Identitfy the KO Airbrush and other help please

Hello,

Im new to airbrushing so i dont know a lot. I wondering if someone could help me identify what KO this is, so i could buy some back up parts -- mainly the nozzles which are floating (not sure if they have other names) ones. I found a badger gun that has these types of floating nozzles but im unclear of if theyll fit or not.

I cant seem to find these needle tips on ebay, are they called something other than floating tips?

The tips i have look like these



The gun is rebranded voilamart. The specsheet it came with said:

Aerograph Instuction Booklet
Specs 183
Nozzle Diameter 0.3mm - 0.5mm - 0.8mm
Fluid Cup 2cc 5cc 13cc



Its my first airbrush so i dont know any better, but it seems fine. I can get a fine line to a mechanical pencil width with the .3mm needle/nozzle -- body control is another story. I havent tried the .5 or .8 mm needle/nozzles yet.

I just know im going to break the needle tip since i take the cover off and spray that way and ill probably crack the nozzle tip at some point. having replacements ready to go would be great.

Also, will those ebay .3mm 13cm chinese needles fit most chinese no name brushes?

Thanks for your help

@DaveG............ I'm handballing this one to you Dude

Yup - what @JackEb said. Looks like a combo Iwata eclipse/Hi line knock off.

Indeed, looks like a typical Chinese import. I am not familiar with that particular one, so will have to kind of spitball from here...

If you know where the brush was purchased from, you may be able to find out if they order replacement parts. Many of the imports are no name, and get branded with a name for sales by company, or maybe even within a certain region. The very same brush can be called something else by another vendor, or in another region. If you need to find replacement parts, this "branding" can make things very complicated. To further complicate things... There can be more than one maker producing brushes that look almost identical, yet vary enough that parts between them may, or may not fit correctly.

Needles tend to be a bit more generic, and I have had some success buying replacements, and having them work across several different brushes without issue. Nozzles, not so much. I have several Import brushes that look really identical, but if I try switching the nozzles, they will screw in, but they vary in actual length, and will then not work correctly... Generally speaking, parts between different airbrushes and brands are hardly ever universal, or interchangeable. You either get the right ones, or you get parts that do not fit, or work correctly...

On brushes like you have there - if the performance is acceptable, I will generally plan on using them till they work no more, and then purchasing a replacement. They are generally inexpensive enough that it is a fairly small investment for the amount of work you can squeeze out of one. Or, use the brush to create a piece, or pieces that can be sold to finance the purchase of a better brush (Iwata Eclipse ).

I also have a Facebook page where I have been trying to document much of what I have found dealing with this type of airbrush, as well as many others. Here is a direct link to an album I created to illustrate how close some of them can be, and why it can be hard to identify them.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/anybrandairbrush/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1069705313135056

Thanks Dave,.......... we need a high five emoji

Actually, two (or even three) different airbrushes (models) are shown Which one do you have?
It's hard to say where you are. If in the US, buy parts from TCP global, maybe those would fit. Or ask about the spares in the place where you've bought the airbrush.

DaveG said:

Indeed, looks like a typical Chinese import. I am not familiar with that particular one, so will have to kind of spitball from here...

If you know where the brush was purchased from, you may be able to find out if they order replacement parts. Many of the imports are no name, and get branded with a name for sales by company, or maybe even within a certain region. The very same brush can be called something else by another vendor, or in another region. If you need to find replacement parts, this "branding" can make things very complicated. To further complicate things... There can be more than one maker producing brushes that look almost identical, yet vary enough that parts between them may, or may not fit correctly.

Needles tend to be a bit more generic, and I have had some success buying replacements, and having them work across several different brushes without issue. Nozzles, not so much. I have several Import brushes that look really identical, but if I try switching the nozzles, they will screw in, but they vary in actual length, and will then not work correctly... Generally speaking, parts between different airbrushes and brands are hardly ever universal, or interchangeable. You either get the right ones, or you get parts that do not fit, or work correctly...

