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Etsy Review: Typhoon Paint Mixer for Hobby & Airbrush Paints

Geek Gifts, Hobby Tradecraft, News and Info, Tabletop Gaming Comments Off

Nov 182015

Continuing the idea of sharing stuff that I’ve found to be useful or unique for gamers and hobbyists, today we’re going to look at something really different, the Typhoon Paint Mixer. The Typhoon Paint Mixer is available on Etsy from the seller Kennedys Art Supply.

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The Typhoon Paint Mixer – perfect for mixing all of your hobby and airbrush paints

Just What Is The Typhoon Paint Mixer?

Simply put it’s an electric motorized paint stirrer that’s made for small sized paint pots used by miniature hobbyists, model builders and airbrush users. If you’re like most folks in those hobbies, what started out as a few paints has likely grown to a fairly large collection in it’s own right at this point and you know that when paint sits around for awhile it separates and settles and can be a pain to shake back into usable condition. Shaking your paints vigorously can also leave them kind of foamy or even result in accidents where the lid comes off mid shake and you have a mess to clean up.

Enter the Typhoon Paint Mixer, a desktop mixing machine that doesn’t actually shake the paint bottles but mixes them via high speed vibration, similar to how test tube vortex mixer works.

Why Is the Typhoon Paint Mixer Better?

A powered hobby paint mixer is going to be one of those gadgets that a lot of people will consider a luxury item and not a necessity. There are a lot of ways to skin the proverbial paint mixing cat. I’ve seen everything from battery operated cocktail stirrers, to using a drill to spin paints, to purpose built hobby paint shakers. The truth is that while any of these methods will work, none of them are ideal, some of them are potentially messy and some can be downright rage inducing. The Typhoon Paint Mixer does one thing, but it does that one thing very well.

Unlike other paint mixers or home brew contraptions there’s no strapping the paint pot into a device or opening it up involved. The Typhoon paint mixer is touch activated. You simply press the pot down on the rubber ring on top of the unit for a few seconds and it does its thing, which is to vibrate very fast in a manner that creates a vortex inside the paint pot and mixes your paint perfectly every time. But don’t just take my word for it, watch the video below.

(As I understand it, there is no longer a “model 1/model 2”. Due to popular request, all of the Typhoon Paint Mixers now come with the larger ring to accommodate the fatter paint pots. You may want to confirm this when ordering though in case I’m wrong)

You can see the paint swirl and change color as it is blended with the medium. The Typhoon does this by swirling the liquid much faster than you could ever shake it by hand or with a battery operated device. The specs state that the liquid is swirled 60 times a second. The interesting thing about this is that you don’t end up with foamy paint even after that vigorous swirling.

One of the best things about this unit is that it doesn’t feel like some cheap plastic toy. I’ve had a couple of the Robart Hobby Paint Shakers and they’re pretty sub par to be honest. They feel cheap and use a proprietary rubber band setup. I’ve burned the motors out on two of these and had them vibrate right off my desk on more than one occasion. The Typhoon Paint Mixer doesn’t require any special hardware and it is HEAVY! I haven’t weighed it but the case and bottom are thick steel and it probably weighs between five to ten pounds which means it doesn’t budge when your operate it. It’s also a plug in unit so there are no batteries to replace.

The description on Etsy states that these units are handcrafted, but what I think that actually means is that they are surplus industrial equipment that has been reconditioned and/or rebuilt and made presentable with a new paint job and labeling. Robert Kennedy, the maker of these units is very committed to making sure that buyers of the Typhoon Paint Mixer are 100 percent satisfied and he offers a 90 days money back or replacement guarantee. He also offers various colors and I think will do custom colors upon request. (I also think it’s kind of cool that this Etsy seller has found a legitimate second life for these mixers. Bonus points for keeping them out of the landfill.)

The Typhoon Paint Mixer is solidly built and has a heavy duty electrical cord

What Brands of Paint Can I Mix With The Typhoon Paint Mixer?

Robert states that you can mix just about any bottle of hobby and model paint with the Typhoon Paint Mixer. I’ve tested the unit with lots of different paints including Vallejo, Reaper, Games Workshop, Tamiya, Mig/AK, Minitaire and more. It works great with all of these paint pots as they all fit into the rubber ring on top of the paint mixer. In every case it’s worked exactly as advertised and thoroughly mixed the paint. (If you need help selling the idea of purchasing one of these to your significant other, you might want to mention to him or her that it’s also great for shaking up bottles of nail polish, everybody wins!)

The Typhoon Paint Mixer, Is it Worth It?

Now we’re going to talk about what this thing will cost you. As I mentioned above, this is definitely a “luxury gadget”. It sells on Etsy for $75 shipped and currently only ships to US addresses. If I had to guess I’d say that there’s no international shipping option because the unit is so heavy that shipping it overseas is likely to be an expensive prospect.

$75 for a paint mixer sounds like a lot on the surface of it but considering what I spend on paint, brushes, airbrush equipment, etc. it’s just another piece of equipment. That kind of purchase isn’t in everyone’s hobby budget though, so your mileage may vary. For the sake of comparison though, if you were to buy an actual vortex mixer for your paint station you’re looking at about $250 for a new unit on Amazon and other sites. There’s no way I would ever recommend spending $250 on a paint mixer. If we compare paint mixers to paint mixers, I killed two Robart mixers after about of year of use for each one. Considering that those run about $40 apiece, plus batteries, I spent more on those two mixers than I spent on the Typhoon.

Having used the Typhoon Paint Mixer though and seeing in person how well it works, I can recommend this at the current listed price on Etsy for it’s utility, it’s quality and durability. I’m definitely giving the Typhoon Paint Mixer a thumbs up if you’re a serious painter and can fit it into your hobby budget. As a holiday gift, I don’t think I know any hobbyist who wouldn’t appreciate getting one of these.

