Paasche Talon Review
1/2012
My friend Bossman, who sent me the Paasche V, also sent a Talon. So, let's take a look at it.
The Talon is a spiffy looking airbrush with its engraved eagle on the cup and gold anodized cap and handle.
It's Paasche's newest model and has become very popular. The closest comparison I can come up with is the Badger Krome. Here they are together. As you can see, they are about the same size and configuration. There is a little less finger room between the trigger and cup on the Talon, mainly because the cup tilts back more. There is also a siphon fed version.
The Talon and Krome weigh the same 109g. The Talon has the larger cup, but the Krome's brass handle makes up the difference.
First Impressions and Features
The Talon is nicely finished and looks and feels like quality. Trigger action is nice and smooth. The cup is a large .4oz. Balance is right about at the trigger.
The crown cap is unusual with 3 rectangular prongs. It can be removed leaving the needle unprotected and the brush will still spray.
The needle limiter is similar to the Krome's, with a knob on the end to adjust it and a moveable ring with marks to indicate position. And, there is a reference mark on the handle. However, unlike the Krome, the marks are not numbered and they are farther apart. But, I find the marks of limited use anyway. There is no set screw on the ring as there is on the Krome, but it's firm enough to hold its position.
The cutout in the handle is large enough to expose the trigger tension adjust. You can also loosen or tighten the needle chuck, but like the Krome, the handle must be removed to pull the needle.
The Talon comes with 3 tips; .25mm, .38mm, and .66mm. The .66mm tip can be used with both a normal round aircap and a special fan cap for broad coverage. You can see the difference on the right. The fan cap has two little air holes in the pins that stick up, and these cause the spray to come out in a fan pattern. It is actually two parts, so the front part can be rotated as needed. To the right of it is the regular .66mm cap
Parts Breakdown
Here is the Talon broken down. I didn't remove the needle seal, and I couldn't get the air valve apart. The cap is frozen on. The Talon comes with an allen wrench to open the air valve, but the cap is so tight that the wrench began to tear up the hex opening in it.
The tip is the threaded type, but it's big enough to be fairly rugged and easy to handle. The special wrench with the square hole fits the tip. Here is a close up of the head assembly. The air cap, tip, and needle are all marked with grooves for identification.
The needles are stepped like the VL needles. The main shaft is about 0.065 inches in diameter. As you might expect, the 0.25mm needle looks very fragile.
Trying it out
Here is a doodle using food coloring on paper towel with the #2 medium components. Control was very good. I used the needle limiter and it worked well. As I expected, the marks are so far apart that they' are really useless. But, it doesn't matter. You can just adjust the knob while spraying on some scrap to get the amount you want. The .38mm tip and needle give a nice tight pattern. I did this doodle with the protective crown cap on. It turns out the rectangular openings act like little windows that allow you to get close and still see what's going on.
Next, I tried the #1 components. The pattern was a little narrower than the #2. Maximum coverage was much less. And, even full blast, the output is very light. It would be good for weathering. Below, are samples done with the #3 components. On the left is the round end cap, and on the right, the fan cap. I had to use a little Chapstick on the threads of the #3 tip to stop bubbles in the cup. You can't tell it in the sample, but the fan cap produces a spray that is wider in one axis. It would be nice for something like gloss coats where you want broad coverage.
Conclusion
It seems to me that the gravity fed Talon is an attempt to create an all purpose airbrush. The large cup makes a siphon brush less of a necessity, and the tip sizes from .25 to .66mm, plus the fan cap provide a wide range of spray patterns.
I can't say that I like the large cup. It doesn't block my view because I"m looking more from the side when I airbrush. But, it seems odd sticking up there. And, if I needed that much paint, I'd use a siphon brush.
I like the large screw-in tip. It's big enough to be easy to handle. And, the square sides mean it's not going to roll away.
The #1 components give a pretty fine pattern. I don't think it matches the Krome or Sotar, but those were designed specifically for detail work.
The #2 setup would cover almost all modeling requirements. The .38mm tip will be a little fussier about thinning than say the .5mm Patriot tip. But, that's just part of learning to use the brush.
Both the Talon and the Krome are larger and heavier than I like. But,that's just my personal preference.
I would have liked to reduce the spring in the air valve, but I couldn't take it apart. I hate to use raw pliers on it, but I might end up trying that. I tried a heat gun, but that didn't help. It works fine. It's just a little more pressure than I like.
I think the Talon is a good airbrush. I see it recommended often. Dave Monnig of Coast Airbrush speaks highly of it, and he knows airbrushes. Bossman didn't care for it, but he is an artist, and a very good one. And, he is used to some very expensive alternatives.
Thank you very much, Bossman. Your generosity is really appreciated.