Crossing from the Hairy to the Misty

[Ralph Haus]

After these couple of years of getting back into model building, finishing with brushed on acrylic, although getting more acceptable every build, I thought it time to 'graduate' to the world of airbrushing.

I realize that the first thing I should do is practice, practice, practice, on scrap materials. Not a problem. But I thought I'd also ask those of you out there in the airbrushing world just what is an important skill, or practice, to work on. Any 'insider' help suggestions? Paint selection (brand)? First coat (primer?), last coat sealer (??).

I am buying a dual action, probably considered medium quality, gravity feed airbrush and compressor set. .2, .3 and .5mm airbrushes (exchangeable).

I'm always envious of the images that are shown for the group builds and promise myself that someday I'll be able to compete. Not there yet. still having fun though, but as with anything, one is always looking for achieving the next level.

Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Crimea_River]

Yes, practice a lot! And when you do, don't just spray on paper but use an old model as well. The plastic has a smoother texture than paper and you will find that the spray reacts very differently on these surfaces.

You don't need to necessarily switch away from your favourite paint brand but you may find that your acrylic may not work that well, though some acrylics spray very nicely. Some acrylics will clog your brush very quickly and may need a retarder that delays the dry time a bit. I still have some old Pollyscale colours that I sometimes use and I do need to add a retarder. These also definitely need a primer. Now I mostly use Tamiya acrylics but Vallejo are nice too. Lots of guys swear by Gunze but I'm not familiar with those as I can't get them where I live. Typically, I don't need primer for Tamiya, though I do use primer to check for seams and surface imperfections.

What you will need to experiment with is the ratio of thinner to paint you will like to work with and the effects of varying pressures on your work. The thickest ratio I've heard used is 40% thinner to 60% paint but I tend to go thinner, more like 60/40 or 70/30 sometimes even thinner like when I'm applying weathering effects. Typical pressures are 15 to 20psi but lower pressures are called for at times when you want to limit the amount of paint being sprayed on or when you spray in tight areas, like wing roots for example.

Typically, a gloss clear coat is applied and allowed to fully cure before applying decals. Once the decals are on, most do another gloss coat and then apply washes and other effects, followed by a final matte clear coat.

Start with something simple like a uniform one or two colour paint scheme and gradually work up to more complex projects like Lutwaffe mottles or wave patterns.

Welcome to the dark side. No turning back now!

 

[mikewint]

IMHO...IMHO I personally don't care much for the exclusive gravity feed types. The small (relatively speaking) top cups do not hold much paint and you have to bring the entire brush with you to clean it just to switch colors. A bit late but check out Badger's 360 airbrush. The head rotates and will both gravity and suction feed PLUS the AZTEK removable gravity feed paint cups will fit in place of the small top only cup of a standard airbrush.
Andy said it all. I would add this. Start with plain water on brown cardboard boxes, practice volume and distance control. Get a uniform line from left to right. then right to left. Change from heavy spray to light and back again. See what various pressures do to the spray pattern. Write your name in script keeping everything uniform.
Add some food color to your water and practice on white paper, keep everything uniform and watch for drips. Paint bigger areas with a back and forth uniform spray (volume and distance).
I spray acrylics exclusively due to their ease of use and mild solvents (water /isopropyl alcohol). Decide if you are going to use acrylics, enamels, or lacquers. Get a jar of your favorite paint and thin it to the consistency of milk. Get several take-home styrofoam boxes they are generally free for the asking if you eat out. Practice painting them with your paint of choice and airbrush. The boxes will give you flat surfaces, angles, and curves. Watch your results, look for uniform consistency, no drips, runs, or orange peel.
When you are painting beautiful Easter-egg boxes get a cheap model kit (don't be too ambitious) and spray for real.
Acrylic paints are easy to strip with DETTOL antiseptic so if you screw-up soak in Dettol and start again.
Enamels use hotter solvents and are more difficult to strip. Spray-on oven cleaners work well with water clean-up and a tooth brush.
Lacquers use very hot and toxic solvents I totally avoid them

 

[mikewint]

Just remembered an old trick to increase the paint volume of the small top cup. Can't speak exactly to your airbrush but most top cups are 3/4 inch diameter (measure yours) Go to any hardware-type (Walmart) store and get 3/4 inch rubber leg tips, the kind that go on furniture legs. Take an Exacto knife and carefully cut off the solid end making a bottomless cup. Push (tapered end, cut end up) this down into (or around depending on size) your top cup. It will be a tight fit either way and will not leak. If you want to cap off the rubber extension get some 3/4 inch HOLE PLUGS. They can be metal, plastic or rubber. They will fit exactly into the hole of the cut off top. Don't forget to drill a small hole in the hole plug to let air in as the paint is used up

 

[Ralph Haus]

Many thanks to both. I did some limited research, if YouTube counts, and observed some fairly decent areas being covered with small amounts of paint being applied via the gravity feed cup types of airbrushes. I will most likely 'sacrifice' a 1/72 model from the 'shelf-o-dust', after practicing of course! Thanks again. Anxious to get the set delivered. I will be using acrylic. As you have pointed out, low odor and easy cleanup as well as the spouse allowing something this UN-obnoxious in her house (even though it is my space - those that are married will understand!).

