As someone relatively new to this forum and because I’m finally getting around to actually building something, I’ve been reading about various topics including airbrushes and airbrushing equipment and techniques etc. Looking through the forum, this looks like a question that is asked over and over. Somewhat like questions about what DCC system to get, etc. I don’t remember who it was but someone wondered if there shouldn’t be some sort of FAQ section to make things a little easier. That got me thinking about how this could be done. Here is a possibility. I’ve cut and pasted two threads, no editing really, into one. Obviously I can add more since they go pretty quickly. It could be titled Airbrush FAQ’s or something like that. If it appeared to be useful, perhaps other questions could be added to an FAQ list and threads combined in a similar way.
Anyway, here’s a sample. It’s more pages than I would have guessed.
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1305589/ShowPost.aspx
Begun: 12-26-2007
DigitalGriffin: Which model airbrush would you guys recommend? I know Paasche and Badger are favorites. Any particular model? I see some great deals going on eBay and there are hundreds of models. So I'm just looking for the right one. I had a Testors Aztek single action internal mix. (A gift from my wonderful wife) But I managed to break the rubber seal on the plunger. So now I need to replace it.
Blind Bruce : Don, the Aztek is a good unit. If you like it, why not just have it repaired. If you want to try a dual action, mine is an Iwata made for artists and much better than my meager talents need
Luvadj: I have an Aztek as well and it serves me well...especially for a little as I use it.
JON1968: Basic brush..Paasche H set.....if you want a more versatile and adaptable brush...Paasche VL set. Should be some after Christmas sales going on and you might pick one up at a great price. You might even get both...I have an H and a VL and use them all the time.
ps....don't forget the air compressor....a Cambell-Hausfield with a 5 gal. tank from your local Wally World or huge home improvement center is a good choice.
Seamonster: I've got an Aztek dual-action and I like it a lot. Easy to use, very easy to clean. Like Blind Bruce said, why not get your Aztek repaired.
Paul3: I own an Aztek, and I have been using a Badger 155 Anthem (dual action, internal mix). I highly recommend the 155. Much easier to clean than the Aztek, with much better control of air and paint, and it doesn't have nearly as many clogs. It can also throw a lot of paint when needed, yet can do fine work (there's even an extra-fine tip available). The Badger color cup is also handy, and has the benefit of being able to be removed from the brush still loaded without spilling paint all over the place. The siphon lids are also a plus, being a single piece of teflon tubing (no oddball joints) through the lid.
If you get it, I would try to get the air hose that has the angle on the end of it. The 155's air intake is straight down, and I found it easier to hold with an angled air line.
accord1959: I have an Aztek model A4709 double action internal mix and a badger 200 single action internal mix, I like both but tend to use the Badger most because single action is easier to use and it is easier to clean. I find that what I need it for, the Badger does fine, although I like having the Aztek on hand for the real detail painting.
SilverSpike: I have the Badger Model 175 "Crescendo" airbrush. It has dual action, internal mix, siphon feed. I picked it up at Michael's Arts and Crafts store and used one of their 40% off coupons that come in the mail ad flyer every week. I have used both acrylic and enamal paints with great success.
Mondotrains: I have a Badger 360 and absolutely love it. When I was shopping for an airbrush, I talked to a lot of guys to get input. Don't listen to the guys who say that it's too dificult to use a dual-action airbrush. It took me a few hours to master it and I'm glad I did.
What's real nice about the Badger 360 is that there is a small "cup" attached to the brush that holds a very small amout of paint for most of the little jobs I do, like adding rust and light weathering to a freight car or engine. Then, if you are spraying something large, like my 48" wingspan radio-controlled airplane, you simply turn that "cup" upside down by rotating it and literally plug a bottle that has a tube attached to it into that "cup". Now you have a large reservoir of paint in that bottle to spray with that is siphoned from the bottle, up through the tube and into the brush. The Badger isn't that expensive and I can tell you that it cleans up easily and after 3 years, I haven't replaced any parts yet, including the needle.
By the way, I always spray with acrylic paints
Mark, because the idea has a certain appeal and merit, it has been brought up and discussed. I think that the problem might be that there are so many such questions that the threads dealing with them in any current and substantive way would have to be stickied and then culled and managed by someone who "tended" to the threads to keep them from getting cluttered, muddled, or simply out-dated. Who would do that? It would turn into a Wikipedia type of problem where folks could go in and add or modify information, some of it wrong. Or, if only the mods were to fiddle with the contents, it could become quite a chore on an ongoing basis.
The other issue is that there would be nothing on the first 1-2 pages but reams of stickied FAQ threads.
About the only way to have such a thing is to have an entire "forum" or sub-forum (we have four under MR magazine already, what's one more?) that deals strictly with FAQ's. That might work.
AggroJones had a good idea a couple of years ago and launched a thread that could have been a sticky all by itself, I suppose. It was called (dang, it's slipping) "A compilation of widely useful threads"...I think it was. If you do a search on that title, it should pop up.
-Crandell
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/467960/ShowPost.aspx
Someone started one already. It just gets buried a lot. (thanks for the effort though!)
I think it would be nice if the were additional catagories with the Model Railroad Forum. Presently, there is General Discussion, Prototypical Modeling and Layout & Layout Building. The addition of several other catagories would be nice such as DCC/DC, Weathering, Kitbashing...etc might possibly help. I have seen this with the Automotive Forums.
Larry
The forum definitely needs a FAQ; however, threads are definitely NOT the way to do it. We have tried several forms of this, whether a specific thread on a specific FAQ or a generic thread of useful FAQ topics. The problem is keeping them at the top so new people find them. Keeping the generic ones updated. Keeping off-thread topid messages out of them. Keeping people from adding none helpful links information to the generic ones, etc.
Yes, an FAQ section would be a great way to compile useful threads that make significant achievements in modern modeling, in particular model railroading. So instead of saving individual threads as favorites on my PC, my answer for this was to come up with a Modeling Techniques page on my website and post links to the threads and resources that I run across in this forum and other sources. Plus, I can access the website page from any PC that has an Internet connection.
If you find links to threads, sources, or resources for modeling techniques that you think are worthy please give me a heads up and after reviewing will add it to the web page. As long as I am able I plan to continue maintaining this site for myself and others too enjoy. You can send me an email from the link below or from my website "contact me".
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
The "search" I think, is the key. I would prefer to search on keywords by subject line, but so many subject lines are like, "I have a question," "Newbie question,"
When I search, I usually look at the first page of "hits" but that often produces several hits on a single thread. That is too much information in too much detail for search results to be practical.
Perhaps, a compilation of what is learned could be a "thanks" contrubution from the thread's starter.
For example, "Airbrush question faq results:" And I'll do just that.
Crews
The search function in this newer forum software is vastly improved over what we had prior to July '06. Still, maybe it would be good to simply have a sticky at the front of each forum with some tips on how to make the best use, for example in syntax, of the search engine. And to encourage newcomers to get on with developing a facility with it.