Affordable air brush?

[jcroxford]

I have never used an airbrush before, So I want to check it out, practice, etc, while not spend a whole bunch of money. My question - is this cheap model master airbrush worth anything? or is this just a total waste of money/ time. Has anyone used it? Any feedback would be appreciated.

http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=1196

[Romulan Spy]

That Testor's spray gun is designed for very broad area coverage. It'll get the job done, but it's somewhat crude and lacking fine control. For about ten dollars more, you can get a Paasche H complete with color cups, bottles, heavy duty hose, and three needle/nozzle combinations. It's dead simple to use and clean, and it's dang near bullet-proof. I've had mine for nearly 20 years, and have only needed to replace a needle once. That was because I dropped it, not because it wore out.

[nicholjm]

I know some people will probably disagree, but the double-action, siphon-feed airbrush from Harbor Freight works for me pretty good. It only cost $16, so how can you go wrong?

[TER-OR]

I tried using that Testors gun recently and couldn't get it to work. I agree the HArbor Freight (Badger 350 knockoff) is a better buy.

But you will soon want a better airbrush, and for $50-$70 you can get a decent one. The compressor will cost more, of course. You can get a good one like the Senco PC1010 for under $120.

[macfrank]

The compressor will cost more, of course. You can get a good one like the Senco PC1010 for under $120.

You can also use CO2 tanks and a regulator. A 5lb tank can paint between 5 - 8 models and will be about $15 to refill. The CO2 is a dry gas, so no need for a water trap. It's also quiet and since the gas flow is not pulsing, it doesn't require a holding tank (other than the CO2 tank itself).