Get your own Typhoon Paint Mixer at Kennedys Art Supply on Etsy!

Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Accessories

Hobby Tradecraft, News and Info, Tabletop Gaming 1 Response »

Feb 172015

In the last couple of articles we’ve looked at airbrushes and airbrush compressors. Today we’ll continue with that theme by exploring all of the extra stuff that you may need as you begin to airbrush. In terms of price per item the airbrush and compressor are likely the two most expensive parts of the process. However there are quite a few other things that you’re going to want to pick up as well. Most of these are fairly inexpensive. Some of these items are optional and you can either pass on them completely or pick them up at a later date. There are a few things though that are pretty much mandatory due to safety or environmental concerns. Even though we’re talking about spraying water based acrylics through your airbrush you’ll still want to take care of yourself and your surroundings.

In this article we’ll tall about all of the odds and ends that I use when airbrushing, why I use them or find them useful and finally, whether I feel they are must haves or optional buys.

I’ve got an Airbrush & Compressor so I’m Ready to Start, Right?

If you’ve picked up an airbrush and compressor or other air source you’re probably thinking you’re all set. Well, not quite. There are a few other items you’re going to want to pick up or at least consider. Fortunately, if you’ve spent carefully on the two big items you’ve probably got some room left in the budget to pick some of these things up.

Airbrushing Is Still Spraying Paint, That Means Safety First

First off lets talk about your airspace. What I mean by that is the air that you’re breathing. When you spray paint you’re going to breathe in atomized paint particles unless you take some precautions to minimize your exposure. I know, you’re probably thinking “wait, hobby acrylics are water based paint, how bad can that be?” What you need to be aware of is that some of the materials in paint, like cadmium used in yellow paints is bad for you if you ingest it. I’m not a doctor so I don’t know what the threshold is for breathing something in like cadmium but why risk it? Cadmium and other ingredients in paint can cause organ failure if you get enough exposure. If you’re already sensitive to things or have other issues (or an issue you might be unaware of) you really should take some steps to mitigate your exposure. If you don’t believe me about how much paint you can ingest in an airbrushing session. Blow your nose after you’ve painted something green or black without a mask and see what that looks like. You’ll probably be surprised by how much paint you can actually suck up when you airbrush.

There are two main ways to deal with this. If you’re painting in the garage then you can probably get by with just a mask. If you’re painting in the house, you’ll want to use a mask and some sort of spray booth. You can make a spray booth, check out Google or YouTube and you’ll find some articles or videos there on kludging together a spray booth as a DIY project. If you prefer a ready made solution you can get a portable spray booth, probably from the same place you bought your airbrush and compressor.

This portable airbrush spray booth will keep your airbrushing environment clean

I use the Master Airbrush Portable Spray Booth. These things used to be ridiculously expensive but have come way down in price over the last few years. Retail is $169 but you can pick this up online for around $80. This is offered in a couple of different packages. You’ll want the one that includes the extra hardware for the exhaust. This comes with a semi-rigid flex hose and a spout that is narrow so that you can wedge it in a slightly open window allowing you to vent the air outside. The plastic outlet actually has a raised ridge around it so that you can close the window on it and it stays in place requiring only a narrowly open gap. (It’s pretty mild weather where I live so having a little gap in the window is no big deal. If you’re in colder or warmer climes you’ll probably want to seal that gap.)

This type of dryer vent hose is much more flexible than what’s included with the spray booth

One caveat: the flex hose was a little too rigid for me because of where I needed to position the spray booth relative to the window. I solved this by not using the included flex hose and picking up a 4” diameter dryer vent flex hose at Home Depot. The dryer hose was much more flexible, allowing me to route the exhaust where I needed it easily. One other note, this spray booth is rated for non-flammable materials. Don’t use it with lacquer or enamel paints because the fan isn’t spark proof . You’ll need to explore other more expensive options if you plan to spray anything combustible. I would rate the portable spray booth as a “must have” if you’re working inside your house. Optional if you’re in the garage.

The 3M 6000 Respirator Half Mask is a good choice when using an airbrush

The other safety item is a mask/respirator. Get a good one because it’s your health we’re talking about. In a pinch you can use a disposable paper one and that’s better than nothing but you’re much better off investing in a good mask. I’m recommending the 3M 6000 series half mask. This is a half mask so it only covers your nose & mouth and won’t get in the way of your glasses. It includes filters that are good for sanding/grinding/acrylic painting and you can upgrade it to use filter cartridges if you’re working with harsher chemicals like lacquer or enamel paints. I’m rating the mask as a must have accessory because health is important and I want you to be around awhile to enjoy your hobbying!

Disposable gloves will help keep airbrush overspray off of your hands when holding small models or parts

The next thing on our list is optional, depending on how much you care about getting paint on your hands. I find it handy to keep a box of latex (or nitrile if you’re allergic to latex) disposable gloves in my paint area. I don’t use these for brush painting but I definitely do use them when I’m airbrushing, at least on the hand I’m holding miniatures or models with. Semi-optional but recommended.

Last but not least for environment accessories is something that a lot of people overlook and that’s good lighting. You probably have good lighting on your paint desk where you brush paint. You should have good lighting where you airbrush as well. Either get another light or if you have a light with one of those table clamps that it sockets into, just pick up an extra table clamp and you can move your light around without having to get under your desk to undo the clamp all the time. Good lighting in your work space is a must have!

I have posted other articles about proper desk lamps and daylight bulbs for hobbying and you can check those out if you’d like a little more information on those subjects.

