly (or use vallejo model air paint), and it's much better than the iwata neo airbrush.

 

You do need to clean the tip regularly with acrylics, and the infinity (and evo) has a prong cap that makes it very easy to gently wipe the nozzle with a bit of tissue or q-tip soaked with cleaner. The advantage the infinity has is the quick fix adjuster on the back, so you can get a very consistent spray limit for lines etc - very handy for edge highlighting, though nothing you can't do with a steady trigger finger. The cutout on the back lets you easy give it a quick blast to clear out a blockage, and you can quickly adjust the trigger tension, but it's a nice-to-have rather than an essential.

 

I believe the infinity shares the same needles and nozzles with the evo, and they're nice and cheap if you ever damage one, particularly compared to iwata. The free-floating nozzle in particular makes it much easier to clean - I chuck mine in a cheap sonic bath to get the last dregs of paint out before lubing and reassembling. The detachable paint cup is a definite plus for cleaning too.

 

So I love my infinity, but realistically the H&S evo has all the important features; the extras of the infinity are certainly nice, but I could live without them. They're both very well engineered airbrushes, and worth every penny, It looks the same as the day I got it thanks to the chome plating - I too have quite acidic sweat.

 

One add-on that's worth considering for the H&S is the fpc valve, it makes it  easier to fine-tune the air pressure compared to the big valve on the compressor. I got the crplus fpc valve to match the rest of the brush; not an essential if you have a decent compressor, but again a nice to have.

 

The ultra is a good beginner's brush, but if you keep airbrushing you'll want something nicer I suspect - the smoothness of the trigger action on the infinity is top-notch, and I'd really miss the prong cap for a start.

 

I bought my gear from everything airbrush because I live near there as much as any other reason; turned up quickly, well packaged and decent price, so no complaints!

 

One last tip with a nice quality airbrush - the usual wire brushes often have a fairly sharp tip so you risk scratching the paint cup; they're also usually too big to safely clean the nozzle. I've switched to inter-dental brushes (you can get em in the toothbrush section in tesco etc) which are soft plastic tips and won't risk damaging your airbrush. When one gets a bit bent, bin it and grab a new one from the pack.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Arkhanist

[OnboardG1]

Not sure if you already got your airbrush, but I got the Harder and Steenbeck Ultra 2 in 1 kit from Everything Airbrush with the tanked AS series compressor and it's pretty great. I believe if you want the prong cap that you'd normally put on the infinity you can actually use the same one because they have the same thread. I've not had any issues though, I just pop the needle out every so often, give it a wipe and then use a cotton bud or paper towel to clean the nozzle cap. The little nozzle cleaning brushes were a good buy though because the black Tamiya primer has a tendency to collect in the nozzle. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry for the tardy response - work and a lack of notifications made me not realise there were new responses 

 

One purchase I haven't regretted to go with mine is an Ultrasonic jewellery cleaner off Amazon for about £30. It'll lift any paint off your airbrush and you can strip your models with it too if you have any "teething troubles".

I already have an ultra-sonic cleaner - they are indeed very useful things!

 

The Patriot was my first brush that I basically destroyed since I was inexperienced and had no idea really what I was doing ... The Eclipse is great and is what I have been using for about 8 months or so.

That''s a shame about the fate of the Badger. From everything I've heard, the Eclipse is a really good brush, though!

 

while it was silent when it wasn't filling, when it decided to fill it would scare the crap out of me with how loud it suddenly got. This also meant that I could spray for about an hour or so at night without making any noise, but if I kept going I would wake everyone up in the house.

I know I shouldn't laugh, but 

 

I am fairly certain that Iwata, Badger, Grex and other companies do not actually make their own compressors, they order them from China and have them painted different colors. 

I've done far too much reading on this, but you are correct, they don't make their own compressors, as there's relatively few manufacturers of them.  I know Iwata and Revell use re-badged Sparmax units, which are made in Taiwan.  I know Badger don't make their own models, but I'm not sure who makes them (they're not widely available here).

 

As far as using the Airbrush itself, mine has a .35 tip and I have to be really careful to thin non-airbrush specific paints or it will clog constantly. However, Airbrush specific paints work great and I am finding that Vallejo game air is amazing stuff both sprayed and brushed. 

Indeed, the Vallejo "Air" paints are great (I have a few of the metallics, which I originally got for brush-painting).  I've been playing around painting some bases with a cheap Clarke "Badger 150 clone" I've borrowed, which has a 0.3mm needle - absolutely no problem using the Vallejo primers neat over the course of about 30 minutes, and control was good enough for me to do the rims without over-spray onto the top.

