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Model Expo Mini Air Compressor and Double Action Airbrush Set

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

For those wanting to move into airbrushing, the choices out there can be daunting and expensive. It can be easy to spend several hundred dollars in getting an airbrushing system together, and for the novice that can be prohibitively expensive. This new bundle from Model Expo is aimed at those modelers looking to move into airbrushing, but don't want to spend a lot of money. This is a bundled set that combines a double-action airbrush with a mini compressor, along with an air hose and an inline water trap, all for only $89.99. Right out of the box, for less than the price of a large 1/32 model, you can be spraying away.

Let's take a closer look at the components, though, and see just what you get. The compressor is small, basically a box that's roughly five inches square and two inches wide. This small footprint means that there won't be many features, and indeed there aren't. There is no pressure gauge, but there is a knob for adjusting the air pressure. A small plastic holder provides a spot to set the airbrush when not in use. The air hose is a braided one, with solid connectors. The inline water trap is essential, albeit simple. The connectors are aluminum on one end and plastic on the other, both of which can be problematic when screwing pieces together, so be very careful with that to ensure no damage to the threads occurs.

Operation is next, and this is very simple. Press the button on the front and the compressor is running. Since there was no pressure gauge, I connected it up to one I had on a different compressor, and saw that this mini compressor maxed out at 20psi. Adjusting the knob resulted in a very fast pressure drop, and it was tough to dial in any kind of constant pressure. However, at a max of 20psi, one can spray quite well at that pressure, so I would recommend just leaving this at the maximum setting and adjust your paint accordingly. You will want to have the paint a bit thinner, too, as I noticed a fairly significant pressure drop when I used the airbrush over time. This is a small compressor, and that needs to be taken into account when painting. This means small strokes will yield better results than long stretches of constant spraying.

Moving on to the airbrush, this is a double-action top-feed airbrush, with a large cup complete with lid. The rear handle has an adjustment knob to limit needle travel, which is a nice feature for spraying consistent lines. The tip cone is removable, so if you are drawing particularly fine lines you can get very close to the model and be able to clearly see your work. The needle is a good, general purpose needle that should provide a good balance between solid coverage and fine detail. As this is an introductory airbrush, there are some aspects that are a bit rough, such as with the threads of the various parts. In disassembling the brush, that roughness could result in stripped threads if one is not careful, so do not rush things in cleaning and reassembly with this one. Knowing this potential weakness will go a very long way to avoiding any problems in operation, and with proper care this brush could give many years of solid service.

Overall, this is a very solid introductory set for the beginner airbrushing modeler. The very low price means that the modeler can get a start in airbrushing with minimal expense, and while there are some limitations to the compressor, it will be more than enough to get some solid airbrushing experience under your belt. If you have been thinking of trying your hand at airbrushing, for less than $100 this set is hard to beat. Stay tuned here for an in-depth article on finishing a model with this set.