Daz
LE
Airbrush precis
After some gentle prodding via PM from @Smeggers it’s time to produce a dedicated thread for all things airbrushing, basic tools, buying guides, recommendations and of course hints & tips and while @Dads203 writes up the gown up section/sections, I get to look at the cheaper end of the market.
First off, is the question “Do I really need an airbrush” and can I justify the expense?. Well, if you’re asking the question, the chances are the answer yes, if the cost is an issue, perhaps an alternative or a cheap airbrush kit is the answer, so let’s look at some of the alternatives.
1, The humble paintbrush.
Great if you’re Leonardo da Vinci painting a ceiling, not so much when you’re trying to mottle a BF109 in 1/48 scale (unless of course, you are in fact the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci) but on the bright side, a paintbrush is relatively cheap – just make sure you buy some tidy ones.
2, Rattle cans.
Of which there are two types we need to be concerned with. Up first, there are spray cans that are automotive in nature, for most modellers, this is primarily for primers & undercoats (unless you’re one of these strange people on the R/C forum using the “correct” car paint). Up until recently, Halfords Grey finest has been recommended on numerous occasions by the likes of @Simmerit, so if you’re only looking for a primer, it might well be worth considering due to the lower costs involved.
The second type is obversely modellers rattle cans from the likes of Tamiya such as the Tamiya TS Spray Paint range, however, the range is limited if your interest lies outside R/C scale car bodies as while it does cover aircraft and AFV’s, there’s a far wider range of airbrushable paints available from the likes of MiG/Tamiya/Vallejo etc. However, for a one-off job or occasional use, it’s a viable option providing you can find the right colour(s) required.
Now on to the drawbacks of rattle cans, of which there’s a few – I’ve mentioned the limited colours available, now one of the advantages of an airbrush is that you can mix your own paint shades as quite frequently a kits instructions will quote mixing instructions such as mix 2 parts X colour to 5 parts Y colour to achieve the correct shade, quite clearly, this is impossible with a rattle can.
Another drawback is airflow control, as it’s a pressurised canister, there’s no easy way to alter the airspeed/PSI to enable very fine control for very delicate work such as markings, small areas, shading etc typically with an airbrush you’d by looking around the following PSI’s as a rough guide for the following tasks: 25-30 psi - priming/varnishing, 18-20 psi - general purpose, 10-15 psi - detail work (thin paint). Such variation in control is not really possible with a can due to its limitations.
Following up from that, there’s the corresponding issue of pressure drop when the can starts to run out of propellant, this could result in paint splatter due to surges as the can empties, thus ruining the finish.
And the final drawback for rattle cans is cost, while on the face of it, it might seem economical to buy a few rattle cans, overall it can work out to be rather pricy in comparison with an airbrush depending on how much modelling you’re doing. Currently, Humbrol spray paint is around the £10 mark depending on postage for a 150ml can on Amazon, Tamiya is around £6-£8 per 100ml can plus postage. As a comparison, you can purchase this set labelled “YSINOBEAR TC-100K New Precision Airbrush Air Compressor Set (TC-100K)” for around £35 including postage from Amazon as a (very) basic starter set – BTW, that’s not a recommendation of the set, but rather to indicate other options if you need more than 3 or 4 cans.
After some gentle prodding via PM from @Smeggers it’s time to produce a dedicated thread for all things airbrushing, basic tools, buying guides, recommendations and of course hints & tips and while @Dads203 writes up the gown up section/sections, I get to look at the cheaper end of the market.
First off, is the question “Do I really need an airbrush” and can I justify the expense?. Well, if you’re asking the question, the chances are the answer yes, if the cost is an issue, perhaps an alternative or a cheap airbrush kit is the answer, so let’s look at some of the alternatives.
1, The humble paintbrush.
Great if you’re Leonardo da Vinci painting a ceiling, not so much when you’re trying to mottle a BF109 in 1/48 scale (unless of course, you are in fact the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci) but on the bright side, a paintbrush is relatively cheap – just make sure you buy some tidy ones.
2, Rattle cans.
Of which there are two types we need to be concerned with. Up first, there are spray cans that are automotive in nature, for most modellers, this is primarily for primers & undercoats (unless you’re one of these strange people on the R/C forum using the “correct” car paint). Up until recently, Halfords Grey finest has been recommended on numerous occasions by the likes of @Simmerit, so if you’re only looking for a primer, it might well be worth considering due to the lower costs involved.
The second type is obversely modellers rattle cans from the likes of Tamiya such as the Tamiya TS Spray Paint range, however, the range is limited if your interest lies outside R/C scale car bodies as while it does cover aircraft and AFV’s, there’s a far wider range of airbrushable paints available from the likes of MiG/Tamiya/Vallejo etc. However, for a one-off job or occasional use, it’s a viable option providing you can find the right colour(s) required.
Now on to the drawbacks of rattle cans, of which there’s a few – I’ve mentioned the limited colours available, now one of the advantages of an airbrush is that you can mix your own paint shades as quite frequently a kits instructions will quote mixing instructions such as mix 2 parts X colour to 5 parts Y colour to achieve the correct shade, quite clearly, this is impossible with a rattle can.
Another drawback is airflow control, as it’s a pressurised canister, there’s no easy way to alter the airspeed/PSI to enable very fine control for very delicate work such as markings, small areas, shading etc typically with an airbrush you’d by looking around the following PSI’s as a rough guide for the following tasks: 25-30 psi - priming/varnishing, 18-20 psi - general purpose, 10-15 psi - detail work (thin paint). Such variation in control is not really possible with a can due to its limitations.
Following up from that, there’s the corresponding issue of pressure drop when the can starts to run out of propellant, this could result in paint splatter due to surges as the can empties, thus ruining the finish.
And the final drawback for rattle cans is cost, while on the face of it, it might seem economical to buy a few rattle cans, overall it can work out to be rather pricy in comparison with an airbrush depending on how much modelling you’re doing. Currently, Humbrol spray paint is around the £10 mark depending on postage for a 150ml can on Amazon, Tamiya is around £6-£8 per 100ml can plus postage. As a comparison, you can purchase this set labelled “YSINOBEAR TC-100K New Precision Airbrush Air Compressor Set (TC-100K)” for around £35 including postage from Amazon as a (very) basic starter set – BTW, that’s not a recommendation of the set, but rather to indicate other options if you need more than 3 or 4 cans.
