Best beginner airbrush kit?

[RC-Dude]

@Ajag - what size is the nozzle of your hvlp? Or what do you recommend.

Have a 1,4mm (with extra larger nozzles) airbrush here to that I had just ordered from Amazon- had one look and just thought that thing is way too big.

Then orderd a 0,8mm airbrush but it leaks. Tried it with water and the water runs down my hand. Had good ratings on Amazon. So I'll send it back or see what their support writes back.

Not sure now if I should go with the 0,8mm or 1,4mm. Main use will be to use for Liquid Mask.

 

[Ajag]

@Ajag - what size is the nozzle of your hvlp? Or what do you recommend.

Have a 1,4mm (with extra larger nozzles) airbrush here to that I had just ordered from Amazon- had one look and just thought that thing is way too big.

Then orderd a 0,8mm airbrush but it leaks. Tried it with water and the water runs down my hand. Had good ratings on Amazon. So I'll send it back or see what their support writes back.

Not sure now if I should go with the 0,8mm or 1,4mm. Main use will be to use for Liquid Mask.

Use the 1.4mm nozzle

I’ve tried multiple sizes and I’ve settled on a 1.7mm for now ..the 1.4mm will work great for you ..I shoot at around 60psi and lay down one thick coat ..not too thick where it pools or drips though ..I’m impatient and don’t like to wait to shoot multiple coats ..I’ve had great luck using a single heavy coat
I look for a nice solid pink color

You’re better off shooting a little thicker vs thinner
If you go too thin it’s impossible to get off the body and it’s useless ..get yourself an angled tip Bitty designs knife as well (6$)..using a regular scalpel makes it very hard to cut consistent straight lines ..the most important part is taking the time to draw out your pattern on the outside then carefully cut from the inside

Here’s a couple pics

 

[RC-Dude]

That looks good!

My first go was with a 0,5mm nozzle. Could not wait and wanted to try. Kept working the needle with the open airbrush back and forth. When I looked up - after a long stubborn session of "I'll get this right" - I was in a haze of liquid coat. Had a mask on with replaceable filter that I normally use for woodwork. Obviously not the way to go. At least the body was covered...

I do the airbrushing indoor. Fan for the window ordered. Got a super soft brush from the arts and crafts section. It's fine but 2 or three layers is more like 8-10 layers and then it's not even as pink as your bodies above. Add drying inbetween, cleaning brush every time etc....

I'll try the 1,4mm.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Ajag]

That looks good!

My first go was with a 0,5mm nozzle. Could not wait and wanted to try. Kept working the needle with the open airbrush back and forth. When I looked up - after a long stubborn session of "I'll get this right" - I was in a haze of liquid coat. Had a mask on with replaceable filter that I normally use for woodwork. Obviously not the way to go. At least the body was covered...

I do the airbrushing indoor. Fan for the window ordered. Got a super soft brush from the arts and crafts section. It's fine but 2 or three layers is more like 8-10 layers and then it's not even as pink as your bodies above. Add drying inbetween, cleaning brush every time etc....

I'll try the 1,4mm.

Thanks for the help!

I just shot these

You need coverage so it’s like this pink

One thick layer

Anything smaller than a 1.2mm nozzle just takes forever to shoot
.5mm is just too small ..won’t work at all..the LM is too thick for a nozzle that small

That’s why I’m using a 1.7mm now

 

[RC-Dude]

Thanks - 1,4mm works great. With the number of bodies you are working on I can see why you use 1,7mm. Is there any negative effect if the liquid coat stays on for a few weeks. Like beeing harder to pull off?

 

[Ajag]

Thanks - 1,4mm works great. With the number of bodies you are working on I can see why you use 1,7mm. Is there any negative effect if the liquid coat stays on for a few weeks. Like beeing harder to pull off?

I’ve done bodies that were sitting in liquid mask for like 9 months and they peel just the same ..so no..you don’t need to worry about how long the liquid mask fits on the body

 

[RC-Dude]

@Ajag - I did a Mojave body but the green areas are just very patchy. Using a 0,5mm nozzle. Takes a long time to do larger areas. How do you spray larger areas? How do I improve the green area next time - just more time for more layers?

 

[Ajag]

@Ajag - I did a Mojave body but the green areas are just very patchy. Using a 0,5mm nozzle. Takes a long time to do larger areas. How do you spray larger areas? How do I improve the green area next time - just more time for more layers?

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Shooting through a .5mm nozzle means you typically need to thin the paint more than you would with a larger tip

The key to shooting bright colors and flourescents is to be VERY consistent with how you coat it ..you need to be very careful about trying to lay the paint down consistently in all areas or you’ll get the patchiness

Light coats are better ..never go heavy

I have like 6 different airbrushes so for large areas I use a patriot 105 airbrush with a .7mm tip and it helps me to coat the large areas faster
I also recommend a decent hair dryer ..so you can dry the paint quickly after shooting it ..otherwise it would take forever to do a body

I just shot this one today
Once it’s prepped for paint it’s actually a pretty quick job..probably about an hour of painting to do this one

 

[RC-Dude]

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated!
Did you do that one also with a liquid mask? Just wondering about cutting that...

 

[Tex Koder]

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Ajag,
If I may ask..

Are you buying ALL these bodies in Bulk to have on-hand ,just because you want to?

Or
Do you actually have customers orders or Pre-orders /"down payments in hand" ,THEN you obtain these bodies afterwards??

 

[Ajag]

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated!
Did you do that one also with a liquid mask? Just wondering about cutting that...

Yes
Done in liquid mask..then draw the pattern on the outside..then cut on the inside

Ajag,
If I may ask..

