VLOG: Our Journey To Airbrushing
October 21, 2014 by lloyd
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Thank you! This was the exact kind of intro look that I was hoping for!
Hi @warzan, good first VLOG on this, I did flinch when you lubed up your shaft (there is no way of typing this without sniggering!) the needles are really sharp so always stroke up to the tip and never back down. Up and down is a definite no-no! Unless you like impaling yourself on it?!? Why do I sound like Finbarr Saunders from VIZ?
I have been using an airbrush for a few years, I have a Single action for undercoating (altering the spray pattern using the air pressure and needle position). I have a double action for everything else. You definitely get what you pay for and it is well worth looking at Amazon.com as I got a top of the range badger airbrush at 80% off, even with the import tax I got a £200 brush for @£100. Good luck with your endeavors and I’ll look forward to the next installment.
I saw the cost of an airbrush cleaning pit and decided it couldn’t be hard to make… so here’s my solution that has worked just fine for the last year:
http://imgur.com/DSOix65
Pit = pot… but I may call it a pit from now on.
Nice work
That might be a hobby lab episode in the making 🙂
Also, for the info of newbies, I got a generic airbrush kit with a small pump tank (diaphragm action), three different brushes (2x gravity fed, 1x vacuum fed) and some cleaning brushes for a bit over $100 plus shipping. Very happy with it. Find an airbrush supply shop on eBay and check out their range.
Ok, so quick question, do you guys deal with… I don’t know what the word is, toxicity? I keep reading all these suggestions about airbrushing with a booth or a filter, horror stories of blackened nostrils and inhaled solvent fumes. It’s well and good that some people have big workshops attached to their homes with HVAC systems or spray booths; and I commend people who set-up their own home-made spray booths, but is that were the set-up is on these? I’ll be honest, it’s my number one detractor – I don’t want to build a vent-hood to use it.
Thoughts on toxicity? Both for user and sensitive co-habitants (animals, birds, children, infants etc.) – as always, common sense being considered. Do you wear masks? Use vents-hoods? Set-up for ventilation?
We will be looking into that.
So stay tuned and as we find out more we’ll report back.
If you have a gun and desperate to use it if it’s only acrylic/ water paint set up the gun in a corner table with cardboard / old papers to catch the overspray. A DIY particle mask & glasses for yourself it’s the chemicals in the cleaning materials that you need to watch out for so well ventilated area like a garage or outside for cleaning the gun.
just to add check the thinners for chemicals.
I never paint for more than 20 mins at a time, maybe even a day. It just goes so quickly. You spend way more time prepping and cleaning than you do with the actual airbrush in your hand. I still prime outdoors with a can because I still have a lot of that left from before I got mine. Primer smells a lot more like chemicals than regular paint. I use a backstop of cardboard from an old box: 12″x12″x2″. I have a 12″x12″ square of mdf that sits on my desk. No paint ever gets outside of that area.
Wear a mask. Even if the paint is 100% non-toxic, you still don’t want to coat your lungs with it. It will be in the air as an extremely fine mist.
And you WILL get overspray and atomized paint landing hear and there. I wouldn’t use an airbrush anywhere I wouldn’t use a spray can.
If you already have a compressor (for airtools etc.), you can use that if you can stomach the noise. If you need to buy one, buy a quiet one.
For non-brand supplies, eBay is your friend.
I really don’t get the time-saving aspect. I find cleaning the darn thing takes so long it’s not worth taking out unless I’m painting lots of stuff in one color.
Great little teaser on what’s to come. Looking forward to this immensely.
Nice intro thanks for the info guys.
This was v helpfull. Can’t wait to see more
nice vlog guys carnt what to see more in to what your doing i managed to pick one set for just under hundred that had a tank decompresser one of the best things i ever picked up look forward to see what i can pick up 🙂
The timing of this is perfect for me as I’ve had a few airbrush bits for months now (Smart Jet Pro, Iwata Revolution, one of those funny tea pots ;)) but I only got up the courage to try it out last week. @warzan did you ever have any difficulty controlling the flow of paint? That’s been the biggest pain for me so far.. keeping the trigger in exactly the right position without moving it back further and flooding an area with paint.
I got the exact same compressor and brush, and picked up an Iwata Preset Handle for about 25 quid. It replaces the rear part of the brush handle with a similar piece with an adjustable screw to set the maximum the needle can be retracted so you can dial in your preferred spray pattern easily. Brilliant!
I’ve been dangerously close to trying some miniature airbrushing along the lines of Angel Giraldez approach to his Operation Icestorm method and would be very interested to see you guys tackle some minis once you get the basics down.
