The Letterville BullBoard: advice on purchasin an airbrush

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Posted by Heather Moodie (Member # 1417) on :

Hi everyone, I am ready to purchase an airbrush and would like some of your input. Have heard that Iwata is an excellent airbrush. Will mainly be using it for special effects on lettering and for doing flames. If possible, it would be nice to be able to use 1-shot enamel for the airbrushing. I do have a Paache VL but I never had any luck with it. Look forward to your answers. See you at the Walldog Meet.
Sincerely, Heather Moodie, Scott Signworks, Perth, Ontario

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Heather..I asked the exact same question about 2 or 3 years ago. The overwhelming answer was "Iwata Eclipse". I bought one and am very happy with it. I am, by no means, an airbrush "artist" I use mine for blends and such on vinyl graphics and I find it easy to use, and easy to clean. (easy to clean is VERY important to me)

If you use the "search" feature at the top right of the BB page and search for airbrush you will probably find all sorts of threads that relate to your question also.

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Dave Grundy
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley

Posted by Pierre St.Marie (Member # 1462) on :

I begs to differ with Dave Grundy. He IS an airbrush artist! How else would he have that smile and rose colored glasses? I've seen the UNairbrushed picture!

heh

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St.Marie Graphics
& Makin' Tracks Sound Studio
Kalispell, Montana
stmariegraphics@centurytel.net http://www.stmariegraphics.com
800 735-8026
We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)

Posted by Linda Silver Eagle (Member # 274) on :

Heather,

What makes the iwata eclipse so much fun, is that it is made in a practical fashion, therefore taking less financial maintenance.

It takes ceramic glaze so it can handle one-shot with ease.

Cleaning is very important. But so easy with the Iwata.

You will have SO much fun with it.

dixieart.com may be the correct link...they have specials you can combine with other equipment and supplies. I don't remember which other sites are available.

I determined my purchase by investigating every nuance of the airbrush and picking the one to best fit my needs.

I gotta say, the darned thing feels so good wrapped around my wrist!

Haven't seen you on chat Heather...we can exchange information in a more personal format there...if you have lots of questions, they have lots of answers. You can actually meet some letterheads too!

Welcome!

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DrQuill - Mural Woman
PEACE SIGNS
logodesign2@icqmail.com

"With every breath, we have a choice." --Linda Silver Eagle
Georgia, USA

Posted by David Overholt (Member # 2096) on :

I've been using the same Passche VL's for almost 10 yrs they work with anything from ceramic glazes to india ink, they're a work horse. You can use and abuse em and they still work.I teach airbrushing in local high schools,and wouldn't use any other airbrush.
doc.

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David Overholt
RunningDog Artworks
210 Cedar St
Pemberville, Ohio
aka, doc

Posted by RichDiltz (Member # 367) on :

For sign work and vinyl you cannot beat the Iwata Eclipse, unless you buy one of the higher end Iwata brushes. The eclipse has a wider spray range (finer lines and broader sprays) than any other airbrush I've seen, and I have seen plenty. It is well balanced, and features all metal parts inside so cleaning with solvents is not a problem if you use the heavy duty stuff. The trigger has a more advanced design and works more smoothly than most other brands. Every friend I have who has bought one loves it.

There are cheaper brushes out there, but I have yet to find one that is as versatile.

~Rich Diltz

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Rich Diltz
In Sacramento for now, but who knows where next

www.peoplepainters.com
dreamers@slip.net

Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :

Ok I'll be the black sheep of the family.

I use a Badger Crescendo, I love it but then I never owned an Iwatta or used one, never had to either. The Crescendo is extremely versatile from pencil lines to wide blends for letters without even changing the tip, I get those results from the medium tip.

It is a bulkier airbrush, which I like, I started on a Badge 150 which was smaller like a #2 pencil but it was too dainty for me. The crescendo has a nice weight and feel for my liking, and handles enamels just fine, I've never used anything else.

And Badger will replace the teflon needle bearing for free for life. ( which is the only part you can't replace on your own) I just had it done. After 6 years of use from me and I bought it used.

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Bob Rochon
Creative Signworks
Millbury, MA
bob@creativesignworks.com

"Some people's kids"

Posted by LazyEdna (Member # 266) on :

I'll put my vote in for the Paasche VL.
I've been using them for 15 years to airbrush trick truck lettering and I've always had good performance, altho this doesn't mean I haven't had to do maintenance or repair.
I finally bought an Iwata Eclipse because of all the kudos it got on this BB... well.. I tried it out.. I did NOT like the spray texture... the Paasche seemed FAR finer.. like a better printer gives you finer dot patterns.
Just my opinion... but you know how old folks get cranky about their own preferences.

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LazyEdna
in RL known as Sara Straw
from southern Utah
5 National Parks within 3 hours drive
Red Rock Heaven

Posted by Wizsigns (Member # 778) on :

Hello Peeps

I have a couple of Iwatas and I like them the eclipse is a good all round work horse.
I have a fancy finer one (HPC) also which I like to use for spraying the Createx as it cleans so easy. Createx can get stuck inside the eclipse sometimes.

The eclipse is great for using with proper paints - auto paint as it is not affcted by the solvents.

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David Allen
Wizard Signs - It's a kind of magic!

Email letterhead@wizardsigns.net
www.wizardsigns.net
Resident of Letterville
and Virginia, County Cavan, Ireland

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

I'll throw in my vote for the VL's as well.

I have 3 of them, love 'em, use 'em and abuse 'em and they just keep goin strong.

They're a snap to clean out. Normally I just have to pull the tip and needle off and use a little solvent to wipe down the parts. Takes maybe a minute to clean it, two minutes on a bad day.

VL's arent bothered by solvents either. All the parts are either stainless steel or chrome plated brass, and the only two non-metal parts are teflon and plastic.

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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com

Posted by Pierre St.Marie (Member # 1462) on :

For the heavy stuff we have an Iwata RG2, for the midweight stuff a Pasche, and for the fine stuff an Iwata. Alla da bases covered. I also have a solid brass airbrush top loader made in 1945, a Tower from Germany. Super fine photo retouch thingie.

Posted by Heather Moodie (Member # 1417) on :

Thanks to all of you for such a quick response to my airbrush question! I think I will go with the Eclipse and have been reading the specs on it. I am considering the newest model which is HB-SBS. It has a side feed and says it works good with thicker paints. What model number do most of you Eclipse users have? Thanks again,

Heather Moodie
Scott Signworks
Perth, Ontario
P.S. Any of you coming to Cornwall?

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Posted by Gailforce (Member # 152) on :

may i reccomend you buy you're iwata eclipse at curry's. it's an ontario store and the prices are half what they are here in bc.

the eclips is tops in my books. and i have quite a selection of airbrushes that i have sampled.

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gail
wacky wetcoast of bc

Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :

I just got a brand new Iwata Eclipse SBS

Replaced a 20 year old side cup Olympus that finally "bit the dust" while cleaning

The SBS is magic and very much the same feel and control as the old Olympus. Just as easy to clean and I put all sorts of stuff thro it from acrylic, enamels and even lacquor based screen inks.

Only thing .. it comes with 1/8th cup. Ok if yer doing small stuff, but I have ordered a 1oz for broad spraying.

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Bushie
aka Jon Butterworth
Jonsigns
old signwriters never retire ... they just fade into the background!
Toowoomba,Queensland
Australia.

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