My two teenagers have been getting pretty good at spray bombing stuff - fridge, bikes, skateboards. I would like to start buying some equipment for them for xmas, hoping to save us both some $$ from buying spray bombs, plus giving them a chance to learn more skills. The question is, should I look for a detail gun, and an airbrush? Or is there a type of gun that can bridge the gap between the two, allowing them to do larger areas, but still move into the graphic stuff (fogging, scales, etc). THANKS!
Buy both, they are different. I wouldn't buy ones that cost alot until they learn and, buy better guns later. Don
look into a sata mini jet,,a few hundred...but perfect for little stuff..im sure there are other brands that make a knockoff if thats out of your pricerange
I agree with Dads-53 on this. Both guns have their own uses in custom work and you can pick them up very resonably priced. When you buy a cheaper airbrush just make sure you get a hose for it to connect it to an air compressor,a lot of cheaper ones come set up for use on commpressed air cans (look like spray bombs) and they are a pain on large projects. As the air comes out of the can the can cools and you loose pressure until the can freezes up and you have no air, plus your spray pattern changes as the pressure drops....good luck on this ..Dave
I have able to do some very detailed work over the years and have used both , it is in most cases just personal preference. I can tell you from experience that the cleaning and upkeep for a beginner is much less for this type of gun than an air brush and in most cases can be purchased for far less cash...... Kelly
Thanks all! I see the Devilbiss HVLP detail are pretty inexpensive, I will probably start with that and go from there.
i've seen spray gun kits in magazines that offer both types of guns, hvlp's, probably on the cheap side but great for starters. just make sure you have a decent compressor to hold air pressure and get them resperators and teach them the safe way to spray. if cleaned properly, they should last long enough til they graduate to better guns.
A dagger brush for pin striping and masking tape?? They also need to be taught on keeping the guns clean!!!
I've never worked with a detail gun, but for a starting out I'd look into a Paasche H series airbrush. They're solid, stone-axe simple, easy to keep clean and reasonably priced. They'll work with the small color cups as well as the larger bottles. Get the H1, H3 and H5 nozzle kits and you can do fairly fine line work as well as some slightly larger areas. Steer away from the VL series or other dual action airbrushes, at least initially. They're a whole 'nother animal with their own learning curve.
Get them a Sata Mini Jet or a Paasche set-up. Super reliable and simple. Plus, you can use little Dixie cups instead of the screw-on ones that come with the guns. Clean up is super simple. Your kids will have a blast with those. And, they use very little paint, so that's a money-saver, too.
I've had a Paashe H series airbrush for years. They're very easy to learn with, very forgiving, and give good results. As some others have mentioned, use an air tank or a compressor, not the canned air. Just make sure you've got a filter to trap the water, and you'll be good to go.
Get them both one of each and let them see which one they are better with,but do get the inexpensive kits.Good to see you have teenagers with interests in something besides X-Box and Nintendo.
Thanks again. Yes, the deal will certainly include respirators! Any opinions on the Paasche Talon series? The TG-3F is a gravity feed style with interchangeable tips, with the claim that it will go from detail to 3" wide fan swath. Or with something like this do you end up with a tool that is just pretty good at several things? - in other words, just buy a detail gun and a lower priced airbrush? The SATA minijets are cool too, but price may be prohibitive.
Hobby lobby sales Iwata air brushes for a hundred or so....pretty good to learn on...They are located close to the model car section.
The Jalopy Journal
