TBurns
Double Actioner
Actually, I am a "scale modeler", and I build primarily - heck, almost exclusively - aircraft. More generally, I'm a total airplane geek, having grown up around them and learned to fly in my teens, so the scale models are just another expression of my abiding passion for flight.
I was lucky to have parents who encouraged my interests (and could afford to do so, at least to a degree), and I received my first airbrush and compressor (Badger 200 & Badger 180 Whirlwind) as a birthday gift at age ten. I've been airbrushing ever since, more or less, though I admit that I spent the first decade or so making just about every mistake you can make with an airbrush. I got pretty good results, to be fair, but it was certainly a trial-and-error process. Like a lot of people, I tended to think that getting replacement parts or a new airbrush would solve my problems/improve my results, so I acquired several more airbrushes as the years rolled by: more Badgers (150,100LG), and a couple of Paasches (V, VL). I'm sort of a "tool junkie", too, so newer/better/more equipment was always an option.
Fortunately, I had good references to guide me and - more importantly - more experienced modellers and artists to share their advice (this was pre-internet days, mind). About twenty years ago, things really fell into place, and my airbrushing began to develop in a more satisfying and consistent way. I think a lot of this was down to finally getting a grip on the basics: medium, thinning, pressure, and distance. Happily, from the very first my mentors stressed the importance of keeping my airbrush clean, so maintenance was never a problem for me. In my twenties I even fell into a sideline of repairing/cleaning airbrushes for local artists, so I was able to experience a variety of other equipment: Paasche AB (maddening), Thayer & Chandler, Aztek (hmmm...), Aerograph, Efbe, Olympos, Rich, and even the odd Conopois and Bass. I also "discovered" Iwata around this time, and set my heart on buying one when I had the money (at this time - late '80's - Iwata was the ne plus ultra of airbrushes, or so it seemed).
Since I began working in my teens, and especially once I joined the 9-to-5 crowd in my twenties, I've been fortunate to have the money to spare on some of my hobbies. I've never been shy about buying equipment that was more capable than I am (Orvis fly rod, for instance), and together with my aforementioned penchant for tools, I have been using Iwatas almost exclusively for the last two decades or so. I proud to say, though, that I still have that first Badger 200, and it still sees regular use, though mainly for primers, clearcoats or single-color schemes. I've really come to respect Iwata's products and service, and have never been disappointed by them. I've tried out other manufacturer's airbrushes - Badger's excellent Krome series, Harder & Steenbeck, Rich, Sparmax, and Grex - but I still rely on my Iwatas. Airbrushes and airbrushing have almost become a hobby in themselves, I fear. I enjoy studying them and modifying and improving them where possible, and testing them to see what results I can achieve. I still use them primarily for scale modelling, though I have dabbled at using them for "fine art" , where the principal limitation has been my mediocre skills!
I'm a little embartassed to say that I've acquired quite an inventory: the aforementioned Badgers and Paasches, several Iwatas (HP-SB, HP-C's - both bone stock and lightly modified - HP-B, HP-B+, CM-B, Eclipse BS, Kustom TH, and Neo CN), and even a Grex Tritium TG that I picked up last year. Part of this is just down to my fascination with them - I suppose I 've become a collector of sorts - but they all have their uses, and some are better at specific applications and tasks than others. Even the Paasches, after a long slumber, have been pressed back into use in recent years as I've been building models with my nephews and trying to impart some basic airbrush skills and enjoyment.
I still use my airbrushes exclusively for scale modelling. I've used a variety of media: the usual enamels (Testor's, Humbrol, Tamiya), a range of acrylics (Tamiya, GSI-Creos, PollyScale, Humbrol, Akan, Vallejo), and some lacquers (GSI-Creos, Tamiya, and Akan acrylic lacquers, and my remaining stock of old, old Floquil). Depending on what I'm trying to accomplish, I'll also use artist's oils, specialized artists' acrylics (Wicked, Com-Art, Createx, etc.), and even automotive paints. Primarily, though, I rely upon the acryilcs and acrylic lacquers from Tamiya and GSI-Creos, which I find to be very versatile and consistent in their qualities and application. My 'go-to' airbrushes are probably my old Badger 200 and HP-C, with the HP-B+ reserved for very fine work on smaller-scale models. I did buy the Eclipse BS a few years ago with the intention of using it as an all-purpose "bench 'brush", but I picked up the Neo CN not long afterwards, and I find myself relying on it more and more for a variety of tasks. Despite it's low price and "Neo for Iwata" status, I am really impressed by its versatility and quality. My principal air source is a CO2 tank and regulator, and I have a small spray booth set-up with carbon filtration for the exhaust.