On brushes like you have there - if the performance is acceptable, I will generally plan on using them till they work no more, and then purchasing a replacement. They are generally inexpensive enough that it is a fairly small investment for the amount of work you can squeeze out of one. Or, use the brush to create a piece, or pieces that can be sold to finance the purchase of a better brush (Iwata Eclipse ).

I also have a Facebook page where I have been trying to document much of what I have found dealing with this type of airbrush, as well as many others. Here is a direct link to an album I created to illustrate how close some of them can be, and why it can be hard to identify them.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/anybrandairbrush/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1069705313135056

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. I went to your FB page and read a little bit while i have a few minutes to spare. The one post where you said you wouldnt recommend a chinese brush to beginners is fair. Im just wondering if this would apply to all airbrushes though. Especially for those people with zero knowledge -- like myself. All i know is, if i wasnt persistent arse, i would have quit day one. Im still not very far into the learning process, but im commited to educating myself.

I dont know if it was the chinese brush, the paint, the psi, the paper i was practicing on or just the genral lack of knowledge of airbrushing. I had roughly zero knowledge of airbrushing; aside from the billions of varrying bs opinions from youtube -- i wouldnt know what was good or bad advice. it would be fair to say it was a combo of all of the above.

So, of course day one on the brush had to be a nightmare.. my session was so bad, i really thought about quitting on the spot. I broke the gun down 7 times to clean, was getting bubbles in the cup, blocked tips, sputtering etc etc etc. I finished the day putting in more time messing with the gun than i did actually airbrushing. I felt pretty defeated and retired for the day after cleaning it for the 7th time.

However, i went back for more pain the next day. It started out with a blocked tip from the get go - all air, no paint. This taught me to scrub the nozzle better. However, even though a speck came out - all air and no paint. Apprently my needle wasnt inserted all the way.. who knew. I Switched my homemade reducer for homemade cleaner and vice versa (the opposite of some youtube advice). I removed o-rings in the head and replaced with thread seal tape. I decided to thin further than what i thought to be a milk like consistency and thinned it even more. messed with the psi and eureka... it was working and working good. atleast i think its good, cause i wouldnt know any better

If there was only a place i could have gone online with of decades full of knowledge.. oh yeah.. so im here.. thanks for your input again

Vladimir said:

Actually, two (or even three) different airbrushes (models) are shown Which one do you have?
It's hard to say where you are. If in the US, buy parts from TCP global, maybe those would fit. Or ask about the spares in the place where you've bought the airbrush.

Click to expand...

i have the set in the box. the tip just looks like the one in the first pic.. sorry for the confusion.

Sounds like you've completed your first couple of lessons,
- how not to throw an airbrush across the room
- how to dismantle and reassemble an airbrush and still have it not work.

You've done well

In all seriousness, the knock off brushes can be a bit hit and miss as to wether or not they are going to be any good. but they will teach you several important lessons.... mine taught me how to break it down, clean it and reassemble it and have it work......
Like you I was having grief and if as you've discovered, cheap brushes arent for the faint hearten most of the time. I wasn't stubborn I would have surrendered before I began........ now I'm in so deep I wont be stopping anytime soon.

Try and maintain a sense of humour about it all and I'm sure you'll get there in the end...... and when you feel faint just put out a call here and someone will be along to laugh with you and guide you to your next adventure

Maybe this would help http://www.tcpglobal.com/Airbrushing-Supplies/G33-Parts/
But I'm not sure if those parts are exactly for your airbrush.

If you want to have good airbrush start, try something among Eclipse series.

JackEb said:

Sounds like you've completed your first couple of lessons,
- how not to throw an airbrush across the room
- how to dismantle and reassemble an airbrush and still have it not work.

You've done well

In all seriousness, the knock off brushes can be a bit hit and miss as to wether or not they are going to be any good. but they will teach you several important lessons.... mine taught me how to break it down, clean it and reassemble it and have it work......
Like you I was having grief and if as you've discovered, cheap brushes arent for the faint hearten most of the time. I wasn't stubborn I would have surrendered before I began........ now I'm in so deep I wont be stopping anytime soon.

