Which airbrush for miniatures

A siphon feed sucks the paint up through the tube and sprays it. You can usually store more paint in a siphon feed, so it is good to use on larger surfaces or for general applications. The siphon feed does tend to use more paint and takes a bit more time to clean it out. Cup or bottle sizes for a siphon feed can come in anything from 0. A paint cup for a gravity feed usually sits at the top of the airbrush. Gravity then takes over and the paint is pulled into the airbrush.

The gravity feed uses lower air pressure, it can be as low as 8 Psi, which allows for more control. This can help with painting finer details on miniatures or models. However, the paint cup does tend to hold less paint, which means you may have to refill it if you need to.

The mix refers to how the paint and the air mix or comes together before spraying. Depending on where the mix occurs, will determine the effect the paint has on the finish. In this case, the air, and the paint mix outside the airbrush. This tends to produce a spray with a rounder pattern. The paint flows externally along with the nozzle and is then atomized as it leaves the nozzle. This method tends to leave a less smooth finish, but you can play around with the paint mix until you get what you want.

The paint and air mix inside the airbrush, which produces a fine spray pattern. The best airbrushes for models have an internal mix, which provides a smoother finish. Even though it is negligible, the internal mix airbrush does require more clean-up measures. When it comes to the spray pattern of your airbrush, the nozzles play an important part. You get two main types of nozzles for this:. You will find that most nozzles are included in an Airbrush Kit, but if you for some reason need to buy it separately, make sure the nozzle is compatible with your airbrush.

When buying your nozzle, take note of the following:. You may be busy with a project that has different types of miniatures, it might be a good idea to then get yourself a variety of nozzles and matching needles. The size of the needle is significant when looking for an airbrush, it depends on what you are working on. Small needles create fine lines and details, great for smaller models. However, the smaller needles do not work so well for larger items.

The fine needles also clog up more, so your paint should be thinned out more. When it comes to a miniature painting airbrush, the needle should be around 0. The best option is to start with a 0. The most important piece of equipment is your airbrush, but the compressor comes in at a close second. You need the compressor to provide the perfect pressure and flow of air when applying the paint.

If there is a variation with the pressure, this may cause problems with your work. When purchasing your compressor, consider the PSI, this will tell you how much pressure you will be able to produce. Painting miniatures and models require a minimum of 30 PSI. Once you have purchased and have all you need to begin your miniature airbrush project, you now have to consider your workspace.

You need an area that is well ventilated and where you can leave all your equipment. If you do not have a basement or garage space, maybe a spare room or even a space in your bedroom if necessary. There needs to be enough space available for all your supplies and equipment. Having enough light is another important factor in airbrush painting. Get yourself a good light source if there is not enough natural light in your workspace. You can create your own worktable according to what you need, or there are painting stations you can purchase in-store.

Once you have all your equipment and space prepared, you need to now get your paint and miniatures or models. You may be able to use some paints you already have, just make sure you have enough and that they are not too old.

If you do not have enough paints, you will have to purchase more. If you are just starting, I would simply get this cleaning pot to use as a stand. I went with this stand because it fit my desk well. A very smooth trigger, for example.

An extremely precise nozzle with a teeny tiny diameter for ultra-fine dots and lines. A sexy design and a gift to yourself. This model has an option for a. There is also a quick-fix dial on this airbrush that acts as a stop to regulate how much you can pull back on the trigger. All of the three recommended airbrushes for miniature and model painting share the same feature set: dual-action, gravity-feed, internal-mix airbrushes.

Single action means when you press the trigger, you get both air and paint flow. Dual-action is when you press down on the trigger, you get air flow, when you pull back on the trigger, you get paint.

For miniature painting, you want a dual-action airbrush. This gives much more control over how much paint is used. Gravity-feed airbrushes have a paint cup on top; the paint flows down with gravity into the airbrush.

From there it mixes with the air and sprays out the nozzle. Siphon-feed airbrushes have a hose attached to a container that sucks up paint into the airbrush. This is higher capacity but gives less control over the paint flow. Internal and external mix refers to where the paint interacts with the air flow, either outside the mechanism or within the housing.

For Miniature and Model painting look for an internal-mix airbrush, like the ones recommended above. The internal mix gives a fine pattern and more control for accuracy. All of the choices here are internal-mix airbrushes. Smaller hole means a smaller spray cone. It also means the paint has to be thinner to shoot through without clogging.

The needle is what is controlled by the trigger. Pulling back on the trigger pulls the needle back and opens the nozzle hole to release paint when you spray.

This means that it has a wider pattern and great coverage, and the paint flows through easier. For priming, base coating, and terrain, bigger is better. This gives the brush a lot of versatility. I bought the version with both a. There is also an option for a. They give you different size needles to tackle different tasks. Again, the trade-off being a requirement of very thin paint with no clumps at all. A tank on the compressor does a couple of things.

It keeps the pressure steady, which is important for applying clean and smooth coats. Of all the options, this is the most important. Exactly what pressure? Play around with it.

What I typically do, and a good starting point: 10 psi for up-close, fine work. My take is this: You absolutely want something to catch overspray paint, ideally some kind of vent to the outside. I personally got this model. I still wear a mask, but I switched to the cloth-style face covering. My go-to mask for a long time was this 3M respirator.

With the ventilated spray booth, I often use just a cloth-style mask now. Again do not breathe paint fumes. Even nontoxic acrylic is not great for your lungs. You can use virtually any paint through an airbrush. The determining factors are how thin the paint is, and how well it flows through the airbrush. Water: You can use water, either straight tap water or any fancy water like distilled or deionized water. The fixed paint cup holds 2. This is what frustrates people about buying airbrushes, the inconsistency of details.

