I have recently finished the Tamiya 1/72 mosquito, which the first project I have talked for over 30 years! although I am reasonably happy with the finish, I realise that if I had used an air brush, the finish would have been so much more accurate. I am now thinking of buying an air brush for my future projects but have never used one, should I go cheap and learn to use it before moving up or would I be better going for quality to avoid a bad experience that might put me off? any thoughts would be gratefully received.

Here is a nice link,Don has some good suggetions regarding many airbrushes on the market,as well as a brief intro to airbrushing.

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/

You will see many opinions on many types of airbrushes, pro and con, in a range of a few bucks to complete fortunes. I advise you to visit a club or a dealer with several types of airbrushes on stock and get a first hand experience. An airbrush that is held in high regard by many people may not have a good feel for you so it is best to try a few models before you buy. (I do not suggest a certain type to you for this very reason).

Consider spares supply. If you use your airbrush you will definitely need spare parts sooner or later whatever the quality is.

Also think about air supply. A good compressor is a big investment but will give you convenient spraying for many years.

Also there are a few rules of thumb: normally a 0,3-0,4 nozzle will be best for hobby paints, gravity feed is normally more precise than vacuum or side-feed, vacuum-feed is better for large areas, side-feed is better for large workpieces that are not easy to manipulate. Double action offers more control but demands more practice than single action. There is no entry-level or advanced-level airbrush as such, anything you buy will require learning.

Having said that, using an airbrush will show you the door to a completely new level of quality in your modelling.

How much is your budget? That would be a big help in helping to decide what one to get.

Great Link Brother Anthony!

Hey Flatfour,

Gábor Báthori gave ya great info fella. All i can add is my personal experience with Airbrushes. My choice Was and is the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. When i bought mine from Merriartist.com several years ago it was only $119.00....seems they have gone UP in price instead of down. Anyways, is is a Fine piece of kit and the best investment i ever made towards Modeling and increasing my skill and quality of my finishes.

Good luck fella,
Gary

Nice point about spares, thank you.

My budget is not really an issue but, I don't want to spend silly money,soi suppose I ought to go mid price. Really good to get feedback as I,m new to this sort of thing, Thank you.

Cheers! Great that you replied.