I have it narrowed down to the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS (gravity feed) thanks to Marty, and the Iwata HP-C Plus (gravity feed) for the brushes.  Any advice or helpful comparison would be great?

I'm at a loss on the compressor, I would like something that doesn't run constantly but yet is not 5 times the cost of my other supplies as well.  I want consistent air flow in order to utilize the quality air brush and to help with my abilities especially at first.  Please help recommend some compressors or give me any advise that you can?

Again thanks to Marty I am aware that I need some misc. accessories that are very important such as a good regulator and moisture traps along with Createx and Wildlife paints.  However, any more information or helpful hints that you can provide a new person coming into air brushing baits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all,

Steve

I like the Kustom line from Iwata. A little more expensive, but they are very nice. I like the micro air adjust feature on the brush.

As far as compressors go, if noise is not an issue you can get a noisy compressor from Lowe's or Home Depot for less than $200 bucks. They will hold up to 140 lbs of air, and normally have a a built in regulator. They will cycle on when pressure drops below 100 psi, and cycle off when pressure reaches 140 psi. I can fill the tank on my 2.5 gallon unit and shut off the power and paint a at least one lure completely before dropping below 40 psi. They will turn on when you least expect it sometimes. I sit less than 3 feet away from my Kohler out in the storage building and have jumped a few times when it cycled on. messed up a few lures, and that is why I turn mine off.

If noise is an issue you will be hard pressed to beat the Iwata Jet Smart line. I use one in my kitchen and my wife can watch TV without complaints about noise less than 25 feet away. It gets too cold to paint in the metal building sometimes. Before I bought the Jet Smart, I was going to run an air line up through the bottom of one of my floor cabinets in the kitchen for when it got too cold.

Eric

Steve, Menards has a Campbell Hausfeld 2 gallon oil-less compressor for about $65. I have one very similar that I've been using for a year now. No complaints. Don't forget to add a water seperator. I also put on a manifold that splits to 3 air fittings and added quick connect couplers for convenience. To reduce the motor noise a little, I put it under my work bench and hung old blankets around the front and sides but left the regulator and gauge stick out. I left some room around the compressor to allow it to breathe so it doesn't over-heat. Good luck!

Steve, I have both the brushes you mention and you cannot go wrong with either one. The hp-cs has a slightly larger nozzle which makes shooting pearls and metalics a little easier but both are capable of fine detail.

For compressors if you purchase a good sized unit there are many more uses you will have for it besides just airbrushing. Small sand blasters can be used to remove paint from old baits but they require a larger volume of air (cfm) than most small compressors can provide.  The oil-less compressors are indeed  very noisy, if that is an issue.

If you are still looking for a compressor, my dad got a 2 gallon from Menards. It is an Alton brand. He says it is pretty quiet. Mine is Tool Shop brand and it is also pretty quiet. Both in the $60-$80 range. Good luck.