well tonight i try my first real shot at airbrushing…well things didnt really work out to well…i spent alot of time building a spray booth and installing a fan and such and i got a posh air brush used for now from my grandfather. i tryed tonight just to shoot alittle grim on some walthers trash dumpers but all it looks like is little black dots. i had a hard time getting the paint into the brush i was using a bottle set up and water bace paints, is it true to use alcohol to thin this paint or use water?? also i know i just have to keep using and working on getting this down right…any of you have any good tips for someone just starting out and know of any small easy projects i could try to build up confidance??
thanks for all the good tips and good help!!!
First thing DO NOT use Alcohol to thin that paint. Use WATER. Also make sure you have the brush clean. If your grandfather gave it to you with the SLIGHTEST bit of old paint in it you have to take it apart and clean it. Don’t just spray some Lacquer through it to clean it. If the needle has old paint on it it will show in the spray. Also if you either didn’t thin the paint correctly or not enough air that will also cause that. is it a single or duel action aitbrush?
Yea. Disassemble it and soak the tip and spray cap in some paint thinner. I use a can of carburator cleaner to get the real nasty stuff. Some times even a pipe cleaner. Don’t damage the tip. Make sure the vent hole in the paint bottle is clear and open. Spots that you described can come from paint not being thin enough. If you can, get a bottle of Poly S water based thinner. It works better than plain water. Make sure you have enough air pressure. About 30-40 psi works for me.
Good luck, their fun when they work right.
thanks for all the help so far…how much do you guys thin the paint???how much is too thin??? thanks so much everyone!!!
Check that you have the right needle and tip for the paint you are spraying. Get the information from the airbrush manufacturer if you can. Test with straight water until you feel you have the airbrush working correctly. The paint is thicker than water so you may be able to spray water and not paint. This means the airbrush is partially plugged or the needle or tip is wrong. When in doubt clean the airbrush before doing anything else. Thin fresh paint very little if at all. Older hobby paint gets thick and will need to be thinned more. Thin washes and weathering require more thinning but master solid colors first. An airbrush can be very frustrating at first but once you get the hang of it it’s a whole new level of painting.
For acrylic paint, I thin a lot (50%). In my opinion acrylic paint is much harder to work with and get to the right consistancy. If I get it too thin I just apply more coats, but can’t get in a hurry because then it is too easy to let it run. I’ve had easier application and better results with Scalecoat II (not water base) paint.
Fireman,
If this helps…
Badger Modelflex paints require NO THINNING. They’re ready to spray right from the bottle. Practice on some scrap material or cars first.
BTW, before anyone brings it up. Last year one modeler complained that his Badger paint dried up in the jar. My oldest Badger paint is over a year old…and still fresh in the jar. Simple secret: Keep the threads on the paint bottles clean and make sure the caps are on snuggly. Just a bit of common sense that modelers in a hurry can easily neglect.
Sorry to disagree Antonio, but Modelflex has always had a reputation (quite richly deserved, I might add) for having zero shelf life once the jar is opened since they first introduced the stuff over a decade ago. Once it’s been exposed to the air, it just seems to go bad, no matter how carefully you store it - that’s been the experience of many a painter I’ve spoken to. I’ve even had some dry up in jars that were never ever opened.
OTOH, I have Scalecoat from the early 90s that is still good. Polly Scale might get a little thick over time and need more thinner, but it also will stay good for many years if properly sealed.
Hmmmm. reputation…quite richly deserved??
Then, with all due respect, someone needs to tell the ModelFlex paints that I have sitting on my shelf to hurry up and dry out, especially since they’ve been opened several times and they’re over 1 year, going on two years old!
In December 2005 I sprayed my GMC fishbowl bus with Modelflex. I combined two colors to produce an attractive orange-yellow. This paint went on nicely with my airbrush! I poured the leftover paint in a "pill"container. I just checked it…still good!
Badger improved their forumla since “the 90s” which was years ago.
I’m a former automotive painter and can tell you that one of the most wasteful chemical headaches in my shop was paint that “went bad” because the painters almost never took the time to wipe the can tops or lid edges—so the binders in the $100 paint would go bad prematurely!
I’ve seen over and over that it’s the same in this hobby. Take care of your equipment and supplies…and they’ll be there ready for you.[;)]
For finer drops, thinner paint and/or more air pressure.
It is too thin if you are not getting any color coverage, but can see the ‘wet’ stripe from the thinner used. It should not run when you apply enough to just get a little color. Many light coats is better than drips, runs, and orange peel.
It is not difficult. It is much easier if you are not worried about screwing up something good, too. Get some little bottles of Testor’s black and white colors (which is quite good quality by the way) and some airbru***hinner, and practice on some empty food boxes. That will give you a real good feel for how one light and one dark color goes on over complex color patterns. By the time you use up $3.50 worth of materials you will be up to good or better I am betting.
I am horrible with a brush, and hate to paint (anything from houses to models), but I do pretty good with an airbrush when I take my time and let the main thing be to do the prep work required to get a perfect job every time. If you aim high and miss, you may still achieve something worthwhile, but if you aim low and miss you just pee on your own feet. 