Joe Kutz Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Find as many people as you can who have them and bug the hell out of them to let you play with theirs. Since the different configurations all feel differently you might buy a brush that doesn't work for you, and that can throw you off to the whole airbrush concept. Your best bet is to go ahead and try out as many as you can (much like movies, reviews are only so useful in determining if you will like it). Try doing different things like laying down smooth single coats (useful for primer and clear coats) as well as doing different detailing (fine lines, big splotches, blending, shading...). Once you find one you really like, start to price them out. Prices will vary a lot, so you might be able to save a bundle depending on the brush you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldarchy Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 mm k. I'm still trying to figure out if I'll be able to afford going to Genghis but I was asked if I would go and help out with the painting stuff when I was at Rcon this year. I'm hoping I can but . . . well we need to see where the finances are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vutpakdi Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 If you can wait until RCon, Jester teaches a good introductory class on airbrushes. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastman Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you can wait until RCon, Jester teaches a good introductory class on airbrushes. Ron I'd recommend Jester's class as well. Since I expect to be driving to RCon, I could also pack my compressor and AB (I use an Iwata Revolution) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodnik Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 There are several FAQs around the net that talk about airbrush choices/differences. One airbrush that appeals to me, that I've yet to see in person, is the one that Monte Moore uses--I looked on his site briefly, but didn't find where he called it out anywhere....you can look more thoroughly, if you want... http://www.mavarts.com/ I've got one of his books at the house that tells the brand and such---little known, hard to find (supposedly)---but it has a "trigger" like a gun, as opposed to the a regular button you'd see on a dual-action ab. I find that when I use my hp-c over long periods of time, it becomes rather uncomfortable and more difficult to control. Here's one pretty good FAQ at Dick Blick.. http://www.dickblick.com/categories/airbrush/#moreinfo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Kutz Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Not sure without seeing it...but a lot of brushes come with a trigger. Iwata brushes with the TR designator (HP-TR for example). Badger has at least one (I think the 400...though I may be mistaken on the model). I've got an old school air brush which was my first (got it from an uncle who bought it to paint a mural on his shag-wagon back in the '70s) that has a trigger. Tamiya's Spray-Work I think uses a trigger. I find that trigger guns work better when shooting primer, clear coats and larger areas of paint - while the pencil style brushes work better when dealing with fine detailing. __________ BTW - An inexpensive external mix gun is a good investment and will likely pay for itself in a year or less depending on how much painting you do. The majority of priming and clear coating that I do is with my cheapo Aztek (I actually go it for free). Since it doesn't have any internal parts to deal with cleaning (just need to rinse off the siphon) I can prime stuff and then pull the paint bottle off - cap it, and be done with it. Compared to buying rattle cans, it probably saves me $5-10 per month. When I want more control I whip out one of my high dollar internal/dual action brushes (or set up 2 or 3 of them when I am working with several colors at the same time) and go to town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thes Hunter Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Thank you fieldarchy for asking this question, and to everyone for their advice! After last weekends problems with Krylon spray primer on some plastic minis I had remembered that people had excellent results priming with an air brush. But I didn't know how much use I would get out of it. Now that me and my man are getting heavy in Hurst arts, and other terrain I think an air brush would be a great investment. But it will have to wait until I get a job (Wish me luck next Wednesday ) and sock away a couple payments to the student loan people. And now reading all ya all's comments, I might have to get me a dremel as well. Mah! Stop costing me money peoples! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixminis Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Dremels and detail work: without the extension, the quick release chuck, and the polishing pins it's not worth trying. With 'em, it r00x0r Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurityThruFire Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Dremels and detail work: without the extension, the quick release chuck, and the polishing pins it's not worth trying. With 'em, it r00x0r I sort-of disagree. You do really need the extension. As long as you have the collets you need you can live with the quick release chuck. Also, with my assortment of 600 grit burrs I find I only need the rubber pins for final polishing, even then I could probably go with out it. The burr set (assortment of 30 different ones!) I got for around a whopping $5 has all the shapes and sizes I need to get into every nook and cranny of any mini. Besides the extension I could not live with out my foot pedal. I'd just HATE to see people not experimenting with the Dremel because someone says it is not worth trying. It is one of the best tools I own for mini prep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixminis Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Oh, no, I see how it looks like that I said that... hrm... that's what I get trying to say things in one sentence. What I'm trying to say is "Make sure you know what you are trying to do AND the attachments you need achieve the result you are trying to achieve. I say this in consideration of everyone's budget. DEFINITELY experiment, but do it with planning and purpose. The time you spend researching before purchasing is time well spent. For me (and only me), I need those attachments. My arthritis quickly inflames my tendonitis if I don't reduce the vibration of the dremel AND without a quick release, my joints and tendons inflame that much faster. Okee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurityThruFire Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 What I'm trying to say is "Make sure you know what you are trying to do AND the attachments you need achieve the result you are trying to achieve. Now that I agree with 100% I just don't want to scare anyone away from trying out mini prep with a Dremel, it has been a godsend for me. On a side note, if anyone would like some extra info, or is thinking about venturing into the realm of rotary tools, feel free to PM me, I would be glad to help out with anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haldir Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Meg if you have a Harbor Freight store near by they have Badger knock-offs for like under 10 bucks that you could use to practice with. Nice option if your not 100% sure you want to commit to a airbrush. Here is the link to the airbrush page on their site Harbor Freight--airbrushes Also even thou I can't stand Aztek 'brushes (had one, sold it, felt like a toy to me), nice thing about them is Testors lifetime warranty on them, have a problem, send it to them & they'll replace it free for yah (free--might have changed but the warranty hasn't, not sure as I sold that Aztek off close to 4 years ago (www.testors.com for more info) I have a Paasche Millennium dual action & a Iwata CR revolution (Iwata is a replacement for the Paasche, or gonna use my lacquer paints in that one & acrylics in the Iwata), but they are fun tools to use. Wouldn't have been able to spray the paints, designs on some of my nascar bodies without it. Just need to get back into it & start spraying minis with them---have a certain big dracolich that needs some RMS paint on it!!! LOL RM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldarchy Posted October 28, 2007 Author Share Posted October 28, 2007 I am getting an airbrush in the mail sometime this week. someone was nice enough to donate an extra one to my learning the trade So, once I get it all I'll need is a compressor. I'll go to hobby lobby to see what I can get for a few bones. Don't have a lot to spend on it . I'm looking forward to learning this. It will be nice to use for dragons and also getting into bigger sculptures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabascojunkie Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon up this week. Should help with that compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haldir Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 wish we had a HL around here, but I think they stop around the mid-west or so. Never been in one(thou I've seen their sign from the freeway going to Rcon, ha ha),would like to see what they are like. like I said, the Harbor Freight stuff is Badger brand, just under a different name. RM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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