Some advice please

[Simon T]

Hi Guys

I have been struggling with some cheap Chinese knock offs for the last year or so and after getting some good results on recent models i have decided to invest in better equipment.

I own a compressor with tank, moisture trap and decent braided hose.

I am after a decent airbrush or maybe two depending on price.

I paint wargaming models both large and small.

I have really three manufacturers in my sights and was thinking of the following.

Badger Patriot 105 for general use and Sotar for fine detail work.

H&S Evolution 2 in 1

Iwata ?

I understand that Iwata appears to be the Rolls Royce of airbrushes but i have a knock off (veda 180) and the tiny nozzle on it get's on my tits. Are all Iwata's like this?

H&S because they are made in Germany (which usually means quality) and parts are readily available here in the UK.

Lastly but definitely not least Badger. I watched the company owner give an introduction to noobs about airbrushing, and also i have heard only good things about Badgers customer service. I am put off slightly by the fact they are in the USA and i am in the UK so parts may not be 100% available. BUT i really like their attitude to the customer and this could swing it for me.

I just cannot make my mind up between these Companies and their products

Plesae help.....

 

[Ronald art]

you cant go wrong with the Iwata eclipse

 

[shirlzknight]

Hi, I am no expert but I can share what I know. I am also a miniature painter and like yourself started out with a Chinese knock off of an Iwata Hi Line HP CH brush (HS80) but was having some stiff trigger problems. I bought a Badger patriot 105 as for us mini painters it seems the perfect brush for basecoating right through to some detail work. I am thinking about a Badger Renegade Krome for better detail once I am a bit better with the Patriot but there is no rush to get that. Barwell Bodyshop is a UK based Badger stockist and all the parts are available through there. I hope this helps and if I can be of anymore help just ask.

 

[Madbrush]

Hi, I am no expert but I can share what I know. I am also a miniature painter and like yourself started out with a Chinese knock off of an Iwata Hi Line HP CH brush (HS80) but was having some stiff trigger problems. I bought a Badger patriot 105 as for us mini painters it seems the perfect brush for basecoating right through to some detail work. I am thinking about a Badger Renegade Krome for better detail once I am a bit better with the Patriot but there is no rush to get that. Barwell Bodyshop is a UK based Badger stockist and all the parts are available through there. I hope this helps and if I can be of anymore help just ask.

A couple of days here and already sharing, your a star that's what this forum is all about

 

[Simon T]

you cant go wrong with the Iwata eclipse

short but sweet... thank you I shall take a closer look at the eclipse.

 

[splasha]

I am an Eclpse fan, and I can tell you that with a little practice, you'll be able to do all you ever wanted to and more.
They're tough, reliable and a real workhorse.
Parts aren't too much of a pain in Australia, but I can't say about your locale.
Should be alright, though.

 

[jagardn]

I'd go with either the H&S or Iwata. I have some of each and they're great brushes.

 

[Greg Geilman]

I went for the Eclipse also. Make that a lot of practice in my case

 

[Strictly Attitude]

Eclipse or badger renegade

 

[Simon T]

Thanks you all for the replies.
A lot of votes for the Eclipse i see.
How are they maintenance wise?
Are they customisable with varying sized needles etc?

 

[jagardn]

Thanks you all for the replies.
A lot of votes for the Eclipse i see.
How are they maintenance wise?
Are they customisable with varying sized needles etc?

I don't have an eclipse, but I hear people say they are easy to maintain. The only options for an Eclipse are the .35mm that comes stock and the .5mm.

For diversity of tip size options and easy maintenance, the Evolution is the better choice IMO. It can use from a .15mm up to a .6mm and the maintenance is pretty simple. It's one of the reasons the Evo AL is the brush that I use the most.

 

[littlerick]

The old can of worms again ..... Get a H&S mate... parts are cheaper and from my humble opinion, bloody nice brush!
I too started with the Veda 180 and although it was "ok" I dont regret the Evolution 2 in 1 I got.

 

[Simon T]

No point flogging a dead horse (so to speak).

I thank everyone for their input and thoughts.

I reckon i will stick to H&S as they have excellent part support in the UK and there's just something about `German made` that inspires confidence.
I think the goal in the future will be to own at least one brush from all three manufacturers, that way i can compare them myself without bias.