Not only are there different versions of most of the models and different size needles. Instead, the Badger Sotar needles which already have a unique look due too the plastic handle on the back end are defined as 1 Fine, 2 Medium and 3 Large. Disappointingly, none of the Paasche models made the Top There is a range of great brushes here from the top-end to budget workhorses. Each is worth your time and consideration when choosing your next brush.

The Infinity CRplus is the replacement for the base Infinity model. The quick-fix system on the back allows you to quickly lock how far you can pull back the trigger, and you can fully release this in an instant.

You can even control the resistance of the trigger too. The needle guard is quick release and the cup can be changed out from 2 ml to 5 ml. With all the quick snap on components, this is really easy to clean between uses, but the full teardown is a touch trickier than most and it does require more regular maintenance. This is an expensive, top of the line brush, a bit too much to chew for most miniature painters right out.

This will lead to higher costs outside of European territories. The 0,4 retail box also upgrades the changeable paint cup from 2ml to 5ml. They offer two different two-in-one kits, one with the 0.

Each of these comes with both the 2ml and 5ml paint cups. There are a good amount of purchase options for this. If you are going to buy an airbrush. Whilst it is expensive and some may baulk at the price, to be fair on the budget side of things, this is still pretty midrange when compared to some Airbrushes on this list.

Kickstarted by renowned Miniature painters — Cult of Paint this is the one airbrush on this list aimed at you hungry warhammer lot. Beginner to expert this is a solid brush though I do still recomend your first ever airbrush be a cheapo model just so you can learn how not to break one.

This is sold and distributed by Element Games in the UK shipped worldwide. Much like the top 10 best brushes , choosing the best airbrush for miniatures is down to personal preference, and the highest quality, the most feature-rich airbrush will not make you an instant master at airbrushing. But unlike selecting brushes, choosing an airbrush is much more down to personal needs and your skill level. Oh, and your budget. If you are a complete beginner, read our best beginner airbrush article and maybe just get something cheap with a compressor before you jump in the deep end spending hundreds of your hard-earned cash.

Sure, it will last weeks not years. But they cost next to nothing to replace the whole brush. If you are really against the eBay knock-off models then one of the workhorses from the list above will be perfect for your first model. If you have some beginner or intermediate skill and want to move up, then something with optional nozzles is a logical next step.

This will let you have the benefit of giving a quick primer or base coat and also lets you try out the precision work. If you are intermediate to advanced with airbrushing and paint all of your minis with some level of fine airbrush work, you already have your paint thinning supplies, a good technique and you have the budget!

Then you want to be looking at the best-in-class models. No matter what you select, every brush on the above list would be considered a great choice. Just make sure you are making the right choice for your personal level and intent. Once you have selected your airbrush, have a look at our list of essential accessories that you will want to go along with it.

What did you think of this article? If so, what? Want to keep updated with the blog? You can subscribe in the sidebar by email or RSS. Self-appointed Editor in chief of FauxHammer.

View all posts. Badger patriot is 0. It has upgrade kits to change nozzle size though made by lot of manufactorers because of how popular it is. Awesome article. Some say it teaches you to rely on it instead of learning good brush control. I bought a evolution silverline 0. I mean about cleaning and duse clok problem.. I decide to change to an iwata.. A lot people say to me are more used freendly in term of usability but M afraid about 0.

What do you think? Thx for your time and awesome blog.. Thanks so much. How fine do you want to go. Anyway, That Infinity CRplu s airbrush is used mostly with a 0. The Iwata Custom Micron comes close, but I spend a lot of time fighting it, with the paint drying on the tip before I can get a few sprays out of it. Beyond that the brush I would say to work towards is the Infinity CRplus which I find is the most versatile brush available.

Thx so much.. Keep going this awesome blog.. I always follow you also on Instagram Ivandelbenetattoo.. Thx for your advices???? The needle sizes on the Sotar is in fact 0. I tend to use different airbrushes for different tasks and for different paints. A bonus reason is why not? What I love with the Infinity and the Silverline is the trigger control that allows you to regulate the air flow at the tip of your finger depending on how much you depress the trigger.

My fine detail airbrushes is the Infinity with 0. I can do Luftwaffe squigles or Italian smoke ring camouflage in scale with those three airbrushes. My two workhorse airbrushes is the Silverline with either 0. My current stable in order of purchase is as follow so you get some clue about what I base my thought on.

Airbrush Custom 0. As a first-time Airbrush buyer, the amount of info online can be a bit of a head-melter. This article, and the others linked, have been the most helpful and I will return to them to read again… and I like the writing style. Thank you. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Table of Contents show. Join our Discord Server — Click Here.

Best Hobby Tools for Miniatures. What airbrush is best for miniatures? What is the best airbrush kit for beginners? How to use an airbrush for miniatures. Which airbrush for miniatures? Which is better Gravity or Siphon airbrush? Other controls on Airbrushes for Miniature Painting. Airbrush psi for miniatures. Best airbrush kit for models — Purchase Options. Ultimate — Apex A budget airbrush for miniatures. Grex — Tritium TG A good airbrush for painting miniatures. Join our Discord Server — Click Here 6.

Join our Discord Server — Click Here 3. Author Related. Gravity-Fed Airbrush. Side-Fed Airbrush. Siphon-Fed Airbrush. Check Price on Amazon. Check Iwata — Eclipse price at Element Games. Check Price on eBay UK.