Try and maintain a sense of humour about it all and I'm sure you'll get there in the end...... and when you feel faint just put out a call here and someone will be along to laugh with you and guide you to your next adventure

Click to expand...

i definitely took a harsh first few steps.. its all good though. i still think i would have had issues with a top shelf brand name as well. Like i said, i didnt know anything... combine that with home made thinner, home made cleaner and thinning out cheap acrylic craft paint, spraying on sketch paper.. what could go right.

i went fairly cheap with everything in case i didnt like it. plus, i have gone even cheaper with my newest batch of paint. i bought a case of aldis acrylics.. 60 100ml tubes in various colors for 60 bucks AUD. plenty of paint to waste and practice with. as long as the no name airbrush and no name korean compressor hold up... im good for now.

thanks for welcoming me

cheers

Vladimir said:

Maybe this would help http://www.tcpglobal.com/Airbrushing-Supplies/G33-Parts/
But I'm not sure if those parts are exactly for your airbrush.

If you want to have good airbrush start, try something among Eclipse series.

Click to expand...

thanks

You're not the first and certainly won't be the last to go with the 'I might not like it' theory

I was the same.....
I had 2 cheap knock off brushes, cheapo art pad primary set of Wicked paint, water for reducer... no water trap, no art background....and STILL got hooked after half an hour

tube paint wont work in a airbrush and is bound to give you trouble from the start , airbrushing is not a cheap hobby

Ronald art said:

tube paint wont work in a airbrush and is bound to give you trouble from the start , airbrushing is not a cheap hobby

Click to expand...

even coming in cheap, it wasnt cheap imo. so i hear ya

this aldi stuff below works. sold for 99 cents a 100ml tube. ive been pushing it through me airgun since last week. no problems here at all. no clogs, little to no dry tip, not even really sticking to me needle. i only push it around 25 psi.. but i vary my psi from 15-30 just messing around with stuff..



i use the same reduction that fixed the bottle reject store paint i had issues with when i started, that was 3.50 for 125ml.

i dont do a %, just an eye drop test. mix it thin, single drop on some plastic that i hold at 45 degrees. if it runs fairly smooth at a good pace and keeps color where the drop started... i brush it.. if its pulling to much color while it runs, i find that tooo thin.

BobRoss said:

even coming in cheap, it wasnt cheap imo. so i hear ya

this aldi stuff below works. sold for 99 cents a 100ml tube. ive been pushing it through me airgun since last week. no problems here at all. no clogs, little to no dry tip, not even really sticking to me needle. i only push it around 25 psi.. but i vary my psi from 15-30 just messing around with stuff..

i use the same reduction i used for the bottle reject store paint i had issues with when i started, that was 3.50 for 125ml.

i dont do a %, just an eye drop test. mix it thin, single drop on some plastic that i hold at 45 degrees. if it runs fairly smooth at a good pace and keeps color where the drop started... i brush it.. if its pulling to much color while it runs, i find that tooo thin.

Click to expand...

btw me reduction mix is something i got off youtube and stuff i had around.. ammonia free windex, distilled water, isopropyl alcohol and glycerin ( i use it in my vape juice mixes). im not sure if its any better or worse than pro stuff or using just water, but it works for me with the cheap acrylics i use.

I have used non airbrush paints with some success but in general they do cause problems and don't help the learning process which is very important when you are just starting out. If you want hassle free then try food colouring with a drop of water, very little chance of blocking the nozzle so you can then paint away without the worry of "is it my paint" Any problems from there can be identified a little easier whether its you or the airbrush.

Lee

jord001 said:

I have used non airbrush paints with some success but in general they do cause problems and don't help the learning process which is very important when you are just starting out. If you want hassle free then try food colouring with a drop of water, very little chance of blocking the nozzle so you can then paint away without the worry of "is it my paint" Any problems from there can be identified a little easier whether its you or the airbrush.

Lee

Click to expand...