Along with my earlier work doing the occasional repair or maintenance job for others, I've read a lot about the work done by Zsolt Kovacs, Marissa Osterlee, Eddy Wouters and others on improving and modifying airbrushes for better performance, and I've tried out some of their techniques. My own view, however, is that -assuming you have a reasonably good quality airbrush - it's best , at least initially, to master the basics and concentrate on learning to use the airbrush as it comes from the box. For my own airbrushes I've limited the modifications to weaker air valve springs, careful adjustment of the needle chuck to reduce the trigger tension, the addition of cutaway handles with stops, and very,very carefully polished needles (a la Zsolt Kovacs, whose web pages make excellent reading). I find the last of these to have the most significant effect, not only in reducing "tip dry" , but also greatly improving precision and fine detail (even on 0.35mm airbrushes). I've left the internals of my airbrushes largely alone, except for careful cleaning and lubrication, and sealing threads and joints with a dab of Chap Stick. This includes the nozzles, which are fragile enough - and generally precise enough - without being altered.
Despite the passage of years, I still find that I am constantly learning where my airbrushes are concerned. I think that in many ways the situation for airbrush artists has never been better. The range and availability of equipment has never been as broad, in my experience, and the quality - both overall and at the 'high end" - has never been better. The increased competition by manufacturers like Iwata, Badger, Paasche, and H&S has (at least in part) spurred improvements to equipment and better pricing (Consider that the Badger 200 and compressor I received at age ten was a cautious and thoroughly-researched purchase, as it was quite expensive: almost $200, which would be the equivalent of about $650 today). With the internet, advice and information on airbrushes and their use (like this forum) has never been as readily and rapidly accessible, and interest in airbrushing seems to have grown as a result. Truly, I think we're in the midst of a new "golden age".
If you've read this far, I applaud your patience and I thank you. I'm sorry to be so wordy! Hopefully if I chime in now and again on a thread, I can keep it short and succinct.
I was lucky to have parents who encouraged my interests (and could afford to do so, at least to a degree), and I received my first airbrush and compressor (Badger 200 & Badger 180 Whirlwind) as a birthday gift at age ten. I've been airbrushing ever since, more or less, though I admit that I spent the first decade or so making just about every mistake you can make with an airbrush. I got pretty good results, to be fair, but it was certainly a trial-and-error process. Like a lot of people, I tended to think that getting replacement parts or a new airbrush would solve my problems/improve my results, so I acquired several more airbrushes as the years rolled by: more Badgers (150,100LG), and a couple of Paasches (V, VL). I'm sort of a "tool junkie", too, so newer/better/more equipment was always an option.
Fortunately, I had good references to guide me and - more importantly - more experienced modellers and artists to share their advice (this was pre-internet days, mind). About twenty years ago, things really fell into place, and my airbrushing began to develop in a more satisfying and consistent way. I think a lot of this was down to finally getting a grip on the basics: medium, thinning, pressure, and distance. Happily, from the very first my mentors stressed the importance of keeping my airbrush clean, so maintenance was never a problem for me. In my twenties I even fell into a sideline of repairing/cleaning airbrushes for local artists, so I was able to experience a variety of other equipment: Paasche AB (maddening), Thayer & Chandler, Aztek (hmmm...), Aerograph, Efbe, Olympos, Rich, and even the odd Conopois and Bass. I also "discovered" Iwata around this time, and set my heart on buying one when I had the money (at this time - late '80's - Iwata was the ne plus ultra of airbrushes, or so it seemed).