 

I've found that about 75% of the problems I have while airbrushing come down to the paint being too thick. The rest come from the airbrush not being clean.

"Keep it clean" is a fairly recurring suggestion I've seen on the various "beginners' airbrush" threads I've seen

 

I too started out with the cheapie AS186 ... The compressor is still working fine, though I think the heat sink is a bit inadequate - it tends to overheat and go a bit clonky if run for too long (40-60 minutes) without a proper break, even with the tank so it's not running all the time. 

Hmm ... that sounds less than ideal. Although, as you said, there's a "fan version" now, which as you said, probably addresses that problem. 

 

I now have the Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CRplus (£165), and it's simply glorious. It's totally worth getting a proper brush once you've tried airbrushing for a bit and like it (which I see you have). 

Mmmm ... shiny.

 

I believe the infinity shares the same needles and nozzles with the evo, and they're nice and cheap if you ever damage one, particularly compared to iwata. 

Yup, the H&S brushes all share parts ... the needles are the same price as the Iwata ones, but the nozzles are half the price (but wear a bit quicker, apparently).

 

So I love my infinity ... They're both very well engineered airbrushes, and worth every penny, It looks the same as the day I got it thanks to the chome plating - I too have quite acidic sweat.

Good to hear. !

 

One add-on that's worth considering for the H&S is the frplus valve, it makes it  easier to fine-tune the air pressure compared to the big valve on the compressor. 

Noted, ta!

 

I bought my gear from everything airbrush because I live near there as much as any other reason; turned up quickly, well packaged and decent price, so no complaints!

Good to hear. I've heard a few good things about them (and I think they might be the UK distributor for H&S...).

 

One last tip with a nice quality airbrush - the usual wire brushes often have a fairly sharp tip so you risk scratching the paint cup...I've switched to inter-dental brushes

I've seen a few people recommend them.  I'd also seen the owner of Badger say to only use fluid cleaner, so I was going to follow that advice, and hope Vallejo airbrush cleaner, an ultrasonic cleaner, and some "OCD" would do it...

 

Not sure if you already got your airbrush

Not yet ... I've been spending too much time going through reviews, and not enough time buying the thing..!   After reading too many reviews, and talking to Martin at Air-Craft.net, I'm leaning towards the H&S Evolution CR Plus with the 0.4mm needle/nozzle, and both cups (2ml & 5ml).

 

I got the Harder and Steenbeck Ultra 2 in 1 kit from Everything Airbrush with the tanked AS series compressor and it's pretty great. 

Good to hear!

 

[TopToffee]

http://img29.imagetwist.com/i/17487/hjof819x95yf.jpg/IMG_4283.jpg

 

So shiny!

[Firedrake Cordova]

So, a quick update ... I was a little naughty, ignored my budget a bit, and got a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution CR Plus 2-in-1 kit with a Sparmax TC-620X compressor (plus a cleaning pot and some other bits).

 

Initial impressions are very favourable - both seem to be very well designed, and I can't really imagine an airbrush being better designed or machined (it was also very shiny, although now it's very fingerprinty ). The compressor gives about 30s of spraying time before kicking in for 10s, and when used outside it sounds quieter than the airbrush (it has a nice low-pitched hum) - indoors, it's a bit louder, as the vibrations reverberate through the floor (but still isn't loud). I ordered everything from air-craft.net after talking through a few queries with the owner - he really knows his stuff, and everything came very well packaged (box-in-a-box-in-a-box), so rather recommended. :)

 

I managed some control exercises with the 0.2mm needle using neat Vallejo grey polyurethane primer without issue, but switching to thinned black primer resulted in near-instant tip drying and a clog (the grey is much thinner than the black or white that I have).  I switched to the 0.4mm needle and added flow improver, which has helped but the black primer seems to still want to dry rather quickly and start splattering (obviously, I haven't found the correct mix yet).  In contrast, the Game Air and Model Air paints (Beasty Brown, Black, and US Dark Earth) I've used behaved very well - using them near-neat, I managed to do the top (and sides of a few bases (dirt top, black sides) without issue or over-spray.  The Evolution is also ridiculously easy to clean.

[Paradogmatic]

So, a quick update ... I was a little naughty, ignored my budget a bit, and got a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution CR Plus 2-in-1 kit with a Sparmax TC-620X compressor (plus a cleaning pot and some other bits).

