"Do you use an airbrush?" Topic

Do you use an airbrush? Have you tried it? Is it worth the extra expense? Never go back to brush painting?

No…never learned how. I did learn, however, how to do WW II German armor camo like it's air brushed…

Dave

I just started using a wet pallet!
I don't think I have a need for an airbrush.
I have seen some amazing pieces done with airbrushing…like tanks.

No never learned to work it. Sold it less than a year later. Sold my Dremil as well.

Right now I mostly paint figures, using flat white in a spray can to prime them.
I have a nice airbrush and compressor, but I haven't used them in years. I intend to fire it up this summer and get a bunch of tanks and vehicles painted.
It was a gift so it wasn't expensive at all.
What's really helpful is knowing your paint/pressure and thinner ratios. It can save you from having a big mess to clean up.
And of course, practice makes perfect.
Cheers!
link

Yes, OC. I use them for larger scale (1/32 and 1/35) models, 15mm vehicles and guns, and undercoating figures.

In answer to your questions:

Is it worth the extra expense?

It was worth it to me. At the moment I don't have room for my spray booth and I'm missing it. I've got a few 15mm vehicles that I could have the base colours painted on in an hour if I had the gear set up.

Never go back to brush painting?

No. The hairy sticks are still an essential part of the painting toolbox.

There's a lot of factors to consider about getting into airbrushing. Among them are what type of airbrush to get (gravity feed, vacuum feed, single or double action), making some practice time available (so keep old cardboard boxes for that), what sort of paint you use (enamel, lacquer, acrylic), what sort of compressor to get, what sort of spray booth (or not), etc.

There's very good airbrush reviews on most of the scale modelling sites, mate. It may help to have a read of some of them. One thing I will say- a mate bought one of those cheapish "make up" airbrush kits. It's useful for undercoating things and getting his blood pressure up into seven figures, but not much else. The air reservoir they use means the available air pressure (15psi in this case) is always reducing and he has to thin the Vallejo paints he uses to nearly glaze levels, and spray a few coats to get decent coverage. The airbrush itself is pretty good, though- single action gravity feed with a trigger adjustment.

Tried/played with a cheap, Testors "air brush." It's only suitable for crude, large area, terrain painting.

Never tried a serious air brush, but I wish I had, years ago. They look like they could be highly useful for priming, shading, and blending. Cheers!

Yes, I use it for all sized items. Use it for basing and applying camo schemes to armor, aircraft and ships. Been using it for years and love the results and capabilities air brushing offers.

I have two airbrushes: one is the USB compressor type the other is an Iwata Eclipse. I used the USB one for priming and base coats so it actually gets more use than the "real airbrush"

Except for feather edge camo, the cleanup isn't worth using it anywhere else.

Nope.

Nyet.

Absolutely! An airbrush is practically an essential tool in many of the hobbies discussed on this forum. I'm a 15mm & 25mm figure gamer. After years of having to go outside for many years to prime or Dull Coat the figures. I finally decided it was time for a compressor.

I purchased a 2 cylinder, 60psi, Silent Air compressor from a manufacturer in CA. USA. for about $350. USD of course, that was about 5 or 6 years ago. I generally spray at about 25psi. my hobby room is an 8 x 10 Office sized room off my Gaming Room. With the doors closed on my Hobby Room and My Game Room the wife can't hear the noise in the Living Room when she's watching TV. I built a Soundproof Box for the Compressor to sit in. Still, hearing protection is needed when using the compressor, as there is still enough noise from the vibration that could cause hearing loss when using it in the closed room for a long session! At least I can use it year-round regardless of the weather, or outside temperature! So, it's worth it!!

Still, the compressor cuts down the time and cost on things like priming, applying single colors, and clear coating! So, it's worth the money spent many times over, just on the savings of a few hundred spray cans of various paint colors!!!

I used to back in the 1970s when I was more interested plastic modelling, but not now. Far too much mess and faffing around for Wargames pieces. Spray cans, paint brushes and washes do the job fine. Get those toys on the table.

No. Did have a cheap one in the '80s but used it very rarely.

Just bought a whole setup of a compressor and a Harden and Steenbeck Ultra beginner's airbrush. Plan to use it for priming and for a ton of terrain I have to paint. Maybe by doing that, I will start to acquire the skill to use it for more than that.

Does Krylon count? If not then no.

No. Not really much use for painting figures and I am quite happy with ordinary brushwork on my WW2 vehicles. Setting up an airbrush, making a booth to contain the spray etc may be worth it for the dedicated large scale modeller, but not to me.

Yes. I use it regularly. The ability to prime or varnish regardless of the weather or time of day was my primary reason for getting one initially. Over time, I have expanded to base coating. I don't know if I will ever get beyond that but I have the tools to do so.

I started using one a couple of years ago, but limit its use to priming and when possible base-coating. It makes painting my 6mm tanks very quick and easy. I also use it for other types of figures, but do not have the desire to try any of the fancy painting that I see others do on YouTube.

My cheapo $5 USD- airbrush worked better than my 'high-end name brand' $150 USD+ airbrush, and was also much, much easier to clean. But I stick with brushes now, since I mostly paint small stuff… ;-)

yes

I've never learned to use one, but someday I'd like to try.

I have one that I have used for horses. Unfortunately, I haven't used it for several years. I'm thinking about trying to do a mass painting of chariot horses this spring.

Grelber

Yes, I have a spray booth in my garage and a Paasche single action brush along with a quiet shop compressor and moisture trap. I spray gesso, varnish, stains/washes, and occasionally colored undercoats with it.

The compressor is useful as well in the garage for filling tires and spraying dust off things.

Is it worth the extra expense?

Yes, I especially like that I can spray any color I want, and always acrylic, never any solvent fumes. (Acrylic mist isn't good to breathe either, which is why the spray booth. Respirators advised too.)

Never go back to brush painting?

The airbrush is strictly spray can replacement for me. I never got into any kind of detail airbrushing, which is probably why I never got a double action.