Airbrush Care and Maintenance Accessories

The Iwata Airbrush Cleaning Station is a must have and includes a built in airbrush stand

In this section we’ll look at items that you’ll want to have to take care of your airbrush and work area. There are several items that I find really helpful to have on hand. One of my favorites is an airbrush cleaning station. This is a basically a jar that your airbrush nozzle sockets into and it allows you to empty out paint, cleaning fluid and water rapidly when you’re doing a color change during an airbrushing session. The jar has a little filter that allows air out but keeps moisture and particulates in. When the jar is full you just remove the lid and dump it. You can probably find a video on YouTube telling you how to build one of these if you want to make it a DIY project or you can buy one. I have the Iwata Airbrush Cleaning Station and I like it because it actually has a built in airbrush holder as part of the handle. You can pick this item up for around $20 online usually. Optional but so handy I really recommend it.

This airbrush stand will hold four airbrushes and clamps on to your desk

Airbrush stands come in single double and quad configurations. Handy to have but not required. Definitely consider getting one if you airbrush a lot and have more than one airbrush.

This 10 foot long braided airbrush hose will give you plenty of room to work and should last just about forever

One thing I really recommend is a 10′ long braided airbrush hose. Don’t use the thin vinyl ones that come with some airbrush packages. The hose will kink and/or crack eventually. I’m also not a fan of the plastic coil up hoses. They always seem to be in the way and I feel like I’m fighting against my hose all the time. If you purchased one of the Master Airbrush Compressors I mentioned in my previous article it probably came with a 6 foot braided hose and that may be adequate for you so try it out first. Since I keep my compressor on the floor I like having the longer hose. Recommended but optional.

This handy airbrush adapter set covers all of the most common airbrushes

If you’re using a braided hose chances are it’s a standard Iwata hose unless it states otherwise. One thing that’s frustrating about airbrushes is that every manufacturer seems to use a different sized threaded fitting for their air connections. You’ll need to make sure you have the correct adapter to mate your airbrush to your air hose or quick disconnect. If you’re not sure, here’s a handy three pack of the most popular adapters. Recommended depending on your airbrush and hoses.

Airbrush quick disconnects are a very handy accessory but avoid the cheap/generic ones as they tend to leak

An item that I really like is airbrush quick disconnects. These don’t typically come with your airbrush but are a really excellent add-on. They allow you to swap out airbrushes almost instantly by use of a snap together chuck as opposed to having to unscrew everything. I have one of these attached to each end of my airbrush hose and a quick disconnect fitting at the compressor and on each airbrush I use. If you decide to go this route, I really recommend you spend a little extra and get the Iwata branded ones. I originally went with generic ones sold by TCP Global and I had rotten luck with those. After trying several of them I switched to Iwata because every one of the cheap ones leaked air like a sieve. Strictly optional but very handy. If you go with quick disconnects spend a little extra and get good ones.

Teflon pipe thread tape – pick a roll of this up at the local hardware store

You may have received a roll of Teflon tape with your air compressor. If you didn’t, pick one up at a hardware store for about two bucks. Use this on anything that’s threaded, like where your regulator connects to your compressor or your quick disconnect connects to your regulator, etc. Basically any place there’s an adapter or fitting needs a bit of of this to ensure it doesn’t leak. Recommended

These tiny brushes will be useful when you break down your airbrush for a thorough cleaning

Pick up a set of airbrush cleaning brushes. This will make the process of giving your airbrush a thorough cleaning much easier. You’ll be using these when you do a total breakdown of your airbrush to clean it at the end of your painting sessions. Recommended. Look for a detailed how-to about airbrush breakdown and cleaning in a future article.

You probably have these around the house, keep a roll handy at your airbrushing work area

Paper towels. Yep, it probably sounds dumb to tell you this but you’re going to want to have a roll handy because you will spill stuff at the worst possible time and need them “right now”. If you’re not spilling stuff, you’re not really airbrushing.

Keep an extra airbrush needle around, so you’ll have it in an emergency

No matter how careful you are, eventually you’re going to bend or damage your airbrush needle. Buy an extra airbrush needle now because you’re going to do this right in the middle of a big project when you can’t afford to wait a few days to get one in via the mail. Murphy’s law also assures you that your local hobby shop will be out of the exact airbrush needle you desperately need in an emergency. All kidding aside, get a spare. Highly recommended.

An example of an airbrush crown cap – get the one for your airbrush if it didn’t come with one

If your airbrush didn’t come with one, pick up a crown cap. Your airbrush nozzle probably comes with a nozzle cap that looks like a nose cone on a rocket with the tip shaved off. When you get in really close to do fine detail that cap restricts airflow and actually creates a bit of turbulence at the tip that can make your fine lines fuzzier than you want them to be. A crown cap has cutaway areas at the nozzle to reduce most of this turbulence but still has protrusions to protect the needle. Some experienced airbrush users will paint without the nozzle cap but I don’t recommend that, it’s a good way to damage the tip of your airbrush needle. Recommended

This small ultrasonic cleaner is great at removing bits of stuck on dried paint from your airbrush

An ultrasonic cleaner is strictly optional but handy to have around when you do a thorough breakdown and cleaning of your airbrush. These used to be outrageously expensive but you can now find them everywhere online in the $40 to $60 range. You fill them with water and dunk your airbrush parts for a few minutes and they’ll basically vibrate all the stuck on bits of paint and junk off of your airbrush. Usually one 5 to 10 minute bath cycle does the trick. More if you’ve been a slacker and not cleaned your airbrush or let paint dry in it. Also, you can get this past your non hobbying significant other by telling them they can use it to clean jewelry too. Optional

Liquitex airbrush thinner works well with a variety of acrylic paints

If you’re using an airbrush paint or a hobby paint, pick up the same brand airbrush thinner if available. Golden or Liquitex Airbrush Medium is also a good choice. Otherwise you’re going to have to do some experimenting to find a suitable thinner. Almost all paint will need to be thinned to be shot through an airbrush. Even some of the paints marketed as airbrush ready may need a little more thinning to really flow well. In a pinch you can use water or alcohol but I’d experiment with that a bit first. I’ll put up another article in the near future about thinning paints for use in an airbrush.

