Extra Crispy | 21 Jan 2009 5:28 p.m. PST |
So my wife gave me an airbrush for my birthday. But nw I;ve got lots of questions
. How thin should my paint be? Can I use any brand of paint? Vallejo model? Craftpaints? Do I need to buy "thinner" or can I use something cheap? And on compressors. I know not to buy a "hobby" one. And I know I need a moisture trap and storage tanks. I saw one at Lowe's for $79 USD which says "good for air brushing." But how do I know if the compressor will put out the right flow? I have visions of blowing enough air to bow up a zeppelin through my airbrush and spraying paint from Cincinnati to Orlando
Any good "noob" web sites out there? |
Editor in Chief Bill | 21 Jan 2009 5:34 p.m. PST |
I don't get it. Where's the punchline? |
miscmini | 21 Jan 2009 5:39 p.m. PST |
Thin the paint to the consistency of milk. I run the paint through an old nylon stocking before it goes into the airbrush paint reservoir. This gets rid of any clumps that may not have gone into solution. I've thinned water based paints with water, alcohol, windex, and even future floor polish. I use a airflow regulator and generally push 15-25 psi through the system. Clean the airbrush after use (I've used water, ammonia, alcohol). Practice, practice, practice. Get use to the airbrush, how it works, and the results you get using different settings, air pressure, and paints. Kevin |
jpattern2 | 21 Jan 2009 5:41 p.m. PST |
Miscmini nailed it, especially practice, practice, practice. |
Extra Crispy | 21 Jan 2009 5:43 p.m. PST |
So it sounds like I need a bog bottle of rubbing alcohol for thining and cleaning? |
Garand | 21 Jan 2009 5:46 p.m. PST |
Paint thinner: as thin as skim milk, or at least until you can push it out of the airbrush. Different paints may require more (or less) thinner. Some paints may not work very well at all in an airbrush (pigment grind may be too coarse). As for thinner, experiment with the paint in question. If you can thin acrylics with alcohol, do so, but not all paints react well to it. As for a compressor, I use a "hobby" compressor, and have done so for 18 years or so. It works perfectly fine for me. I also do not use a water trap (never needed to, frankly) though its not a BAD thing. More important is a pressure regulator. Damon. |
pmwalt | 21 Jan 2009 5:51 p.m. PST |
recommed that you check out whatever you thin the paint with before running it through an airbrush. Some paints don't do well with some thinning agents and will clump up and then that will clog your airbrush. Best bet is to use a thinner from the same maker of the paint your going to be using. Like Miscmini says, thin to the consistencey of milk. By all means, use a moisture trap. Make sure you clean it thoroughly after use otherwise it will gunk up the brush. Finally, practice on scrap then take on the finished work. |
cfielitz | 21 Jan 2009 6:05 p.m. PST |
A water trap is a very good thing, especially in the summer (unless you live in AZ or NM). I had a inexpensive non-hobby compressor. It made too much noise, and it vibrated so much that it pretty much walked across the room! I would look at the various hobby compressors. If you have extra disposable, go with compressed air. That is what my medical illustrator friends used to use. |
Wyatt the Odd | 21 Jan 2009 6:33 p.m. PST |
All of the above is good advice. But before you even push paint through it, grab a large piece of card board and practice spraying water. You didn't say whether you had a single or double action brush, and whether its a gravity feed or pulls the paint from a jar. I'm using a 40-year-old tankless compressor and I only finally added a moisture trap and regulator. You CAN use a small shop "pancake" compressor, but you'll have to step down the pressure and, of course, use a smaller hose. Its generally better to use a compressor with a tank on it as you'll get more constant pressure. I also keep paint thinner on hand for use in cleaning or thinning enamel paints, but I also have a can of acetone to make absolutely certain that the parts are all clean. Wyatt |
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 21 Jan 2009 7:24 p.m. PST |
I agree about the practice part as well. While spraying water is a good way to learn the various basic flow/pattern cheap ink is also a good tool. Experiment with masks, stencils frisket<sp> as well. Your local library may have some learning resources as well. Good luck, but you won't need it, airbrushing can be lots of fun. |