Thing is, im not having any issues with paint now. The only issue ive had since Day 1 and the start of day two was having the needle chuck?? too loose a week or so ago...nothing since.. KNOCKING ON WOOD... i guess the needle wasnt fully resetting and i was getting light paint coming out with just air and not pulling back for paint. but i only noticed it with the tip a few mm away.

I would consider this practice paint. Im building up my airbrushing skills towards canvas art in the future to mix with my hand brushes. I dont do modeling or metal coating etc etc so idk how that would react or what kind of clears i would need to hit it with. but on skecth paper, its doing okay for practice imo. If it were a piece i was selling, maybe id step up the paint, maybe i wouldnt, but if i were being commissioned to do a piece, i would probably look for higher quality paints. Trust me though, no one is going to hire me to do a piece atm.

break down costs in Australia.

99 cent - per 100ml aldi tube
4.62 - 500 ml ammonia free windex
free - distilled water ( i made some from rain water awhile back durning a fresnel lens kick)
9.99 - 125ml - 100% isopropyl alcohol
14.00 - 1 litre VG

when you break down a rough % of what i use per ingrediant, it comes down to around

roughly 10-13 AUD for 1000 ML of paint or two 500 ml bottles of reducer + paint

say i had to buy water, cost goes up a little, if i could find windex in bigger bottles that would help lower it a few cents.

i buy the vg by the litre because i also make ejuice i vape with. the only ingrediant i use 100% of is the windex. the mix is about 45-50% windex. 40% water 7-8% alcohol and a few % VG.. for my reducer.....im not really measuring exact either.. eyeing once again.

then all i do is add some raw paint to a cup and reduce to taste.. add to the brush and off i go..

if i order Vallejo Model Air or something similar on ebay its like 7 bucks for what 30 ml??

no contest

BobRoss said:

...The one post where you said you wouldnt recommend a chinese brush to beginners is fair. Im just wondering if this would apply to all airbrushes though...

Click to expand...

In my opinion, it does not apply to all airbrushes. There are certain challenges to learning to use an airbrush, as you have already discovered. They are common throughout the experience for everyone. Paint reduction, air pressure, trigger control, cleaning, etc. Because I went through these steps to learn, I can look at what JackEb is doing(just an example), and suggest that he reduce the paint a little more, or up his air pressure a touch, etc... This commonality of experience exists because all airbrushes basically work the same way. Further refining that, once you get to a certain level of airbrush, their performance becomes much more consistent.

The imports, and I have plenty of them, can vary from sample to sample much more than name brand brushes. Tolerances are not as tight, which ends up showing in places that would not normally be an issue on a higher end brush. Most notably around the head, and needle. I find the nozzles tend to be off center a great deal more in the imports. Nozzle protrusion from the air cap is also an area I see lots of variation with the imports - both these areas have to do with paint flow, and spray initiation. So, now when JackEb tells me he is having trouble getting the paint to spray, well, there is a whole 'nother can of worms to work through...

As I wrote on my page, some of the imports are fantastic brushes. I have at least 12 I don't see parting with any time soon. I use them regularly. Most of them did require some sort of adjustment on my part to get the performance out of them that makes them acceptable, and would therefore add a variable to learning that I would not immediately want to expose a beginner to.

Sorry Bob, i misread what you were posting. If your not having any issues that's great, but I know some folks do. Learning without hassle makes airbrushing that much easier. The ideal viscosity for paint is like skimmed milk if that helps.

I've made and used my own reducer too in the past, 90ml distilled water, 30ml IPA and a few drops of Glycerine. I used an Auto Air 4oz bottle for storage but it could be stepped up for bulk. Worked well with Auto Air and Spectra-Tex paint. I also found some automotive water based "waterborne"reducer called Pro-Spray H2O made by Valspar that worked well with Trident paints, Wicked, Auto Air, Spectra-Tex.
Airbrush paint is so expensive I agree, initial cost is high but thankfully they last a while so I can live with that.

Enjoy your airbrushing and post up what you paint, we would like to see what you create.

Lee