bucknuckle Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 I am just getting into airbrushing some baits. Has anyone ever used the harbor freight airbrush guns before? I am wondering how these will work for a beginner and using some stencils. I bought some wicked brand colors to try. Any help would be greatly appriciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingerBaits Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 Suggestion, if there is a Hobby Lobby or Michaels by you, get the 40% off coupon and buy a decent gun. You can get a decent one for 50-100 with the coupon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogAddict Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 There are many threads on this subject but please don't go cheap here. You'll just end up wasting your money. Buy a good airbrush the first time. I bought 2 before I learned my lesson. The math is easy, I paid $40 for a worthless brush, then $85 for a pretty but still worthless brush that frustrated me to no end and I finally spent $140 and got a brush that makes painting lures fun again. Specifically, stay away from cheap brushes to include the Iwata Neo. Yes, you can get a good one but the quality control isn't good with them. Get a higher end brush from Iwata, Badger, or Patsche (sp). Once you get a brush, you have to consider a couple important accessories as well such as a compressor, cleaning pot, cleaners etc. Just do a search on here and you'll find days of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
School Master Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 I'm also very new to airbrushing. I bought the Harbor Freight gun last year and I wish I would have bought a nicer one every time I use it. I'm sure 50% of my problems are operator error, but you get what you pay for. I've painted a fair amount of baits with it and don't get me wrong it does the job, but there has to be better options. The biggest complaint is the siphon feed cups. They fall off all the time don't work that well etc. If you were painting a large amount with one color, it would actually work pretty well. For small stuff like I do, I can't wait to get a gravity feed. Maybe with someone with a lot more knowledge can chime in about the quality of the gun, but I'm going to junk it and upgrade as soon as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Well most will tell you that a siphon fed brush is not the best choice for detail work as the operating pressure is much higher on a siphon fed so I would stay away from one. As stated spend a little more now or frustrate yourself for a few months and then pull the trigger on the brush that you should have bought in the first place Edited February 4, 2016 by gone2long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBehr Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 I got into airbrushing a year ago and after a LOT of research I purchased an Iwata Revolution BR with the Iwata Sprint Jet compressor and I am really happy with the results I have been getting. http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/iwrebraisywi2.html The package costs $270....but it works perfect! You get what you pay for when it comes to airbrushes and it's a lot cheaper to just do it right the first time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 I second every comment left in this thread. You would be well advised to take their advice. just my Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwfflipper Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I use a Paasche single action siphon feed and don't have any problems I have three to use one for each tip I also have 5 Iwata Neos but find myself going back to the Paasche. Jeff RiverValleyCrankbaits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucknuckle Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) Thank you guys very much for the info, I do have a hobby lobby near me. What do you guys think of the Iwata neo gravity feed airbrush or theres a Paasche VI for $129 ? Good for a beginner? Edited February 5, 2016 by bucknuckle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I've personally never used a Neo, but have read mixed reviews about them. Other than the Neo you can't go wrong with an Iwata in my opinion and Hobby Lobby caries them so you could use their 40% off coupon and save a bunch of money. Both Badger and Paasche make good airbrushes. Harder Steenbeck is another top of the line airbrush. I scrimped on buying an airbrush when first starting out. Bought two cheaper models that never see the light of day now. That was money just wasted that could have been spent on a top quality airbrush. As mentioned above you should most likely go with a gravity feed airbrush. You can shoot with much lower air pressure using a gravity feed than you can with a siphon feed. This translates into much better control over your spray and that is necessary when trying to paint details. Siphon fed airbrushes are great for spraying a lot of paint like when your base coating cranks, but suffer when trying to spray fine lines and details. Another thing you need to look for if you go with a gravity fed brush is to find one with a nozzle size of .3 or .35 millimeters. These sizes give a good balance between spraying base coats and details. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I like the harder steenbeck also but have a variety of Iwata guns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Do a search here for cleaning air brushes. Keeping your air brush clean is the key to getting the most out of it. No matter how good you are at painting, a dirty brush will make painting a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucknuckle Posted February 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Thank you guys for the assistance, I have learned more on this site in the last 3 days then probably yrs. Of trial and error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I started with the Neo it worked well a little more finicky than my HP-BS's to be honest though spend a little more and get the Revolution you won't be disapointed and it's not really much more than the Neo. And the Neo is made for Iwata not made by them so not sure about quality control issues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwfflipper Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Thank you guys very much for the info, I do have a hobby lobby near me. What do you guys think of the Iwata neo gravity feed airbrush or theres a Paasche VI for $129 ? Good for a beginner? You'll find with the neo that after awhile of painting and CLEANING the brush the chrome on the bottom of the paint canal will disappear. This in turn will cause the paint to "stick" to the bottom a little more than it would if the chrome was still there. I would wear out a Neo in about two months of painting but i do have a crankbait business that I stay busy at. And like gone2long said above they aren't made by Iwata. Jeff RiverValleyCrankbaits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thank you guys for the assistance, I have learned more on this site in the last 3 days then probably yrs. Of trial and error Createx Air Brush Restorer is your friend. http://www.coastairbrush.com/products.asp?cat=59 Scroll down and it's at the bottom of the page, We all make mistakes when we're air brushing, and one of the worst is letting paint set up in our brush. I've done it when I've gotten distracted and forgotten to clean my brush after painting. I put most of my bottle of AB Restorer in a glass pickle jar, and break down my brush and soak it when I've forgotten to clean it properly. I also do this a couple of times a year, just to help loosen and remove any paint that my normal cleaning may have missed. Rayburn Ben turned me on to this, and I'm eternally grateful. Also, Iwata's air brush lube is a great thing to have, to lube your needle, and to put inline before the trigger, to keep the O rings in the trigger assembly lubed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmarty93 Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 I feel like this is the absolute best buy for quality on a budget. I moved last year and have just finally set up my "lair" again and getting back to it. Its been awhile since I've been on TU. Glad to be back. Such a wonderful source of good information and good people!!! Anyway, check out the link below if you're in the market for an excellent brush at a phenomenal price!! http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=331355454487&alt=web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucknuckle Posted February 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Thank you for all the reply gentlemen,I ended up buying the neo, I'm gonna try it out for a while. I did a few thing with it so far. It seems ok so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