John Leahy | 21 Jan 2009 7:38 p.m. PST |
Buy yourself a jug of blue Windshield wiper fluid. It's a wonderful cleaning and thinning agent for acrylic paints. Thanks, John |
quidveritas | 21 Jan 2009 11:34 p.m. PST |
All I can tell you is I had a hobby compressor that worked OK for a year and when I tried to fix it the cost was greater than buying a new one. The guy at the repair store told me if you don't have one that can be lubricated, this is always a issue/risk. I then bought a commercial sized unit and wow what a difference in performance. Also can now pump up tires, basketballs, the blow out my sprinklers. Thinning is best done with the Acryl thinner -- I bought some 5-6 years ago and still have about 1/4 left. Get a book or talk to a local artist about how to use these things. As stated above practice makes perfect. mjc mjc |
bsrlee | 22 Jan 2009 2:12 a.m. PST |
There are several sources of adapters to convert 3/8" or whatever air hoses down to 1/4" or less airbrush fittings. One place is Micromark = micromark.com, who sell the set down adaptors, paint mixers, extra hoses, filters ertc etc. Not always the cheapest but a good place to look to find out what is available. If you get a 'serious' compressor, make sure to turn the pressure regulator right down BEFORE connecting your airbrush – much over 30psi will blow your airbrush to bits, or at least the air fitting out of the body – been there, done that ;-) |
Palafox | 22 Jan 2009 2:25 a.m. PST |
- How thin should my paint be? Recommend it to be diluted at least 50%. Possibly 60-80% (in favour of thinner). With airbrush is best to make several thin layers than one that covers in one pass. - Can I use any brand of paint? Vallejo model? Craftpaints? No, unless you want to clog the airbrush. Use a paint with a thin pigment. Tamiya or Gunze Sanyo work excellent, Vallejo airbrush also is fine. - Do I need to buy "thinner" or can I use something cheap? It's best if you buy thinners for airbrush, Tamiya is very good, alcohol is fine but in my experince the thinners are better and do not evaporate so fast. Also an specifically airbrush cleaner liquid would be handy, Vallejo has one wich works very well. All of the above just IMHO. |
Palafox | 22 Jan 2009 2:29 a.m. PST |
BTW, the secret to have an airbrush working dor a long time is just cleaning it well. Be very careful with the needle, it's very easy to bend if you're careless and it will ruin the airbrush, a replacement needle is always useful. Maybe this article and this whole web will be handy: link |
Greenfield Games | 22 Jan 2009 4:37 a.m. PST |
I thought that I would reinforce the subject of cleaning your airbrush. When I was modeling professionally I was surprised at how many people I met who would bring me their airbrushed because they were "broken" when, in reality, they were just clogged with old paint. Learn where the paint travels through the airbrush and realize that you have to clean it out of all of those places. Toothpicks, pipe cleaners, and even those weird toothbrushes that are meant to clean between teeth are all good tools for thoroughly cleaning your airbrush. Don't assume that just because your cleaner is blowing clear through the brush that it's clean. |
Daryl G | 22 Jan 2009 9:43 a.m. PST |
Tamiya are best for an airbrush. An Ultra Sonic bath is a good investment if you wish to keep your airbrush in tiptop condition. |
Striker | 22 Jan 2009 5:31 p.m. PST |
For cleaning I picked up a set of Micro brushes. Some places have "airbrush cleaning kits" that include those along with other little devices for getting in tight places. The FineScale Modeler site has a section on airbrushing and lots of info. |
Tiberius | 28 Jan 2009 9:09 p.m. PST |
Brand of paint. Provided the pigment has been ground fine enouogh, then it can be thinned for airbrushing. Old style Acylic paints (Tamiya) require a special solvent based thinners. Newer style acylics like Vallejo or Derivan MiNi's require water with some surface tension breaker added. To make a thinners for Vallejo or Derivan MiNi's, 9 parts water 1 part surface tension breaker |
Tiberius | 28 Jan 2009 9:15 p.m. PST |
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Tiberius | 28 Jan 2009 9:24 p.m. PST |
sorry home page for airbrushing techiques link |