What Airbrush??

[coleman758]

Hey Guys, I know this may have already been asked....

But.....

I've been painting shells again for the last few months now, with a cheap nasty airbrush for eBay, I'm thinking of investing in a decent one.

When i started airbrushing I used Devilbiss Aerograph Super 63, It was ace!!
for airbrushing inks etc on Paper/Card it was top, But its no good for shells.

Now I do like the Devilbiss stuff, it seems real quality. So i have been looking at the Devilbiss DagR.

What do you guys think? Has anyone used one before? Or what are your recommendations?

[Stuweatherman]

Everything airbrush does some good guns, im using the ab-182 and its very good. The guys are very helpful and parts easily available. http://everythingairbrush.co.uk/acat...tion_Feed.html £57.38, the kit comes with 0.3, 0.5 and 0.8 needles plus an airline.

[coleman758]

Thats the type of thing i'm trying to get away from

I'm looking at the DagR or an Iwata maybe, something more durable.
i think the DagR is going to be the one, It seems to be abit more well made.
the nozzle is much mores substantial and the needle looks alot better too.

[bigred5765]

theres only one to get and that is iwata, i use this one clicky
but any of them should be fine but try to stick to gravity feed as your using water based paint http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...All-Categories

[AK.customz]

i use a devilbiss dagr has been a great airbrush

[U1timate PigDog]

I personally love the iwata airbrushes I normally use a Iwata HP-C and its absolute quality (I love it) any how thats around £130 most places but having just bought a new airbrush so I can have two on the go at once, I'd really recommend the Iwata revolution CR (gravity feed)

its around £75 off the bay and comes with 0.5 needle (the HP-C is 0.35) and performs faultlessly.

I think the main thing is to get something that is quality to use and easy to maintain and quick cleaning is a must (for me anyway).

[MrMagoo]

I've used a lot of brushes over the years, I do a lot of static modelling (1/43 Le Mans and endurance cars) as well as shells. Over the last 20+ years I've run Badger, Pasche, A tec and Iwata amongst others.

Up until 6 months ago I'd settled on Iwata as my brand of choice, but then I bought a cheap .5mm brush off Ebay from Everything Airbrush and it's excellent. At ~20 quid it was about an eighth of the price of a similar Iwata and does pretty much everything as well. Probably won't last as long, but at the price I'll be going back again!

[coleman758]

Thats the kind of thing I have at the moment, But its about 6-months old now, and it seems to be getting tierd, or maybe its just me

My last devilbiss was a really good brush, So I think il be having a DagR.

I'm also building a table top spray booth, I hate wearing a mask! I forget to breath..... but I also hate metalic blue snot...... Il post some pics when its done! (Of the booth not the snot )

[Steveonamission]

I think it depends what your really looking to get out of it. If you feel the one you have isn't spraying decently, did it ever? If it did, then I would just replace it with another. I myself use a cheapo unbranded airbrush, and it was, more than a match for my current skill level, until it started to play up. I rebuilt it twice today and had enough of it, but I didn't buy an expensive Iwata, I just replaced it with the same simply as I don't think I could justify a £100 + airbrush at the moment.

But to really answer your question. 90 % of the Pro's use an Iwata HP-CS or similar model just like Carl, Grahem and Magoo said, and there obviously is a reason for it.

[eyeayen]

Terry of Tels Shells fame did a review on the Devilbiss I think, I don't know anyone else who has used one.

If you look at any of the american custom painters and even a lot of the english ones they use Iwata, that's for a reason. Piers Dowell uses Iwata and his work is some of the best I've seen.

When I got my first one in about 1988 they were unknown but my Dad got it for me as a present so I just got on with it. It was an Iwata HP-B, I started college in 1990 and then did technical illustration in '92, we were all loaned Devilbiss 63's. Fantastic airbrush but extremely temperamental, everyone on the course had problems, except me because I was using my Iwata. When I finished college I started custom painting, I'm still using that same Iwata today.

The HP range don't have rubber seals to perish, devilbiss did and this could cause problems. The Iwata's have a different air valve design. Devilbiss changed theirs on the 93 but it was still not perfect, I don't know what the latest one features and it maybe loads better but if you can get to the airbrush centre I would and see if you can have a go with an Iwata, extremely good airbrushes !!!

