Grey Ghost Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 I have decided it is time to buy an airbrush and have made the choice to buy an Iwata. I can buy a lightly used Revolution CR with hose for $70. Is this a good buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyo1954 Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Nothing wrong with that price. Is that the one on ebay? Same brush on Amazon is $72.95 without the hose. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=iwata+revolution&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=162711001&ref=pd_sl_8328egkids_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) That's a good price, but does it have the size needle and nozzle setup you want? If you plan on spraying details you'll probably want something smaller than a .5mm nozzle. I'm not sure, but I think the CR only comes with a .5mm setup. You can find them without the hose at Dixie Art and Coast Air for around $95 plus shipping. If you have a Hobby Lobby close to you they carry Iwata airbrushes and with their online printable 40% off coupon you can get a deal on a good airbrush. Ben Edited May 11, 2012 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Ghost Posted May 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Good point on the size. I definitely want a finer detail unit. Looking at the eclipse cs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickdraw Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 (edited) You can get the Iwata Neo also. It is basically the same setup as the Rev except with a .35 needle and nozzle. It is also under $50 at Amazon. Edited May 11, 2012 by quickdraw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Ghost Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I haven't heard much about the Neo. What are some thoughts on it? Anyone use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Good point on the size. I definitely want a finer detail unit. Looking at the eclipse cs as well. You can't go wrong with that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent R Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Take your time and get lots of info before you decide....It will be worth the wait.....But in most opinions Iwata is the brand but which brush will be up to you....Ask lots of ?????s Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 (edited) I haven't heard much about the Neo. What are some thoughts on it? Anyone use it? I've read both good and bad reviews about the Iwata Neo, but haven't personally used it. You can do an online search for reviews on this airbrush and get some opinions about it. There are a few people here at TU who use it so maybe they will chime in. Brent is right about doing your research. A little study now might save you a lot of aggravation later. Ben Edited May 12, 2012 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetickhound Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I had a Neo for a few days... It quit spraying on me and I cleaned it six ways from Sunday and never could get it running so I took it back. I bought an Iwata HiLine HP-CH and am really glad I spent the extra money.... Another thing to keep in mind is that choosing the right compressor now is imperative. I lowballed a bit and got a Smart Jet instead of going all out but so far it has done everything I need it to do. I definitely recommend the iwata studio series as they run quietly and the Smart jet technology just plain works. Especially for apartment dwellers or folks whose wives aren't terribly sympathetic to their lure making habit.....(ahem....). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetickhound Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 If you really want to go all out check out the Harder & Steenbeck infinity series... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I have an Iwata Revolution BR which comes with a .3mm tip. Unless you are into production painting and need a big reservoir, I consider the 1/16 oz reservoir on a B series Iwata "perfect size". Most of the color shots I do on a crankbait are squeezing 4-5 drops of paint into the reservoir. I also use my Revolution BR for color basecoating and a cup full of white is enough for 2 heavy coats of Polytranspar Superhide White on a crankbait. The .3mm tip is also just large enough to shoot flake and pearl airbrush paints, which a .2 mm tip is not. JMHO, if there is such a thing as a "one brush does it all" high quality but economical a/b out there, this is the one. $70 for the a/b and hose is a good deal. You can often find a Revolution for around $70 retail but without the hose, which costs around $10 extra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crzyjunyer Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 also you may want to plan for future growth/enjoyment too - i did some research and what i deciede was going to work best for me was starting with an eclips cs w/ the .35 tip and later on i came back and added and eclipse hps w/ the .5 tip. I like this setup since i can use the CS as my workhorse and main brush, but for doing lots of one color or basecoating or top coating i use the HPS. Another advantage to this setup is i can swap the .5 tips into the CS with no problem and use it to spray heavier/thicker paints or flakes and metallics. Im not saying this is the perfect setup for you or anyone