I am going to take the plunge and break out the air brush and see what I can do. Never used one before, but my girlfriend has one her kids used, I need to clean it (badly, they never did) and wanted to know what I should do as a virgin brusher [:I]
It’s a Paasche VLS#3 I think. Also have a little compressor. Hoping to do buildings, vehicles, and roads first. Engines, rolling stock and weathering will have to come when I am sure I know what I am doing.
Tips???
Start small on some scrap. I think the #3 means you have the widest pattern tip. When mine gets too dirty, I take it apart and spray some carburator cleaner through the needle and cap to clean it out.Works for mine. Good luck![:D]
Tip #3 as the widest pattern, is that a bad thing? It has 2 other needles and tip covers, one is really thin. Would that mean a smaller spray pattern? I guess I am going to have to do some research, hopefully this forum has a good air brush clinic. jfugate??? [:D]
NO! That’s not a bad thing. If you have all 3 tips and needles, that’s the full range of what the airbrush can do.3 is the widest, 1 is the narrowest. If you do a search for Paasche online,you can find the specs on the tips you have and their spray width.Befor you even put paint in it, you can put water or thinner in it and do some spraying to see the pattern coming out of the different tips.
Go for it David!
I’d have to get my VLS out to see for sure, but pretty sure you will have three sets of needles and nozzles, numbered #1, #3 and #5 I think. The bigger the number, the bigger the spray pattern.
The VLS is a dual action airbrush, meaning you pu***he button down for air, and pull it back for paint. If you have the instructions, all the better. Read them to familiarize yourself with the brush. If not, email me, and I’ll scan or copy my instructions for you.
The VLS is a sweet artist quality airbrush, probably way better than you will need for most modeling work. Get some sheets of paper, ( I have a stack of blank newsprint for this ) and play with the adjustments on the brush.
Have fun man!
Rotor
I do have the instructions, and yes I do recall the 1-3 and 5 being mentioned and they are there too.
I use Polly Scale paint, the waterbased type. I also have their airbru***hinner. Should I use that or distilled water to thin, or do I need to thin. I have the MR book on weathering and they have a small part about airbrushes, they say distilled water.
Thanks loather and rotor!
I use distilled water. About 15% to 25% depending on how the paint works.
James[C):-)]
YES! You have to thin. Use the water based thinner(Polly S?) to thin the Polly S paint and something like Testors thinner to thin oil base.It’s not a said formula, you kind of have to get a feel for it. If you do a search on these forums for airbrushing, you’ll find a whole slew of forulas for mixing different paints and the air pressure you should use.
Water based needs more air pressure than oil base.
I dunno David…I never had any good results with water based paints, so all I shoot is laquers and enamels! Besides, water based paints have no fumes…what good is that? [:-,]
I know folks use the water based stuff, with good results, but I’ve never got the hang of it.
For laquers, I usually thin 50%. Enamels, depending on the paints, 25-50% thinner. I spray at 25-40 psi. I’ve been told that the water paints want more pressure to work right.
Rotor
[#ditto]
Oils work better, but if your dead set on Polly S, good results can be acheived with practice.
dthurman,
I feel I must warn you before you start on this venture. Once you use an airbrush and get some practice in, you’ll be painting everything with it. So when you find yourself masking off the face and hands of an HO figure in order to spray the overalls, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Good luck!!
Dave