What features do you really need in an airbrush and compressor set?

Curious about buying an airbrush and compressor set to give your next Gunpla build a polished finish? Look no further than Megaplamo’s latest feature.  Read on for one experienced Gunpla builder’s tips and tricks for purchasing what you really need to airbrush Gunpla: nothing more, nothing less.

There are so many uses for an airbrush—and don’t get me started on the different styles and techniques! But picking your first airbrush and compressor set can be daunting. They come with so many features and accessories that it’s tough to decide what you actually need.

See also: How To Choose The Best Airbrush For Gunpla

A few years ago, Gunpla 101 published a guide to choosing your first airbrush out of a selection of popular brands. But for this article, I’ll take a different approach. I’ll focus on the airbrush features that I think are the most important for you to have, rather than airbrush brands, so you can know what to look for and maybe save some money and heartache in the process. Keep in mind that this is all based on my experience as a Gunpla hobbyist and your mileage may vary. Here are the most essential features you need for an airbrush and compressor set that you’re using to paint Gunpla, in my opinion:

Compressor with a built-in tank

My first compressor was the Iwata Ninja. It’s not a bad product by itself, just as long as you are using it for applying makeup or airbrushing cakes rather than Gunpla modeling. Since this compressor does not have a tank, it loses pressure every time you let air out and it needs to be running at all times. This leads to a very low psi (a measurement of air pressure—it stands for “pounds per square inch.”)

An airbrush with low psi won’t have enough pressure to evenly coat a model with a thicker substance like water based acrylic paint, which sprays best with a PSI of 30. The Ninja could only reach 18 but seemed to maintain 15. That’s less than ideal when you want to spray a large space with lacquer. I really struggled to get a good finish on my kits and it mostly resulted in orange peel. It took forever and made acrylic paint unbearable.

When I upgraded to the Badger Aspire Pro compressor with a built-in tank and pressure gauge, the experience was like night and day. The tank offered the stability and psi level that I needed for a smooth finish, and since it was easier to use, I started painting more often. A bad airbrush with a good compressor is way better than a good airbrush with a bad compressor.

See also: How to Avoid “Orange Peel” When Painting Gunpla

Compressor with a moisture trap and/or a moisture trap attachment for the airbrush 

A moisture trap either goes on the outside of the compressor tank, or one can be attached to the airbrush. Just as the name says, it captures the moisture that is created by the various conditions in temperature and humidity, and stops it from making it to the air brush and causing water to mix with your paint and messing up the airflow. This can ruin the paint job on your project by making the paint splatter out or by making the paint wash off on the piece you are painting.  If you’ve ever experienced it you know exactly what I’m talking about. Luckily a moisture trap can take care of it.

Your need for a moisture trap may vary based on where you live. I live in the southeastern United States, where it is as humid as it gets, and I needed two moisture traps at one point in my modeling career. But if you live in Arizona, this probably won’t be a problem for you.

To empty a moisture trap just press the button on the bottom and air will push out the moisture. Just don’t let it startle you.

Adjustable air regulator and psi gauge

When you first start out you’ll notice tutorial writers listing the psi they use for certain spraying patterns. Being able to dial the air pressure is very important when you start to shade and work with different types of paint viscosity. In addition, a psi gauge will help you make sure your pressure is consistent. The psi gauge is the dial that you see on the side of the air regulator.

Airbrush with a 3mm size needle

There are several needle sizes to choose from. I find that when airbrushing Gunpla, I am usually painting a few small parts at a time, so I can do most of the work with a 3mm needle. The spray size/pattern can easily be adjusted using airflow and distance from the piece. In the future you may branch out to other needle sizes, but you should be able to do 90% of the work with a 3mm.

Dual-action airbrush

Long story short, a dual-action airbrush allows you to control air release and paint flow separately with the trigger whereas a single-action only controls airflow with the trigger. There is nothing wrong with a single-action, but if you are buying an airbrush, you most likely are interested in shading and highlighting or painting small details on your Gunpla. The dual action allows this control. It can also help you avoid splattering.

For some context, “splattering” occurs when paint builds up on the needle. When you go to paint a surface, the first bit of paint splatters on the subject and makes a mess. Since you can control airflow and paint flow separately while using a dual action airbrush, you can start the air flow away from the subject in order to get paint build up off the needle, and then start the paint flow when you are ready to paint the model. This also helps with highlighting and shading since you can start painting in the middle of a part. This may make more sense for those of us who have painted with spray cans. You have to start the spray away from the model and then move towards the model in order to avoid splatters and to get a smooth coat of paint. With the airbrush you can start the air, get all the would be splatter off the needle then go in and smoothly release the paint. If you really want the security of a single-action airbrush, you can get a dual-action with a needle stopper.

An airbrush that’s easy to disassemble and replace pieces

When you first start off with an airbrush, there is a really high chance you are going to clog it. There are several good guides to help you avoid it, but ultimately I think it’s something you have to figure out by yourself. Most of the time you will need to disassemble it in order to clean it or remove the clog, and if you are using acrylic paints, this will be frequent, so you want this process to be quick and easy. The airbrush is also very delicate. It’s possible to lose or break parts, and if one part has a problem the whole thing is compromised. Brands like Iwata usually sell replacement parts in local hobby stores or on Amazon. Badgereven offers a repair service, which I’ve used before and had a good experience with.

This 1/144 mobile flat was one of the first kits I painted with this airbrush set up. It was so much easier and took half the time of my previous projects.

Once you start to airbrush you will realize what features you like, and what brands you prefer. But until you get that experience, I think these 6 features will give you a solid foundation to succeed without making your head spin.

Megaplamo has been building plastic models since 2001. When not building he plays the guitar, bikes, and travels. He lives near the Gulf Coast of Alabama where he and his wife are teaching their two cats to become productive members of society. You can follow @megaplamo on Instagram for current projects, completed projects, and Gunpla building tips.