Ah, that could be just what I need. Thanks! I’ll look in to getting one of those 🙂
I’m going to like the series, but a few thoughts:
A bottom fed airbrush is almost as good as a gravity fed airbrush. I’ve got a badger 150 and my baby’s great!
I’m also unsure about the multiple airbrushes, as you are talking about 120 to 150 for every airbrush. Sure, it’s handy, but I think starting with a good airbrush and evolving to a great airbrush over the years is more realistic. Also if you would buy a second one after a few years, you know the weakness of you old airbrush and can search for an airbrush to compensate those.
The cleaning station is something I have been considering, but I use an empty cleaning bottle from vallejo (the big one you showed) to spray my dirty cleaning water in.
Rule one of airbrushing: Don’t be afraid. Just go ahead and do it and enjoy. You won’t be a master immediately, but it is not some dark craft that is impossible to master.
I’ve gone back and forth on whether to get an airbrush for a while now. I wouldn’t want to do it unless I invested in a good airbrush and a good compressor. My fear is I won’t take to them and wind up wasting a load of money. Hopefully the series will help me make up my mind.
I started on a 5$ airbrush and $100 air compressor. Unless your trying to do super thin lines a an expensive airbrush isn’t needed until you’ve made up your mind you would like to have a good go into it. The compressor is great for base coating miniatures and terrain, Vallejo base paints go a long long way compared to spray cans and mined paid for itself very quickly.
Yeah I picked up a few Vallejo Model Air / Game Air paints a few weeks ago and also some of their polyurethane primers too – the German Dark Yellow went onto a warjack really easily and the finish is far smoother than than anything I could have achieved with a brush, and infinitely less grainy than what I would have ended up with using a can of spray primer!
I also have to echo what Warren said in the video regarding the Vallejo airbrush cleaner – I too got the 85ml bottle and it’s a bugger to tip some into the reservoir or even transfer it into a small Vallejo paint bottle.. you end up spilling as much as you pour in. I’m going to have to get some cheap pipettes.
I don’t really use cleaner. Changing between paints with blowing out left over with water, the putting in new color and spray till new color comes out. I clean the way most high users do with an ultrasonic cleaner, the same way I clean my brushes and strip miniatures 100% clean or paint.
http://www.wargamingzone.com/
Website dedicated to 40K AIRBRUSHING! and MOAR!
Childish, I know but that’s got to be the winner of the “Fnaar Fnaar” annual award.
I look forward to additional pneumatic action!
Thank you for these videos 🙂
A good way to airbrush quite a long time with Vallejo is putting a little nut inside the bottle.
In this way when you shake the nut will grind up the color 🙂
This looks like it’s going to be a great series.
I’m still getting started with my airbrush – kind of feel like I’m on the second step of a very tall ladder, but I seem to be noticing the same things that you guys are. Lots of cleaner required and the trials and tribulations blasting cleaner all over the place.
Glad you’re going to be using Vallejo stuff, so I’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. Next purchases for me are going to be a cleaning kettle and a nicer Iwata brush!
Nice VLOG the only thing I would recommend is lubing all moving parts pin, trigger, even the threads will help the gun last longer and clean any odd particles of paint preventing were & tear.
Airbrush changed totaly my vision of painting minis. Totaly.
giggled very much at the shaftsection but otherwise very informative
Just started to research this, so the timing of these vids is great. Looking forward to learning more about it. 🙂
Get well soon mate.
I took the plunge and brought an airbrush myself a few months ago. I’m still getting the hang of it but, you’re right, it’s opened up a lot more options for me.
I’ll be watching these with extreme interest.
What the heck is Superlube ? He may be under the weather but Warren didn’t disappoint. 🙂
This series is going to be a great journey for a lot of us.
The idea behind getting a smooth coat with a brush is all about consistency and brush strokes. The rough texture comes from brush strokes so you need to make sure all your strokes are going in one direction. If you are careful with that you can use slightly thicker paint. Too thick and it will leave marks regardless, and too thin and you won’t be achieving anything.
Looking forward to this, I’ve been thinking about getting an airbrush for a while now.
