I like the siphon feed right from the jar, not a cup gravity feeder,I like my fluids contained ,I'm messy
Route 66, the reason I asked was because after looking at all the airbrushes on Dixie Art's web page, I saw statements like gravity feed gives smoother flow and a finer mist spray. I do not know if this is true or not. Just curious to see what other peoples opinion are on this issue.
I have used a basic Badger airbrush. 350 is the model mnumber I think. No frills, no fancy smancy this or that. It has given me yeoman service for all my painting needs from painting a fleet of hoppers to doing scenery,detailing and weathering. Just a good old single action, siphon feed, external mix air brush. Sometimes getting too fancy creates its own problems.
Inkaneer, that sounds great. I suspect it has to do more with technique and practice than anything else.
True, and unless you are using an air brush on a consistant basis such as once a week or more, sticking to the basics is usually the best choice.
Bob, I don't know if that is the case of smoother flow or a finer mist maybe we should also ask How many that have an airbrush for modeling have gravity feed? other than face painters,nail salons or artisains of that nature.
I've used both siphon and gravity feed, and I prefer gravity. First, you don't waste much paint (the bottom jar and siphon tube get coated with paint you can't use, and it makes for more cleanup time too). Second, I find gravity feed more reliable. With a minimum of care, you won't spill any paint out of the paint cup.
I have a siphon and a gravity feed. The gravity feed is better for detail and small projects, plus it is a bit easier to clean. I would start with a basic airbrush that has the ability to change as you do (sales pitch for the Paasche VL here I guess) and then as your skills improve, look towards the higher end brushes that are limited in scope (as most gravity feeds are).
For scenery work and backdrops, siphon feed will work great, and the larger capacity of the bottle vs. the gravity cup means you won't have to refill as often, if at all. Otherwise, for model work, a gravity feed offers two advantages. First, its easier to change colors because the cleaning cycle between colors is simpler. Not a big advantage, but still an advantage. Second, and very much an advantage, a gravity feed AB allows you to spray at lower pressures. Lower pressure means its easier to get closer without spidering, and that means finer detail, and that is generally a good thing.
I bought one of the best single action siphon feed airbrushes money can buy. I bought books on how to use it and watched and learned under the tutelage of some of the best in the business. I practiced endless hours on old rolling stock shells and cheep train show structures. Now I use my airbrush for all my spray painting needs. . . . . . I use the *#%@*$^&$!! thing to pry the tops off of spray paint cans.
Wow, this is an old thread that got revived. Thanks for the input fellows, in fact, I just received my new airbrush last week. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I will be doing so shortly.
I have a Paasche double action airbrush that does both. The connection for the paint is on the bottom of the brush. This allows connecting bottles for large projects. The cup that comes with it has a bend in the tube so the cup sits next to the brush. Until the cup is about 1/3 full, the level in the cup makes it a gravity feed. Below that the airbrush then has to pull the paint. However, because of the conical shape of the cup, there is very little paint left when it gets to the 1/3 level anyway. You can see the cup in this picture Photo os from the Tower Hobbies website http://www3.towerhobbies.com (since I'm linking to their photo, I feel I should mention their site)
