Airbrush Choices

Hi All , got a couple quick questions about airbrush selections I’m in the middle of.

When doing model cars and such...Is a double action really needed? Could you explain why its better for car model painting? I can see why in airbrushing t-shirts etc.... But if you just are after a nice uniform paint job, why bother with a more complex airbrush when the single action could do the job just fine?

As of now I”m leaning towards the Badger 200NH cause of the ease of use of single action and also it has internal mix and also the price is right.

IF I went with double action I think I would go with the Badger 155 Anthem.

And help with these questions or any other things for me to consider that I may not have thought of would be much appreciated.


Thanks

dual action is nice because you can adjust how much paint you want to put on... i own a Paasche VL, and i do a lot of tweaking as far as how much paint i allow to go through the airbrush, while still keeping the same air intensity

Dual action mixes the paint and air internally which produces a finer better spray pattern. The Badger 155 anthem has gotten very good reviews in modelling publications.

Some single actions do also. The Aztek A470 (which can be switched from single to double and vice versa) is an intermal mix airbrush.

The difference between a single and double actions is that in a single action, only the amount of air can be adjusted by the airbrush trigger.

In a double action, both the amount of air AND the amount of paint can be adjusted.

This is done by using the 2 movement planes of the trigger. Up and down adjust the amount of air and back and forth control the amount of paint that is delivered. It can be tricky at first using a DBA airbrush.

I rarely use the DB action on my A470 (just on exhausts and weathering) and paint almost everything in single action mode.

hth,
Bill

I'll put in a vote for the 470 as well. It's very versatile, for which I can forgive it it's cheap look and feel. I've used one since they were first available and love it.

What I would say is buy the best compressor you can afford. I have a nice little tank compressor now with twin regulators and moisture traps, it's mde a huge difference to the quality I can get with my brush.

No a double action is not necessary, but it is nice. If all you want to do is "spray paint" bodies then a single action will do fine. If you want to get more advanced then a double action allows much more control. I always recommend an Iwata Revolution as a great airbrush, I've got two of them now! Also agree it is worth spending money on a good compressor, with a holding tank and moisture trap.

Which iwata revolutions do you have? I was looking at getting the CR.

No, double action is not necissary for doing cars. But it is nice! I use a double action Badger, 150 I think. I'm glad I have the double action feature every time I spray. The biggest advantages for me are:

-With a single action, you cannot start spraying paint with the airbrush pointing at the parts to be painted- just like with a spray can, pressing the trigger will always splatter a bit of paint. With a double action, you point the airbrush away, and press the trigger down for air flow. Then you point it where you want paint, and slide the trigger back a little and put paint only where you want it, and only as much as you want. This is make or break for doing any detail work.

-With a double action, you can spray air without spraying paint. This is a terrific feature (but generally unrecognised), because you can dry paint you've just sprayed, gently, smoothly and immediately- especially when using acrylics (which I highly recommend. If I can give you one piece of advice, if your just starting to use an airbrush LEARN ON ACRYLICS). Among other things, this means never ruining a freshly painted surface by sticking your thumb into wet paint. You can also use it to blow away any dust that may be present immediately before applying paint- but then, none of us ever paint anywhere that dust is present, do we...?

Think about how you expect to use the airbrush for the next 5-10 years. Are you going to use it just to paint solid color car bodies, or are you going to use it to paint engine detail, undersides, interiors, etc.? (If your getting an airbrush anyways, it would be a shame not to use it for engines/interiors/undersides also. It's simply the best way to paint anything.) If you want to see what kind of detailing you can do on a car model with a double action airbrush, check out the exhausts on my F50: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=235048
I wouldn't attempt this with a single action. Probably could be done, but you could also paint a car body with a house painting brush.

Yes, get a nice compressor, air tanks, water trap, etc. But, the air supply is not where you want to dump your money in this process. The airbrush is what sprays the paint. It is the airbrush, and how you learn to use it, that will determine what you can paint and what you can't- not the fancy compressor blowing air throught the supply hose. Buy the airbrush you'll be happy with, and don't be afraid to buy one that you can grow into using. From my own experience, its cheaper to buy a double action now than it is to buy a single action, and realize in two years that you really want a double action.

That all said, you could be perfectly happy with a single action, if it fits your needs. But, DON'T EVER SKIMP ON BUYING TOOLS.

dual action you can also adjust thickness in spray. I own a badger anthem, crescendo a pashe vl, numerous iwata brushes! All dual action. If you plan on doing a solid color, and only that go woith the single action. If you ever think down the road you might want to do grafix of anything, get the dual. IMO@!!

Iwata for me and dual action every time, you are never going to wish that you only had a single action

I think single action would work just fine. I'm just a sucker and alway get caught up in buying the best I can get. I love my double action though, and would never buy a single. Anyone want to donate a CM-B to a poor sailor? :)

Hi All , got a couple quick questions about airbrush selections I’m in the middle of.

When doing model cars and such...Is a double action really needed? Could you explain why its better for car model painting? I can see why in airbrushing t-shirts etc.... But if you just are after a nice uniform paint job, why bother with a more complex airbrush when the single action could do the job just fine?

As of now I”m leaning towards the Badger 200NH cause of the ease of use of single action and also it has internal mix and also the price is right.

IF I went with double action I think I would go with the Badger 155 Anthem.

And help with these questions or any other things for me to consider that I may not have thought of would be much appreciated.


Thanks

No, it's not needed, but if you move into other hobbies like airplane or armor modelling you will need it for very fine detail painting. Even if you keep modelling cars, your techniques will improve and you will move into superdetailing, which is a lot easier with a dual action.

Thanks for all the replies. I think it's gonna be the Anthem :biggrin:

Sorry for using this topic but i just want to know wich is the best. I'm going to buy a new airbrush and i can't decide between a badger 360 and a Aztek A470. Or are there others wich are better?in the same price class ofcourse