Testors Airbrush?

I was at Wal*Mart this morning and saw in their model section that they had a testors airbrush which looked fairly nice. I don't know much about that stuff, but I know that it came with the spray brush, the cup thing for paint, a hose, and some other stuff.

If I remember right, the whole package was about 40$. They had another thing there, also testors, which was just the airbrush, for 20$. So anyway, my question is, are either of those good quality? I don't want to spend loads of money on supplies when I don't do modeling that often. Will either of those packages do? Have you seen those packages at Wal*Mart before?

Also, if I get those, how do I get paint from the cans of Duplicolor, for example, into those bottles? Do I just spray it directly into that, or what? I'm sorry for the noobish questions, but I've just begun to really try HARD with models (I used to just brushpaint everything), and I'm not sure what all I need to do.

Thanks!

i think there is a tutorial for that but i'm not sure. something to do with straws and whatnot. lol.

I was at Wal*Mart this morning and saw in their model section that they had a testors airbrush which looked fairly nice. I don't know much about that stuff, but I know that it came with the spray brush, the cup thing for paint, a hose, and some other stuff.

If I remember right, the whole package was about 40$. They had another thing there, also testors, which was just the airbrush, for 20$. So anyway, my question is, are either of those good quality? I don't want to spend loads of money on supplies when I don't do modeling that often. Will either of those packages do? Have you seen those packages at Wal*Mart before?

Also, if I get those, how do I get paint from the cans of Duplicolor, for example, into those bottles? Do I just spray it directly into that, or what? I'm sorry for the noobish questions, but I've just begun to really try HARD with models (I used to just brushpaint everything), and I'm not sure what all I need to do.

Thanks!

I think you'll need to be more specific on the model if you want some good input. I have a testors/Aztek 430 and am very happy with it. If you put some model numbers into teh search function you might get something back.

Removing paint form spray cans for airbrushing is called "decanting" and you'll find some threads on that too with the search button (I know 'cos I started one myself ;)). There are some usefull tips and watchouts on how to decant without painnting your ceiling at the same time!!!

HTH

The general idea is that Testors and Aztec's are horrible. Klutz is the first person I've heard say they are happy with an Aztec.

So if testors are so bad, and their prices were 20-40$ for airbrushes plus misc., about what price would I be able to get a DECENT airbrush with? I don't want to pay lots of money. The model that I am doing right now is only my 5th model I've ever made, and the 1st one that I'm trying to make really good (the other ones I just brushpainted and got done with quickly). I won't have a whole lot of time to make them in a month because I will be going back to college, so I just wanted something that was decent, and that would be ok to to spuradic painting with.

Thanks for the input though. Sorry I couldn't help you with a specific model number.. :(

Paasche-$40-$150. Very nice a/b's. Then on the higher end there are Iwata's.

So if testors are so bad, and their prices were 20-40$ for airbrushes plus misc., about what price would I be able to get a DECENT airbrush with? I don't want to pay lots of money. The model that I am doing right now is only my 5th model I've ever made, and the 1st one that I'm trying to make really good (the other ones I just brushpainted and got done with quickly). I won't have a whole lot of time to make them in a month because I will be going back to college, so I just wanted something that was decent, and that would be ok to to spuradic painting with.

Thanks for the input though. Sorry I couldn't help you with a specific model number.. :(

I'm the last to say definitively that something sucks - my Aztek works for me. It came with a set of diferent nozzles and it cost me 30$ for my first airbrush. Sorry, second - my first was a crumby thing with a glass jar that screwed into the bottom and worked off a can of compresse air and in fact didn't work.

After doing a quite a bit of research on airbrushes I came to the conlcusion that a) the really good ones cost more than I wanted to invest/risk since I am new to the hobby and b) in the medium range of ABs, you get as many answers as there are users - i.e EVERYONE has their favourite :).

I personally liked the idea of the Aztek lifetime guarantee, interchangable nozzles and easy cleaning. So far I've got no complaints (I've used it to spray enamels, acrylics, laquers and Alclad2) but still, I'm not going to marry the damn thing! :)

After reading your second post, if you think you are going to make use of your airbruch (and compressor!) over a long time, get as good a one as you think you can reasonably afford. If however, it's just for the summer think about spraying the car bodies straight from the spray cans.

