Airbrush questions answered.

This is more of a set of universal answer's to question’s i see at the very least, a couple times a week in different forums or Facebook.


Once again, these are opinions. You are entitled to form your own. ..



I will cover as much as i can about air brushes in this post, i will break it down into most commonly asked questions.



The question’s are normally something like these…



Q: Should I get a siphon feed or a gravity feed airbrush?

A: I can’t make up your mind for you. I can tell you benefits of each.


Siphon feed pros:


1. Bottles hold enough to paint even large scale models in one sitting.

2. If you buy multiple bottles to hold paint, color changes can be done quickly.

3. Some hobby paint bottles fit the siphon cap allowing the use of paint directly from the jar.

4. Can spray at greater angles than a gravity feed.


Siphon feed cons:


1. If you do not have extra bottles, color changes take some work. Remove siphon cap, drain paint, soak paint bottle in thinner, leave thinner in the bottle and replace cap with siphon tube. Spray thinner until clear. Wipe off excess.

2. Vent hole on siphon feed bottles tend to block occasionally, this will cause erratic spraying as a vacuum is created in the bottle.

3. Purchasing extra bottles and siphon caps can be expensive.

4. Bulky, with the full paint bottle hanging from the bottom of the airbrush, it can make it hard to see your target in some cases.

5. Generally uses more paint. If you have something small to spray with a siphon feed you have to load up enough paint to reach the bottom of the siphon tube to be able to spray.



Gravity Feed Pros:


1. Color changes are quick. Add thinner to paint cup, wipe out with paper towel, add more thinner and flush it through the airbrush until it comes out clear. Move on to the next color.

2. Mix colors right in the cup, on the fly. Got a color that is a bit too dark? Add a drop of white right to the paint cup, mix it up by back flushing for a few quick seconds and get back to painting.

3. Requires generally lower pressures to spray the same paints. Compared to a siphon feed where the air pressure is needed to draw the paint up from below into the air stream, with the gravity feed, the paint needs no assistance other then ‘gravity’ allowing you to use less air pressure to move the same amount of paint.

4. Requires less paint than a siphon feed to use. In comparison.. that small item you wanted to spray now takes a drop or two of paint directly into the paint cup instead of filling a bottle to the siphon tube.



Gravity Feed Cons:


1. Some have a smaller paint cup that requires filling multiple times for large areas. ( when shopping for an airbrush keep cup size in mind )

2. Need to be kept spotless internally to continue performing properly.





Q: Which type of airbrush is best, single action or double action, also what’s better, internal mix or external mix?

A: It really does not matter. i know i will take flack for this answer from some of the aficionados, but in all truth none of those make a difference in the performance or ability to lay down a stunning paint job.



Lets break them down and explain a bit further…..


By definition: A single action airbrush delivers both paint and air at the same time when you depress the trigger . Think of it as a miniature version of a spray can with a regulated air source that stays constant. The paint flow is set by choosing the right needle for the job. Large coverage=.5 tip and needle/fine detail = .2 tip and needle.


A double action airbrush delivers air when the trigger is depressed and will not start delivering paint until the trigger is pulled back. Tip and needle sets are still changeable for diameter of the spray pattern but the amount of paint that is released into the air stream is fully controlled during the process.


An external mix airbrush is exactly what it says, the paint never actually travels through the airbrush itself, the siphon tip is located at the nose of the airbrush directly in the air stream. as air passes over the opening in the tip it causes a vacuum which draws the paint up from the jar into the air and then propels it onto the model.


An internal mix airbrush draws the paint into the body of the airbrush itself where it is then shot through the tip and onto the model.


Airbrushes come in four combinations: single action external mix, single action internal mix, double action external mix and single action internal mix.

Each type of airbrush is capable of laying down show quality paint. no exceptions. there is a stipulation though… we will come to that shortly.



Q: Should i go out and buy the most expensive airbrush available and expect fantastic results right out of the box?

A: In a word…. NO,


Someday i am going to get people to listen when i tell them that it is not the airbrush that controls the quality of a paint job, it is the person who is holding the airbrush and their ability to use it.


let me explain,,, I can go to harbor freight and pick up one of their 15 dollar airbrushes, come home, unwrap it, load it with paint, and start spraying that kit I have been working on for weeks. Only to have the paint job turn out like crap.


I could then blame the airbrush for being “cheap” toss it in the trash and go buy a more expensive one. Get home and go through it all again only to have another bad paint job. This is the normal cycle with impatient people new to air brushing. ( at this stage some actually give up and go back to cans or brushes and normally become part of the ' i hate airbrushes brigade' )


By the time they get to an airbrush that lays paint smooth right out of the box, its not the airbrush that made the difference, it’s the time they have had holding different ones in their hand which amounts to “practice”.< That right there is the stipulation I mentioned earlier.


