I decided to break this page down into three different sections relating to airbrushing equipment, hand and detailing painting equipment, and everything else that you’ll need. Of course, you’re also going to need some paint!
Airbrushing Equipment
Airbrushes
Picking out an airbrush can be pretty daunting at first. Here’s some information on the basic types of airbrushes…
- Gravity, Siphon, or Side-Feed – Different brushes receive their paint in different ways, gravity receives it from a reservoir on top and siphon brushes pull it from a jar beneath. Side fed, as you might have guessed by now, receives it from the side of the brush. Gravity fed brushes are my favorite on account of their ease of use. You can add as little paint as you like to the reservoir as opposed to a siphon fed system which will generally require a bit more paint for proper suction in a jar below. Siphon fed systems are also more painful to clean as the small tube used to suck up the paint can easily become clogged without proper maintenance. The benefit to siphon airbrushes is that the bottom heavy jar will generally provide enough support to rest the brush between coats. In addition most models allow you to swap jars on the fly compared to having to empty a gravity fed brush’s reservoir.
- Single Action and Double Action – Single action brushes only allow one spray mode. Push the button and paint comes out the other side at a standard rate. Changing the rate requires moving the needle back and forth, usually by turning one end of the brush. Double action brushes allow you to move the needle back and forth on the fly, changing the flow rate.
- Internal/External Mixing – At some point paint and air are going to mix, either internal to the brush or external. I feel as though internally mixing brushes give a more consistent spray and have had better luck with them over the years. They are a bit more difficult to clean than externally mixing brushes where the and air paint mix outside of your brush’s components.
Which brush is right for you? Well that’s something only you’ll be able to figure out. Each type has it’s own pros and cons and everyone is going to have their own preference. Some advanced modelers even have multiple types on hand for different purposes. To make things easier I recommend a simple gravity fed brush.