[U1timate PigDog]

Originally Posted by eyeayen

The HP range don't have rubber seals to perish, devilbiss did and this could cause problems.

Actually not quite true Ian the HP CS has a couple of small rubber seals but they dont wear much using waterbased paint, never had to replace mine.

But yea quite right Iwatas Rock!!

[eyeayen]

Originally Posted by U1timate PigDog

Actually not quite true Ian the HP CS has a couple of small rubber seals but they dont wear much using waterbased paint

Oh, okay, let me re-phrase what I said then. My now very old HP-B Doesn't have any rubber seals apart from the ones in the air valve that you don't see. The nozzle on mine screws directly into the body, no seals, brilliant

I don't know what an HP CS is, mine is from a range where there was an HP-A, HP-B, HP-C and that was pretty much, I just looked on airbrushes.com and realised there are about a million variants now

Looking at the illustrations on that site it seems the O ring is quite large and seats itself around the head cap, annotated as No. 8 in this illlustration https://airbrushes.com/parts_info.php?products_id=3206 what I was getting at in my previous post was the DeVilbiss ones have the o-ring around the back of the nozzle, because of this any solvent gets to them where as the Iwata Nozzle screws in and therefore not having an o-ring means you won't perish these tiny little seals. Of course the easy way around all of this is if you do have O rings on the nozzle you can fit Teflon O rings and they won't perish with thinners.

I would like to mention airbrushes with a 'floating nozzle', (i.e. - those where the nozzle just seats itself on a rubber seal and doesn't screw in at all ) produce a finer atomisation than those like mine where the nozzle is screwed and fixed in place. Depending on how thin your paint can be this isn't too much of a problem, if your using water colour you won't notice, if you use inks it will show up slightly and stuff as thick as we use for these car bodies it will show up considerably more.

[Mike Parker]

Hiya Matt

Personally I use an Iwata Kustom CS, been using it for over a year now with no problems If you were to look towards a new airbrush go with a .35 needle & nozzle.

I use devilbiss guns for smart repairs, again good quality and never have had issues - Just never used any of their airbrushes.

If you were to go Devilbiss or Iwata, the initial outlay is steep but see it as more an investment. Another set of brushes to look at are the badger renegade brushes.

MikeP

[coleman758]

Ok guys, Ive gone with the majority!

I've just got myself a Iwata HP-CH

http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/products/hp_ch

It looks like a really nice brush, and has got some good features.
and it was near £200..... (Most of the time) You get what you pay for.

I can't wait to get my hands on it now!

[eyeayen]

GOOD CHOICE

You won't regret it, and post up here how you get on with it vs your old one, how does it feel quality wise and that type of thing. It might help others later on.

[coleman758]

I like the idea of the air control valve, My hong-kong fuey airbrush has one, its very convinient, If you lazy like me

[coleman758]

Ok guys!!

The new Iwata HP-CH has just arrived!!
MAN IT FEELS GOOD!!

The trigger action is so much nicer than my other airbrush!

Just bought a cheapy £5 posted brush of eBay too, Now i have 3 so the two cheap ones will be loaded with black & white for backing and the iwata for the colours and the detail work. that should save time on colour changes.

[MrMagoo]

Originally Posted by coleman758

Ok guys!!

The new Iwata HP-CH has just arrived!!
MAN IT FEELS GOOD!!

The trigger action is so much nicer than my other airbrush!

Just bought a cheapy £5 posted brush of eBay too, Now i have 3 so the two cheap ones will be loaded with black & white for backing and the iwata for the colours and the detail work. that should save time on colour changes.

Nice big airbrush holder and a lot of quick release adapters for your airhoses, sorted

[coleman758]

Originally Posted by MrMagoo

Nice big airbrush holder and a lot of quick release adapters for your airhoses, sorted

Already done

Got a 4-brush stand from everything airbrush, & 3 quick release adapters!

[eyeayen]

Amazing how much easier a job becomes when you've got all the good gear and enough of it to make things quicker and easier.

Sounds like you've fallen in love with your new brush