Gravity Feed Airbrush Kit

[Mechleader]

How good are they? Which maker is a good one? Thanks.

Edited November 15, 2004 by Mechleader

[fernarias]

Best type to get for hobby paints. Easiest cleanup.

For brand name, get an Iwata brand. Model depends on how much you want to pay but they start at $60 for a Revolution CR and end at $300 for a Custom Micro C. Most hobbiest use the HP-C that is $130.

F.

http://www.dixieart.com/Iwata_Airbrush_Main.html

[robodog562000]

I also use an Iwata HP-C. I purchased mine on ebay for 90.00 a while back. Since then a new model HP-C has come out. They might be cheaper now.

[Vince]

but dixieart doesn't charge shipping.

I like my hp_c better than my 360, better control and easy to clean.

[Mechleader]

Hi, anyone heard of this one?

Airbrush City™ Deluxe 1/2 Oz. Gravity Feed Airbrush Kit with Air Hose #GD-102-WH

Thanks.

[wm cheng]

Hey Mechleader,

I wouldn't recommend a gravity feed - they usually only allow avery small reservior of paint and have to be held pretty much right side up and horizontally all the time. I would recommend a siphon feed - I still use my Badger 200 single action - its over 20yrs old and still ticking! Very reliable and easy to use, especially if you want to reach into hard to get at places - I paint with my brush at all kinds of odd angles.

Do a search on this topic, there was a really long thread about airbrushes a while back.

Good Luck,

Wm

[Mechleader]

Thanks for the info WM!!!! And everyone!!!

[Montarvillois]

Yup!

I second Cheng's recommendation to get a syphon feed. You can actualy remove and clean the syphon bucket with your airbrush shooting rubbing alcool. You can't do this with a gravity feed airbush as it is permanently attached on the top of the handle.

[bhop]

I truly respect WM's work, but I have to disagree in this case. I used to use a syphon feed and switched to an Iwata gravity feed. I'll never look back. It's true that you have to watch the angle so that you don't spill the paint, on some models, but the extreme ease of cleanup and lack of wasted paint make it a million gazillion times better than the syphon feed (in my opinion anyways).

What I meant earlier when I said "on some models" is that the Iwata HP-C has a larger than usual cup with a lid to keep the paint from spilling out. Honestly though, i've never had a problem with my HP-BS's smaller sized cup. When it runs out of paint, I just pour more in from a pre-mixed cup I have sitting over to the side.

You can actualy remove and clean the syphon bucket with your airbrush shooting rubbing alcool. You can't do this with a gravity feed airbush as it is permanently attached on the top of the handle.

I don't understand what you're saying.. i mean, I know that you can remove the bottle on a syphon brush, but you'd still have to clean the nozzle. With a gravity feed, you just tip the brush over, pour out your remaining paint into a cup (i use resealable plastic cups) and spray your thinner through the brush to clear it for the next color.. where's the inconvenience here?

Edited November 28, 2004 by bhop

[HWR MKII]

actually its good practice to dis assemble every airbrush if possible to clean it no matter what type. it promotesbetter air and paint flow. plus if you just spray thinner or alcohol through it you could still leave a build up somewhere inside that will come off and contaminate your finish. testors aztec airbrushes are notorious for this since you cant really dis assemble the tips to clean them.

[wm cheng]

I definitely agree with that - you should fully disassemble the brush - as paint can build up around the trigger and behind the nozzle around the tefelon washer area.

[goldenboy_forever]

AHHHHHH!!!! soo which one is the best one?????Say money doesn't matter. The syphon air brush and the gravity air brush has its pros and cons. There must be a air brush out there thats the best of the best does anybody know???? when some novice like me and some other people dont know anything, but want a qucik and honest answer(I'm sorry for being a lazy azz I promise I'll do research later) forgive me what would you recomend or what should the artist to be look for in a air brush just off top of you head.

Or does the airbrush not matter but its all about SKILLS which I don't have yet

From RichyRich

[fernarias]

If money is no object, then get the Iwata HP-C Hi-Line:

http://www.dixieart.com/High_Performance_P...Airbrushes.html

You get a preset handle and an air control valve, which means you have total control over paint flow and spray pattern. It has interchangable nozzles from .2 mm for fine work to .4 mm for broader spray pattern. The HP-C Hi-Line comes with .3 mm standard.

As to the other recomendations. I also own Paasche (H and VL) and Badger (200G and 150) but I have found that the Iwata gives you better paint atomization. It is easier to clean and less suseptable to clogging. It also has a teflon O-ring, which means I can spray whatever I want (Lacquer paint will eat regular O-rings) and clean the airbrush with whatever I want (Lacquer thinner will remove just about anything). Of the three brands that I have, Iwata is simply the best.

F.

P.S. just for FYI; I mostly build Japanse kits (aircraft and Macross) and resin figure kits.

Edited December 1, 2004 by fernarias

[Mallet21]

For all those out there that can't decide on Gravity Feed v. Syphon Feed, try the Badger 360. It has the ability to rotate allowing you use syphon (large base coats), or gravity feed (for everything else) and its a great airbrush for about $90.

[bhop]

I don't think there is a "better" as far as siphon vs. gravity is concerned. I personally prefer gravity, WM prefers siphon. I doubt either of us could change the other's mind if we wanted to, but in the end it's the result that matters as far as what's best and both types can give you similar quality work if you know how to use it. Which type you use is personal preference.

I guess the only way to find out what you like is to try using some. Do you have any modeling friends that would let you try theirs out? If not, you can't really go wrong with either. Your style will adapt to whichever type you get.

