First Airbrush Purchase

[FloridaBassDude]

As the title states, I am requesting a little help on my first purchase of an airbrush. I have gotten really interested in creating crankbaits that I like, with the colors I want, with total customization! Just sounds like fun too. I started with the idea of getting an Iwata Revolution, went for about $99 not including tax. But, by doing more research, I found a Iwata Eclipse HP-CS, priced at $199. But, with the Hobby Lobby 40% discount, it comes out to around $120. So....let's say including cleaning supplies, paint, etc. I am in the $200 price range. Is this a good buy? The brush comes with a pistol grip see-through moisture trap thing, and a couple paints with a bottle of cleaner. I think it's a great buy! Opinions?

 

P.S. I have a compressor already, so that's not a worry, but what PSI should I aim for? Some so 30-40, some say below 20...

 

Any help is appreciated thanks!

[keith71]

You wont be sorry with the Iwata,Ive had an eclipse over ten years.As far as air pressure experiment a little.Ive used mine for stuff outside of cranks too

[BassAssassin85]

sweet job keith. anyhow floridabassdude i have the hpcs and the thing is awesome. go through hobby lobby for sure with the coupon! to be honest if your really wanting to do this go out and spend about 50 bucks and get your common colors to start with. i think the kit comes with three? go get opaques white, black, transparents yellow, red, green, blue, etc. common colors. once your start to get the hang of it and start mixing colors then start getting into the pearls and the candies. pearls are the same price create wise that i know of its just different on how you can layer them and spray over them with your transparents. air pressure is all relative you will have to get a feel for what your thickness of paint is. i typically run at about 25-30. less when I'm fogging or spraying really thin paint to get a faint effect. ok enough of my lil secrets lol if you need more help shoot me a pm and ill do what i can. jim

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I use Iwata airbrushes exclusively. You really can't go wrong with one.

[sunkist]

I have the iwata neo and the iwata eclipse hp-cs.  The neo has a .5mm needle and the eclipse has a .35mm needle.  I can't tell enough difference between the two to justify the extra cost of the eclipse.  I can do everything with the neo that the eclipse will do.  If I were you I would get the neo (much cheaper) and then when you are ready to upgrade, bypass the eclipse and get something even better.  And yes the hobby lobby coupon is the way to go.

I shoot my base coat at 30psi.  Most other colors are shot at 20psi, but I occasionally drop to 15psi for fine detail.  Make sure you have a good pressure regulator and water trap, even though you may have a gun mounted trap I would still add another ahead of that one.  You are entering a very addictive hobby and when you catch your first fish on a bait you painted you will be hooked for sure.  Good Luck!

[BobP]

I've been painting cranks for 12 years and to me, an airbrush with a .3 or .35 mm tip size is the sweet spot if you want one brush that will "do it all".  There are various brands and models with this size tip but like many, I use Iwatas because of their quality and durability.  I think the HP-CS has a .35mm tip.  Crankbaits are small, and I'd consider a pistol grip or anything else attached directly to the airbrush to be a hindrance.  I want to hold an airbrush like a pencil.  I have a couple of Iwatas and use a Revolution BR with .3mm tip the most often.  JMHO, within the Iwata line, you can take solid quality as a given whatever the price point of the particular model you choose.  Is an Eclipse twice the quality of a Revolution, as retail price would suggest?  Nope, they're both highest quality airbrushes.  You pay extra in airbrushes for smaller tip sizes because it takes finer tolerances and factory hand tuning to build small tipped airbrushes.  And extra features like MAC air control on the airbrush or a cut out on the barrel to facilitate needle positioning go for a big premium.

 

Air pressure:  I use anything from 15 to 35 psi, depending.  Lower pressure = finer detail.  Max pressure for most Iwatas is 45 psi.  When considering PSI, you want a compressor that will supply CONTINUOUS pressure at the level you need.  The small airbrush compressors from China often list 35 psi.  But that's just after you pull the trigger, after which the pressure falls off by 10-20 lb psi to whatever its continuous pressure is.  Not saying you can't paint a lure with only 20 psi and below, but it's not ideal.      

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I've been painting cranks for 12 years and to me, an airbrush with a .3 or .35 mm tip size is the sweet spot if you want one brush that will "do it all".  There are various brands and models with this size tip but like many, I use Iwatas because of their quality and durability.  I think the HP-CS has a .35mm tip.  Crankbaits are small, and I'd consider a pistol grip or anything else attached directly to the airbrush to be a hindrance.  I want to hold an airbrush like a pencil.  I have a couple of Iwatas and use a Revolution BR with .3mm tip the most often.  JMHO, within the Iwata line, you can take solid quality as a given whatever the price point of the particular model you choose.  Is an Eclipse twice the quality of a Revolution, as retail price would suggest?  Nope, they're both highest quality airbrushes.  You pay extra in airbrushes for smaller tip sizes because it takes finer tolerances and factory hand tuning to build small tipped airbrushes.  And extra features like MAC air control on the airbrush or a cut out on the barrel to facilitate needle positioning go for a big premium.

 

Air pressure:  I use anything from 15 to 35 psi, depending.  Lower pressure = finer detail.  Max pressure for most Iwatas is 45 psi.  When considering PSI, you want a compressor that will supply CONTINUOUS pressure at the level you need.  The small airbrush compressors from China often list 35 psi.  But that's just after you pull the trigger, after which the pressure falls off by 10-20 lb psi to whatever its continuous pressure is.  Not saying you can't paint a lure with only 20 psi and below, but it's not ideal.      

Great advice for anybody getting into airbrushing. I'd also add that the Iwata Revolution HP-CR is a great choice for starting out. It comes with a .5mm needle, but can easily be converted to .3mm with only a few parts. Even the low end Iwata airbrushes are serious workhorses, so you really can't go wrong. Just be sure to get a gravity fed type for lure painting.