Any Airbrush Users?

Nomad

Looking for suggestions for a not too expensive starter kit for airbrushing. My main uses would be repainting small items (palm of the hand sort of size), and possibly for doing graduated edge effects (like sunburst) on leather goods. It would be for occasional hobby use.

Things I've gleaned so far...
Get a compressor with a tank and cooling fan (reduces motor duty cycle, runs cooler and has less wear).
The airbrushes in the kits are pretty poor quality.
Should go for a dual action airbrush.
Will need a cleaning pot and cleaning thingies.
Need to be sure that airline fittings match if buying extras (1/8" BSP seems common).
Need to get painter's or chemical filters for my dust mask (and ventilate workspace, etc).

There seem to be loads of kits on Amazon that have a single piston compressor with a 3L tank, pressure gauge and moisture filter. Some compressor models I've noted are AS186, FD186 and ABPST08. They all look pretty similar. I notice that some AS-186 reviews complain about about running hot, but that could be a version with no cooling fan, and some are rather leaky at the fittings, needing the addition of PTFE tape to get them running properly. I don't mind a bit of fettling, but would obviously prefer it to work out of the box.

It seems that the airbrushes supplied in kits are all pretty poor - somewhat unreliable, can need tinkering, hard to to use the dual action mechanism. I'm fine with either buying a standalone compressor and getting the airbrush separately, or buying a kit if that's the only way to get a decent compressor and getting a better airbrush.


Stuff I'm looking at on Amazon...

AS186 kit...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M26M169/?coliid=I1VF8LS4X24N6N&colid=GJ0BS94R1Q32&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

FD186 kit...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01984G4SU/?coliid=I7YV70TBV6T6Z&colid=GJ0BS94R1Q32&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

ABPST08 compressor only
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Timbertech-Professional-Airbrush-Compressor-Oil-Less/dp/B07J2G7ND9/ref=pd_sbs_60_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07J2G7ND9&pd_rd_r=4a9149fd-0c16-11e9-ab4f-0333a0e7098d&pd_rd_w=UchsG&pd_rd_wg=HwV3O&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=VAY76AF6MFK09AE1CRPE&psc=1&refRID=VAY76AF6MFK09AE1CRPE

Airbrush...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TI4N0TC/?coliid=IJMCQTGYIYU2&colid=GJ0BS94R1Q32&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Cleaning pot and accessories...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UFERV9E/?coliid=IE0TAXTDJ7GHV&colid=GJ0BS94R1Q32&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

At the moment, the ABPST08 compressor, the aftermarket airbrush and cleaning kits look quite tempting for an overall spend of £120. Would this sort of thing suit my needs?

Is there anything else I need to consider?

boogieman

Funnily enough I was researching this recently too. The recommendations I got everywhere was for the AS186 compressor. They usually come as a kit but the brushes that come with it aren’t that great (but ok for starting off or just practicing). Go for an Iwata Neo brush when you’re ready to move up, they’re good value for money and give the best bang per buck, although they’re apparently fiddly to clean. 

Corvus

A tanks better because comps make air warm & wet. Water can condense out in a tank. And the comp isn't running it's little socks off. My boy had one of those generic brush kits, it was OK, not brilliant as you'd expect for the price, but it did OK. He used to paint small figures with it, not great detail sort of things but general colour and fades and such. Something branded might be better in that you can most likely get spares - different size needle/nozzle sets say, or just replacements if somethings needed.

Wouldn't worry much about a bit of sealing tape unless it's something that has to come on & off a lot. My paint system has two linked comps going from one building to another, lots of taped fittings - but you certainly don't want to be having to tape the airline-to-brush join. But buying a better airline might sort that, they're not expensive.

prowla

Nah - I cut me 'air short.

57Deluxe

more 'Air xx' Puns....

nick79

Harder and Steenback make good airbrushes, the Ultra is the cheapest and works well, and is very easy to strip and clean. As for a compressor, the AS186 is good. I've been using one for a couple of years now and no problems. 

Nomad

Thanks folks. I went with one of these...

https://bartsharp.co.uk/index.php/airbrush-compressor/airbrush-compressors-and-complete-kits/tc90t-airbrush-compressor-with-bartsharp-130-and-133-airbrush.html

The extra capacity seems like a good thing to have - bigger flow rate, and the twin piston should mean the motor runs with a lower duty cycle, so less wear in the longer term. The compressor on its own is £109, so £22 for the starter airbrushes seems fine to me. The same kit with an AS186 equivalent compressor is about £40 less, and I'm fine with that. Also got some cleaning kit, nozzles/needles in 0.2 and 0.5mm, spares, longer airline and a quick coupler.

The PTFE tape thing I'd seen in some reviews was needed on the manometer bits to get the parts to line up (I think one review said the gauge was pointing downwards, and somebody said to use tape to get it sealed when oriented correctly - agreed that it's no biggie). The airlines from Bartsharp have rubber seals, so no need for tape there.