Hi all,

After many years away from the hobby I've decided to get back hot and heavy into my favorites: WW2 German armor and figures.

There are so many different paint brands
to choose from but from my research I keep seeing that the Vallejo brand seems to be near the top of the list. I've been cruising Ebay on which Vallejo sets I would need to paint the tanks/AFVs and crew uniforms but am getting confused as to which sets I should purchase. Also I see that the Iwata Eclipse CS is the airbrush of choice.

Can anyone give me some advice on which paint sets (Vallejo) I should get as well as a good gravity fed air brush and compressor to purchase as well that won't be too expensive


Thanks much

I prefer Tamiya and MM acrylics mostly because the LHS has a ready supply. Can't really go wrong with the Iwata. For a compressor at minimum you should look for one that has a tank to ensure a ready supply and constant pressure. Your set up should also have a moisture trap if humidity is a problem, although the process of compressing the air also produces moisture. Having an air tank also helps with the moisture as water is heavier than air and generally settles in the tank before reaching your airbrush. You should also have a pressure regulator to adjust the air pressure coming out of the airbrush. You can spent as little as about $100US to over $500. I use a Craftsman (Sears) that I got for around $100 that has a air tank and came with a pressure gauge. I have never had a problem with moisture so I do not have an inline moisture trap.

I’ve been using mainly Tamiya and Gunze acrylics coupled with Mr. Surfacer primers. You may have read the terrible performance of these paints for handbrushing (still don’t kow how the japs can work with them well). I tried out the Vallejo model color range when I started doing armor and so far the experience has been great. Here are my suggestions

For starters, go for the 16 pc Vallejo german color set for Model Color along with a bottle of airbrush thinner. I couldn’t suggest their primer since I’ve read hit or miss reviews about it and I am using the badger stynylrez now. This paint option will yield the best cost to volume and at the same time gives you flexibility to hand brush details. I still stick to the Tamiya acrylics for base coats because they give a nice flat finish.

For the airbrush the HP-CS is a really good choice. I currently use both a 0.3mm and 0.5mm set. I have a few badgers, iwata revolution and cmcplus but I still find myself using the HP-CS 90% of the time due to the performance and ease of cleaning. I think you can’t go wrong with that.

For the compressor, if you get the diaphragm with tank then you’re good to go. The problem I’ve had with those without the tank is that the pressure switch cutoff isn’t optimal for 10-20psi jobs. It tends to click too often resulting in the motor heating up faster.

It really depends on what your planning on building i suppose but theres plenty of sets out there to choose from so you can mix and match.
Heres an idea of the amount if vallejo sets on offer at the store i use in Oz.

http://www.bnamodelworld.com/paints-accessories/paints-thinners/all-colour-sets?alpha_filter_id=0&extra_filter_id=0&filter_id=38&scales_filter_id=0

Mike, for the paint, I have 2 suggestions, Vallejo or Ammo of Mig.
Vallejo:
VLJ-78414 German 3 color camouflage
71177 Panzer Colors Panzer Grey
78409 Afrika Korps 1941-1942
70128 Panzer Aces #5 German Uniform
70129 Panzer Aces #6 German Uniform
70119 Face Painting Set

Ammo of Mig:
A.MIG-7100 Early German Colors
A.MIG-7101 Late German Camouflage
A.MIG-7102 DAK Colors

In regards to the airbrush, the Iwata Eclipse CS or HP-B+ are excellent airbrushes. However, every Iwata owner I know that has tried a Grex has bought a Grex. Take a look at Grex GCK01 Combo Kit. You get the Genesis XT .35mm nozzle pistol grip airbrush and the AC1810-A instant-on compressor. $378.00

Thanks guys... Appreciate the help!

Mike

Hummm. I have had diaphragm compressors, propel cans, and large compressors. As you discover problems, you change air sources. I have settled on a 20 lbs CO2 cylinder, about the size of a scuba tank.
1. It is silent.
2. There will never be any water spots. Humidity has no effect.
3. 100% portable with no power requirements. Paint anywhere.
4. My last refill lasted over 2 years.
5. Air pressure is not an issue, it does not fluctuate.
6. A good regulator is very precise and adjustable even to low pressures when needed.

Mike, there are a lot of paints and airbrushes out there. Buy good quality, but don't obsess with getting the "latest and greatest" or most expensive model. It is the skill of the modeler that matters, not the price of his tools.

I'm pretty dumb, so if it works for me, you should have no problems. Here are my suggestions:

Paint. Go to your local hobby shop and see what they have available. it is MUCH easier to hop in your car and grab that bottle of paint than order it and wait forever to get it. Also, you can get a better idea of what the colors are. Personally, I would recommend acrylic paints for ease of cleanup. The brands of paint I use the most is Tamiya and Vallejo. Tamiya paints airbrush better than any paint I have ever used, come in colors that, while limited in number, are known as the "gold standard" for what most of us use, and are available at just about any hobby shop. Careful paint mixing can get you the colors you need. After Tamiya comes Vallejo model Air. These paints work great- so long as you follow Matt Toms' advice on adding a retarder and flow-enhancer.

As for airbrushes, I have always used Iwata. Badger makes great stuff too.