# Painting Advice



## teachweld (Sep 1, 2014)

Greetings All:

I'd like your advice on selecting an airbrush paint system. It's for painting 1:16 vehicles. I'm obviously a beginner, but a quick learner. What system do you prefer/suggest?

Thanx,
Teachweld


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

There are lots of airbrush advice threads in the general modeling forum. 

Personally, I recommend a good quality, name brand, metal brush. Badger, Iwata, Paasche, Grex etc. all make a good assortment of brushes.

For military models in any scale, a double action brush is really the way to go. You control paint and air all at the same time versus having two independent controls in a single action brush. This makes doing camouflage and weathering much easier since you dont have to stop spraying to make any adjustments.

In the past, I have used a Badger 175 brush. I currently use a Grex Tritium and Iwata Revolution. The Paasche VL is a good, reasonably priced brush too. The Paasche might be a good starter brush in that you can get a very thorough starter kit with various size tips, jars, hose, etc. Not a lot of extras to buy with that one. 

Air supply is as important as what brush you buy. So keep that in mind and get a decent compressor with a pressure regulator. I use an Iwata Ninja myself, but have had good service from a small Campbell Hausfeld tank compressor from Wal Mart too. For years I hauled my stuff outside to spray but now I have a Pace airbrush vented spray booth in my work room. It's not absolutely essential but I think its one of the best tool purchases I have ever made.

Some people say well, if you are a beginner, buy a real basic cheap brush and learn on that one. I used to sell airbrushes and always felt that was the worst way to go about it. Cheap brushes are hard to use, don't do much, and are generally frustrating and disappointing. Most newbies would give up in frustration. If you get a decent brush to start with, it will be easier to use, give better results, and do what you want it to do in the first place. That way too you aren't having to buy two set ups. Get a good one you can grow into and learn to use it. 

I also HATE the Testors/Aztec plastic airbrushes. Some people love them. I think they are junk. I used to sell the nozzles for them at my hobby shop (not the brushes just the expensive nozzles) because they wear out so quickly. I have used a couple of these brushes and I found that it was hard to get them to do much of anything. Taking one apart you find that, for over $100, they don't even have a real valve system inside to control the air... just a rubber tube that gets crimped by the trigger. Cheap cheap cheap crap.


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## Johnnyvegas (Oct 6, 2003)

I started with a Paasche VL, still have it (soaking in lacquer thinner right now, removing 16 years of gunk). VL is a good AB to start with ad you can use it as a single action brush, and control just the air until you get comfortable with it. I have a Paasche Talon now and love it! I have had a cheap China Mart air compressor now for several years, and it works fine, but is loud! I think it's time to move up the ladder soon and get a quieter compressor.
You'll get about a million opinions on airbrushes , and compressors here, and 99.9% of them will be spot on, just keep reading, learn all you can, and decide what will work best for you.

My $.02

John


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