Folly Models' Dual Action Airbrush Kit By Chris Banyai-Riepl

When this diminutive airbrush came across my desk, I was uncertain as to its quality, as I had never heard of the brand before. But I hooked it up to the compressor and gave it a go, as curiosity got the better of me. Straight out of the box, with no fiddling, I was spraying a nice consistent pattern. This kicked my impressions up a notch, so I decided to see just what this brush could do. More on that later, though.

First, a basic description of the airbrush. This is a dual action airbrush, which means you have to push down on the trigger to start the airflow, and pull back to start the paint flow. The trigger pressure is firm, but not overly so. The backward tension is adjustable, allowing you to fit the brush to your touch. There is a further adjustment knob at the back of the brush to limit needle travel, allowing you to fine-tune a precise and consistent fade line. The paint cup is integral with the brush, which takes a bit of getting used to. For those who require a separate cup, though, there is another version that has a side cup.

Now on to a more in-depth usage report. Being suitably impressed with the initial operation, I tried some of the other features of the brush. The trigger pressure was subtle enough to ensure accurate control of the brush, which allowed me to spray very fine lines right off the bat. The needle is a 0.3mm needle, with a very narrow taper, allowing for great precision in spraying. For even greater control, the tip of the brush can be removed to achieve even finer results. Coupled with the adjustment knob at the back of the brush, the precision of this brush is simply amazing. The test sprays on paper really show the strengths of this airbrush.

Cleanup is basic and straightforward. With no separate paint cup, cleaning is much simpler. The airbrush breaks down simply, and is all metal, which speaks volumes towards its durability. The kit comes with the airbrush, an air hose, an eyedropper, and a small wrench used for removing the tip. All of this for only £39.99 makes this a great airbrush for the money. I feel that my old trusty Thayer & Chandler airbrush will be relegated to second fiddle now, with this brush on the compressor for day-to-day spraying.

My thanks to Folly Models for turning me on to this airbrush. Check out their eBay store for this model and the side-cup model (which is slightly more expensive).