[Ido]

As to the other recomendations.  I also own Paasche (H and VL) and Badger (200G and 150) but I have found that the Iwata gives you better paint atomization.  It is easier to clean and less suseptable to clogging.  It also has a teflon O-ring, which means I can spray whatever I want (Lacquer paint will eat regular O-rings) and clean the airbrush with whatever I want (Lacquer thinner will remove just about anything).  Of the three brands that I have, Iwata is simply the best.

There are problem with the badger 200 and lacquer paints ?

Edited December 2, 2004 by Ido

[wm cheng]

Oh, what problems? I've had mine for over 20yrs, and its still fine, all original parts, except a needle and head - which is 8 yrs old (I wanted the fine tip, the airbrush comes with a medium tip) I spray laquers and metalizers all the time through it - what type of problem?

However, I am looking at getting a double action (also syphon) one soon - I think I've "graduated" up to one of these - and I will be looking at IWATA (better quality) or Badger (easier to get parts/accessories around here)

[HWR MKII]

WM you have been doing that work with a single action!? wow now im more impressed than before. i use a double action as standard and i still feel i have a little way to go compared to your work. although armor and acft are 2 different animals.

still i love the work you do.

sean

O.T. there are alot of sean/shawns on this site huh

[Montarvillois]

You can actualy remove and clean the syphon bucket with your airbrush shooting rubbing alcool. You can't do this with a gravity feed airbush as it is permanently attached on the top of the handle.

I don't understand what you're saying.. i mean, I know that you can remove the bottle on a syphon brush, but you'd still have to clean the nozzle.

I apologize, I know it sounds strange. with my siphon airbrush, I remove the bucket and plug in a bottle of rubbing alcool instead. I block the nozzle of the airbrush and press the trigger so there is a reflux inside the airbrush until paint was still left in the aibrush is removed. Next I spray the bucket with rubbing alcool comming from my alcool bottle until there is no paint in the bucket and conduit. Last I do is shoot a clean cloth until the alcool comming out of the nozzle is clear and then I wash my airbrush metal assembly with the alcool I shot on the cloth.

Hope this helps

[Gundamhead]

I hate to be the one to say this but you're all nuts. This is one of those urban myths. It's the man not the machine. Double action is not better than single action, siphon is not better than gravity. It's all how you use it. I use both double and single action, siphon and gravity, and I prefer the siphon single actions in general. It's a more consitant result for my style. I can get incredibley fine patterns with either brush I use, and to say one is better is just some popular modeling misconception. It's simply your personal preference.

If WM Cheng gets the results he wants from a single action 200, guess what? He's probably going to get those results from a double action once he gets familiar with it. It does not mean he's working with a inferior airbrush. I'll bet he winds up still favoring the single action though. Why? Cause it's what he's worked with.

It's the same bogus theory that you have to grade up from snap to glue to resin. They all share the same basics. Sticking parts together, filling, sanding, and painting. Yet that one still sticks like crazy everywhere. Guess what? If you find a kit you love, just build it. It's what you put into the model, not what the model came with or what you bought for the model.

At least that's my opinion.

[Ido]

Just received my new Iwata Revolution, I choosed the syphon feed one.

Tried it today, thus i used a normal old oiless noisy compressor w/o filters I Guessed the paint /alchol ratios and air pressure, I achieved a perfect smooth surface, this airbrush is beautiful, and isn't too expensive, try it!

http://s96920072.onlinehome.us/tnt1/001-10...lder/tnt098.htm

ps

Humbrol Enamel paints: f*** u!!!!

[bhop]

I hate to be the one to say this but you're all nuts. This is one of those urban myths. It's the man not the machine. Double action is not better than single action, siphon is not better than gravity. It's all how you use it. I use both double and single action, siphon and gravity, and I prefer the siphon single actions in general. It's a more consitant result for my style. I can get incredibley fine patterns with either brush I use, and to say one is better is just some popular modeling misconception. It's simply your personal preference.

If WM Cheng gets the results he wants from a single action 200, guess what? He's probably going to get those results from a double action once he gets familiar with it. It does not mean he's working with a inferior airbrush. I'll bet he winds up still favoring the single action though. Why? Cause it's what he's worked with.

It's the same bogus theory that you have to grade up from snap to glue to resin. They all share the same basics. Sticking parts together, filling, sanding, and painting. Yet that one still sticks like crazy everywhere. Guess what? If you find a kit you love, just build it. It's what you put into the model, not what the model came with or what you bought for the model.

At least that's my opinion.

I might be a little crazy, but i'm definitely not nuts.

While I agree with what you say about model types. It doesn't really matter if it snaps or glues. I personally think resin is easier to deal with than regular glue-together kits though.

With the airbrush, I don't really agree. In this case, it's a combination of man and machine. If all you do is flat colors, sure, both will do, but if you want to do shading or gradations, maybe some camo patterns, it's going to be a royal pain with the single action. If you want to adjust your pressure on the fly (without stopping to adjust your compressor), you're screwed with the single action. With a double action, just don't pull back so hard on the trigger. You just have so much more control with the double.

One better than the other as far as quality of finish? Maybe that is a myth, because I agree that you can get good results with either if you know what you're doing, but there are some things you simply can't do with a single action, but a double can do whatever a single can and more. I used a single action brush for maybe 10 years, and when I got my double action a couple years ago, I pretty much wanted to kick my own ass for not getting one sooner. I'll never go back to single, but... that's just my opinion.

[HWR MKII]

ditto BHOP ditto.