Hi there, Think its time to buy a air pump and airbrush… Any recommendations ? Regards, Crabie
Crabie, If you’re buying an airbrush spend the extra bucks and get a double action trigger. I like my Iwata Eclipse, but lots of Swaylockians swear by their Pasche double action airbrushes. For surfboards true airbrushes are marginal on paint volume. So get one which will spray higher paint volume. I remember mine having a .5 somethingorother tip, one of the higher volume airbrushes on the market. An airbrush which holds the paint reservoir above the tip is better at feeding paint. It’s called “gravity-feed”. The airbrushes which suck paint out of a reservoir, like mine, are called “siphon-feed”. They are usually less expensive, but still get the job done. I think lots of pros paint larger areas with touchup guns. The hobby and art supply places sell air compressors specifically for air brushes. The airbrush-dedicated outfits cost $100-$300 here in the US. They deliver low air volume at low pressure. The cheaper ones are designed to overload when you stop spraying, not a good design. The more expensive ones have a pressure valve, regulator and cutoff switch. However, you can buy a big 3 or 4 horsepower compressor with a tank for the same money as the better hobby shop models. The big jobs have all the needed valves, switches and pressure regulators for airbrushing. Plus you can use the bigger rigs for big sprayers and air tools. Buy the big compressor if you have the space.
Good call on the bigger rig with the tank Noodle. You can operate a bunch of tools with a decent compressor and tank. Some of the smaller air brush compressors which connect directly to the brush pulsate as they cycle. A tank gives a steady pressure.
Good call on the bigger rig with the tank Noodle. You can operate a bunch > of tools with a decent compressor and tank. Some of the smaller air brush > compressors which connect directly to the brush pulsate as they cycle. A > tank gives a steady pressure. By all means get a real compressor, I like the belt driven models because you can fix them if they break. I have both an Iwata Eclipse and a Pasche air brush. I prefer the Iwata, very user friendly, stainless steel needle and easy to clean. Pasche has non-stainless steel needle so it can rust on you and since the metal is softer it’s easier to bugger. Just my preference. Aloha Kokua