Sparmax SP-line

Sparmax offer several SP-airbrushes, with more or less similar qualities. They are all labeled with “-35”, each one featuring a letter after the numbers, B,C or F. SP series are basically the same, having different handles and the F-models being optimized for lower pressure work. Here, we will concentrate on SP-35C, which I tested specifically for scale modeling purposes.

The box

We have oval shaped box, wrapped in black cardboard. All over the latter one, we have description of the contents and the specific airbrush features. The box has a snap mechanism, and inside the airbrush and the additional parts are placed within a stiff foam-like material to keep everything safe.
It is transparent in appearance and it features a hanger for the wall, to save space, which is very practical having in mind the way things are secured inside.

What’s inside of the box

Below the foaming material on the very bottom of the plastic oval, there are the instructions. Sparmax provided two sheets – one for the single-action conversion process, one for the assembly process of the airbrush and its parts numbers.
Then in between the foaming we have the airbrush, firmly sitting within the space with the properly shaped cutaway. Beneath the tail of it, there is a cleaning brush. And in other spaces we have single action convertor, wrench and a crown cap.
The single-action converter is a threaded piece with O-ring, which goes to the leg of the airbrush and turns it into a single-action eliminating one of its dual-action features. That is unusual for such airbrushes, but it is very useful in case you have only this one and you want to spray metalizer paints like Alclad2.
The crown cap is a bonus-like feature, with indispensable features, especially for free hand camouflages from the Second World War. Just remember those fine lines over the BF-109 sides or the mottling seen on many FW-190s.

The airbrush

Sparmax SP-35 is a dual-action gravity feed airbrush with 0.35mm needle/nozzle setting. It features pre-set handle, which is featured only in the C-version of the SP-35 series. It has 2ml paint cup, equipped with a cap and very nicely coated from the inside.
The body of the airbrush is engraved with Sparmax model and serial number of the airbrush, as well as with the model. -35C in our case. The overall look impresses with its fine polished appearance, giving you the idea of a higher-end airbrush, not a budget one.
Trigger is soft but not flimsy, and the grip is very good for your fingers. I use index finger when spraying but many people use middle finger or even thumb. I tested it with both and it still works fine in terms of tension and free movement.
The pre-set handle works very well, it is not loose and does not tend to surprise once set. Very important when doing mottling! Also, the overall feel and the way that the airbrush handles are surprisingly nice and straight-forward for a budget tool, which price determines in this case.

The Crown cap

I am getting back to it, simply because with many manufacturers this thing costs money. I found it to be the best thing included in this set and it works pretty well too, from what I managed to test for two sessions. In case you are working with faster drying paints like Vallejo and you need to constantly clean the tip, this crown cap is a gem. Besides, once I put it on, I almost never remove it afterwords and I would suggest you to do the same.

Conclusion

For this this buck, the airbrush is more than a good bargain! It features qualities and add-ons that does not correspond to that low price. It also handles pretty nice and the .35mm nozzle makes it suitable for almost all needs.
Sparmax airbrushes have proven themselves to be tough workhorses, especially DH series and I trust that this one won’t be an exception. If you are looking for a start-up airbrush or you want to add it to your tool stash, this is superb airbrush that works very well and performs a lot better than what you’ve paid for. It costs less than a decent 48th scale kit actually!

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