Airbrushes are devices of a special variety used for high-quality and quick application of paint on any surface. Such tools work on the principle of conventional pneumatic sprayers. When stained, they release a stream of air around which a rarefied pressure area is created. The enamel which has appeared in this place under pressure begins to disintegrate into individual microscopic drops.
That is, when such a pneumatic device operates according to the laws of physics, a simple aerosol effect occurs. Of course, to perform high-quality painting, you need to know, including how to choose the right airbrush.
Scope of use
Such tools are used, of course, primarily for decorating all kinds of surfaces. With the help of an airbrush, you can give an aesthetic stylish appearance, for example:
- a car;
- the walls and ceiling of the room;
- windows, doors, etc.
In some cases, airbrushes are even used to create real art paintings and miniatures. Such devices can be simply irreplaceable in modeling, when creating, for example, models of equipment or various kinds of architectural structures.
What varieties exist
We will talk about how to choose the right airbrush in an article a little lower. To begin with, we’ll deal with what actually varieties of such devices exist on the modern market and how they can differ.
Airbrushes manufactured by industry are classified according to several criteria. For example, on sale today there are devices of this type, lockable and inline. The last type of airbrushes works according to the simple principle of constant air supply. Such models are not too expensive, but at the same time they are not considered particularly convenient in operation. These devices do not have the functions to adjust the air stream. Streaming tools can be a good answer to the question of which airbrush to choose for a novice master. For experienced professionals who produce complex design work, the purchase of such a device will be the solution, most likely, not too successful.
The price of lockable airbrush models on the market is higher. But then the models of this variety have a special trigger (trigger), through which you can adjust the paint spraying air flow.
On what grounds can they be classified
Also, modern spray guns can vary in the location of the tank. The storage tank for such devices is always installed vertically. But at the same time, the tank can be connected to the airbrush both from the side, and from above or from below.
In addition, modern spray guns differ in the type of spraying itself, which can be:
Types of Lockable Devices
Those consumers who want to know what is the best airbrush for painting models of equipment or buildings, cars or, for example, walls of premises, should, among other things, have an idea of how work can be carried out with such a tool.
The most popular lockable models among masters are classified into:
- double independent;
- automatic.
For dual independent devices, a trigger can control two parameters at once:
- Actual air pressure (pressing up / down);
- needle stroke (forward / backward).
Automatic airbrushes have a less complex design. The trigger for such devices can move, for example, only forward and backward. The needle at the airbrush in this case remains stationary. It is this design that most often have models of Chinese, German, Taiwanese production.
In some cases, the trigger in automatic airbrushes goes only up and down. In models of this type, the needle moves and the air pressure changes accordingly.
What to look for when choosing first
For those consumers who are not well versed in the work of airbrushes, when buying such a device, experts recommend paying attention primarily to its cost. It is believed that for beginners, universal models of such tools of the middle price category are best suited.
A cheap airbrush, of which there are many on the market today, can only be a good answer to the question of how to choose an airbrush if the tool is needed to perform work that does not require special accuracy. For example, very inexpensive models of spray guns are usually chosen by those people who just want to try their hand at surface design and do not yet have an idea of whether this type of occupation is suitable for them or not.
Dear airbrushes, as well as too cheap, experts also do not recommend buying for beginners. Such models usually have very wide functionality. Therefore, it is believed that airbrushes of this type are mainly suitable only for professionals. A beginner, due to lack of experience, in any case will not be able to take advantage of all the functions available for an expensive model. The complex design of the airbrush to him in this case, most likely, will also interfere with the work.
Tool Options
In addition to the price, when buying an airbrush, you must, of course, pay attention to its characteristics. The main parameters that determine the choice of such tools in most cases are:
- design;
- nozzle diameter;
- tank size;
- way to connect the tank.
How to choose by parameters
By design, as already mentioned, devices of this type are either lockable or in-line. The last type of spray guns, as we found out, can be a good answer to the question of how to choose an airbrush, mainly only for those people who have never picked up a similar tool in their hands.
In most cases, even beginners at first prefer to purchase all the same lockable trigger gun models. At the same time, it is believed that automatic devices of this type are best suited for focused training. People who already have the basic skills of working with similar tools should still get double independent airbrushes. The models of this variety are convenient primarily because they allow you to control the line thickness and paint consumption without interruptions in work.