else, its just what i found works for me. I prefer to really think into the future on things especially tools and such and i usually spend more for a better, higher quality tool to begin with rather than buy it twice. It all depends on your budget and other factors as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Ghost Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 BobP... I am a musky fisherman. The smallest bait I throw is 6 inches, typically I throw 9 or 10 inch lures. I do fish bass but I don't think i'll be making many of these. Do you feel the 1/8 cup size in the br would be sufficient for musky baits up to 12 inches long by say 2.5 to 3 inches tall. I have zero air brush experience and really have no frame of reference. I will not be making lures production style, just for me, my son and father in law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Ghost Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Errr. I meant the 1/16 size cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I like Iwata brushes. My Eclipse HP-BS is a workhorse with a .35 nozzle and can still paint beyond my ability. I can take it completely apart and put it back together very quickly, so I consider it very user-friendly. Buy brand name paint, shakeit thoroughly, and filter every squirt of it through a small piece of panty-hose stretched beneath the top of your paint container, and you'll avoid clogs. If you think that all professional airbrush artists use expensive top-shelf guns you'd be wrong. The higher priced guns normally have features that the lower-priced guns such as the Revolution and Eclipse don't have, but they do not sactifice quality. A lot of pros use Revolutions, VL's, Eclipses, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crankpaint Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 to answer your question about the 1/16 oz res. that should be enough for most musky plugs as you really dont put on much paint 8 to 10 drops of paint cover alot of lure and you can aways add a few drops if you did'nt put enought paint in the first time,Remember you only paint one color at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 It only takes a second to squeeze a few more drops into the top of the brush if I run out of paint. However, I was sizing the cup for typical bass baits, not musky baits so can't speak to whether the Rev B cup is the ideal size for that. It's not like you sight down the barrel of the a/b when painting, so a larger cup is not necessarily a detriment, except perhaps in the balance of the a/b. But like Ben said, Iwata uses different size tips depending on the size of the paint reservoir on the brush. I like to use the brush with the smallest tip that will still spray every paint I want to shoot and that's been the .3mm tip. Not to say that guys who use .5mm tips can't do great paint jobs. You'll find that airbrushing is about 75% user skill and 25% equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetickhound Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Exactly. I could go out and buy the best set of custom fitted super high zoot golf clubs in existence and Tiger Woods would beat me by 30 strokes using a crooked stick with a rock tied on the end of it. Speaking personally... My equipment is way better than my current skill level warrants me having. The good news is that having good equipment flattens the learning curve to an extent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Yeah, I noticed early on that there are guys on TU who are true crankbait artists using airbrushes that many here would consider of lesser quality than Iwata or other high-end manufacturers. In the end, it's about the artist, not the paint brush. There's a technical and an artistic side to airbrushing, and for me the technical is mostly about learning to control the airbrush. Better equipment makes learning control easier and faster but I'm living proof that it doesn't make you an airbrush master artist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyo1954 Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 BobP I totally agree with you. There are a lot of details that go into being proficient with an airbrush. I keep trying to learn. Maybe I make it too hard. I keep saying the paint has to be just right, the pressure has to be just right and even then, when you think you are going too slow, you have to slow down. When things go bad it's like you need a ready reference checklist on what to check. These are the brushes I have. Nothing special. Paasche Dual Action VL (red one), Badger Single 200NH (blue one), and an unknown little plastic jobber. When I bought the Paasche, I was doing a lot of spray painting and thought it would translate over easily. It didn't. I got frustrated. I got the Badger because it is a detail brush thinking it would help me do details. It didn't. I got frustrated. Looking back I wasn't as bad as I thought, and still not as good as the lure artists in the gallery. This is the jitterbug body from the other thread painted up to give an idea of what the Paasche will look like in the wrong hands..... I just keep telling myself this is a hobby. I'm supposed to enjoy it! But like everybody else I want to be good at it too. Yep, I agree BobP. Airbrushing is part art and part technical skill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltshaker Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 