Plain old distilled water. Available at the grocery store for about $2 a gallon

Get a gallon of distilled water at the grocery store. Always run a little of this through your airbrush after changing colors or running airbrush cleaner through it. Two bucks at the grocery store. Highly recommended

windshield washer fluid airbrush cleaner

Windshield washer fluid, available at your local Wal Mart or auto parts. Get the cheap stuff and use it as airbrush cleaner.

You can buy expensive airbrush cleaners to run through your airbrush between paints and after painting sessions. Do this instead: Pick up a gallon of cheapo windshield washer fluid at your local Wal Mart or auto parts. Get the cheap blue stuff that’s around two bucks a gallon. Don’t get the expensive stuff. This is mostly colored water with a bit of methanol and possibly some detergent mixed in. It does a great job of cleaning your airbrush and is dirt cheap. A gallon will last you a long time. Never leave this or any other cleaner in your airbrush, always run clean water though your airbrush after running any sort of cleaner through it.

Plastic squeeze bottles are great for keeping your distilled water, cleaner and other fluids handy

You’re going to want a few plastic squeeze bottles to make your life easier. I recommended one for distilled water and another for windshield washer/cleaning fluid as you won’t want to be handling one gallon bottles of that stuff while you’re airbrushing. Pick up a couple of these liter or half liter sized squeeze bottles with caps and keep those filled up with your cleaning fluids at your work area. Don’t forget to get a small funnel to make transferring from the big bottles to the small bottles a snap. Very handy and of course optional but recommended.

These small plastic dropper bottles are great for custom paint mixes or transferring paint from pots

If you’re mixing your own colors or transferring paint from a large container to a smaller more convenient container get some of these dropper bottles. These are super cheap, around $15 for 50 of them shipped via Amazon and they are really handy to have around.

Plastic pipettes work great for transferring paint between paint pots and your airbrush

Also consider picking up some of these plastic pipettes if you’re using paint that isn’t packaged in dropper bottles. Trying to pour paint from a paint pot into an airbrush color cup is a sure way to make a mess and waste a lot of paint. Highly recommended if you’re using paint from non dropper bottles.

There’s a few other items that are handy to have around but you probably have these around the house or your hobby work area already. Keep an old brush around if you’re mixing colors and thinner in the airbrush paint cup. Also keep a pen and pad handy so you can make notes about custom color mixes and thinning paints as different paint colors in the same line of paints will have different thinning requirements.

Airbrush, Compressor and Accessories, Now It’s a Party!

At this point, you should be pretty set to start airbrushing, all that remains is for you to dive in and just do it. In upcoming articles I’ll revisit this subject to talk about thinning paints for use in an airbrush and how to clean and maintain your airbrush. I’ve added links below to the previous two articles in this series and in the future I’ll come back here and add links to any new articles that are related to this content to make it easier to find everything. If you have questions, feel free to contact me here or to find me over on Twitter @HolyCrapItsLate.

Part 1 – Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Basics & Mini Reviews

Part 2 – Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Compressors & Hardware

As always, your constructive comments and suggestions are welcome. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Compressors & Hardware

Hobby Tradecraft, News and Info, Tabletop Gaming 3 Responses »

Feb 112015

Information and recommendations on Airbrush Compressors

Picking up from the last article on airbrush basics I’d like to talk about the other big decision when it comes to entering the airbrush hobby – what to use as an air source. For most of you this will mean some sort of compressor but even with that decision made there are still some considerations on what kind of compressor you should get. Outside of airbrush compressors there are a few other options that include canned air, air tanks and even a spare tire. Lets dive right in and talk about alternate air sources first and then we’ll cover various types of compressors and hardware that goes with them.

Other than an Airbrush Compressor What Can Be Used as an Air Source?

There are lots of questions about airbrush compressors. Lets try and get to the bottom of this!

You have a few options if you just can’t swing an airbrush compressor due to funds or your living situation. The least expensive thing is to get an adapter that will attach to the valve stem on a spare tire. These cost a few bucks and with a fully inflated tire from a pickup truck or passenger car you’ll have enough air to last a lengthy painting session. The caveat of course is that if you decide to use the spare from your car or your spouses car and then don’t have that with you when you need it the cost of dealing with that mistake will likely be greater than if you had just bought a compressor in the first place. Really think about this and weigh the consequences before deciding to go this route. Also consider that tires are generally smelly and dirty and you’ll have to take it somewhere to fill it up occasionally so if you’re planning on having this in your house you may be in for some trouble.

Another solution is the use of canned air like Badger Propel. To be honest this is probably the worst alternative to an airbrush compressor. These cans cost about $12 to $14 each and are a hassle to use. As you use air from these cans they get very cold and the pressure drops. This means you’ll either have to have multiple cans and keep switching them in order to keep airbrushing or you’ll have to warm them up in a bucket of water or come up with some other scheme to keep the cans warm enough so that pressure doesn’t become an issue. At some point with canned air you’ll realize that you’ve spent enough money to have bought an actual airbrush compressor and that’s going to make you angry and frustrated.

Another problem with both of these solutions is that the “regulator” is really just an on/off valve like a water tap. There’s no gauge so you have no way of actually knowing what pressure you’re dialing in and no real control of the air pressure.

One other thing to consider, and this is the best of the three non-compressor solutions in my opinion, is a portable air tank. These are usually available at hardware and auto parts stores but will be less expensive online, particularly if you can get one with free shipping. Portable air tanks vary in size from three to ten gallons typically and online prices for those range from $40 to $60. You’ll need to take this somewhere to fill it just like you would a tire but it’s a lot easier to handle and have around. They hold quite a bit of air and the larger tanks will keep you supplied for several airbrushing sessions. This is a good alternative choice for an airbrush compressor if you need something quiet or if you have a regular shop compressor in your garage to fill it. I recommend getting a regulator for this though as you won’t want to directly connect it to your airbrush.