 

Initial impressions are very favourable - both seem to be very well designed, and I can't really imagine an airbrush being better designed or machined (it was also very shiny, although now it's very fingerprinty ). The compressor gives about 30s of spraying time before kicking in for 10s, and when used outside it sounds quieter than the airbrush (it has a nice low-pitched hum) - indoors, it's a bit louder, as the vibrations reverberate through the floor (but still isn't loud). I ordered everything from air-craft.net after talking through a few queries with the owner - he really knows his stuff, and everything came very well packaged (box-in-a-box-in-a-box), so rather recommended.

 

I managed some control exercises with the 0.2mm needle using neat Vallejo grey polyurethane primer without issue, but switching to thinned black primer resulted in near-instant tip drying and a clog (the grey is much thinner than the black or white that I have).  I switched to the 0.4mm needle and added flow improver, which has helped but the black primer seems to still want to dry rather quickly and start splattering (obviously, I haven't found the correct mix yet).  In contrast, the Game Air and Model Air paints (Beasty Brown, Black, and US Dark Earth) I've used behaved very well - using them near-neat, I managed to do the top (and sides of a few bases (dirt top, black sides) without issue or over-spray.  The Evolution is also ridiculously easy to clean.

Sounds great -- I'm late to the the thread but that Sparmax seems like a good choice -- I picked up a TC-610 a few years ago when my old cheap compressor took a leap off my desk ( it had started shaking more and more over the years and one day I didn't notice before it flew to the floor ). I'm pretty sure the 620 is nearly the same compressor, just with a longer duty cycle rating. I've been thinking about getting a second airbrush -- my trusty Iwata Eclipse SBS has served me for many years but I feel like getting a gravity feed rather than the side syphon. The Harder Steenbeck stuff is interesting though if I'm s smart guy I'll probably stay in the Iwata eclipse range so I don't need to keep different spare parts around. I'd be curious what the fail rate is on other brands; I've had the Eclipse for over 15 years and only recently did I need to replace any parts and pretty much only because of my own accident ( bent the needle )

 

Congratulations on your new kit.

[Firedrake Cordova]

... that Sparmax seems like a good choice -- I picked up a TC-610 a few years ago when my old cheap compressor took a leap off my desk ( it had started shaking more and more over the years and one day I didn't notice before it flew to the floor ). I'm pretty sure the 620 is nearly the same compressor, just with a longer duty cycle rating.

Wow ... that's a fairly surprising end for a compressor!  As you quite correctly say, the TC-620X is essentially a TC-610H Plus, but with a second piston and a slightly higher flow rate (the pistons run much slower than in the 610).  The reason why I went for it over the 610 was the sound signature - from the videos I'd watched on YouTube, the 610 made a bit of a high-pitched noise, whereas the 620 is more of a "deep purr" kind of sound.

 

I've been thinking about getting a second airbrush -- my trusty Iwata Eclipse SBS has served me for many years but I feel like getting a gravity feed rather than the side syphon. The Harder Steenbeck stuff is interesting though if I'm s smart guy I'll probably stay in the Iwata eclipse range so I don't need to keep different spare parts around.

If you're looking at a gravity-fed one to compliment your suction-fed Eclipse, then I'd say if you're happy with your Eclipse, to stay in that range - from what I've heard, they're fine airbrushes, and I'm guessing it'll handle the same as your existing airbrush (one less thing to learn!), and also allow you to share parts between them.  As a bonus, I think the Iwata stuff is a bit cheaper than the H&S stuff where you are..?  I don't think you can put a smaller needle than the 0.35mm in the Eclipses, and the other Iwata airbrushes have a different nozzle assembyly, which might be the only issue (but it sounds like it won't be).

 

I'd be curious what the fail rate is on other brands; I've had the Eclipse for over 15 years and only recently did I need to replace any parts and pretty much only because of my own accident ( bent the needle )

Indeed, that'd be some interesting numbers.  From what Martin at Air-Craft told me, H&S and Iwata are "a wash" in terms of reliability, although the consumable items (needle, nozzle, seals) tend to wear a bit quicker on the H&S airbrushes, but then again, they're about half the price of the Iwata ones.  In North America, I believe H&S airbrushes carry a 10 year guarantee, which is probably a good sign (only 2 years in the EU - doh).  No idea on the Badger stuff, although they're one of the main companies, and very popular, so I imagine also very good.  Realistically, there's not that much to go wrong with an airbrush.