Invest in an airbrush! It will pay you back in your first project by saving you many hours of work.
great stuff guys thank you will keep an eye out for these vlogs as i am very interested in getting an airbrush but have no clue until now 🙂
Great intro video. I’ve have been using airbrushes since high school (80’s) and the best advice I ever got is start with a quality one because a cheap one will frustrate you quickly and you’ll never do it again. I used to use Badger because the are made near me outside of Chicago. I now use Iwata because of the quality and value. But both are good companies. Next in line as far as importance is a good pump. For light work I have an Iwata Ninja that is a self contained unit. Is fine for small shorter jobs as it’s quieter than the bigger one and does have adjustable output and pressure switch. For longer use I use a larger pump with attached reservoir tank to maintain air pressure without the compressor running all the time, along with an air filter/dryer. Because the longer you run the pump the more condensation builds up and will splatter onto you subject. The main reason you use more than one brush is for detail work to broad subject work. My brushes have different size needless in them so I can use one for general broad coverage and step down to finer work. Changing colours isn’t hard to do once you get your cleaning routine down. As far as over spray the are many options for a spray box or booth, you can make your own very easily with a box, some air filter material and a small box fan like you see on desks. I once had one that had dryer vent hose with a small bilge fan from one of my old boats to exhaust out a widow. A couple of helpful hints is one clean and then clean your brushes again. Cleaning a clogged brush is no fun. Get an ultrasonic cleaner if you can it works great after a painting session. Second, thin your paints properly too thick and your clogging every other second. Too thin and you’ll have watery paint running down your mini. Lastly, finger control, learn it, practice it and use it a lot. You will be amazed how you will progress after you have been doing it got awhile. You have to use it quite often to build up that muscle memory. But most importantly have fun and you’ll be amazed at the results.
Just a little tip with vallejo, you can get the thinners in the larger bottles too, its more economical long term, but it is also worth noting you can use vallejo airbrush cleaner as a thinner for model or game air paints if you are ever stuck, it works fine.
Cleaning out is not really a chore with the higher end brushed, ny Harder and steenbeck ones you just pour out any left paint, thinners in and a brush around the pot to get the loose stuff out, tip it into a tub, then run airbrush cleaner through the brush into the cleaning tub like the one here. takes a couple of minutes really. At the end of a painting session I’ll also pull the needle out and clean it too but once you get used to it there really is no more time than cleaning out normal brushes, especially if you use brush soap.
This couldn’t have come at a better time! I am getting myself an airbrush set to start painting operation icestorm this christmas!
I have watched alot of airbrush intro vids before, this is the best so far! Usually the people in the vids I’ve seen are all veterans and get too far in too fast. Learning along with someone is much more helpful!
Keep it up guys!
really looking forward to this series as I have been contemplating making the jump for a little while now
Bring us more, more i tell ya!!!! :o)
Nice job guys, looking forward to see were this goes 🙂
After painting models/minis for nearly 30yrs, I finally bit the bullet and bought an airbrush back in January, and am very glad I did!
Have 2 brushes
1) Iwata Neo….. what a piece of crap that turned out to be! I seem to spend more time trying to clean and adjust this thing to get it working “properly” than actually using it that it just not worth the effort,
and
2) Badger Patriot 105, I can highly recommend this. Might seem a bit pricey to begin with but was definitely worth the investment, especially when compared to the Neo.
The Patriot is very easy to disassemble/re-assemble for cleaning (everything unscrews by hand, and there are no stupidly small components for the sausages I have for fingers to deal with unlike the Neo) and have had some great results painting with it.
Couldn’t be better timed, just purchased my first air-brush. Will be watching with interest.
Great intro. Lloyd’s common-man questions were spot-on and usually those that came to my mind at the same time.
Please don’t forget us in the States when sampling brands and such.
You can get an Iwata NEO CN for about $50 on eBay you won’t get super super thin lines but for that price I think nothing can beat it.
Harder and Steenbeck Ultra would be my choice of cheap beginners airbrush. It’s a little bit more expensive than the Neo but all reports indicate it’s a much better airbrush.
Nice timing! – I have just been doing something almost identical to you guys the past few weeks. Try doing some OSL on MDF terrain with white and some glazes – that alone sold me on air brushing. I picked up a similar gravity fed dual action (with an actual valve) and a compressor deal for $50 AUD on eBay. It does a half decent job too…
Thanks for all the tips. I actually have 3 airbrushes in my hobby area and have yet to use them in fear of ruining them, but with some of the tips I have ordered the thinner, cleaner, and Warren’s tiny shaft Superlube (LOL). I also ordered Flow improver as I have herd that mentioned also in the past videos I’ve seen. Looking forward to getting my stuff and giving it a try.
Right then. As my first post seems to be stuck in moderation hell for some reason. I’ll post it here again…
I know that this is a very basic beginners overview Vlog.
But I think it’s worth ticking these ere as they can be a treasure trove of airbrushing know how…
Flory Models… https://www.youtube.com/user/florymodels/videos
International Scale Modeler… https://www.youtube.com/user/ScaleModelReview/videos
Buy Painted… https://www.youtube.com/user/Buypainted/videos
Ichiban Painting… https://www.youtube.com/user/ichibanpainting/videos
Haven’t linked to specific vids as they’re nearly all worth watching.
