Need Airbrush Recommendations for Blood Angels

[Slothysaur]

To start off, I know this topic could probably be placed in another more appropriate subforum. However I have a certain degree (Incredibly high) of respect for my fellow painters here in the Blood Angle Subforum and as such I wanted specifically your recommendations on which airbrush to purchase.

While I'm not looking to break the bank, I don't want to go cheap because I've gone cheap enough times to realize why things are cheap. I've gone through a few airbrushes online and the one that stuck out to me the most is a Badger Patriot 105. I saw many good reviews and a few bad ones, but the only review I could find that specifically mentioned miniature war gaming suggested against it, due to it not being able to do much fine detail work. I mainly want to get an air brush to do base coats and not detail work, but if there was an airbrush that I could work my way up to doing detail work I would love to know. Really just after seeing the amazing work you all do here I trust your guidance 100% more than I eve will an Amazon review.

TL;DR, What airbrushes do the Blood Angel painters I admire use and recommend?

Edited October 26, 2017 by Jolemai
Tweaked title

[9x19 Parabellum]

I've only ever had 1 airbrush; the Paasche Talon double action and I do NOT recommend it.

 

It may be that I'm a big airbrush newb, but I've basically NEVER been able to get the :cussing thing to work right. It clogs up immediately.  The only way to get paint to through it is to thin the paint down so watery that the paint coming out of it is a total misty spray that doesn't stick to my model and just moves around all over it like rainwater.

 

The "gravity" feed of the paint doesn't seem to work.

 

I hate it, just absolutely hate it.  I've tried to clean it about 100 times and no results.  :cussing hate the thing so much.

[Fahlnor]

If I'm right in thinking that the Badger Patriot 105 has a 0.3mm nozzle, then it will do all the fine detail work you would ever need it for - the challenge is in learning how to use it. I've been taught to paint by a number of Slayer Sword and Golden Demon winners including Andy Wardle and Matt Kane and was advised by them that until you're painting details such as faces, a 0.5mm nozzle is plenty small enough for any detail work.

 

The Patriot is really well regarded as an airbrush and honestly you could do significantly worse than picking one up. Myself, I use two Iwata brushes: the Iwata Revolution CR and the Iwata Revolution BR. The CR has a 0.5mm nozzle and I have never once managed to clog it. It was recommended to me by Andy Wardle who called it an absolute workhorse - you can abuse the thing something fierce and it just won't stop going. The BR is a smaller nozzle - 0.3mm compared to 0.5mm - and I will use it down the line for fine details once I get better control in my stubby fingers!

[sebs_evo7]

I use the badger 100 series but only use it to base coat my blacks and reds. Does the job really well and was pretty cheap

[Emissary]

I have an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS.  It has a 0.35mm needle.  It's been a great airbrush for me doing exactly what you want to do with it, namely basecoat and put in the initial shading.  I've done 4 full armies with it so far for some friends and myself and it has held up extremely well.  I certainly recommend it.

[Anamnesis]

I heard go things about iwata eclipse, otherwise the harder and steenbeck evolution is supposed to be very good also.

 

If you tired of cheap one though i would invest in a Harder and Steenbeck Infinity, you can change all the piece separatly and it's really good AND easy to clean and take off, that's what i'm using at the moment and i wouldn't it change for anything else :)

 

Cheers,

Anamnesis

[neonmole]

I recently started airbrushing too - you can see the results of my efforts in my “GrimDark Blood Angels” blog on this forum.

 

I invested in the entry level iwata, the CN, and I couldn’t be happier. As a beginner I couldn’t imagine you needing to spend more money for a better tool than this, I haven’t expierienced any limitations or issues whatsoever.

[Remtek]

My favorite is the H&S Evolution, mostly because it's easy to clean. The spray performance have been similar in both cheap and expensive models in my experience. Side note: Make sure you have a good kompressor, the cheap ones often pump out warm air and creates clogs quickly.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Remtek

[Riot Earp]

I have the Evolution two in one and i´m not so happy with it despite it is a good air brush pistol.

I heard most people prefer the japan stuff so i´m looking forward to buy an iwata.

[Slothysaur]

Wow, thanks for all the great responses. I'm honestly really liking how the Iwata air brushes are looking, namely the Revolution CR or Eclipse. Since Remtek brought it up, and I feel like finding an air compressor would be an even more abstract task are there any you all recommend? Even if it's just the specs I should be looking for.

As a side note I'm SUPER excited to finally be going down this path and I thank you all again for being so supportive with your knowledge!

[rayvn26]

I have two airbrushes a Paasche Talon Vision and a Badger Renegade Krome. Both work great. I use them for priming and base coating right now, still working on the detailing part of it. I have a Paasche DC600R compressor. I can hook up both brushes to it and it has brush holders on top of it so that helps. One thing you may want to get with your brush is an ultrasonic cleaner, saves a lot of time.