What Kind of Compressors Can You Use With An Airbrush?

There are several kinds of compressors that are suitable for use with an airbrush. If you have access to a regular shop compressor this will work. You probably won’t want this in the house though because they are very loud so it’s only a good solution in terms of environment if you’re working in a space where you don’t mind the noise, like a garage or dedicated workshop. If you use this kind of compressor you’ll need a manifold and a combination regulator and moisture trap as part of your setup. The manifold is just a splitter so that you can run a dedicated line for your regular high pressure shop air and a line for your airbrush regulator which will allow you to dial down the high pressure your compressor supplies to a manageable range for airbrushing. (Your compressor probably supplies air at 90 to 125 PSI or more and you’re only going to need a maximum of 25 PSI for airbrushing.)

Here’s a typical combination airbrush regulator & moisture trap, perfect for attaching to your shop compressor

Compressors tend to accumulate moisture when they work and this is sometimes ejected out the air line and will foul your paint so you’ll need a water trap to prevent any moisture from reaching your airbrush. You can usually get a combination regulator/water trap for the airbrush side of the manifold.

Do not buy one of these or anything remotely like this. You will be disappointed.

Another type of airbrush compressor you may see recommended is one that is a sealed unit in a small plastic case. These are typically sold to nail artists and cake decorators. You don’t want this. They run constantly, they don’t give you any control over the air pressure and tend to run on the low side pressure wise. This is frequently presented as a budget solution but it just isn’t a very good one. They also tend to pulsate the airflow as you spray which can cause problems with your paints finish. Since they run continuously they also get hot and will sometimes shut down due to overheating.

Finally, we get to dedicated airbrush compressors. These are purpose built small compressors that are designed specifically for airbrushing. These come with or without a tank and run from right around $100 up to and well beyond $500. The good news is, unless you’re a professional artist or have very specific needs due to your living situation there is really no reason to spend much more than $100 on an airbrush compressor.

At the high end of airbrush compressors are specialized, silent compressors. These are very expensive due to the fact that they are almost completely silent. They are designed for heavy usage and usually don’t require any extra hardware like regulators or moisture traps as these features are all built in. The catch is that you pay a very hefty premium for those features and I personally don’t feel that it is worth it for the typical hobbyist who probably spends 10 to 15 hours a week airbrushing, if that. I’ve also seen professional painters state that ultimately these compressors only last for a couple of years even though they are five times the price of a more budget friendly airbrush compressor, and this is coming from professionals who probably run their airbrush compressors 40 or more hours per week, week in and week out.

This brings us to the most common choice for airbrush compressors, the single piston airbrush compressor. These come in both tankless and tank included versions and are your best choice if you’re going to be working inside your house and don’t need to be completely silent. An airbrush compressor without a tank will run continuously, and one with a tank will charge the tank and then only kick on as the pressure in the tank drops below a preset threshold. Having the air reservoir also eliminates any weird pulsation from your air supply while spraying paint. Getting an airbrush compressor with a tank is the best compromise between price and noise and surprisingly, won’t break the bank.

So What Kind of Airbrush Compressor Should I Get?

As you can see there are a lot of choices but some of them are actually easy to eliminate like canned air and spare tires. Honestly the tire as a reservoir isn’t worth the hassle and the dirty little secret about canned air is that if you’re paying twelve dollars a can for that, by the time you’ve purchased eight cans you could have purchased a budget friendly single piston airbrush compressor that includes a storage tank.

The Porter Cable Shop Air Compressor is good for a lot of tasks including being a great airbrush compressor

As far as shop compressors go, I have a fairly small one. I don’t use this for airbrushing because I work in the house. I do use it for airing up bike tires and inflatables, and other odds and ends. To be honest I don’t use it all that much. I’ve had it for awhile and it always kicks on when I need it to so I feel comfortable recommending it. The shop compressor I have is the Porter-Cable PCFP02002 3.5 gallon unit. This compressor is fairly portable at 25 or so pounds and has a carry handle for those times you need to help a neighbor out with a low tire or blow up kiddie pool. This is really adequate for most of the stuff you’re going to be doing in your garage and with the addition of a manifold, and combination regulator/moisture trap would be great for airbrushing if your work in your garage or have a dedicated work space where the loud compressor noise doesn’t matter. This compressor retails for about $140 but you can get it delivered via Amazon for $100 which is a good deal and very convenient.

A Typical 5 Gallon Portable Air Tank – these can be found at most hardware & tool stores as well as online

If you’ve already got a shop air compressor then my recommendation depends on where you do your hobbying. Working in the garage? Get a manifold, air regulator and moisture trap. Have the shop compressor but work inside the house where that isn’t practical due to the racket the shop compressor makes? Get a portable air tank, add a regulator and fill as needed. The added benefit is that this is silent air pressure for working in the house. You can expect to pay about 40 dollars online for a 5 gallon portable air tank. You’ll need to add a regulator to the portable tank to control the air pressure to your airbrush. If you happen to have a Harbor Freight Tools nearby you can pick up a 5 gallon portable air tank from them for around $25. (You may be tempted to buy a compressor from them also but do your homework on that first. Harbor Freight is good for a lot of stuff but I’m not sure I’d trust their power tools to hold up long term.)

If you need to work indoors and be silent or almost silent then you’re going to pay a very big premium for that privilege. When I say “very big premium” I mean you’re probably going to pay five times what you would pay for a non-silent airbrush compressor. I don’t currently own one of these but I have used one and it is very quiet. I have a friend who does nail art so she bought one for her business and has found it very reliable over the course of the last couple years. While I really don’t like the idea of spending this much for an airbrush compressor I’m adding it here for the sake of completeness.