Are you buying ALL these bodies in Bulk to have on-hand ,just because you want to?

Or
Do you actually have customers orders or Pre-orders /"down payments in hand" ,THEN you obtain these bodies afterwards??

I buy a ton of bodies just because I want to try painting different bodies

I probably have about 30-40 clear bodies on hand at all times
I typically keep most of the popular 1/7 and 1/10 bodies on hand though for painting as I know I’ll have requests to paint them. If I don’t have the body that’s requested I just buy one..I don’t charge anyone anything til I’m done with painting the body requested

 

[RC-Dude]

I see I need to step up my game with the knife work in the liquid mask.

 

[ozzy22]

I'm looking to try airbrushing and was wondering what the best beginner kit is. I was thinking to just get a harbor freight compressor?
Is this a good option?
COSVII Airbrush Kit Upgraded 40 PSI Air Brush Painting Kit with Compressor, Gravity Feed Dual Action Airbrush Gun Set with 0.2/0.3/0.5 mm Nozzles for Art Model Makeup Nail Cake Decorating https://a.co/d/gN0xxXt

The Harbor Freight compressor is a popular choice among hobbyists and beginners, as it is relatively inexpensive and widely available. However, it may not be the best option for airbrushing. The compressors sold by Harbor Freight are usually low-end and not designed for airbrushing specifically. They may not have enough power to support consistent airflow and may not have the appropriate fittings for connecting to an airbrush.

A better option for beginners would be a starter airbrush and compressor kit specifically designed for airbrushing. These kits typically include everything you need to get started, including the airbrush, compressor, hoses, and sometimes even paint. They are also designed to work together, so you can be sure that the compressor will provide the right amount of airflow and pressure for the airbrush. Some of the recommended brands for beginner's airbrush kits are Iwata, Paasche and Badger.

 

[RC-Dude]

• Where do you get stencils that stick to the body? Is there some tape. Thinking of a motor grill type stencil. Tried a Bittydesign stencil and results - well yes could be better.
  
  
• The Bittydesign knife was a game changer. Works a lot better than the knife I tried before.
  
  
• Ordered a 0,7mm Airbrush.

 

[Ajag]

• Where do you get stencils that stick to the body? Is there some tape. Thinking of a motor grill type stencil. Tried a Bittydesign stencil and results - well yes could be better.
  
  
• The Bittydesign knife was a game changer. Works a lot better than the knife I tried before.
  
  
• Ordered a 0,7mm Airbrush.

I make my own stencils using my cricut machine
I make them out of thin Mylar so they’re flexible

For the grille look I made up some different sized hex shaped stencils

To get this look

I shoot black over the stencil..then shade the edges and then chrome backed in black

 

[RC-Dude]

That's very helpful. Thanks!
I printed some on 3d printer with TPU, one layer 0,25mm. Very flexible but have not tried them. Some prints are just too stringy.
Only done 3 bodies so far. First one was like: You need to step up or go back to spray cans.

Is fun. Takes time. Learning...

Also have some color pigments from some epoxy project. Added a lot of gold to the golden proline color. Really intensified the gold. The proline neon yellow also just not intense enough.

From thingiverse:

 

[RC-Dude]

Do you have some kind of last paint layer to finish off? I found the airbrushed colors are easily scratched.

 

[Ajag]

Do you have some kind of last paint layer to finish off? I found the airbrushed colors are easily scratched.

I always back in either black or white ..at least 3-4 layers

 

[RC-Dude]

@Ajag - thanks for all your input! Very helpful. Your last pictures very encouraging - especially seeing the clean cut lines.

Just finished this one. Very similar design to the original one on the Arrma website. Colors a lot brighter in real life. Need to improve on the cutting. Had a bit of an unsuitable pen which is not working properly on plastic. Some lines I had to draw a number of times. So I had some trouble cutting clean finishes where lines meet not seeing properly where I had cut the first line due to pen marks on the outside. Also on longer lines where the body is changing shape. Just ordered a pen suitable for plastic. Think is some places it makes sense to remove the pen on the outside before cutting a second line to get lines that are the same width all the way. That would have made a difference.

I also think it makes sense to not just have the cheapest airbrush. Ordered a better one and at 0,3mm and 0,5mm it does a lot better job than the ones I have at 0,5mm.

 

[Ajag]

@Ajag - thanks for all your input! Very helpful. Your last pictures very encouraging - especially seeing the clean cut lines.

Just finished this one. Very similar design to the original one on the Arrma website. Colors a lot brighter in real life. Need to improve on the cutting. Had a bit of an unsuitable pen which is not working properly on plastic. Some lines I had to draw a number of times. So I had some trouble cutting clean finishes where lines meet not seeing properly where I had cut the first line due to pen marks on the outside. Also on longer lines where the body is changing shape. Just ordered a pen suitable for plastic. Think is some places it makes sense to remove the pen on the outside before cutting a second line to get lines that are the same width all the way. That would have made a difference.

I also think it makes sense to not just have the cheapest airbrush. Ordered a better one and at 0,3mm and 0,5mm it does a lot better job than the ones I have at 0,5mm.

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That looks great man


Nice job for sure ..I use the bitty designs black markers to do l my designs on the outside of the body
They work well and are only a couple bucks

As for airbrushes..I’ve tried a quite a few different ones ..probably 20-30 different ones ..and I’ve settled on the Iwata eclipse for all my detail
Work and I use the badger patriot 105’s for my bigger coverage areas

https://www.amainhobbies.com/bittydesign-permanent-marker-pen-bdymp-1014/p699047