[9x19 Parabellum]

I have two airbrushes a Paasche Talon Vision and a Badger Renegade Krome. Both work great. I use them for priming and base coating right now, still working on the detailing part of it. I have a Paasche DC600R compressor. I can hook up both brushes to it and it has brush holders on top of it so that helps. One thing you may want to get with your brush is an ultrasonic cleaner, saves a lot of time.

 

Can you make a recommendation for the cleaner?

[rayvn26]

I use Createx Airbrush Cleaner, but Vallejo and most the airbrush manufacturers make a good cleaner.  

[Emissary]

I just wash out my airbrush between colors and after I'm done with simple clear windex.  Just make sure it's ammonia free!  Works very well and much cheaper.

 

Pour it into a cheap wash bottle like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Qinlee-Scientific-Polypropylene-Plastic-Squeeze/dp/B01K1SYQK0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1509135648&sr=8-4&keywords=wash+bottle

Edited October 27, 2017 by Emissary

[Slothysaur]

So I did a little more research and found out about most (hopefully) of the nuances and extra bits I will need to get for Airbrushing. Wow is it a lot, or maybe I'm just a sucker... Anyways what I set upon is:

Iwata Eclipse HP CS - I went with this one mainly because it was both Dual Action and a "Needle stop" (not sure if that's the correct terminology) on top of being a highly rated airbrush that was suggested on this thread. Honestly picking out the brush was the hardest part because every brush recommended above is awesome in its own right.

Also decided to get the Paasche D3000R compressor (it DOES have a tank), Vallejo Black Airbrush Primer, Airbrush Cleaner, a "spray out pot" (I went with an Iwata one, mainly because I know/hope that the airbrush holder will hold an Iwata airbrush), and an air hose.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten to get anything, I plan to make a (very) makeshift spray booth to use until I can save for a nice one. Luckily for me there are not any new Blood Angel models coming out soon because my hobby budget is (well) spent. 

[Father Mapple]

I use the badger 360 which can do siphon feed and gravity, but it's gravity cup is pretty small. But the thing sprays for days. It comes with a .7 needle, but you can use other badger nozzles and needles if you want a .3mm one like I use in it. Just make sure to keep the nozzles and needles paired up.

 

If you're in the USA,I might recommend a Badger over similar classes of airbrush as their customer service is amazing and shops get parts ordered in if you want.

 

For a compressor,I also got a super quiet, small tank badger compressor that is small enough it goes on the table and doesn't shake it much. But I have airbrushed in the next room and people not hear it. I do it in the garage now with the door open, where the hobby space is, but people walking by on the sidewalk can't really hear anything but a hum.

 

The main thing about an airbrush is using it somewhat consistently. I'm in a busy life season and only get on it every 4 months or so, and I find my muscle memory goes away for feeling the pressures I need to feather or fade things out. It takes a while to get used to the super small variances needed to make it work.

[Father Mapple]

My spray both was a heavy wooden cutting board at the bottom with the glossy side of cereal boxes taped in a big had circle on 3 sides of the cutting board. Tall, catches over spray, won't move, and a small rotating microwave platter to put the models on so I can rotate them with my free hand.

[Slothysaur]

My spray both was a heavy wooden cutting board at the bottom with the glossy side of cereal boxes taped in a big had circle on 3 sides of the cutting board. Tall, catches over spray, won't move, and a small rotating microwave platter to put the models on so I can rotate them with my free hand.

The microwave platter; genius! I'm stealing that idea so hard.

[rayvn26]

Here's a nice and inexpensive little spray booth. Also that website Micromark has almost every tool you'll ever need for modeling, maybe not the paints and brushes, but dang near everything else. With these guys you can set up a paint area to rival the gods! Bwahahahaha! Sorry, I get excited about the modeling side of this hobby. I see you chose Iwata with a Paasche compressor. I'm not sure, but you may need an adapter for your hose to one end, I needed one for my Badger to hook up to my Paasche compressor. I don't know the size of the Iwata. 

https://www.micromark.com/Fold-Up-Spray-Booth 

Edited October 28, 2017 by rayvn26

[Fahlnor]

It's worth buying a respirator, too. You can get them fairly cheap and they just might stop you from putting down a fine base layer of primer on your lungs....

[Slothysaur]

Didn't think about that at all! Would a doctor's mask do the same quality job? Not trying to be cheap with my lungs, but I have an abundance of those.

[rayvn26]

Simple dust mask will do the trick.

[Fahlnor]

Yuppers.

[Anderer]

I wouldn't recommend using cheap respirators. Doctor's masks won't stop the paint at all. As a test you can try to blow your nose after the paint session and look at the handkerchief. If you painted BA it will be red, mephiston red:)

I tried several respirators and found that only expensive ones are worth it. For example, 3M 7500 series. Or any other models that have replacable filters. You won't even feel the smell of paints or primers.

