Cheaper than a can

If you are ever in the position where you are going through a lot of cans of spray paint or you want something besides the traditional colors you might want to consider getting an airbrush. I wanted an airbrush for painting models and miniatures. I have probably spent more in spray paint than it takes to get a good airbrush set up.

Like many things there is a whole range of airbrush styles all depending on what you need.

If you want to just replace a can of spray paint then you can get a cheap airbrush for about 15-20 dollars and just connect it to a can of aerosol.

If you want something that you are going to use more often or need better control over the paint then you need to get a more expensive double actioned airbrush. These have a trigger that turns the air on and off and slides back and forth to increase and decrease the flow of the paint. These often range between 100-200 dollars new and can be found for under 100 online. Tami got me mine at michael's using a coupon/her employee discount for about 40. If you do not get it online. Make sure you use a coupon.

If you are going to be using it often you will need an option besides of cans of aerosol. There are two good options, a compressor or a large CO2 tank.

Compressors are nice because as long as you have electricity you will always have air. You have to have one that has a tank so that you can have a smooth steady flow. At the low end you are looking at about 100 dollars for the compressor. Along with the compressor you need at least a pressure valve to limit your air to about 25 psi and a moisture trap. The moisture trap is used to dry the air out so you do not have droplets of water going through your airbrush and ruining your paint. These additions will run about 30-40.

Another option that can be cheaper and that is often used by professional airbrushers is large tanks of CO2. A 10 gallon tank is about 50-70 dollars and each time you fill it, it will be another 5-10. You can get it filled at welding supply shops and places that supply restaurants. You will still need a pressure valve but not a moisture trap. Over time you will probably put more money into you set up this way if you are using it really often. You also have to be careful to not run out. However it is much quieter and you do not need an electricity source. This is what I would get if I were to do it over.

Below is my airbrush, a badger 155, and my compressor with the pressure valve on the left and the moisture trap on the right