BobP I totally agree with you. There are a lot of details that go into being proficient with an airbrush. I keep trying to learn. Maybe I make it too hard. I keep saying the paint has to be just right, the pressure has to be just right and even then, when you think you are going too slow, you have to slow down. When things go bad it's like you need a ready reference checklist on what to check. These are the brushes I have. Nothing special. Paasche Dual Action VL (red one), Badger Single 200NH (blue one), and an unknown little plastic jobber. When I bought the Paasche, I was doing a lot of spray painting and thought it would translate over easily. It didn't. I got frustrated. I got the Badger because it is a detail brush thinking it would help me do details. It didn't. I got frustrated. Looking back I wasn't as bad as I thought, and still not as good as the lure artists in the gallery. This is the jitterbug body from the other thread painted up to give an idea of what the Paasche will look like in the wrong hands..... I just keep telling myself this is a hobby. I'm supposed to enjoy it! But like everybody else I want to be good at it too. Yep, I agree BobP. Airbrushing is part art and part technical skill. That is true, but, patience and persistence can overcome a lack of either. Just keep at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 I am no artist with an airbrush, but I manage. I have a cheap siphon Badger brush, with a .5 needle and three extra bottles. I use it for undercoating lures when I have a lot to do. I think I could spray tar through it! I can leave the undercoat paint in one of the bottles, capped, and it will last as well as in the original plastic bottle until the next time I use it. I use one of the bottles for washing out and back flushing (watch the exposed needle point). I have an Iwata HP BS with a .35 needle and the larger cup for almost all of my color painting. The brushes you have will do the job for you, no question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Ghost Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Well, I bought the compressor. 6 gallon, 2 HP & 150 PSI. I got a good deal on it and wanted something small enough for me to tote around for DIY home projects. I filled it up and turned the pressure down to 45 PSI and let the needle (for football's) let air out until empty. Took a good long while, so I should have plenty of air capacity to do a lure at a time, which is my plan. Make 2 at a time, again, not intended for "production" style lure building. I also ordered the Iwata Eclipse BS, cant wait to get it! I have two 7 inch blanks I carved/sanded out of Poplar to play with. In MN, Musky opener is the first weekend of June, I hope to have them all finished up and water ready by then. I'll post pick's of my first 2 air brush painted lures. As for paint, I have none at the moment, but plan on going with Createx "wicked" colors. I absolutely love the pearl finish and the metalic colors for more flash. I'll probably experiment on paper to see how the layers work. I intend to paint one in a perch pattern, and the other in a bluegill pattern. I may be a bit too agressive in saying they will be ready by the musky opener, as I have yet to seal the bodies up for weight testing. I have not made a crankbait in ages and the last one was a copy so weighting wasn't too much of an issue. The two lures, one will be a 7.5 inch glider jerkbait with a squirly tail (twister tail) attached to the end. The crankbait is intended to be a 7 inch shallow diver (3-6 ft) with a lot of boyancy to back it up out of weeds. As I usually do when tinkering, I probably over engineer things and think and rethink and then rethink again, on things. I hope I'll have time to finish in 3 weeks. I'll let you all know. Thanks for the input everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyo1954 Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Great compressor Grey Ghost! Have the pancake Porter-Cable with similar specs and have used it to shoot texture, brads, nails, paint and airbrush. That's a GOOD choice. One additional suggestion, if you don't already have one. Get some type of moisture trap. Different companies will call them different things, but they are all designed for the purpose of separating the moisture to deliver dry air to your brush and keep the moisture out of your tools as well. Iwata makes a pistol grip moisture filter (available at hobby lobby for about $30). Harbor Freight has a mini air line filter for about $6.50. Lowes has a mini filter for about $12. Moisture trap, moisture filter, air filer, water separator, etc.....they all do the same thing which is take moisture out of the air. I'm using an inline desiccant dryer.... Some people see a pressure drop when adding one of these filters. (I think) it works on this because it is an old style continuous run machine. I tested it by running air through a length of vinyl tubing and seeing the moisture build up. Then I installed the filter and watched the tubing get dry. Harbor freight carries these for about $7.50. Don't know who is using what, but those are the basic options you have to separate the moisture and air. Congratulations on the great buy! Can't wait to see you finish those lures in time! Edited May 15, 2012 by garyo1954 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
