New Airbrush Recommendations.

My first was a Paasche VL, which I still have and I really like it…no complaints. It’s very easy to clean. However, last year Rick Krane sold me a Badger Renegade Krome and I absolutely love it. It is gravity feed instead of suction, so you can use every drop of paint. It is excellent for detail work on fish, bird heads, etc.
Just my 2 cents…
Blessings

 

I use my paasche when I need to lay down large areas or any paint with solids like gold sparkle and others but use my badger for everything else. I fought the trend to buy a new airbrush for many years, now I think man I was a dumbass. I will say that the badger is more tempermental, I can't walk away and leave it dirty and expect it to work the next time even for a half hour like I can my paasche.

 

I use a Badger renegade with siphon bottles. For detail work, I install the gravity cup

 

I like the iwata revolution single action.iwata quality but at a reasonable price,about $130

 

the Talon is a great airbrush. easy to clean and easy to disassemble for the cleaning. look at Dixie art. you can get extra fine polished needle to a wide fan. change tips and head, needle to any of them. I use it with lacquers and water based.

 

I’m a iwata guy plain and simple
Great detail work but get one with 2mm needle as that help in detail, gravity fed so you can alter air pressure and paint flow.
This kind of shows you what it can do

 

Quality, workability smoothness is a big factor
I have a bagel and yes I can do the same thing with them but the metal they use are softer and some parts are pressed in not machined threads. I know the chrome is to be a higher quality but that one I don’t have as no need when I have my iwata .
Parts are easily changed in my iwata, cleaning easy but any part you fudge up is costly and I have extra on hand cause I don’t use the cone a lot so I’m susceptibile to dropping ( bad hands ) and bend neddles and nozzle at least twice a yr lol
When I used the bager lol I couldn’t keep up with the repairs cause of the soft metal snd did not like the plunger with the finger pull. Could I do details with it? Yes but drove me crazy cause coffee the poor quality materials.
Passche I’ve got three of them H- vl-vl jr and we’ll no way do I care for any of them and they were my first ones I tried . H is good for metallic paint only.
I have two Aztec brushes only because at that time and they still are lifetime warranty on them when I would actually cut through the air hose inside ( lol they couldn’t figure out how I was able to do that , heavy finger ) I would send one back for free replacement and still needed another brush to paint with. They have different tips and do excellent detail work for the price of them. Love them for yrs till I tried the iwata . The only issue with Aztec is light weight only that’s it. It’s either gravity or siphon feed on their brushes which is a bonus.
Next to an iwata and it’s a knock off is Richpen cheaper but good quality.
Now saying all of this means nothing if you’re having issues with your paint. The next step is learning the paint your using and why you’re having issues.
Most common is to thick even if the company says airbrush ready. Whatever paint water or lacquer you have to understand the make of them especially waterbase paint. Companies are very different in what medium they use and you will have to use their products to thin them and the retarder that’s needed to work properly.
Whereas lacquer will is simple any thinner works along with acetone or retarder will work all the time no matter what company.
Hopefully this aids you a bit

 

Yes waterbase are hard to get but you’re going with a good company.
Indeed waterbase is a pain to paint with as ive switched cause of teaching and 99% used lacquer.
When I did use waterbase I use a soft toothbrush in my other hand to keep cleaning the tip. I’ll take lacquer any day over waterbase these days.

 

Badger Sotar 2020-2F. Water base paints
Beat the hell out of the Iwata HP Eclipse and Harder and Steenbeck Evolution when it came to paint the halos and spot patterns on Brown trout. Very few problems with paint flow.

 

Between Iwata Hi-Line HP-CH and Badger Velocity UF...the Badger is less finicky and details better for me. But, I've bent Velocity needles and had tips split. These Iwata parts do seem more durable, but the brush is less consistent. I've never had a problem with any other Badger parts. The Iwata cup seems to have an anti stick coating that is better than Badger, as well, but this isn't such a big deal. The control and consistency of Badger with the slight edge in durability of the Iwata would be nice.

The Badger Velocity Fine is tougher than the UF. Sprays just about as good. Badger also has a spatter tip for the Velocity line. And, made in USA.

I use waterbased exclusively. I use artist paints nearly exclusively.

I think Lacquers are probably easier in many ways though, for airbrushing.

I think I could do pretty well with most airbrushes. Comes down to learning the brush and what it likes, and advancing personal skill.

Best, Scott

 

What’s you air pressure, and the thickness of your paint

 

Ten psi might be to low
I paint at 33 psi for everything that includes detail work. It’s what I like and I understand the paint I’m using to be able to do it.
I suggest you raise it up to at least 30 and try from there with your thinner and retarder
10 psi is usually used by some for detailing.
This tiger was done at 33 psi iwata HP-BH
1/4 oz cup 2mm tip

 

I run my air at about 35 psi, and as frank mentioned thinned and reducer
Bludrift where you located?