You might use slightly more paint that way but it will probably be cheaper than a decent airbrush and compressor.

Like I said, everyone has their AB of choice (as you can see already in this thread :) ) and it's a bitchh chosing your first one - I sympathise with you :)) GOOD LUCK but stick with it!

I've seen that airbrush set, and it is basically a double-action A320, which looks pretty interesting.

I also like my Aztek, cleans up pretty easily. Spray some lacquer thinner through it and it's pretty much cleaned out.

The general idea is that Testors and Aztec's are horrible. Klutz is the first person I've heard say they are happy with an Aztec.

Well let me be #2 then. I won't wax lyrical about them but the Dual Action A470 (or is it A480?, the all metal version) I have is easy to use, really easy to keep clean and I think produces reasonable results.

Each to their own though....

Wow...a lot more people like Aztec than I originally thought. In airbrush threads I just see Aztec get bashed. Good to know that they arent all bad.

Wow...a lot more people like Aztec than I originally thought. In airbrush threads I just see Aztec get bashed. Good to know that they arent all bad.

Dude! I'd airbrush through a McDonald's cola straw if I thought it would help get my skills up to your scratchbuilding level!!!!!!!

Anyway, we're thinking of starting an Aztek Owners Club - wanna join? We're gong to have a reallly nice sig!! :rofl: j/k about the club of course

i would spend a little extra and get a single action Paasche or Badger. there between $40-60 and worth it, Paasche are a bit nicer and easy to clean. i bought a testors wal-mart ab and it was ok for about 3 weeks and then it just fell apart and became leaky. junk. then i got a Paasche and it was great but my roommate destroyed :shakehead
I just bought an Iwata Revolution and im very excited about it but it was $90. also you need to remember you need a compressor and an air-pressure regulator. if you dont want to spend money on a compressor you can get a 5-10 gallon air-tank ($10-20) from wal-mart and fill it with air at the gas station evry once in a while. also on a side note.... if you spend a little extra and buy a Paasche remember that if you find its not worth the money then you can sell it, where as you would have a hard time selling the Aztec. :2cents:

How much does it cost to get a small, but powerful enough compressor?

Usually around $80-100.

Badger Anthem = 60$ on Ebay

Yikes......... :-s

A decent airbrush setup can be about $175+

yeah its a pretty big investment. my Iwata was $90, Paasche D500 compressor $140, hose $25, and air-regulator/ water trap $45. a total of $300 + tax. :shakehead

I've got two badgers an Aztek and a shiny new Iwata. The Iwata was $45 shipped off of E-bay.
One of the many national auto parts chains had a compressor for $29 a week or two ago.
So, saveup some money and keep an eye open for deals.

Having had an Aztek A430 that I had to return three times due to leaking, and now with an Iwata Revolution CR, IMO there is not even a comparison.

My Aztek was so frustrating with leaks and inconsistent spraying and spitting (and I tried several different nozzles) that I considered quitting airbrushing. These are just not built well and not worth the frustration. I was able to get good results at first but the :screwy: thing kept falling apart.

If you are not willing/able to buy a good airbrush, I would recommend staying with spray cans, as you can get an excellent finish (see Primera Man's cars) with a little practice. I would take a spray can over an Aztek.

Aztek are toys, not tools.

Pricing on airbrush setups can seem high, but if you build models on a regular basis, (at least one model a month or so?) It will more than pay for itself very quickly. Next to my plastic snippers and glue, i'd say that my airbrush and compressor is the best purchase i've ever made as far as model supplies goes.

Please, if you get an airbrush, get a double action. So much more control over a single action. dixieart.com (http://www.dixieart.com/PaascheVL.html) has the Paashe VL pretty cheap.. $49.95 (the one that's carded, halfway down the page). They have free shipping on orders $45 or more. I got my Iwata brush and compressor from there. They're a quality site.

If you can afford a compressor, you should definitely get one. It will save you so much money over time compared to the cans. Of course, you could use the cans until you can afford a good compressor, but once you get the compressor, you'll understand how much of a difference it makes.