HellBird
Mac-Valve Maestro!
Hello everyone,
I'm "re-entering" airbrushing after many years of not having time or space to pursue hobbies. Now that I'm rapidly approaching retirement, I've had to consider "what the heck do I do with myself now?"
I grew up actively involved in multiple hobbies: painting, sketching, pastels, carving, sculpting, etc. But my favorites were models. Plastic and wooden planes, trains, and automobiles. Thought my hand painted airplanes looked good when I was a kid until I saw a friend's camouflaged tank he'd done with an airbrush...
Needless to say, I was hooked.
Started with a Badger 250 and Propel cans, but no compressor. Newspaper delivery routes and mowing lawns in the early 70's didn't pay all that much. It did the job, although I could have done as well by loading up a brush with paint and blowing on it with a drinking straw when I didn't thin out the paint enough.
My hobbies were put on hiatus when I went off to college. And then life happened...
Several decades later, with a little more funds and time on my hands (a LOT more time coming soon), I'm back into models and want to give airbrush artwork a try as well.
Normally, I research things a good deal before I commit to purchases and try to start small and work my way up from there. Hence my looking over things on this forum and elsewhere on the internet.
Airbrushes:
Badger Patriot 105 with fine tip. This is my main brush as I practice and get more experience.
Badger Anthem 155 with medium tip. Wanted something that could put down a bit more paint for larger projects.
Badger Renegade Velocity 4. Literally got this today. Used, but in truly excellent shape. Quite a bargain for what the seller was asking. Yes, I know, so much for starting small... I blame it on going to too many garage sales while raising a family.
Compressor:
Master TC40T. Does the job well enough, in my opinion. Quiet and the tank means the compressor is not running all the time.
In the interest of being economical (cheap), I was actually considering just using the compressor that came with my nail gun as my air source. Very glad I followed the advice given on the web! Hard of hearing enough as it is with too many years working in noisy environments with no ear plugs and going to way too many rock concerts. When I use the nail gun again, it will be with far more adequate hearing protection.
Paints:
Acrylics (Createx, Badger, and Vallejo Model Air) for now. I used to use enamels and lacquers in my youth and may consider doing so again once I get a proper breathing mask and a ventilated paint booth constructed.
Anyway, I've rambled on enough about myself. Seen a lot of good information here and hope to learn and perhaps even contribute.
I'm "re-entering" airbrushing after many years of not having time or space to pursue hobbies. Now that I'm rapidly approaching retirement, I've had to consider "what the heck do I do with myself now?"
I grew up actively involved in multiple hobbies: painting, sketching, pastels, carving, sculpting, etc. But my favorites were models. Plastic and wooden planes, trains, and automobiles. Thought my hand painted airplanes looked good when I was a kid until I saw a friend's camouflaged tank he'd done with an airbrush...
Needless to say, I was hooked.
Started with a Badger 250 and Propel cans, but no compressor. Newspaper delivery routes and mowing lawns in the early 70's didn't pay all that much. It did the job, although I could have done as well by loading up a brush with paint and blowing on it with a drinking straw when I didn't thin out the paint enough.
My hobbies were put on hiatus when I went off to college. And then life happened...
Several decades later, with a little more funds and time on my hands (a LOT more time coming soon), I'm back into models and want to give airbrush artwork a try as well.
Normally, I research things a good deal before I commit to purchases and try to start small and work my way up from there. Hence my looking over things on this forum and elsewhere on the internet.
Airbrushes:
Badger Patriot 105 with fine tip. This is my main brush as I practice and get more experience.
Badger Anthem 155 with medium tip. Wanted something that could put down a bit more paint for larger projects.
Badger Renegade Velocity 4. Literally got this today. Used, but in truly excellent shape. Quite a bargain for what the seller was asking. Yes, I know, so much for starting small... I blame it on going to too many garage sales while raising a family.
Compressor:
Master TC40T. Does the job well enough, in my opinion. Quiet and the tank means the compressor is not running all the time.
In the interest of being economical (cheap), I was actually considering just using the compressor that came with my nail gun as my air source. Very glad I followed the advice given on the web! Hard of hearing enough as it is with too many years working in noisy environments with no ear plugs and going to way too many rock concerts. When I use the nail gun again, it will be with far more adequate hearing protection.
Paints:
Acrylics (Createx, Badger, and Vallejo Model Air) for now. I used to use enamels and lacquers in my youth and may consider doing so again once I get a proper breathing mask and a ventilated paint booth constructed.
Anyway, I've rambled on enough about myself. Seen a lot of good information here and hope to learn and perhaps even contribute.
