I am looking into buying an airbrush system. I have researched all the different systems that can be purchased on the internet and Im still puzzled. Im not trying to go for anything fancy. Im a do it yourself kind of person so ive been trying to maybe see if i can buy the pieces (compressor, paint gun, paint) all seperately to save on money. Today there is a compressor on for $99 (canada) at walmat but i have no idea if its what i need or if its going to blow a hole through the cake!! LOL Dont want that! Can anybody give me some suggestions no what they purchased? Thanks for your help!

I was interested in buying an airbrush also and talked to the owner of a local cake supply shop. She told me to go to a beauty supply store and get one they sell to airbrush fingernails. She said it was cheaper and worked fine. I haven't checked it out but it sounds okay to me. Does anyone know anything about using those?

Kattyann, do you know the pressure of the air? Everything I have heard is you do not want one that blows harder than 10 pounds, and I think I maybe wording that wrong. The little gun you hold is your hands should be the one with the little cup on top. The ones that take the color in bottles take a lot of color. I watched a video on airbrushing and the lady said that.
I would love to know more about the one at the beauty supply store and the price.

I just bought my system at Harbor Freight Tools! And it works FABULOUS! It came in a kit for about 89 dollars? And it had the compresser (in which you CAN adjust the PSE) and had the airbriush gun. It is a bottom fed airbrush gun, which means the color is fed through a suction tube, versus gravity (when the cup is on top). It works fantastic! The only bad thing about it, was that I could not use the little metal cup it came with, I had to screw on the litte glass bottle with cap (this was also included in the kit) because when I tilted the gun to airbrush gumpaste flowres sitting on my table, the color would want to spill out of the metal cup from me holding the gun at such a downward angle.

Also - with the glass bottles, yes, you do have to pour in about 4 teaspoons of color so that it can be sucked up in the tube - but all I do is dump it back into the bottle of airbriush color when I am done with it, that way I dont waste any color.

Harbor Freight Tools - It was on sale last week for 59.99! Bummer. Its not on sale anymore.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95630&xcamp=google&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&zmam=33951326&zmas=12&zmac=112&zmap=95630

And the airbrush holder for 9.99 is a GREAT investment. Get it!

I just got it a week ago, and have only used it on one cake, and of course was messing around spraying anything I could just for fun. So I dont have THAT much experience with it. Im sure it can airbrush about anything, because when I was airbrushing some tiny fondant stars, the air was blowing them away, so I turned the air down, and got closer, and they stayed put.

mistymamas, have fun, thanks again

No problem - hope you get your airbrush system soon.

This is great info, thanks for sharing.

My daughters BF works at the Harbor Freight, these come on sale about every month if not that then every other month. I would sign up for their paper so you can watch for it to come back on sale. Hobby Lobby carries one similar to this and you can print out a 40% coupon every other week. I wonder if there is much of a difference? I would love to know. If not, I could get him to get mine at Harbor Freight when it come back on sale and then get his discount also.

Mistymamas: So the color is not wasted? The system does not use more than a top feed gun?

I`m scared of the pressure of the air jumping and do not want to put a hole in my fondant if I am spraying a cake which is what I will be using the air gun for. The color cost so much. I wonder in the long run if it is better to buy the correct airbrush system.

Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to the forum. I don't get a chance to "play" on the computer too often. I haven't checked into the airbrush system at the beauty supply shop. I appreciate the info from all of you concerning the topic. That gives me something to think about. I'm tired of using a paintbrush to get background color!
Thanks...Kattyann

Howdy baker101...
By far you can piece together a airbrush system that cost less then a pre-made kit system.....its just that a kit is much faster to get into your hands and start a blasting away.
KattyAnn , recommended air pressure or (PSI= Pounds per Square Inch) at its highest "20 psi", so you dont blow divits in the cake.
I drop down considerabily for painting with Black due to over spray Bomblastment, and lower for fine detail work like lettering, pictures and objects, like a full drawn car or portrait. And airbrushing skies and large color blocks is a piece of cake with a Airbrush.
Caskesthatrock.....always no matter what,get a compressor that has a air regulator or air pressure dial,you never know when you might jump off in to some piping line work, lacery designs,marbeling, wood texture, snake scales and many other techniques. As always, welcome to one of the most creative ways of decorating objects, my love and my life...AIRBRUSHING !
.........................Live to Paint, Paint to Live !

oops, I had wronge blogspot on my signature!! its corrected now!

I love my Kopykake airbrush system!

The Central Pneumatic 30 PSI is on sale at Harbor Freight (in store only pricing) for $49.99 thru Nov. 9th, the 40 PSI is $59.99 until 10/26. Online pricing is $69.99 for either.

Anyone know which airbrush sizes I need? Looking at Paasche VL - either #1 & #5 heads, or #1,#3 ($15 more).

Thank you!!! I just ordered the VL kit based on your very helpful PM, should be here today or tomorrow, can't wait!!!