Help a noob :)

O

Ongaku

Guest
Hello, I introduced my self on another thread, but let me cut it short; I'm professional photographer and do some fabricating and industrial design in free time.
- I found my dad's old (new) airbrush, which he bought more than 10 years ago, and never used it, and also doesn't know anything about it, as he also wanted to start learning airbrushing.
Can you tell me from the photos:
1) of how good quality is it
2) what can it be used for
3) does it miss any part for working
4) no cap for the paint tank, is it supposed to be like that?
5) can I paint, not draw but paint smaller surfaces with it? (computer mouse, and other similar sized objects)
6) can I spray car clear-coat with it?
I'll come up with more questions :)

On the side of it, it says Hy-Max HP-200,
bought in Conrad electronic from Germany, as the manual is in German language.







 
I just had a google check on that brand and I could only find a airbrush that looks like it and still being sold by Conrad as HP 200 a dual action 0.2 nozzle airbrush prized at 60 euro I can be wrong but it looks like it is yet an other Iwata knock off
 
Yes, the manual says all of that; 0.2 nozzle, dual action, 1.5 to 3.5 bar pressure and so on..
What does that 0.2 nozzle do? What's the function/effect of it? What level of "airbrushing quality" can I expect from this airbrush as it is a knock off as you say?
 
So the quality - poor to really poor is most likely. The occasional knock off is OK but they are rare. They usually lead to tears and frustration for beginners.

The nozzle/needle combination affects the amount of paint that can get through and the type of pigment. The bigger they are, the more paint you can put through it. As a general comment, the smaller nozzle/needle combo's are for more detail although the skill of the operator has way more to do with it than the needle/nozzle size.

Use of the brush... door stop, small work, that sort of thing. Not really suitable for bulk areas. It doesn't appear to be missing anything. No cap over the paint container isn't a problem but user beware...

Yes you can spray smaller items such as a computer mouse.

Yes you can spray clear coat however it will most likely need a reasonable reduction and may not be the best brush. If you do use it for clear the recommendation is use it as a dedicated clear brush. There was a recent thread on this.

Some food for thought.

Cheers Mark
 
Ok, thanks for the info. I will try using it, and post the results here.
About adjustments, is there any other adjustment on this airbrush, except the most rear part knob which just limits the needle movement lever?
Can the nozzle be adjusted, or is it just as it is?
 
No, adjustment is really all in the index finger. IMHO it's best to learn control rather than set limiters. Quicker and less complicated in the long run. Adjustments are generally made with pressure, paint viscosity, distance to subject, speed, angle and how far back you pull the trigger. Check out the airbrushtutors tutorials on airbrush skills.
 
Will do! I have some skills with painting, so it will be easier than starting from zero, I guess
 
Yes it will largely be the mechanical actions and learning a new medium... much like re thinking how you achieve things going from pencil to brush. There is a whole heap of info out there for getting stuff done. And of course... practice! Make sure you get a good airbrush specific paint. Com-art, golden high flow, etac, schminke, Createx Illustration are all good paints. They have a finer pigment so give a good coverage and can be reduced more effectively for the brush. Start with straight paint and go from there. A good colour to start with is transparent black or a transparent paynes grey. Helps build skills and applies colour slowly.
 
Mark has summed it up for you , the knock off airbrushes are hit or miss but all are low quality and not worth fixing when broken , give a test run if it works you are in luck and you got a free practice brush to play with and learn the basics :)
 
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