Airbrush recommendations

I have a Badger 100LG which was fairly cheap and does the job, but I think deVilbiss still make the best. The big problem with airbrushes for me is always filling and cleaning, because most of them have very small paint reservoirs. I am told that the best way to clean an airbrush is to strip it and put the parts in an ultrasonic bath, which sounds a bit excessive. It is certainly the case that cleaning the needles adequately can be challenging without stripping, and careless stripping and reassembly can break the needles.

Guy

Thank you very much for your response. The comment regarding ultrasonic cleaning is well recieved - I had a Badger ??? twenty-five years ago which died quite quickly from my inability to clean it properly. Ultrasonic cleaners were rare and expensive then !!

I suppose one gets what one is prepared to pay for.

OF

True enough. The low-end Badgers are actually perfectly decent as long as you're prepared to put up with gravity feed and a small reservoir. I tried using syringes for filling, that was a waste of time, but now you can get cheap plastic pipettes from hobby shops and that will make filling a lot easier.

My approach to tools has, for a long time, been to buy a cheap one and then if it wears out or is not quite good enough you know you can justify a more expensive one and what features it needs. And of course if it does not wear out then you have saved some money :-)

An ultrasonic cleaner is good for lots of things, including small metal parts. I have heard tell of them being used to resuscitate everything from watches to carburettors. I will ask in uk.rec.sheds where they can be found for a sensible price.

Guy

Machinemart do a double action air brush kit for £25.29. see:

which is very cheap. I don't have one but have "played" with one that a friend had and it's very useable.

Alan

Thank you, Alan. I will have a look at it. Looks very similar to the "Badger" I had years ago - which worked adquately until I ruined it !!!!!

Single action airbrushes are good enough for modelling work. Double action is rather overkill unless you like to paint scale murals on model walls. Even the horribly cheap Badger and Chinese clones will marginally do the job of weathering and they usually come with screw on glass jars. (Chemists often have additional jars) I'd tend to suggest you spend your extra cash on an ultrasonic cleaner and cheap airbrush, then upgrade to a better quality single action airbrush when you find the cheapy is inadequate.

Regards, Greg.P. NZ

Hello, Greg. P.

Thank you for your comments.

I have just been given a Humbrol "Hobbycraft" ( Badger something under license ?? ) double-action with the cheery words " If you can get it to work you can have it " - Well, half a day later having stripped, soaked, cleaned, polished, re-soldered needle adjuster screw and turned various hose adaptors on the old lathe - it works passably well.

I now agree fully with all recommendations to obtain an ultrasonic cleaner, and intend to do just that before attempying to paint anything !!!

Best Wishes

OF

What? And deny yourself a repeat of all that fun???