Review on GHAD-68 by StudioG

o

Do you airbrush? Do you experience numbness in your fingers when you are airbrushing? If you say yes, then you have come to the right place. I have mild and developing carpal tunnel syndrome. To explain further, this is the definition of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from the Mayo Clinic. 

"Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of the hand. When the median nerve is compressed, symptoms can include numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and arm."

When Gaahleri first contacted me to become partners, I asked them, "Do you have any good trigger-type airbrush?" and the answer was yes. And behold the GHAD-68 airbrush. Let's look at the airbrush and also my honest review.

HIS INITIAL THOUGHTS

My first experience with the GHAD-68 airbrush was great. Having a trigger-type airbrush helps with my situation. I usually have long airbrushing sessions each time I paint cause I paint all of my selected colours in one go, taking short breaks between them to rest or have a meal. 

In the past, I would never have gone for any trigger airbrushes cause they usually only have them in 0.5mm needle size or more. They are not designed for accuracy but more for coverage. If you're working with airbrushing fine arts, there are better options than having a trigger-type airbrush.

It is harder to aim where you can paint precisely and to paint straight because of how you will be holding it. However, this does not matter because I paint gunplas, model kits or dioramas. If I need to airbrush details accurately, I will switch back to my regular airbrush and won't use them long enough to cause numbness in my fingers.

The GHAD-68 airbrush comes in both 0.3mm and 0.5mm needles. They are interchangeable based on your airbrushing situation. I work mainly with 0.2mm or 0.3mm, which is perfect. 

HIS FIRST AIRBRUSHING EXPERIENCE

Upon unboxing the airbrush, the packaging immediately impressed me because they are thoughtful, premium and protect the airbrush while in transport. The packaging also comes with the entire blueprint of the airbrush, explaining clearly every component. If you're unfamiliar with the structure of an airbrush, the diagram will be helpful for maintenance and troubleshooting purposes. 

The GHAD-68 airbrush is the most comfortable airbrush I have ever gripped. The grip is big and bulky, so this is perfect for you if you have big hands like mine. The trigger itself is a two-step trigger. The first step would only release the air, which is helpful because I usually blow air onto the parts I will paint first to remove any dust particles stuck on the paint surface. The second step will release the paint. The distance of the trigger pulled back will determine how much paint is being released. All this is similar to any regular dual-action airbrush, so there's no learning curve, which is good!

The airbrushing experience was excellent. I am amazed at how fast I have adapted to using this airbrush because it initially felt a little strange because I have completely changed how I grip an airbrush. After airbrushing a couple of parts, I have completely adapted to it. 

I usually start to feel numbness in my fingers after 10 minutes or so of continuous airbrushing. However, with the GHAD-68 airbrush, I did not feel any numbness at all. This means that instead of taking breaks every 10 minutes to get rid of the numbness in my fingers, now I don't have to take any breaks at all unless I have finished painting my colour. I have saved so much time with this airbrush, which has also helped me with my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or anything remotely close to that. I am NOT saying that this airbrush has healed or cured my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I am merely sharing my honest experience of using the airbrush.  

DESIGN AND FEATURES

#1: Ergonomic design

The overall design of the airbrush suits how I work. I wouldn't claim that it is an ergonomic design, but it is for my big hands. The grip is larger than conventional trigger-type airbrushes and feels solid in my hands. The trigger is placed perfectly in place, allowing me to pull the trigger from the first section of my index or middle finger. If they were too close to the handle, I might have to use my section of the fingers, resulting in discomfort and less control over the paint delivery amount. 

#2: Cleverly Designed Airbrush Nozzle

One of my favourite design features of the GHAD-68 airbrush is that I do not need a small spanner to remove the airbrush nozzle. Most of the market's airbrushes require a special spanner to remove the nozzle, which is a hassle. I remember that I had lost the special tiny little spanner before, and I had no choice but to use a regular-sized plier to unscrew the nozzle. Eventually, I snapped and broke the nozzle because of the size mismatch, and I was forcing it. Rendered the entire airbrush useless. Since then, I have been more careful, but sometimes, you lose the spanner.

So having a spanner-free nozzle is very helpful in my situation, and I am glad I don't need to keep additional tools to maintain the airbrush. 

#3: Cleaning and Maintenance

It's ideal for you to clean and maintain your airbrush after each painting session. Even a simple cleaning will keep your airbrush clog-free and in tip-top condition. 

The entire airbrush can be disassembled into its individual parts for cleaning purposes: the needle, the trigger, the spring, the paint cup and more. One feature I like is that the paint cup is removable, and the hole cut out is bigger than usual. This means I have more access to the inner surfaces of the airbrush to stick my cotton buds in to clean. And having a removable paint cup is just fantastic for cleaning or upgrading. If you paint more of a single colour, you can swap out and upgrade your paint to a bigger capacity to reduce the frequency of topping up your paint because one of the worst things you can have is to run out of paint mid-process and have a splat of paint on your painting surfaces, which ruins it.

Moreover, the paint cup's insides are more polished than other paint cups from other airbrushes. This helps, especially when swapping colours and doing simple general cleaning. Swirling the paint cup with thinner or airbrush cleaner will remove the paint from the surface. You don't have to clean it with cotton buds or tissue paper that might leave dust or residue inside the paint cup that might clog up your nozzle. I adore this.

Here's an image comparing the insides of the paint cup from two different airbrushes.

#4: Paint Delivery Quality

I am a stickler when it comes to paint delivery quality. I like my paint job, like how it is on a brand-new shiny car, which means I absolutely hate having dust particles, bumps, and uneven paint thickness. I understand that many problems mentioned above can be user-based errors, but having a high-quality airbrush will help prevent the problems. 

The paint delivery was smooth. I had six painting sessions in total with six different colours, and throughout my painting sessions, I never experienced any paint spitting out of the airbrush, clogs, or webbing. I saved a lot of time because I had no redos on the paint job. 

PRICE

This airbrush is a steal at only $69.99 (US Dollar). It is beginner friendly while also suitable for more advanced painters like myself. I am surprised to have learned that this airbrush is cheaper and more affordable than my regular airbrushes. 

A lower price point means that if you are a beginner working with a limited budget, you can get this GHAD-68 airbrush without feeling too stressed about it. If you are a seasoned painter, you can have this airbrush as your backup for unforeseen circumstances. Last but not least, this is my recommended airbrush if you are like me, someone who suffers from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It has helped me in my situation and allows me to fully enjoy the painting process without having to take multiple breaks and feeling discomfort while painting. 

Good news if you're reading this and considering getting this airbrush. Because I come with gifts! By partnering with Gaahleri, the manufacturer of this airbrush, I have discussed it with them, and they have agreed to give you guys a unique, exclusive 15% discount on the airbrush or any of their airbrushes. You can find the discount information below!

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, if you're looking for a good airbrush with a fantastic price, this is the one you want. I currently use this GHAD-68 airbrush and can vouch for the quality wholeheartedly. I hope you like this review and that I have helped you in any way. Thanks for the read! :)