Below is a copy of a reply I posted to an airbrush question on a thread back in March of this year, I hope you find it helpful. Please realize this is just my humble opinion based on years of experience, I'm no expert...................but I do play one on TV (LOL)



An airbrush is the one tool that can transform your models from ordinary to extraordinary, one of the best purchases you can ever make for any type of modeling, RC or other wise. Before deciding on a brand name, there are a few other things you should consider.

1. Like any other "new" tool or technique, remember to give yourself plenty of time to practice and master it's use.

2. Invest in a decent "how to" book that covers the basics, you can usually find them starting at about $15 in most art supply stores

3. The two biggest challenges in airbrushing is thinning you paint to the right consistency and cleaning the brush properly after each use

Airbrushes have come a long way since they first appeared on the market. Like anything else you get what you pay for, but don't get overwhelmed with all the latest technologies, keep it simple and get a simple but reliable brush from a recognized name.

Airbrushes have two main types:

Single Action:
With this type when you depress the trigger all you control is air pressure. Paint flow is controlled and set usually with a cone shaped threaded cap at the front of the brush.

Double Action:
With this type when you depress the trigger you control the airflow, by pulling back on the same trigger you can control the volume of paint being released. A Double action brush is harder to use and master, but ultimately gives you more control.

Airbrushes are also categorized by several features or functions

Internal or External mix
If an airbrush has the color cup (where the paint goes) built into the body of the brush it will mix the air and paint inside the brush and is therefore referred too as an internal mix brush. If the gun has a color cup or bottle that you attach to the outside is is called an external mix brush, as the paint and air are mixed just outside the tip of the brush. The paint is atomized and sprayed onto your model.

Syphon or Gravity feed
If the color cup (or bottle) is at the bottom of the brush and has a tube or lift hose that the paint is sucked up through, it is called a syphon feed. If the color cup is at the top of the body of the brush and the paint runs out the bottom of the cup into the body of the gun it's a gravity feed

What does all of this mean? Bottom line is there is a lot of options so be careful, or you may end up paying for an expensive and complicated gun with a lot of features you don't really need.

That being said for a very good solid reliable single action brush that is perfect for spraying models you can't go wrong with either Pasche or Badger. If you want to get fancy and don't mind paying for it you can go for the Cadillac right out of the gate and buy an Iwata. The Testor/Aztek 470 is a decent brush with some unique features, Yes the body is mostly plastic, but it's the only brush that has an adjustment that allows you to use it as a single or double action brush. They also have a patented tip design that is like no other, but can be very finicky to clean.

I have been airbrush ing for over 25 years and currently have 7 different brushes, from several different manufacturers. I have everything from single action, external mix, syphon feed brushes that are simple to operate and very reliable, to a very expensive and very intricate double action, internal mix, gravity feed, Iwata illustration brush that can spray lines as fine as a .03 pencil lead.

For the money (around $65) you simply can't beat a Pashe' HB-100 single action brush and a good book. It's a great brush for beginners that will last you a long time and will still be very useful as your skills increase. badger also makes great beginner brushes (I own one) but I'm partial to the Pashe.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope you find it helpful!