The silent and very pricey Iwata Power Jet Pro Airbrush Compressor

My recommendation for a super silent, reliable airbrush compressor is the Iwata Studio Series Power Jet Pro. This baby is almost completely silent and you pay for that with a retail price of over $550 (!). It does come with a tank and some extra bells and whistles like two separate regulators/moisture traps. It’s also actually a dual piston airbrush compressor that’s designed and built to run two airbrushes at the same time. This airbrush compressor also comes with quick disconnect fittings at the outlets – something you’ll probably want to add to your airbrush kit anyway. (I’ll be talking about these and more in the next article in this series). Extras like regulators and quick disconnects are nice features but don’t justify the total cost on their own. Again, what you’re paying the premium for here is the silent operation. For me and probably most of you, looking to get into an airbrush set up that is way too much of a premium to justify the cost unless you have a very particular set of needs (after all, that’s an extra $400 plus that you could be spending on miniatures and terrain instead of a tool). There is a “Power Jet Lite” version of this airbrush compressor without an air tank and a single regulator. That retails for$420. Both of these airbrush compressors can usually be found online with a ten to twenty percent discount.

The Master Airbrush Single Piston Airbrush Compressor with Tank as sold on Amazon. All of this for only $89 plus shipping!

Finally we have what I consider to be the best of all worlds for hobbyists looking to get an airbrush compressor. Allow me to introduce you to the Master Airbrush TC20T Airbrush Compressor. This unit is a purpose built single piston airbrush compressor with a tank. It include a combination regulator/water trap and even includes a six foot long braided hose. (The hose that comes with this has fittings for an Iwata airbrush. If you’re using something different you’ll need to purchase an inexpensive adapter). The best part? You get all of this for a very budget friendly $100 delivered via Amazon. This airbrush compressor also occasionally goes on promotion with free shipping for $89 or less but at $100 it’s such a good deal it’s worth it to just pick it up rather than wait for a sale.

This airbrush compressor isn’t silent but it is fairly quiet. I’d describe it being equivalent to a tabletop room fan. I airbrush in a portable spray booth and to be honest, the fan noise from the spray booth mostly drowns out the compressor noise as I have the compressor on the floor under my desk most of the time. I’ve had this compressor for a couple of years and for the price (I actually paid about $120 with shipping when I purchased this a couple years ago). I think I have gotten a lot of value out of it. I don’t use it every day and when I’m doing a lot of painting I’m probably still not running it for more than 10-15 hours a week. I’ve heard a couple of people say stuff like “that can’t possibly be any good for under $100. My experience with this compressor has been excellent. I should also mention that it has a two year full warranty and TCP Global (the source for this compressor) has excellent customer service.

I do have one complaint about this airbrush compressor. The design of the connection where you install the included regulator/water trap is ill conceived and the regulator ends up being upside down when you tighten it. This has been the case for at least a couple of years and I’m a bit disappointed that this hasn’t been addressed by the manufacturer. However this can be remedied by using extra Teflon tape on the threads of either the regulator or the nipple that is attached to the air storage tank. It will take a bit of tinkering to get it seated in the upright position but it can be dealt with by the end user. This isn’t enough of a flaw to really downgrade this compressor but if I was scoring this on a scale of one to five I’d give it a 4.5 instead of a 5. Bottom line, I just don’t think you can beat this price and performance level for an airbrush compressor. This is the compressor I recommend to everyone who asks for information on airbrush compressors.

The Wrap Up and Onward to Airbrush Accessories

This wraps up the second part of a series of articles on airbrushing for miniatures hobbyists and modelers. My goal with this article was to provide you with enough information to make an informed decision on an airbrush compressor. For my breakdown and recommendations on airbrushes see my previous article “Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Basics & Mini Reviews”. In the next article in this series I’ll talk about all of the odds and ends that you may not have considered when you started thinking about getting an airbrush and compressor. Some of these items will be things that you’re definitely going to need and some will be optional but handy to have as you grow into airbrushing.

As always, feel free to leave constructive feedback or your own tips and tricks below in the comments section.

Airbrushing for the Miniatures Hobby – Airbrush Basics & Mini Reviews

Hobby Tradecraft, News and Info, Tabletop Gaming 2 Responses »

Feb 062015

Here’s an airbrush with the main parts labeled so that you can get familiar with the terminology

I’ve been thinking about airbrushes a lot lately and there’s been increasing discussion on some of the various hobby groups and boards I participate with or lurk on. The discussion usually starts with someone asking what specifically they should buy or do when they’re starting out with airbrushing. This is a pretty interesting subject and I’ve got a fair amount of experience with it so I thought I’d share a bit of what I know with you all. After I started writing about airbrushes I realized that there is so much to talk about that it would probably be better if I broke this up into a series of articles rather than one ginormous TLDR post. What I’ve decided to do is to turn this into at least a three part series where I’ll cover airbrush basics and my recommendations on specific airbrushes based on my experiences in part one. Part two will cover compressors, hoses and other related hardware and finally, part three will cover necessary and optional accessories – things that I find handy to have around when airbrushing.

Before we really get rolling here I want to mention a couple of important things. First, through this entire discussion I’m going to talking about airbrushes and painting using Acrylic water based hobby paints. These are the same type of paints you’ll typically use for brush painting miniatures and hobby models, brands like Vallejo, Reaper, Games Workshop, etc. I don’t use enamels or lacquers at all so the information presented here may not be suitable for people using those types of paints. Second, if you’re thinking that getting an airbrush will magically make you a master painter as soon as you hook everything up and start spraying paint, well, stop thinking that. Airbrushing will allow you to do a lot of neat stuff and get really nice finishes but it comes with its own set of problems and learning curve. Like any other skill, you’ll need to put the time and effort in to master your craft and fully take advantage of what an airbrush can offer you. Lastly, all airbrush paints are different and most will need to be appropriately thinned in order to spray them with an airbrush. Even the ones that are pre-thinned or labeled “air” paints will sometimes need extra thinning or benefit from some tinkering. I’ll cover this at a later date in a separate article.

