Used airbrush

[LARRYADAMS]

Hello everyone, I was just wondering if there is anywhere you could buy used airbrushes? Has anyone heard of anything like this? All replys welcome.

Thanks

Larry

[codepunk]

What kind of brush you looking for?

[LARRYADAMS]

Any well known brand, double action.

[heartless]

ebay - that is where i bought mine. just stay away from the knock-offs.

there are alo plenty of retailers out there that have good reputations, and good prices on new equipment.

a new Badger airbrush is not that expensive...

Badger 150 complete set

just an example...

[aixguy]

Most of the time a new brush from dixieart.com is cheaper than the used ones on ebay. Shipping is free for anything over $45.

[LARRYADAMS]

Thank y'all, any more ideas

Larry

Larry, I have to agree with aixguy & the brush I think you need is a Paasche VL3..It will be the least expensive route you can take & it will give you the results that a beginner needs to start with.. As you get more adept at airbrushing you can upgrade to any of the Cadillac brushes but you may find that you'll enjoy & get excellent results with the Paasche for many years to come..I can have my choice of any & I do work with an Iwata eclipse for my black, but a beginner can't go wrong with a Paasche for his first airbrush.. I believe you'll really like this craft once you get a more positive start..

[codepunk]

Or a XXXXXX would be my recommended beginner brush at about 49$, smooth
as silk action on them.

There you go Larry, I can't dispute codepunk as he knows when a less expensive airbrush gives just as good results..Either one would work well..I would hate to see a gentleman like you loose the original enthusiasm you showed in the beginning simply for the lack of a double action airbrush..I can assure you that for some strange reason the airbrush brings out creativity in people who never knew they had it..& in a relatively short period of time too..
Don't forget that you will need a hose for whichever brush you purchase but there again, this is one of the least expensive hobbies you can invest in & see such rapid return..if not monetary, most certainly in pleasure alone..

[LARRYADAMS]

Thank you all for your encouraging words and product suggestions. Do you think that maybe I'm getting all bent out of shape about having a single action airbrush? By the way, how long have double action airbrushes been in use? Oh,and is there any place that I find examples of pre-double action airbrush art work?

Thanks again

Larry

[heartless]

Larry - there is an incredible artist that visits here once in a while that uses nothing but a single action airbrush. He does some incredible work with it, too.

check this out for some inspiration.

Yes Larry, there are a few artists that turn out some very nice work with a single action airbrush, (I only know of 1--Harrydidit's beautiful work can be viewed in the gallery on this site..) but I think even they might steer you into a double action..Cavemen used to use reed straws & they're extinct now!! You don't see it done that way anymore..Anything at all can be done if you have the will, but I think you're making an easy job hard (especially when the right equipment is readily available) & you may even get so discouraged that you give up all together, & that would be such a shame!!..

[LARRYADAMS]

Hi everyone, I did checkout Harrydidit, great art work. I don't think that I will ever get anywhere near that good with my single action brush. I hope that I'll be able to afford a nice double action airbrush one day. But right now I am on a fixed income, and don't know when I'll have the money to get that double action brush. That is why I was hoping that I could find a good used double action airbrush. I tried doing a picture that I hand drew, and color it in with my airbrush, but it looked bad to me that I am to ashamed to show it to anyone. Don't try to get me to show it because I won't, not this one. My airbrush can't make thin lines, it sputters, if I try to turn the needle down to get a smaller line it just cuts off all that paint, so I have to keep a large air flow going to get any paint on my paper. And then there is all of the bottle changing to get a different color. What a headache! But I'm not going to give up, I will just keep on pushing until I get something I can work with. Thanks again

Larry

[heartless]

Originally Posted by LARRYADAMS

...My airbrush can't make thin lines, it sputters, if I try to turn the needle down to get a smaller line it just cuts off all that paint, so I have to keep a large air flow going to get any paint on my paper.

hmmm...maybe you havent thinned your paint enough? what kind of paints are you using? are you thinning at all?
even with properly thinned paint you will still need to get in VERY close to the surface to get thin lines - almost touching...also, make SURE the tip is very clean, even the smallest bit of crud can cause problems

Originally Posted by LARRYADAMS

...And then there is all of the bottle changing to get a different color. What a headache!...

yes, it is a bit of a pain. i dont often use the bottles, i use the metal color cup, still a pain to clean it out for color changes, but less gets wasted i think. I do use the bottle for cleaning tho. Mix up a solution of 50% fantastic/50% distilled water (for cleaning acrylics, not uros) and spray it thru till it comes thru clean

Originally Posted by LARRYADAMS

...But I'm not going to give up, I will just keep on pushing until I get something I can work with. Thanks again Larry

honestly, even a good used brush can cost a good chunk of change. sure there are cheep ones out there, but they are usually in need of some work/parts which means more money. Go with what Darla or Codepunk has suggested when you can afford to - they wouldn't steer you wrong & they both know more than me.
Till then, hang in there, and keep spraying...it is after all, just paint!

ps, when you do get that double action be prepared for a whole new learning curve!

[LARRYADAMS]

Hey Heartless, I am using this paint called Craft Smart acrylic craft paints, I thin them to about 50% water-50% paint. I also have some Testors model paints that I have not used yet, I also bought some enamel thinner to use with the Testers Enamel paint. I'm really not sure how much I need to use to thin the Testors. I know that I should be using airbrush paints, but I couldn't afford them at the time I bought the other paints. I will be buying some soon, any suggestions?

Thanks

Larry

Buying / selling used airbrush equipment is why I added the classified ads here at Airbrush Technique
I'd love to see more of you making use of it
It's free, no fee's and you can trust who you buy from as we all know each other here for the most part unlike E-Bay (Fee-Bay)
http://www.airbrushtechnique.com/classifieds/index.php

[heartless]

Originally Posted by LARRYADAMS

Hey Heartless, I am using this paint called Craft Smart acrylic craft paints, I thin them to about 50% water-50% paint. I also have some Testors model paints that I have not used yet, I also bought some enamel thinner to use with the Testers Enamel paint. I'm really not sure how much I need to use to thin the Testors. I know that I should be using airbrush paints, but I couldn't afford them at the time I bought the other paints. I will be buying some soon, any suggestions?

Thanks

Larry

the paint you are using could be a major part of your problems, Larry. regular craft paints dont have the pigment ground fine enough for use in the airbrush and cause problems like tip dry, and splatters, even when thinned.
i highly recommend that you invest in some paint made for airbrushing - yes it does cost a little more than regular craft paint, but makes a huge difference in the outcome of your painting.
a basic color set of the standard Createx paints isnt too horribly expensive, and from the basic set you can mix to create other colors.
basic set has black, white, red, blue, yellow and green.

[LARRYADAMS]

Thanks Heartless.

[Neil]

The original airbrushes were all double action.

Originally Posted by LARRYADAMS

Thank you all for your encouraging words and product suggestions. Do you think that maybe I'm getting all bent out of shape about having a single action airbrush? By the way, how long have double action airbrushes been in use? Oh,and is there any place that I find examples of pre-double action airbrush art work?

Thanks again

Larry

[LARRYADAMS]

Oh really! So what in the world did they make single action airbrushes for?

I've asked that question to myself & I think that a lot of ceramic is painted with single action..it would be good for large production fine mist stencil work..I've thought some about collecting airbrushed restaurant dinnerware..it was very popular in the 30's-50's & some of it is real attractive (women are nuts over collecting things!!) ..I suppose that there are lots of uses for a single action, I just haven't found any that benifited me..

[LARRYADAMS]

That's very interesting.