please help newbie

[mdrevo]

hi everyone im interested in airbrushing but dont know where to start

1..what kind of gun should i get
2...what kind of compressor should i get
3 how do i cut the paint

[hijacker]

Hey, welcome to painting.

I prefer Iwata paintbrushes, you can get into a good 2-stage brush for around $80-$100. Paasche also makes good entry level brushes. Comparable cost to the Iwata brand.

If you've never used an airbrush before, most people would recommend you get a single stage brush to start with. My first brush was a single stage Paasche that I used for many years that cost me around $60.

The difference between single and dual stage brushes is in how you regulate the amount of air and paint that comes out of the tip of the brush. With the single stage brush you generally have a selection of tip sizes, small to large that regulate the amount of paint shot from the brush. In the case of my Paasche, you can move the tip in and out to fine tune the paint flow. The button on top of the brush regulates the amount of air. With a dual stage brush, the button on top is used to regulate both the air and paint flow (push down and pull back at the same time). Typically a needle helps regulate paint flow, and many 2-stage brushes also have a variety of tips.

I usually compare a single stage brush to an automotive painter's paint-gun, and a 2-stage brush is more of an artist's tool, allowing the user to do more precise, fine and creative work.

Air compressors are not all the same. Get a good 2-stage compressor. The 2-stage in this instance refers to the compressor's ability to produce a constant stream of air. Most cheap compressors will blow in rapid puffs, which totally screws up your work.

As far as paint goes, Fascolor paint is water based and easy to work with. I would go with whatever your local hobby shop carries, so that you have a supply of paint that is easy to get to.

Hope this helps, I'm not an expert by any means, but I have been painting for a few years as a hobby and have learned from my many mistakes.

Any other questions just ask!

[Farwar]

1. This is personal preference. Some of the popular brands are Iwata, Richpen, Paasche etc. I prefer Iwata due to their quality and performance. Don't get a single action, go for the dual action gun, you will be happier down the road.

2.I would get just a regular industrial style compressor you would find at most hardware stores. All that you need with that is a moisture trap and a regulator. You will probably find more uses with the compressor outside of airbrushing as well.

3. I don't understand what you mean about cutting the paint?

[mdrevo]

dont you need to thin the paint? with thinner

[Farwar]

If you use laquer paints, then yes you need to thin it with thinner. You can get waterbased paints that can be thinned with water or reducer. Waterbased paints are usually easier to start with for a beginner for the easy clean up and no chemicals.

[FESTER2004]

mdrevo- use the search button you will coem across many posts to help u what u are looking for!i am not tryn to be mean.it will help u narrow your search. hey i use a single action airbrush n a husky portable air compressor to airbrush.i just picked up a faskolor f1 a/b but yet to use it.i also have a paashe VL but its missng pieces.

if u r using laquar paint sucha s pactra,u can use paint thinner.make it the thickness of milk.if u are using faskolor or createx (same stuff) u can cut it with windex,same thing.

btw-Welcome to the wonderful world of airbrushn.

[Piggy89373]

mdrevo, take a quick walk over to [url=http://www.cfxpaintworks.com/modules.php?name=Forums]CFX Paintworks[url] and look through the forums there. You'll find a ton of information about everything from types of brushes to compressors, and more information about paints than you ever thought possible. If you're going to stick to this site, take Fester's advice, there's some great information in here about these same topics of you use the search button.