The Basics – Airbrush Feed Types

There are three types of feeds for airbrushes. The feed type describes how your airbrush moves paint from the reservoir through the brush body and out the nozzle as you paint. These types of airbrush feeds are Siphon Feed, Side Feed, and Gravity Feed.

A typical Siphon Feed airbrush

Siphon feed means that the reservoir is connected to the airbrush via a spigot under the body. The reservoir is typically a jar with a screw on lid that has an integral hose/pickup tube that sucks paint up into the airbrush when you press the trigger. This style of airbrush is good for moving large volumes of paint which makes it good for terrain or base coating larger models but will generally not be precise enough for detailed work. To be honest this isn’t much better than using a rattle can so I don’t really recommend this style of airbrush for miniatures. (Rattle can = commercially available aerosol spray paint cans with a ball agitator inside that rattles around when you shake it up)

A Side Feed airbrush, this one only allows you to mount the color cup on one side

Side feed airbrushes have the spigot or attachment point for the reservoir straight off the side of the airbrush body so that the paint reservoir sits parallel to the body. These typically have a paint cup and some can be attached to either side of the airbrush which is helpful for left/right hand users. This airbrush style is used a lot by illustrators but in my experience isn’t that great for people doing models or miniatures as the cup seems to always make using this style of airbrush awkward because of the widely varying surfaces and angles you encounter when painting small models.

Gravity Feed airbrush with a fairly large reservoir/color cup

Gravity feed airbrushes have the paint reservoir attached to the top of the airbrush right on the barrel. Paint goes in the cup and when you press the airbrush trigger paint flows into the air stream and out the nozzle. Gravity feed airbrushes, in my opinion, are the best choice for painting models and miniatures because they require lower air pressure to operate and allow you more control over the amount of paint coming out of the nozzle. (You can really thin down paints or use inks and dial down the air pressure to get very fine lines when using this type of airbrush).

Gravity feed airbrushes will sometimes be manufactured and sold with different cup sizes or interchangeable cups so make sure you know what you’re getting before you purchase. I tend to favor the medium size cups although a large cup is handy if you’re base coating something large or assembly- lining a bunch of miniatures.

Airbrush Action Types

Airbrush action refers to what happens when you press the trigger on the airbrush. There are two kinds of airbrush action, single action and double action. Single action airbrushes are the spray guns of the airbrush world. This means that when you press the trigger it operates the same way a rattle can works – paint and air flow out of the nozzle all together. You don’t get to decide how much paint comes out when you press the trigger, it’s all or nothing. For this reason you should avoid a single action airbrush.

A double action airbrush has a two stage trigger system. The trigger moves up and down as well as traveling front to back. This means when you depress the trigger you get airflow without paint and as you slide the trigger back towards you, the paint starts to mix with the air and flow through the nozzle. The further back you slide the trigger, the more paint flows through the nozzle. This allows you a great deal of control over the paint and air mixture enabling you to go from a large flow of paint for broad coverage to fine lines when you need to hit some small details. This does take some getting used to and you’ll need to practice controlling your paint this way but eventually it becomes fairly intuitive. I absolutely recommend you get a double action airbrush.

Airbrush Needle and Nozzle Sizes

Airbrushes come in a variety of needle sizes and you usually find that they have a matching nozzle that either comes packaged together with the needle or will need to be purchased along with it. Needle sizes are usually defined in millimeters, like .21mm, .35mm, .5mm etc. The larger the number, the larger the coverage with that needle and nozzle set.

The largest needles that you’ll be interested in are the ones around 5mm but you really only want to consider this for areas where you need to put down a lot of paint as you won’t be able to do fine detail work with this size range of needle.

Going down a bit from the largest are the .3mm – .35mm “mid range” size of airbrush needles. These are pretty good all around sizes and will allow you to base coat and do some detail work, stripes, checks, camo patterns, etc.

Lastly for our purposes is the range of needles that fall around .20mm to .25mm. This size range is going to give you some really fine lines and allow you to do some nice freehand work. You can also do some base coating with this size but you’ll need to have everything cranked up so you can get the coverage you want. This size range is what I typically recommend because while it may feel a bit overwhelming when you first start out, if you do even a moderate amount of airbrushing you’re going to grow into this fairly quickly. You’ll be able to take advantage of the fine control you already have rather than buying a less capable “starter” airbrush and then needing to replace it a few weeks or months later.

So What Kind of Airbrush Should I Buy?

To sum up you’re going to be looking for an airbrush that is Gravity Feed, Double Action, and .20mm to .30mm needle and nozzle size. Next we’ll take a look at some different airbrushes and I’ll share my thoughts with you based on my experiences with some that I own or have used.

Airbrush Reviews and Recommendations

I’ve been using airbrushes for close to 30 years but not continuously during that time so it’s been sort of a weird learning curve. I started like a lot of people probably did all that time ago – with a cheap plastic hobby shop single action siphon feed brush that was basically akin to a rattle can that you could change colors with. This came with a thin plastic hose and an adapter that allowed you to attach it to a canned air source. This is probably the worst way you can start and I bet that a fair number of hobbyists never get any farther than this because it’s a big dumb ungainly set that doesn’t give you any of the control or benefits of a quality airbrush set up. I’m pretty sure you can still find these Testors brand airbrush kits at places like Michael’s or other craft and hobby stores. Avoid these, you’re going to waste a lot of time fiddling with this and no matter what, you’ll never get fine detail work out of one. On top of that, canned air is ridiculously expensive and wasteful. At $12 to $14 per can of air, it’s likely that by the time you learn to get any decent results with this setup you will have spent enough money on canned air to have purchased an actual airbrush compressor.

