Airbrushing
- Thread starter Lynnb
- Start date
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Thanks again for the great input, I did belong to Trainmasters TV a few years back, sounds like I will have to rejoin, I'm going to need all the help I can get. I had been reading up on the Iwata line of brushes last night, including the https://www.mapleairbrushsupplies.com/pages/iwata-airbrush-applications which gave a pretty good break down of what each type of brush would be best at as well I spent quite a bit of time on Don Wheelers site , he had me conviced the Iwata Eclipse HP- CS is a very good choice and after reading up on the mapleairbrushsupplies site I'm thinking the difference between the Revolution CR and the Eclipse HP-CS is perhaps the needle sizes ? I was also reading though that both could use the larger and smaller needle sizes. Yes a bit confused but better than a few days ago.
For you, I'd recommend two possibilities. The Iwata revolution CR or the BCR. You can see them here:
https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/revolution-4500-cr.html
and here:
https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/revolution-2000-bcr.html
To give you some help choosing between gravity feed and siphon feed, the 1/3 oz. cup on the Revolution CR will hold enough paint to do two coats on an HO 50 ft. double door boxcar, so think about what you'll be doing and pick the style that best fits your needs.
They are in the hundred buck range, which means you may have to put off your next locomotive purchase for a bit
, but they have the following going for them:
You'll only buy the one. I still have my very first Iwata, and all I've ever done with it was needle nozzle replacement. The initial nozzle set lasted 5 years and I replaced them because I dropped it. Yeah that happens to the best of us! You can probably do considerably better than the hundred buck range with the Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon or similar offers. I like this brand because the needles and nozzles are hardened stainless steel, not brass lime most others, so they last a long time. Machining is superior, so I didn't have to use beeswax to plug air leaks like I did with a Badger Patriot I bought. They use o rings in their air fittings, so everything just has to be finger tight. The Revolution has a .5 mm nozzle size which is important for using acrylic paints.
You'll need a hose too, and that's typically another $15-20.00. There are several types. I use the braided one because I stand and it's tough. There are also urethane hoses that are almost as tough and lighter. it depends on what your work area is going to look like.
No matter what brand you get, thinning paint will be the most important thing to learn. Remember the milk rule. Thin your paint until it's the consistency of milk. It should leave a film on the bottle or mixing cup just like what's left when you finish a glass of milk. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. I've been doing this for a long time, and made all the mistakes! Do you by chance belong to Trainmasters TV? I did a series of airbrushing shows for them you can watch. Those were a lot of fun!
https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/revolution-4500-cr.html
and here:
https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/revolution-2000-bcr.html
To give you some help choosing between gravity feed and siphon feed, the 1/3 oz. cup on the Revolution CR will hold enough paint to do two coats on an HO 50 ft. double door boxcar, so think about what you'll be doing and pick the style that best fits your needs.
They are in the hundred buck range, which means you may have to put off your next locomotive purchase for a bit
, but they have the following going for them:You'll only buy the one. I still have my very first Iwata, and all I've ever done with it was needle nozzle replacement. The initial nozzle set lasted 5 years and I replaced them because I dropped it. Yeah that happens to the best of us! You can probably do considerably better than the hundred buck range with the Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon or similar offers. I like this brand because the needles and nozzles are hardened stainless steel, not brass lime most others, so they last a long time. Machining is superior, so I didn't have to use beeswax to plug air leaks like I did with a Badger Patriot I bought. They use o rings in their air fittings, so everything just has to be finger tight. The Revolution has a .5 mm nozzle size which is important for using acrylic paints.
You'll need a hose too, and that's typically another $15-20.00. There are several types. I use the braided one because I stand and it's tough. There are also urethane hoses that are almost as tough and lighter. it depends on what your work area is going to look like.
No matter what brand you get, thinning paint will be the most important thing to learn. Remember the milk rule. Thin your paint until it's the consistency of milk. It should leave a film on the bottle or mixing cup just like what's left when you finish a glass of milk. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. I've been doing this for a long time, and made all the mistakes!
Do you by chance belong to Trainmasters TV? I did a series of airbrushing shows for them you can watch. Those were a lot of fun!
I would heartily recommend the HP-CS. It's my "go to" airbrush and I have them all. It just depends on your budget. I recommended the Revolution to you because it's larger nozzle (.5 mm vs .35 mm for the eclipse CS) makes it a little more friendly for beginners with acrylic paints. The Eclipse can be fitted with a .5 mm nozzle. Three parts are required, needle, nozzle, and nozzle cap. You could buy all of that but that puts you close to a $200.00 initial investment at list price. the Hobby Lobby coupon would help here, or other similar promotions. The big difference between the Eclipse series and the Revolution series is the Revolution has a threaded nozzle, and the Eclipse series uses a floating nozzle. A floating nozzle is clamped between the airbrush body and the nozzle cap. For model railroaders, there are three Iwata lines that fit our needs. The Revolution series is the entry level, the Eclipse series is the mid level, and the plus series is the premium level. The Revolution is a solid airbrush, but by all means get what you think fits you best! I happen to be an Iwata dealer myself. I have sold to a few people on the forum, but I'm not really here to push sales, just to share information, techniques, and have fun.
Thanks Alan , I kinda had the feeling you were thinking of my budget, I have always been a firm believer in spending a bit extra to get what’s needed for the long haul , hopefully I will find an interest in airbrushing, saying that, I did order the hp-cs kit that comes with the hose. I ordered from amazon.ca , it is costing me $275 Canadian to my door. Kinda wish I would have known you could have supplied it although I’m not sure how shipping and currency exchange would have played out. I’m going to look into getting the needle , nozzle cap to make it more of a beginner type airbrush.
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No sweat Lynn. Like I said I'm not here to do business, and I would have referred you to a Canadian dealer. It's just easier for both of us. One more piece of advice, well two. I believe Trainmasters TV has a free video of me cleaning an airbrush. Check it out. Also, never pull the needle out with fluid in the cup. Make that three. PM me if you have any issues. Enjoy!
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