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Iwata airbrush
- Thread starter jknaus
- Start date
helios
Well-known member
I think matrixone has the lowdown on the Iwata brushes. I was reading one of his comments/reviews/recommendations a while back (don't remember the thread) and he had me really intrigued...enough to where I was actually checking prices.
I'm currently using a Badger 105. It works well enough...but to be honest, I'm just learning. I picked up the 105 because it seemed to be a decent balance of price/performance/reliability for just starting out. I'm sure it's not the nicest, but seemed to be a decent brush to learn on that I wouldn't quickly outgrow.
I don't know that you would get super fine detail & large area coverage out of any single brush...at least not without swapping tips & needles for the different applications.
I'm currently using a Badger 105. It works well enough...but to be honest, I'm just learning. I picked up the 105 because it seemed to be a decent balance of price/performance/reliability for just starting out. I'm sure it's not the nicest, but seemed to be a decent brush to learn on that I wouldn't quickly outgrow.
I don't know that you would get super fine detail & large area coverage out of any single brush...at least not without swapping tips & needles for the different applications.
ausf
Master at Arms
I have been using an Iwata HP-BC2 for 30 years. While no one brush does it all, I've used it on 1/72 to 1/16 armor over the years with great results and if I need to keep one, it would be it.
In the past few years I've added two more Iwatas, one with a tiny gravity feed res for quick color changes on figures and a large one for priming per the Budzik videos. Same exact design and quality, 30 years later. The only difference was the box.
In the past few years I've added two more Iwatas, one with a tiny gravity feed res for quick color changes on figures and a large one for priming per the Budzik videos. Same exact design and quality, 30 years later. The only difference was the box.
James,
I have a number of airbrushes and by a wide margin the Iwata Revolution BR is the one you would want if you could only have one airbrush.
The Revolution BR works perfectly with model paints and that's what is truly important, don't get caught up with the size of the spray nozzle or needle like some clueless people on other sites do...the ultra small nozzle size like that on my Iwata CM and HP-B Plus does not really equate being able to spray razor thin lines as long as you are using model paints.
About eight years ago I was unhappy with the performance of my Iwata HP-B Plus and called Iwata about my concerns and spoke with one of their tech guys and was told the Iwata CM and HP-B Plus were designed to be used with inks like those used by professional illustrators and trying to use model paints with them will not yield the same results as using inks.
By lowering the P.S.I. and thinning the paint accordingly the lowly Revolution BR can spray very thin lines or very small mottles but it can also spray wide areas too but with the small color cup you will need to refill from time to time if you are spraying large surfaces like a backdrop or large 1/32 scale twin engine aircraft. Some of the backdrops I use in the pictures of my finished models were painted with the Revolution BR and those backdrops are many times larger than models of any scale.
The Iwata Eclipse is also an excellent airbrush but I found it can't do anything better than the Revolution BR and the Revolution is cheaper than the Eclipse.
Matrixone
I have a number of airbrushes and by a wide margin the Iwata Revolution BR is the one you would want if you could only have one airbrush.
The Revolution BR works perfectly with model paints and that's what is truly important, don't get caught up with the size of the spray nozzle or needle like some clueless people on other sites do...the ultra small nozzle size like that on my Iwata CM and HP-B Plus does not really equate being able to spray razor thin lines as long as you are using model paints.
About eight years ago I was unhappy with the performance of my Iwata HP-B Plus and called Iwata about my concerns and spoke with one of their tech guys and was told the Iwata CM and HP-B Plus were designed to be used with inks like those used by professional illustrators and trying to use model paints with them will not yield the same results as using inks.
By lowering the P.S.I. and thinning the paint accordingly the lowly Revolution BR can spray very thin lines or very small mottles but it can also spray wide areas too but with the small color cup you will need to refill from time to time if you are spraying large surfaces like a backdrop or large 1/32 scale twin engine aircraft. Some of the backdrops I use in the pictures of my finished models were painted with the Revolution BR and those backdrops are many times larger than models of any scale.
The Iwata Eclipse is also an excellent airbrush but I found it can't do anything better than the Revolution BR and the Revolution is cheaper than the Eclipse.
Matrixone
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
I am a Badger fan myself. My first airbrush was a siphon feed single action Badger 150 (?not sure at this point?) Then about 1988 I bought a badger LG100 that had a large cup on it. Yes you will have to refill the cup for spraying large stuff, but that isn't that much trouble. I loved that airbrush and used it to paint 1/285th scale microarmor WW2 German camo. Used it so much that the plating started to wear off where I held it.
Several years ago I had an opportunity to obtain the Badger Krome and picked it up. It is a bit more weighty than the old LG100, but has more features like the rear stop adjustment for keeping it from opening too much though I never use that.
Like Les said, it is more how you mix and thin the paint than anything. The Krome I believe was designed for spraying hobby paints and does quite well with Alclad primers straight from the bottle and super thinned Vallejo that I use for shading and weathering. I use it also for spraying Testors MM Enamels and it does that quite well too.
One other thing that my Badgers get is an adapter for Pasche air hoses and an air valve that screws in between the airbrush and the air hose. These little valves are what I use to regulate my air rather than the PSI adjustment on the compressor. The nice thing is that they limit the airflow at the airbrush rather than at the other end of the airline. That has seemed to make a difference.
Here is what the needle valve for the airline looks like:
There are adapters for Badger products but am not sure about IWATA. Also Badger products are made here in the USA.
Several years ago I had an opportunity to obtain the Badger Krome and picked it up. It is a bit more weighty than the old LG100, but has more features like the rear stop adjustment for keeping it from opening too much though I never use that.
Like Les said, it is more how you mix and thin the paint than anything. The Krome I believe was designed for spraying hobby paints and does quite well with Alclad primers straight from the bottle and super thinned Vallejo that I use for shading and weathering. I use it also for spraying Testors MM Enamels and it does that quite well too.
One other thing that my Badgers get is an adapter for Pasche air hoses and an air valve that screws in between the airbrush and the air hose. These little valves are what I use to regulate my air rather than the PSI adjustment on the compressor. The nice thing is that they limit the airflow at the airbrush rather than at the other end of the airline. That has seemed to make a difference.
Here is what the needle valve for the airline looks like:
There are adapters for Badger products but am not sure about IWATA. Also Badger products are made here in the USA.
phantom II
Master at Arms
Badger is alright . Used the 150 for many years but it forever needed nozzles or needles or both .
Really happy to have my Iwata Revolution BR though . Does seems to be maintenance free except for the cleaning.
I still think I need something with a wider spray pattern though for some of those bigger projects waiting in the closest.
I have yet to decide what it will be :idonno