Having owned and/or used several different airbrushes I feel very comfortable recommending the following three. These are quality products backed by reputable companies. The airbrushes, accessories and parts are all readily available at good hobby shops and online. Here are my top three recommendations:

Iwata HP C Plus Airbrush Mini Review

The Iwata HP-C Plus Airbrush is a solid, high quality dependable workhorse that will take you a long way

When I finally decided to get serious about airbrushing – about 10 years ago – I made the jump from a Badger series 150 to the Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush. It was a huge step up in quality and control. This airbrush is a high performance, high precision workhorse and has served me well. It is dual action, gravity feed and has a nice 1/3 ounce color cup. These can be purchased with either a .3mm or .2mm needle and nozzle and you can swap them out if you decide to start with the larger size and work your way down as you become more skilled. Retail for one of these airbrushes is around $136 but I have seen it on Amazon regularly at around $100 which is a nice savings. This also comes with a machined metal cap for the paint cup which is nice when you’re holding the airbrush at odd angles for some of those more fiddly models.

I want to note that I have an older model of this airbrush that is no longer available and it has a solid handle back piece as opposed to the current models which have a really nice cutaway designed to help you control your paint flow. About a year ago I noticed that the trigger action had worn down on this and it wasn’t as smooth as it had been so I gradually moved away from this airbrush and tried some others out.

Badger Sotar 2020F-2 Mini Review

The Badger Sotar 2020 -F2 Airbrush is a high precision, user friendly, budget friendly (when purchased on sale) tool. I highly recommend this one

The Badger Sotar 2020F-2 is my current go-to airbrush. This is also a dual action gravity feed model. The designation F stands for Fine and they’re not kidding, this needle is .19mm and will allow you to get some really precise freehand work in. It also has a very fine adjustment dial at the back end so that with properly thinned acrylics or inks and good air control you can make some “hair” thin lines if needed (but believe me, this takes some practice!). The -2 designation is the paint reservoir size and you’ll want to make sure you’re getting that model as it has decent sized 1/12 ounce paint cup. The -1 model is designed for illustrators and the reservoir is actually built in to the airbrush body to facilitate one drop at a time ink usage, you’ll want to avoid this as it won’t hold enough paint for most of the tasks you’re going to be doing.

The Sotar 2020F comes apart easily for cleaning and maintenance and parts are readily available online and direct from Badger – who coincidentally have great customer service. This airbrush kit includes an extra Fine sized needle and a wrench for maintenance. Retail on this airbrush is an astounding $422 but I have to tell you I have NEVER seen it for sale anywhere at this price. They seem to mostly show up in the $200 range if you see it in a shop. However the Badger Sotar 2020F is on sale pretty frequently on Amazon for right around $100 which makes it an incredible value for the level of precision and control it gives you. I highly recommend this one but don’t over pay, wait for a sale!

Grex Tritium TG3/TG2 Pistol Style Airbrush Mini Review

The Grex Tritium TG2/TG3 Pistol Grip style airbrush. Another great choice with lots of well executed design features

I’ve saved the Grex Tritium TG2 for last because even though it is another dual action, gravity feed airbrush it is a beast of a different nature. Unlike the other airbrushes I’ve talked about that have a top mounted trigger that you push down and slide back, this one has a pistol grip and trigger style control assembly. This means that when you engage the trigger you’ll feel that it moves back about half of its travel and then sort of stops/hesitates. The first half of the trigger pull is when the air starts to flow and as you pull the trigger back farther paint starts to flow out (this sounds weirder when I describe it than it actually feels when you use it). This is an entirely different feeling action than what you’re used to if you previously used a regular airbrush but it’s actually a pretty natural feel and becomes very comfortable after you use it for a bit.

The Grex Tritium series has some very well thought out design features that I really like. First the nozzle and needle sets come packed together and are easily changed out. TG2 is the designation for the .2.mm needle and nozzle kit and TG3 is the .3mm needle and nozzle kit. This airbrush also has interchangeable color cups in three different sizes and all three cups include a lid. These cups thread on so they won’t work loose while you’re working. Another great design feature is that nozzle guard/crown tip. These are actually magnetic and will also stick to the back end of the airbrush if you need to change them while painting for those times you’re doing detail work and need to get in really close to the surface you’re painting. While it takes some getting used to if you’re switching from a standard airbrush setup to this pistol grip style it really works well and allows you to do some fine detail work and I think that for me at least the pistol style grip and trigger is less fatiguing during long painting sessions. This kit comes in a plastic carrying case and includes the 3 different sized cups, a regular nozzle cap, a crown cap and a wrench,

The Grex Tritium is pricier than the competition but I think it’s due to the well thought out and improved design features that it has. Keep in mind that it includes extra color cups with lids and a crown cap which other airbrushes do not include in the basic set up. Retail for this airbrush is $299 but it is usually available for right around $200 online. For the extra accessories you get and the nifty design ideas I think it is a good value even though it’s a pricier choice.

The Not So Final Word on Airbrushes for Hobbyists and Modelers

This is intended to be a basic overview of airbrushes and their various features. I’ve also posted some comments about airbrushes I have used and am still using. It is by no means an exhaustive list and I am not a “tool collector” either so you won’t see me buying and opining on every airbrush that’s out there. Let me also say that what works for one person may not work for another. Realistically there is no “be all, end all” airbrush because there’s a learning curve that comes with airbrushing as well as some trial and error for most folks. I am confident telling you not to buy a cheap “starter airbrush” with the intent to try it out for awhile and move up to something expensive. You’ll most likely find yourself frustrated by the limitations of cheap tools and may give up entirely if you have some bad experiences. You’re better off buying a good airbrush and growing in to it as your skills improve.

There’s a lot to learn about airbrushes and in the next few articles I’ll cover a broad range of subjects related to airbrushing.. Next up will be an article about compressors and related hardware and after that I’ll talk about all of the various accessories and airbrush odds and ends that you’ll find handy to have around.

As always, comments and constructive feedback are welcome. Feel free to add something in the comment section below but please keep things civil.

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