Why is it whenever I try and post links to airbrush sites the post goes up for moderation..?
Very odd.
So i’ll post without the links then…
It’s worth checking out the youtube channels by
Flory Models…
International Scale Modeler…
Buy Painted…
Ichiban Painting…
will you guys be going over tanks as well?
I recommend the IWATA NEO for an affordable decent quality airbrush.
Impossible to get smooth paint? Pffft, patience and thin coats @warzan 😉 check out my thread. Although even I’ll admit, I’m sooo tempted to start airbrushing just to save time!
Random question, for people who want to stick to certain ranges of paint, it possible to use say GW paints in an airbrush??
Yes but use plenty of thinner. 🙂
You really should use a pump with a tank and regulator. Other wise the air pulses down the airbrush causing all sorts of issues.
Something I forgot to mention. Tanks blow colder air, were as non tanks blow out hotter air or sometimes very hot air if it uses pistons, this affects the paint and sometimes even annoyingly dry it in the air brush or before it hits the the model/canvas.
@warzan I’m really looking forward to the series as I’ve recently bought an airbrush and air compressor. I’ve got a Neo Iwata airbrush, and the same airbrush cleaner pot, Tamiya acrylic thinners, and Iwata/Medea airbrush cleaning fluid. I just need the motivation to use it, as I keep putting myself off the thought of using it and then having to clean it – just like you guys said in the video.
But I know that once I’ve had a go at it, I’ll get over that feeling that it’ll be a hassle to use.
The only thing I don’t have, and am not sure I need yet, is a spray booth with an extractor fan. I’ll mostly be using the airbrush to basecoat minis more quickly, and I don’t think I’d be using it for long periods of time to necessitate the need for a spray booth, other than a large box to catch any overspray.
The other thing that perturbs me with using an airbrush, is when I hear from airbrush users that because it’s raining and damp out, they can’t use their airbrush because of the extra moisture in the air that stops the paint from hitting the model properly (being too wet I think), or when it’s too hot, that the paint dries in the air before it hits the model or dries on the model with an orange peel surface. Will there be anything in the videos that addresses these issues for optimal airbrushing conditions?
I’ve done a quick review of a VEDA WD130E airbrush in the HOBBY forum, it’s one of the better ‘china specials’ it’s cheap! but it’s worked really well.
http://www.beastsofwar.com/groups/painting/forum/topic/airbrush-review/
cheers
AL
Hey guys, nice beginners overview. I just recently got into airbrushing as well. Did a boatload of Google “research” and finally decided if I’m getting into it, I’m going all in.
I picked up a nice dual piston compressor/tank/regulator setup ($125US), 10′ Iwata airline/water trap, quick disconnect, Iwata-Badger adapter, and a Badger Krome. I also got a tube of Superlube (which is sitting in a drawer collecting dust now).
The one thing I did not account for was the different connector at the regulator – it wasn’t 1/4 NPT, it was 1/8 BSP. So I needed a 1/8 Female BSP to 1/4 MaleNPT adapter. Local hardware stores aren’t likely to have that one so ended up having to wait on Amazon order to start painting. Don’t do like me, research those connectors and be prepared with correct adapters.
Since I didn’t really enjoy changing out needles on the Krome, I left it with the .21 installed and picked up an Iwata HP-CR w/ the .5 and I’ve been really amazed with this little brush and honestly would recommend it as your first brush. The trigger action is so smooth, you will find control and muscle memory is easy to gain. It doesn’t dry-tip near as often as the Krome (even when it was equipped with the .5) and it just seems to instill confidence. I can make better controlled lines with it than the Krome. Honestly, wish I’d started with this brush and saved some money. I’ve also switched to Badger Regdab lube, I think it works a bit better than Superlube and doesn’t get gummified.
I know some will pssh pah this bit of advice, but for cleaner I just use 91% Rubbing Alcohol. It’s dirt cheap, hasn’t not harmed the finish or workings of either brush in 4 months of heavy use, and when you do manage to tear through the 1L bottle, you can just run to local drug store or Wal Mart type store and pick up another (especially nice if your hobby supply store isn’t so local). I also don’t buy thinner but use a custom blend I make. Much cheaper and does the job nicely.
Excuse the double negative – “hasn’t not”.
Should read – “has not”
Highly recommend this vid … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVGCHlutCS4
Learned more about airbrushes from the vid than all the rest combined!
Sorry, this one … http://youtu.be/tsW-vN0_lHw
Sorry, not that vid, this one … http://youtu.be/tsW-vN0_lHw
Hi! it was a great vlog, i hope you can see in future vlogs the aztek airbrushes, wich are resin body and single and double action at the same time.