[Malios]

As a health professional, I fully concur with the above advice! Clinical masks and dust masks are designed to stop dust particles and bacteria, not atomised paint. (Secretly I laugh at the ladies in the nail salons who wear the clincial masks when they're spraying enamel and acetone based products: they're not doing themselves any favours.) Always where possible airbrush in a well ventilated area: if you are unable to do this, ensure you have paint and or chemical grade respirators. Inhaling paint fumes has some terrible effects long term decades later.

 

On the topic of health when airbrushing, I concur with the above point about investing in a quiet air compressor. Prolonged exposure to industrial or workshop air compressors while hobbying is a quick way to make yourself deaf (and get visits from the police for noise complaints.) If you insist on using a loud, industrial air compressor (they're cheaper and often have larger air tanks, especially if you already own one) then use the extra $$ that you saved to buy the correct hearing protection.

 

From this point, I have three bits of advice.

 

The first bit of advice I have is to buy the correct paints because it makes life 1000 times easier when airbrushing: airbrush paints have to be alot thinner then brush paints due to how the airbrush works to deliver the paint. Citadel unfortunately make terrible paints for the airbrush (including their air range) wheras Vallejo, Tamiya and AK Interactive have entire paint ranges dedicated for use through an airbrush. Don't fall for the trap of thinning down citadel paints: there are better paints for your airbrush.

 

Further on this, try to match your paints with thinners of the same brand: ie Tamiya x20A thinner for Tamiya acryllic paints. AK thinners for AK Interactive paints. Vallejo thinners for Vallejo paints. Yes you CAN use different brand thinners for different paints (and yes, it is possible to use other things to thin your paints like ammonia based cleaners), but it can have varying results which can ruin your good work and potentially your airbrush. For best results, go brand for brand and airbrushing will have one less hurdle for you to jump over.

 

Also get into the habit of cleaning your airbrush regularly: if you don't clean it properly, it will break. Simple as that. Using the correct airbrush paint and thinners with the correct airbrush cleaners will do wonders for the longevity of your airbrush compared to other methods like thinning citadel paintbrush paints with windex.

 

The second bit of advice which is probably the most important is don't be afraid to start with a cheap(er) airbrush: statistics prove that you'll most likely break your first airbrush simply from learning and making mistakes. Better that its a $70 airbrush then a $350 airbrush that you're breaking.

 

Aside from feeling less upset when you break them, don't be fooled by price alone when it comes to airbrushes: expensive airbrushes are not always the better choice for a beginner in airbrushing. Cheaper airbrushes do have some advantages for the less experienced:

 

For starters, cheaper dual action airbrushes are more forgiving. Most cheaper range dual action airbrushes like the Iwata Neo come with 0.5mm needle tips. Yes this is wider then most high performance airbrushes which are generally .35mm to .2mm in size so you won't be able to highlight individual fingers on a space marine, but its still plenty small enough with the right trigger control to conduct your zenithial, modulation or pre-shade techniques on 28mm miniatures.

 

The 0.5mm needle size in cheaper airbrushes is also more forgiving for beginner-level users as you learn to mix and thin your paints: if your mix of paint to thinners is not absolutely 100% accurate, it will still probably work through a 0.5mm needle airbrush (albeit with not as much control) where it will dry needle or clog up a more expensive airbrush with a smaller needle diameter. Cheaper airbrushes with the larger 0.5mm needle are also more handy for metallic paints for the same reason: the larger, metallic pigment without a really good ratio of thinners can be really difficult at first to use through a more expensive airbrush.

 

The other advantage of a cheaper airbrush is the same as buying a crappy car: if you can learn to drive in a bomb and do it well, its really easy to drive a flashy car with all the bells and whistles. If you can learn to control your trigger really well in an Iwata Neo, then controling the Iwata HP's trigger will be a breeze.

 

The next most important recommendation I have is to attend a beginner's airbrush workshop which focuses on two things: trigger control and troubleshooting the airbrush when it stops working. These are the two largest hurdles that deter hobbyists from airbrushing when they go wrong and learning both of these things will both save you alot of frustration and costs from replacing broken airbrushes.

 

Once you build up your confidence and develop your experience, you can then delegate your cheap(er) airbrush to your base coating brush or metallic / lacquer brush and upgrade to a better, more expensive airbrush with a smaller diameter.

 

Personally, I run two different airbrushes myself: an Iwata Neo that costs $70 and the Iwata High Performance series which costs $250+ (all prices in AUD). Due to the high humidity, tropical climate in Northern Australia, I actually find myself using the cheaper Iwata Neo more often then the far superior HP airbrush. The humidity plays havoc with the paint on a good day and the larger needle size in the Neo helps mitigate that problem with the right trigger control.

 

 

Tl;dr,

 

Don't cut corners in health when airbrushing. Invest in air brush paints and thinners to make life easier. Try to match thinners and paints brand for brand for best results. Clean your airbrush regularly and don't be afraid to buy a cheap(er) practice dual action airbrush with a 0.5mm needle.

 

More expensive is not always better at the beginner / inexperienced level.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Malios