A 2 in 1 Silverline for me i do believe

 

[jagardn]

No point flogging a dead horse (so to speak).

I thank everyone for their input and thoughts.

I reckon i will stick to H&S as they have excellent part support in the UK and there's just something about `German made` that inspires confidence.
I think the goal in the future will be to own at least one brush from all three manufacturers, that way i can compare them myself without bias.

A 2 in 1 Silverline for me i do believe

I would personally go with the CR plus or AL. They have the pronged needle protector which is much better.

 

[littlerick]

I agree..... I purchased the pronged tip as a add on £18

 

[retiredgarnham]

Hi, I own a H&S Infinity 2 in 1, a Evolution 2 in 1 and a Veda 180. I chose H &S brushes because they are so easy to clean and maintain. I have nothing against the Iwata brushes only that my decision was solely based on the spares and cleaning issues. Removing a H & S nozzle, cleaning it and refitting it is simplicity itself. As has already been said a H &S 2 in 1 gives you the best of both worlds as far as needle size is concerned, and believe me when I say that it only takes a matter of minutes to change from one needle set up to another.For me it's H &S every time.

 

[Firepriest]

I have both the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS and H & S Infinity CR Plus 2 in 1. Both very good, well built airbrushes. Both, so far for me have proved reliable. Easy to clean. Still getting fully used to them but love them both.

 

[Simon T]

Just won an infinity 2 in 1 on fleabay £145 posted..... I hope this was a good deal. Anything i should check it for?
Now i think about it i probably bought it of one of you guys

 

[retiredgarnham]

Just won an infinity 2 in 1 on fleabay £145 posted..... I hope this was a good deal. Anything i should check it for?
Now i think about it i probably bought it of one of you guys

Hi Simon
I own an Infinity 2 in 1 myself and I found that the worst thing I found was when you clean the 0.15 nozzle. Don't go to heavy with the brush when pushing it up the nozzle to remove the paint. The tip of the nozzle is very delicate and to my cost I inadvertently splayed the tip by pushing to hard up and down the inside . After failing to paint with it, I then took hours trying find out what was wrong with the brush. Once found I had to purchase a new tip.
Another thing I found was that if you expect paint to flow the moment you pull back on the trigger like Iwatas etc, don't be alarmed when it doesn't happen. The trigger seems to have a slight delay in reacting. If this bothers you to much the way I fix it is when you reassemble after a good clean, leave the rear cover off, connect up to your air line, set for about 15 psi then add a few drops of your cleaning fluid to the cup. Loosen off the needle chuck and press down for air. Then pointing at some paper or cleaning rag, hold the needle and gentle pull it back until the fluid starts to come out of the nozzle. Tighten the needle chuck and check for correct operation. It takes a little while to get it right but after a time it becomes second nature. In fact with practice I have found that I can set the brush up to act as a single action brush to do some of those repetitive tasks that sometimes crop up.
I hope this is of help and good luck with the brush.

 

[Simon T]

Hi Simon
I own an Infinity 2 in 1 myself and I found that the worst thing I found was when you clean the 0.15 nozzle. Don't go to heavy with the brush when pushing it up the nozzle to remove the paint. The tip of the nozzle is very delicate and to my cost I inadvertently splayed the tip by pushing to hard up and down the inside . After failing to paint with it, I then took hours trying find out what was wrong with the brush. Once found I had to purchase a new tip.
Another thing I found was that if you expect paint to flow the moment you pull back on the trigger like Iwatas etc, don't be alarmed when it doesn't happen. The trigger seems to have a slight delay in reacting. If this bothers you to much the way I fix it is when you reassemble after a good clean, leave the rear cover off, connect up to your air line, set for about 15 psi then add a few drops of your cleaning fluid to the cup. Loosen off the needle chuck and press down for air. Then pointing at some paper or cleaning rag, hold the needle and gentle pull it back until the fluid starts to come out of the nozzle. Tighten the needle chuck and check for correct operation. It takes a little while to get it right but after a time it becomes second nature. In fact with practice I have found that I can set the brush up to act as a single action brush to do some of those repetitive tasks that sometimes crop up.
I hope this is of help and good luck with the brush.

Thank you for taking the time to share that valuable information with me.
I really appreciate it.