Since I began working in my teens, and especially once I joined the 9-to-5 crowd in my twenties, I've been fortunate to have the money to spare on some of my hobbies. I've never been shy about buying equipment that was more capable than I am (Orvis fly rod, for instance), and together with my aforementioned penchant for tools, I have been using Iwatas almost exclusively for the last two decades or so. I proud to say, though, that I still have that first Badger 200, and it still sees regular use, though mainly for primers, clearcoats or single-color schemes. I've really come to respect Iwata's products and service, and have never been disappointed by them. I've tried out other manufacturer's airbrushes - Badger's excellent Krome series, Harder & Steenbeck, Rich, Sparmax, and Grex - but I still rely on my Iwatas. Airbrushes and airbrushing have almost become a hobby in themselves, I fear. I enjoy studying them and modifying and improving them where possible, and testing them to see what results I can achieve. I still use them primarily for scale modelling, though I have dabbled at using them for "fine art" , where the principal limitation has been my mediocre skills!
I'm a little embartassed to say that I've acquired quite an inventory: the aforementioned Badgers and Paasches, several Iwatas (HP-SB, HP-C's - both bone stock and lightly modified - HP-B, HP-B+, CM-B, Eclipse BS, Kustom TH, and Neo CN), and even a Grex Tritium TG that I picked up last year. Part of this is just down to my fascination with them - I suppose I 've become a collector of sorts - but they all have their uses, and some are better at specific applications and tasks than others. Even the Paasches, after a long slumber, have been pressed back into use in recent years as I've been building models with my nephews and trying to impart some basic airbrush skills and enjoyment.
I still use my airbrushes exclusively for scale modelling. I've used a variety of media: the usual enamels (Testor's, Humbrol, Tamiya), a range of acrylics (Tamiya, GSI-Creos, PollyScale, Humbrol, Akan, Vallejo), and some lacquers (GSI-Creos, Tamiya, and Akan acrylic lacquers, and my remaining stock of old, old Floquil). Depending on what I'm trying to accomplish, I'll also use artist's oils, specialized artists' acrylics (Wicked, Com-Art, Createx, etc.), and even automotive paints. Primarily, though, I rely upon the acryilcs and acrylic lacquers from Tamiya and GSI-Creos, which I find to be very versatile and consistent in their qualities and application. My 'go-to' airbrushes are probably my old Badger 200 and HP-C, with the HP-B+ reserved for very fine work on smaller-scale models. I did buy the Eclipse BS a few years ago with the intention of using it as an all-purpose "bench 'brush", but I picked up the Neo CN not long afterwards, and I find myself relying on it more and more for a variety of tasks. Despite it's low price and "Neo for Iwata" status, I am really impressed by its versatility and quality. My principal air source is a CO2 tank and regulator, and I have a small spray booth set-up with carbon filtration for the exhaust.
Along with my earlier work doing the occasional repair or maintenance job for others, I've read a lot about the work done by Zsolt Kovacs, Marissa Osterlee, Eddy Wouters and others on improving and modifying airbrushes for better performance, and I've tried out some of their techniques. My own view, however, is that -assuming you have a reasonably good quality airbrush - it's best , at least initially, to master the basics and concentrate on learning to use the airbrush as it comes from the box. For my own airbrushes I've limited the modifications to weaker air valve springs, careful adjustment of the needle chuck to reduce the trigger tension, the addition of cutaway handles with stops, and very,very carefully polished needles (a la Zsolt Kovacs, whose web pages make excellent reading). I find the last of these to have the most significant effect, not only in reducing "tip dry" , but also greatly improving precision and fine detail (even on 0.35mm airbrushes). I've left the internals of my airbrushes largely alone, except for careful cleaning and lubrication, and sealing threads and joints with a dab of Chap Stick. This includes the nozzles, which are fragile enough - and generally precise enough - without being altered.
Despite the passage of years, I still find that I am constantly learning where my airbrushes are concerned. I think that in many ways the situation for airbrush artists has never been better. The range and availability of equipment has never been as broad, in my experience, and the quality - both overall and at the 'high end" - has never been better. The increased competition by manufacturers like Iwata, Badger, Paasche, and H&S has (at least in part) spurred improvements to equipment and better pricing (Consider that the Badger 200 and compressor I received at age ten was a cautious and thoroughly-researched purchase, as it was quite expensive: almost $200, which would be the equivalent of about $650 today). With the internet, advice and information on airbrushes and their use (like this forum) has never been as readily and rapidly accessible, and interest in airbrushing seems to have grown as a result. Truly, I think we're in the midst of a new "golden age".
If you've read this far, I applaud your patience and I thank you. I'm sorry to be so wordy! Hopefully if I chime in now and again on a thread, I can keep it short and succinct.
