Need Air Brush Recommendation

[JS22]

I use a air brush to spray resolene on as my finish coat. I feel I get a more even coat with it. Or maybe I don't lately. I started off with a cheapo harbor freight type in the beginning and it has served its purpose up until now. It just wont spray consistently the same pattern or volume as I'm working. I keep as clean as I can, so it's not that its gummed up. Can someone recommend a brush that will provide a more consistent spray that wont break the bank?

[Art]

Badger 250.

Art

I use a air brush to spray resolene on as my finish coat. I feel I get a more even coat with it. Or maybe I don't lately. I started off with a cheapo harbor freight type in the beginning and it has served its purpose up until now. It just wont spray consistently the same pattern or volume as I'm working. I keep as clean as I can, so it's not that its gummed up. Can someone recommend a brush that will provide a more consistent spray that wont break the bank?

[Spinner]

Badger 250.

Art

+1 to Art's response. For spraying top coats and easy cleaning the 250 is the way to go. Inexpensive and easy to use.

Next up would be the 200 and then the Anthem 155 after that it's worth the money to move into an Iwata or similar.

Here's a good shop that I have bought 3 different airbrushes from: http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/badger.aspx they carry accessories and replacement parts too.

[Nooj]

My wife has a set of Master brand brushes (which are a house brand of one of the big airbrush websites) and a Paasche. I've used both a few times spraying dye and resolene. I think it's much easier to get an even coat of resolene using the airbrush once you've got the hang of it.

That being said- it takes almost NOTHING to clog or cause spray consistancy issues with the airbrushes I've used. You really have to take it apart and clean it thoroughly after using any kind of product that tends to gum (like resolene). I sprayed a bottle of airbrush cleaner, or alcohol through it after using pro oil dye and it seemed to be sufficient- but the resolene required a little more effort.

The master brand brushes seem like good quality, and I think they're a bit cheaper than the bigger named ones. Just my two cents :-)

Nooj

[nas]

i recently had the same question about airbrush selection, i ended up getting the harbor freight 2 stage airbrush, probably the one you have. i figured that it wouldnt hurt starting cheap. i am also using it for resolene. i have only sprayed one holster and it worked out great. are you thinning your resolene? i did mine 50/50 with water and i didnt notice it gumming up at all and it sprayed very consistant. how long was it before yours starting having a problems?

[evandailey]

i recently had the same question about airbrush selection, i ended up getting the harbor freight 2 stage airbrush, probably the one you have. i figured that it wouldnt hurt starting cheap. i am also using it for resolene. i have only sprayed one holster and it worked out great. are you thinning your resolene? i did mine 50/50 with water and i didnt notice it gumming up at all and it sprayed very consistant. how long was it before yours starting having a problems?

Same for me, no problems out of my HF. As with many HF tools, my experience has been that they are EXACT copies of a higher priced brand. Not all of their tools are that way, but I think it is in this case. I don't think one 5x the cost would do any better for leather work.

[TwinOaks]

I got this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/airbrush-kit-47791.html and have just about worn it out after 2 years. The problem is with the little hose, not the rest of it. I've found it to be perfect for spraying finishes, as it has a total of only 3 removable parts when you need to disassemble it for cleaning. There is an occasional build up of dried finish at the tip, but it's so easy to clean that I've never considered it an issue. I also have a Badger (#? ) that I used twice before I had to completely disassemble for cleaning out the dried gunk.......and promptly gave up trying to get it back together. ( I think I disassembled a step or two TOO far.)

[evandailey]

I got this one: http://www.harborfre...-kit-47791.html and have just about worn it out after 2 years. The problem is with the little hose, not the rest of it. I've found it to be perfect for spraying finishes, as it has a total of only 3 removable parts when you need to disassemble it for cleaning. There is an occasional build up of dried finish at the tip, but it's so easy to clean that I've never considered it an issue. I also have a Badger (#? ) that I used twice before I had to completely disassemble for cleaning out the dried gunk.......and promptly gave up trying to get it back together. ( I think I disassembled a step or two TOO far.)

The one you have is a copy of an old Badger my dad has he used for painting pinstripes on cars. Get this http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-braided-nylon-airbrush-hose-95813.html braided airbrush hose from HF. It's a good one.

I have this airbrush http://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-airbrush-kit-95810.html I'm not sure which model it is a copy of but I know it works well. It's not hard to clean at all. The secrect to cleaning any spray gun is don't skimp on the solvent. Run a lot through it before you ever take it apart and the cleaning will be a breeze. If you start disassembling before you spray out all of the old finish, you're going to get finish in places that it wasn't meant to go. Then you start having problems.

I also have this set http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-automotive-hvlp-spray-gun-kit-94572.html of larger spray guns I use for spraying furniture. My dad says he can't tell much difference between it and his $500 Iwata gun. We've painted cars with both and the finish is indistiguishable. Keep 'em mainted and they'll take good care of you.

[glennaycock]

I second the HF airbrush. You can catch them on sale for $15 every other week, and they are pretty great for the money.

You can read my review of it here: http://glennaycockwoodworking.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-harbor-freight-deluxe-airbrush.html

Edited August 29, 2011 by glennaycock

[Spinner]

For what most folks will use an airbrush for here, the HF models will serve very well.

The main differences between say a $15 HF and a $100 Badger and a $200 Iwata are in the details that most folks wouldn't notice. Examples are: polished vs. rough cast trigger stems, tephlon coated & polished needles vs. buffed metal needles, silicone needle gaskets vs. rubber/nylon needle gaskets, built in needle stops, larger hose couplings, polished aluminum bodies vs. chrome plated brass, etc. The needles themselves are quite different as well, the taper length and style will determine if the airbrush will do pencil line thickness versus hairline thickness and so on.

Here are two tips for making a HF get a little closer to it's higher end cousins:

On dual action airbrushes, the trigger stem in an HF can be pretty rough (they aren't cleaned up after casting) so taking a bit of higher grit sandpapers,400, 600, 800+ and sanding out and polishing (stropping rouge on a rag can be used to polish) the four vertical sides of the stem will help it slide easier & smoother when pulling back the trigger. (this won't do anything for a single action airbrush as they don't have sliding triggers) A little wax or a machine surface spray like T-9000 will also help them slide smoother.

Air hoses: the HF models are made with very small threaded couplings. They come with the small diameter plastic hoses that kink & break easily. For about $5 you can pick up an adapter that will bring it up to the more common coupling size allowing you to use the more durable, larger braided hoses. The braided hoses are also usually about 1.5x as long and are not coiled making them easier to get around and store.

Cleaning tip: On internal mix airbrushes, backflushing is a handy trick when cleaning an airbrush. Fill your bottle or cup with the cleaner/solvent of choice and spray some out for a few seconds. Now place your finger over the tip so that you create a seal and pull back the trigger for 8-10 seconds. On gravity feed (top load cup style) airbrushes, make sure to put the cap on or close off the top of the cup somehow. You'll see the liquid in the cup/bottle bubble as air is forced back into the airbrush. This action blows the particles that can get trapped in the various ridges in an airbrush back the other way and loosen them so the cleaner can get to them. Side note: if you notice bubbles in the cup/bottle without the tip covered, this is generally due to the tip & head nuts not being seated properly or being dirty.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Spinner

[cheerylcanete8]

Good alternative been utilizing iwata brushes and full size cannons for years and wouldn't think of utilizing anything else......good luck cant wait to see some of your creations...

Upholstery Cleaning Brisbane

Edited May 6, 2013 by cheerylcanete8