Looking at getting into airbrushing and don't know where to start?
We can help!
What are you wanting to paint?
We sell a great range of airbrushes and compressors that are ideal for Plastic Modelling, miniatures, or small scale painting.
While our airbrushes and compressors aren't suitable for airbrushing your real car, they certainly can manage your 1/24 scale replica!
So which airbrush and compressor should you buy?
We recommend a Dual Action Gravity Feed Airbrush and Airbrush Compressor with Holding Tank
You can view the Airbrush here and the Compressor here
This airbrush is a great starter set and includes 3 types of needles and tips.
In the airbrush when you get it home is a .3 needle and tip, which will be used for most of your airbrushing.
The set also includes
-.2 fine needle and tip (for smaller detail)
-.5 heavy duty needle and tip (covers a larger surface area)
It is important to remember not to mix up needles and tips, each needle must match corresponding tip.
These airbrushes are easy to clean, just make sure the right thinners/cleaners are used with the right paint. When starting out we recommend you use the same brand of paint and thinners.
Make sure you clean between colours with some thinner then end of the session do a full clean of the airbrush.
A cleaning pot is a great tool to help with the clean-up and for holding your airbrush when actually airbrushing.
The compressor comes complete with pressure gauge and water trap. Even when running this compressor is very quiet. The benefit of compressor with a holding tank is that the compressor will only run until the tank is full, then switch off. When the pressure drops the compressor will turn on again to fill the tank. Compressors without a tank will constantly run and will overheat and need time to cool down. Compressors without holding tanks also have a less consistent flow of air which can mess with the finish when doing fine work.
When setting up to airbrush, attach the gun to the compressor, turn on the compressor and then once the tank is full set the pressure. For most paints the ideal pressure 20PSI at the tank which will drop to 8-12PSI once you start the gun (depending which needle is in use) Pressure is adjusted on the gauge with the black twist handle, either up or down when the tank is full.
What paints are best to airbrush?
It is important you have the correct paint, some art/craft paints can't be airbrushed using our products.
When starting out we recommend starting with Acrylic Paints (water based) for ease of use and they are easier to clean up. However, any of the paints types we sell are ok to use and it may depend on what paints you are already using if you started with hand painting. You can learn more about paint types here.
How thin should your paint be?
You want your paint to have the consistency of milk. Some paints will be airbrush ready, but for most paints you will need to thin them down.
A good starting point is 50% thinner to 50% paint. We recommend spraying some through the airbrush onto a piece of paper or cardboard to check if it is working well, before spraying directly onto the item you are working on. You want the paint to have a consistent flow and even coverage.
Where are you wanting to paint?
Ensure you are in a well-ventilated area, we would usually recommend outdoors. If you would prefer to stay inside, we strongly urge you to consider getting a spray booth. Check out our Hobby Basics Portable Spray Booth here.