HI Guys!
A few of you were asking about airbrushes and compressors, Just copied what I wrote on our facebook page recently.(
www.facebook.com/hobbyco.gundam.australia)
Let’s talk airbrushes and compressors; this is one of the most important tools for the Gunpla enthusiast and the aspiring pro modeler. Airbrushes gives you a lot more control compared to spray cans as well as giving you the ability apply special techniques such as pre shading or complex camouflage patterns and so on.
Sifting through the different types of airbrushes and compressors can be a little daunting for the uninitiated! You would hear or read about single action, dual action, moisture traps, holding tanks…errrr huh what? Hope I can shed a little light on the subject especially if you have always contemplated in getting one, it's a great time to buy since prices are low and the quality has never been better.
Compressor: This is the engine room of your airbrush rig; it provides you constant supply of air to operate your airbrush efficiently. I would always recommend that when selecting a compressor buy the best that’s available within your budget because a good compressor will give you the desired results as well as it will last you forever!
- Power: Go big! Select a compressor that has the most power since it’s best to have more rather than not enough. It gives you room to be able to use heavier viscosity paint as well as having lots of air in reserve.
- Noise: My first compressor sounded like a lawn mower! It was loud and it rattled my whole workshop, I wasn’t too popular with the neighbours since I tend to do most of my airbrushing late at night.
- Regulator w/ Moisture Trap : Having all that power is pretty useless unless you are able to regulate it as different paints and media behave differently. Heavier viscosity paint will need to operate at a slightly higher pressure. Having a moisture trap prevents moisture from getting into your air hose and contaminating your paint.
- Holding Tank: Compressors with holding tanks are a little bit more expensive but definitely worth the extra if your budget can allow it. A holding tank stores air in reserve while you are airbrushing. For example you set your regulator to operate @18 PSI the compressor will now fill the tank, once it’s full the compressor will cut off and hold that specific pressure and will only turn on again to maintain that pressure. Having a holding tank will give you a constant uninterrupted air supply.
What about airbrush propellant cans? : It's great for portability and thats about it! not economical in the long run especially at around $24.50 I personally wouldn't recommend taking this path unless you are a once a year modeler.
Price for compressors start around $199.00 for Sparmax AC100 up to $299.00 for the Sparmax AC500 (with holding tank)
Airbrush: Usually comes in 2 types; single action or dual action. I would recommend selecting a dual action airbrush rather than the single action since it gives you adjustability on the fly as well as having a finer overall finish.
- having a dual action airbrush you are able to control the amount of paint released as you spray. A dual action brush operates simply by pressing the trigger and air is released through the body of the brush then as you pull the trigger backwards it pulls the centre needle back allowing air and paint to mix and flow through the spray nozzle. This gives you the flexibility of controlling the flow of paint without having to stop and manually adjust the needle which is commonly found in single action airbrushes. Most single action airbrushes are external mix which means paint and air mix outside of the brush which means the spray won’t be as fine as their dual action counterparts. Don’t get me wrong single action external mix airbrushes are still an option but with the price of dual action brushes being so low these days you can pick one up at the same price.
- Airbrush brands such as Aztek, Sparmax, Badger, Paasche and Iwata are brands to look out for. If you are after bang for your buck then the Sparmax DH103 is fantastic value at $79.95 for convenience and ease of maintenance the Aztek range of airbrush is another option price range from $147.00 for the dual action A430 set.
Investing on an airbrush and compressor set up is not cheap as the initial outlay is pretty scary but its definitely worth it in the long run.Consider the cost of a can of Tamiya spray paint coming in @ $13.25! It certainly makes sense buying one especially if you are doing Gundam models, the quality of your work will just be in another level.
I'm currently evaluating a new line of compressor and airbrush combo. I used it over the weekend, so far i'm impressed with the results and if all goes well we might be able to offer this setup for $249.00 complete and ready to go! I'll keep you guys posted! If you have any questions please feel free ask in our discussion pages. Happy Gundam modeling
@ :Aoi : The purple that you are after is Gunze MR Color G49