Now if i take that same 15 dollar budget airbrush and take a week practicing with it, learning the air pressures it likes to work with, learning the spray patterns, and the thickness of paint it likes. Once i know that airbrush inside and out, I can lay glass smooth paint with it, bar none. i have been telling people for years that the airbrush itself does not dictate the quality of the finish, it’s the person that holds it with experience that can do wonders with them.


Now do not get me wrong, there are reasons to upgrade to the more expensive airbrushes. The 15 dollar ones are normally constructed with cheaper parts, often times plastic bits that wear out fairly quickly, O ring’s that do not hold up well to solvents, and inherent design flaws due to the manufacturers lack of research and development.



When you move up the scale a bit you find those parts that were cheaper plastic, are then made of metal and tend to last longer. The O rings will hold up better to enamel and lacquer thinner’s and you will find they are more comfortable to use on a regular basis due to the extra research and development the bigger brands tend to invest in their products.

While it is quite possible that you can get 2 or 3 years out of that cheap one as long as it is taken care of properly.



Q: Can anyone recommend a good airbrush?

A: The problem with this question ‘yes’ everyone can. What I mean by that is, Everyone that has experience with their own tools ( yes an airbrush is a tool ) is going to have a ‘favorite’ . You will get 32 different answers from 55 different people and still be lost as to what constitutes a ‘good’ airbrush.


Say JoeAirbrush , who is a professional airbrush artist and has his airbrush in his hands 8-9 hours a day, likes and points you to a $300 airbrush, you trust his judgement and spend out all that cash. You take it home and take the time to learn it, start laying down awesome paint jobs. Problem is, you could have probably had the same exact result for a third of the cost.

The thing you have to remember, you do not have to shoot for overkill here. We build models. If the airbrush is in use more than an hour a day, that’s actually considered a lot ( unless you paint bodies for a living ). Many modelers spend a small fortune on airbrushes when its not really necessary. I was one of them for a while. At one time I had six of them. Now I have Backed that down to three. All of which are considered middle of the road airbrushes.


I use my oldest one, The Iwata Neo, for shooting primer, its 9 years old now, always maintained, and does what I need every single time I pick it up. The second one I use is A 5 year old Iwaata HP-CS , while this is a step up in craftsmanship from the Neo, it is still not considered a top of the line airbrush. This one is relegated to shooting any of my solvent based paints. The third and last one in my arsenal is the Sparmax Max4, This is my newest addition as it came in a compressor/airbrush combo when I needed a compressor five months ago for the hobby room. This one is designated to shooting anything acrylic. I separate them this way to make things easier on me.

It is not that one works better than the other, it’s that I never have to worry about it having a bit of residual thinner in the cup from the last cleaning to react with the new paint I put in them.


So all in all lets tally up what I use.. Neo = 50-60 bucks, HP-CS = 110 when I bought it from hobby lobby with the 40% coupon, and the Max4 = 70 . so my heaviest hitter is the HP-CS. Overall I have 250 in 3 different airbrushes.


Will I ever upgrade to more expensive airbrushes? Nah I doubt it. These do everything I ask or need and I can save my extra cash for more kits or supplies. Could I do without any of them? Yep, without a doubt, I could randomly remove any two from my collection and never miss a beat. If I were forced into making a recommendation…..


My recommendation?

If i were just getting into airbrushing myself and had to decide on a good all-around airbrush… I would aim for something in the middle of the road. Something like an Iwata Neo, A Paasche H series, A Badger 150, A Sparmax Max 4, A H&S Evolution Solo…All decent performers in their own right with the backing of a brand name and each will last you years as long as you maintain them properly.


In a nutshell, if you are just getting into the world of airbrushing, don’t “waste” your money on a top of the line airbrush that will cost hundreds of dollars. You can upgrade to one of them at a later point ( if you feel the need ) after you learn to use one.


The key to learning an airbrush is the same as with anything else… you need to have patience and practice. I have seen many a different modeler pick up even a moderately expensive airbrush setup, only to see it a week later on Ebay because it” didn’t work” for them.

White plastic spoons are awesome to learn to airbrush with, they have both concave and convex areas as well as nooks and crannies where the spoon portion contacts the handle. They are cheap as chips and give you a handle to hold while practicing.


Taking the time to learn your equipment is the biggest benefit you can give yourself.


Make a decision, Buy an airbrush, Learn to use it via practice, Enjoy modelling.

Cya soon