PT-AB Wash-Free Airbrush

An airbrush with an interchangeable needle

The tool starts from a different idea than an ordinary airbrush. The most time-consuming part of working with an airbrush is flushing it every time the shade changes, and that is exactly what this design sets out to remove: the needle is treated as a consumable, supplied in larger quantities, so instead of being cleaned it is replaced. Anyone who works with five shades in a single evening saves more time on cleaning than the spraying itself takes.

What it is suited to

• Quick changes of shade with no flushing in between
• Base coats and colored areas of medium size
• Work where what matters is speed rather than microscopic detail
• Beginners who have not yet brought themselves to maintain a conventional airbrush

What to watch out for

It is not a substitute for a precise gravity-feed airbrush. Control of the spray pattern is coarser and this type does not suit very fine transitions and shading. The needles are a consumable and buying more of them has to be counted on; they come in two diameters, chosen according to the thickness of the paint and the width of the pattern. Before the first use check that the needle has not been bent in transit, because a bent point makes an irregular pattern and the fault is hard to track down.

What has to be added

A source of compressed air, that is a compressor and a hose, has to be obtained separately, as do paints and thinner. Work in a ventilated room and use respiratory protection while spraying.

Consider what the tool is going to serve for. As the only airbrush in a workshop it is enough for base coats and single-color areas, but anyone who wants to shade, blend and paint patterns will also need a conventional gravity-feed airbrush. Side by side, though, the two types are not rivals: quick shades on this one, fine work on the other.