My trusty 30+ year old Binks airbrush gave up the ghost today... . In the middle of a project, of course. What airbrush do you recommend, and why? I use mine primarily for custom painting rolling stock and structures.
I prefer my paasche VL. It is a dual action that can also be set as a single action. It is internal mix and comes with a variety of tips and cups/jars. I've had mine for over 20 years and have only had to replace a couple O-rings and the occasional needle. Great investment.
I like the Badger 150. It's dual-action, but as SPsteam said of his Paasche, it also can be used as single action, which I normally do. I've had mine for about 20 years, but I see where Amazon is selling new ones as single items and in kits.
My 40+ year old airbrush gave up last year and I bought a Badger 360 at the NMRA in Detroit, well satisfied. Bob.
I hear about single-action vs. dual-action, but I don't know what this means. The airbrush I have is single-action, but I don't even know what that means. Anyone?
I bought a Badger cheap at the Badger Garage sale. All I got was the airbrush. After I got done buying the hose, bottles, cups, etc. I should have bought a kit that included the airbrush, hose, and bottles. Then I found Iwata airbrushes and wish I had never bought the Badger. Reality. There are many good brands, Iwata (Very high quality, but more expensive than the others), Badger (Wide variety of quality airbrushes in different price ranges), Pasche (Similar to Badger), Testors (Rebranding other manufacturers brushes). Get a double action. Don't buy an off brand or a cheap paint set. Buy quality and you will have a brush that lasts as long as your Binks. I still have my binks single action. it has to be 40 years old. Good luck.
Single vs. Double Single action means you can control only one aspect of the painting, airflow. Paint is drawn through the venturi by the amount of air you allow. Double action means that you can control both air flow and paint flow. On a double action brush, you depress the trigger to control air flow rate and then you pull back the trigger to allow paint into the air stream. The other term is external vs. internal mix. Most single action brushes are external mix. In an external mix the air is blown over a syphon venturi and the paint is atomized as it leaves the syphon. Usually double action brushes are internal mix. Internal mix airbrushes bring the paint into the body of the brush where the air exiting the tip of the brush is mixed with paint. The other option is gravity feed or syphon feed. The terms are pretty self explanitory. Gravity feed brushes require less air pressure and can be better for details but allow more chance to make a mess as the paint is just placed in a cup on the airbrush and gravity allows the paint to flow into the air stream. Syphon feed brushes allow you to place a paint jar under the brush and suck the paint from there. Because of having to lift the paint up out of the jar, they need a bit more airpressure to work. All that said, I have a Paasche VL that I love. It is double action, internal mix and comes with both a syphon feed and gravity feed cup. They also come with all the optional needles and tips available. If I was buying a new airbrush, I would consider an Iwata Revolution. I have heard nothing but great reviews of the Iwata's and want to try one. I would keep my Paasche for larger area's and use the Iwata exclusively as a detail brush.
I've heard great things about Iwata too, but nothing specific. Can anyone explain what about them is so good (assuming an otherwise apples-apples comparison, e.g. double-action, siphon feed)? I don't mean to be snide or skeptical, I'm just curious. Thanks, Gary P.S. I've been using a Badger 150 with good results, but it has recently developed a tendency to splatter due to build up on one side of the regulator. I'm using the wide tip and for the life of me can't see any damage or paint buildup on the needle or tip, but there must be something going on in there...
I've used a Paashe VL for many years with nothing but excellent results. Every now and then you hear a manufacturer's name that you've never heard of. I think a person looking for a new airbrush should check out Iwata. Possibly the "Cadillac" we never knew existed!
I would suggest buing a new needle. The needle may be bent. Just the slightest bend in a needle will cause spattering. Buy a few spares from your favorier e-tailer, and keep them on hand, as they can be tough to find locally when you're in a jam! Don't ask me how I know....
I use a Badger 150 after putting my super duper Aztec on the back shelf. The Badger is easy to clean and handles acrylics quite well. I only use acrylics.
Thanks Hemi - I ordered a new needle and tip over the weekend (no local sources here either....) I sure wish I could see what was causing it though! It (Badger 150) was giving great performance up until recently. I don't want to hijack Dave's thread but I wonder if folks could comment on how they clean their brushes. Do you routinely remove and wipe the needle? How about the regulator?
I take my air brush apart after EVERY use and clean it throughly. Needle, gun, nozzle, everything. They are not that hard to take apart and clean once you've done it.
Me too Jerry. I was worried that excessive handling may have contributed to my splatter issue... but it's clean as a whistle (whatever that saying means).
I'll bet like Hemi said, it's a tip issue. Any little burr or irregular place for the paint to build up will cause the paint to collect and 'splatter'. You should have good results with the new parts.
EVERY SINGLE TIME. and make sure that the suction area that the paint goes through to get sprayed through the brush is also as clean as a new whistle AND that the air vent is not clogged AND everything else is clean. It is a royal pain but the results are worth it.
