>> 1/48 Hawk T.1 - Prototype / Weird Aircraft / Trainers

[rochie]

Ok had a nightmare trying to mask up for the green so I tried to free hand it.

Did pretty well i think ?

 

[Wurger]

Looking really nice.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Karl!

 

[Crimea_River]

Did okay there chef.

 

[rochie]

Thanks guys.

Got cammo wrong in a couple of places but overall pretty happy

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Karl.

 

[mikewint]

Karl, generally speaking I always freehand the cammo getting the outlines in first with a very fine nozzle. For the sharp line cammo I took the instruction sheet to a copy machine and played with the enlarge function until the copy was the same size as the model. Then I could simply cut out the cammo sections and put them on the model directly.
Personally I think you did a great job as is

 

[turbo]

Nice work Karl, loving the airbrush?

 

[rochie]

Nice work Karl, loving the airbrush?

Yes and no Kirby.

Not enjoying the constant clean up needed but i will get used to that, like finish i am starting to achieve though !

Thanks guys

 

[mikewint]

Karl, if your airbrush has one of those permanently affixed paint pots there is not much you can do and IMHO they waste a lot of paint.
The removable side feed cups save a lot of time as you can just pull them off and drop into a jar of solvent. The same with siphon feed jars. As to the airbrush itself I use an airbrush cleaning pot, drop the side feed cup into water, attach a siphon-feed jar filled with airbrush cleaner, stick the airbrush into the pot and spray for a minute or so until clear. Plug in a new cup, fill, and spray the new color.
The solvent evaporates from the cleaning cup eventually. When I'm done with the model i'll disassemble the airbrush and manually clean everything
My Aztek is side (gravity) and or siphon-feed and my new Badger 360 has a rotating head with an attached cup, BUT I can rotate the head 90 degrees and plug in a side feed cup or another 90 degrees and plug in a siphon-feed

 

[rochie]

Cheers Mike.

Thats not a bad routine, i might start that myself

 

[fubar57]

Agree with all Karl. I am getting quicker at the clean-up phase now but it's still a work in progress

 

[rochie]

Agree with all Karl. I am getting quicker at the clean-up phase now but it's still a work in progress

Seem to spend more time on cleaning than painting

 

[Crimea_River]

Karl, my post-painting routine just involves shooting some Windex through my brush. I fill the cup and clean any excess paint off the inner walls of the cup with a hairy brush, then I unlock the needle and pull it in and out a few times. I then lock it back in place and shoot the spray into a garbage bag inside a trash bin at max pressure (40psi on my compressor). Once the cup is empty, I fill again with windex and shoot that through, then once again with water. This takes maybe 2 minutes and works well over the life of one model when using Tamiya paints - the windex seems to dissolve it quite well and is non-toxic. When I start a new project, I strip the brush down and clean everything well with lacquer thinner and this time I catch the spray in a container similar to the one Mike posted.

 

[mikewint]

The airbrush cleaner I use is CREATEX. I generally get it from Hobby Lobby when on sale or with coupons as it is about $1 an ounce regularly. The active solvent is 15% Propylene glycol monomethyl ether (1-Methoxy-2-propanol). Proplyene glycol is antifreeze for drinking water systems. Ethylene glycol is car antifreeze very toxic stuff with a sweet taste. Since this is a p-series solvent its toxicity is very low though skin/eye/mouth/breathing contact is to be avoided. It's the active ingredient in many commercial wash-off paint strippers so it is a pretty good airbrush cleaner.
I'll also use it as a paint brush soak. I might use 4 ounces or so per model and often less. It doesn't affect plastics so my Aztek is fine with it.
I'm totally anti-lacquer in all forms unless you're outside or have a vented to the outside spray booth. The solvents are all nasty by any standard and/or ingestion route

 

[rochie]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Using Vallejo acrylics and have been using warm water so far for cleaning, seems to do ok.

My airbrush is a very cheap model and i have another for when i get used to working with them .

Will have to get some cleaning solution at some point

 

[turbo]

I'm with Andy Karl, I just shoot Windex through in between acrylic colours and at the end of the session. Also at the end I usually take the needle out and give it a quick wipe. It all only takes a couple of minutes. Then in between projects I'll give it a full strip and clean with pipe cleaners and lacquer thinner

 

[mikewint]

Windex is great for cleaning windows. There are various types but essentially they are designed in and around degreasing.
Butoxyethanol is a surfactant serving as a detergent/wetting agent/emulsifier/ect.
Ethelyene Glycol which is antifreeze
and Isoproply alcohol or rubbing alcohol which is a useful solvent for paint though you can buy 91% quarts for under a $1
Some varieties have ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) which is a strong base. Like any base it will react with greases to form soap. Grannys old LYE soap for example.
the rest over 90% is simply water.
The blue car stuff has many formulations but is essentially the same stuff: Methanol/ethanol/isoproply alcohol, ethylene glycol and distilled water. As above the alcohols are useful solvents. Dilution depends on the season...maybe 10:1 in the summer and even 1:1 in northern regions