Nozzle diameter
Which airbrush is the best for this indicator? The nozzle diameter in modern spray guns can vary between 0.15-0.6 mm. The choice in this case will depend primarily on the purpose for which the tool is purchased. Models with nozzle:
- 0.15-0.18 mm can be used to draw the thinnest lines with the highest degree of detail;
- by 0.2-0.3 mm are the most popular and can be used both for drawing details and for covering the background;
- 0.4-0.5 mm are used mainly in large-scale painting work.
Spray type
The nozzle diameter and design features are, of course, not the only factors that you should pay attention to when buying an airbrush. “What is the best tool to choose for convenient operation?”, The answer to this question depends, inter alia, on the type of atomizer device. In airbrushes with an external water supply belonging to the class of external mix, air and paint are mixed outside the housing. Such models are not too expensive and are mainly suitable only for beginner training, since they do not allow the formation of a thin “torch” of aerosols.
In internal spray devices, paint and air mix directly inside the enclosure. This design allows you to get any thickness of the "torch". Also, airbrushes of this type give better spraying with the formation of very small drops.
How to choose an airbrush for painting: the location of the tank
The ease of use of the airbrush is practically independent of the place of supply of the paint. In this case, the choice of the tool is carried out mainly in accordance with the personal preferences of the wizard. All three ways to connect the tank have both their advantages and disadvantages.
At a lower supply, enamel is injected into the stream due to the vacuum created by the movement of air. The main advantage of this arrangement is the ability to quickly change the paint. The disadvantages of this type of airbrushes include the fact that their tank can sometimes fall off at the most inopportune moment. Attach a tank of this type to the tool body should be tried as tightly as possible.
The main advantage of the side connection of the tank is that in this case, the airbrush can be deployed in any way you want (for example, even 180 degrees when decorating the ceiling). The paint in such models can also be changed quite quickly. The main disadvantage of tanks of this type is considered only not too good balance in weight. Some masters believe that this may cause inconvenience in the work.
Sometimes beginners are interested in what airbrush to choose for models of equipment or architectural structures of a small size or, for example, to create miniatures. In this case, the top paint tool is probably best. Airbrushes of this type are considered the most convenient for drawing small details. The paint in these models is fed into the spray gun under its own weight. Therefore, the compressor pressure in devices of this type can be reduced up to 4-6 units.
The disadvantage of tools of this variety is that in them it is impossible to quickly change the paint. Also, such airbrushes can not be turned over during operation.
Which compressor to choose for an airbrush
Such devices in the design of spray guns are responsible for the supply of air for spraying enamel. The choice of compressor for the sprayer, of course, also needs to be given maximum attention. There are several types of such devices when working with an airbrush:
- Small compressors. The advantages of devices of this variety include light weight and quiet operation.
- Compressors with receiver. Models of this type are capable of providing a long and very uniform air supply. Such compressors make the use of airbrushes very convenient.
- Household oil and oil-free compressors. Devices of this kind are usually used when they want to quickly perform a large amount of work. Using compressors of this type are often painted, for example, significant in surface area.
The choice of compressor depends in this way, primarily on what type of work the master intends to perform. Models equipped with injection devices with a receiver can be the best answer to the question, for example, about which airbrush to choose for painting models or painting pictures. A tool with a household compressor can be an indispensable option when repairing an apartment, etc.
Types of superchargers by design
How to choose the right airbrush - with this we figured out above in the article. But what type of compressor can be suitable for such a device is best in one case or another. By the design of such devices, there are only three main types:
Diaphragm compressors are affordable and compact. However, it is not possible to design surfaces using such models with high quality. Also, diaphragm compressors are not too high performance.
Which compressor to choose for an airbrush is best, of course, both beginners and experienced masters would like to know. It is believed that for professionals and for beginner designers, spray guns with a piston supercharger are very well suited. It is these models that are currently the most popular among consumers.
Compressors of this type, in turn, can be oil or oil free. The advantage of piston devices of the first variety is their relatively low weight. Also in such models there is no need to change the oil. The disadvantages of such tools are, first of all, a short period of the work process due to rapid overheating.
Oil reciprocating compressors are considered devices more reliable and durable. Such devices are characterized by high performance and the possibility of long-term use without interruptions in work. Their only drawback is the need for periodic oil changes.