Mike, in regards to your comment on suction feed being your delivery choice. I will most likely, after becoming comfortable with the applications techniques, purchase one of this style. Never know if I will need to repaint my truck?

 

[mikewint]

Never know if I will need to repaint my truck?

If you will stick to 1/72 the smallish top cups will in all likelihood always hold sufficient paint. Howsomever moving up to 1/48 or 1/32 you will find that 1 or 2mL of paint will prove to be insufficient. My 1/48 B-29 easily consumed an entire jar, 23mL, of Flat Aluminium paint and my present 1/48 Chinook easily used 10mL. Additionally the ability to use suction feed means that you can simply attach the jar that the paint came in using it as your feed cup giving you less to clean up saving all that wasted paint and money.
Lastly I suspect that I was unclear. More often than not I use Aztek's side-feed gravity-feed cups in my 360. I rotate the head 90 degrees from vertical attach one of 3 different sized side-feed cups (from 2mL to 10mL) and spray. I can switch colors in about 3 min or so. Remove the dirty cup, plug in a new cup, fill with airbrush cleaner, spray until empty, add the new color to the cup already in place and spray.
I reserve the suction feed for large jobs.
All things being equal tis better to have more than one way to approach a project

 

[Ralph Haus]

My biggest dilemma was the overwhelming varieties and manufacturers out there for airbrushes! I had to choose something from somebody to get started. Buying the most expensive, or the cheapest, was not an option given that I'm not sure if I'm going to adapt? So I chose what appeared to be the middle? This also goes for the paints that I will be running through it. Initially I'm just going to thin the selections that I have (I can feel the cringing now!).

I have most of the colors that I believe fit the models that I am working on and am just hesitant to restock not knowing what it is that I need or which product is good. Many of the paints are hued such that I can mix and create most any color that are needed.

I'm sure there at many good thinned pre-mix ones out there but to restock would be cost prohibitive given I'm just a airbrush novice and don't really know my way around yet. I would appreciate any feedback on pre-thinned primer and finish coatings though.

Hopefully my seemingly basic questions will be useful to some out there that are considering the switch as well. I am positive that the answers I'm getting back will be. Thanks for the patience.

 

[turbo]

What the other guys said. In particular, I'm with Andy in that the best thing you can do to get yourself up and running is to experiment with different thinning ratios and compressor pressures while practicing on various media. As Andy mentioned, the spray pattern and characteristics of spraying will be different on styrene than paper and other media, so graduate to practicing on old models or left over parts as soon as you can.

I'm one of the people Andy mentioned who loves spraying Gunze acrylics, but I'm aware they're not easily available in some countries. Don't worry too much about pre-thinned paints, you'll find eventually you'll want to adjust the thinning ratio depending on the task at hand anyway.

As for primers and varnishes, there are a multitude of options out there. I consider a primer coat a must when spraying acrylics otherwise you are likely to experience paint wear and lifting during handling and masking. Here's an issue I had on my current build because I missed spraying primer on the wing leading edges.

I just decant Tamiya surface primer right out of the rattle can and spray it through my airbrush. Most manufacturers make varnishes of different finishes and you can even use acrylic floor polish for gloss coats (which is what I still do!).

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Crimea_River]

I do 1/48 exclusively and the size of the cup has never been an issue. For larger jobs, I have had to refill but I think a fresh batch of paint part way through a session is probably a good thing.

 

[turbo]

I do 1/48 exclusively and the size of the cup has never been an issue.

Yep, even in 1/32 I rarely exceed my smallest cup. I use my medium cup for broad area coverage like varnishes on large subjects, but I never really find it an issue.

 

[Ralph Haus]

Ahhh! primer is yet another subject that I need to study up on. I read the benefits of the Tamiya spray (rattle can), but are there other alternatives? The reason that I choose acrylics is to avoid the odors and associated issues as well as being able to keep everything indoors. Using Turbo's method would perhaps be doable (spraying directly into the cup) but I cringe at the clean up! So, anything acrylic based that could be recommended.? But I guess that's the issue; acrylic being the first coat on the plastic is not good!

I do, however, apply a coat of Krylon acrylic (a nasty odor of its own) outdoors after I have completed a model. I have both gloss and matte clear. Would this work for an undercoat even though their acrylic?

Also, thanks for the photo attachment Turbo. It is a rare image of a model in this stage of the build. I suppose you create your own canopy masking (Tamiya yellow tape?)?

 

[Crimea_River]

The whole idea of a primer is to create a layer of paint that both binds to the plastic and provides an optimal surface for top coats. The only type of paint that reacts with the plastic to create a secure bond is lacquer so I use Tamiya's Surface Primer which is lacquer based.

You can buy this stuff in a bottle and thin it with commercial lacquer thinner (smelly) or Tamiya's lacquer thinner (not so smelly). This avoids potentially messy decanting from a spray can.

I'm not aware of an effective acrylic primer for plastic but would love to be enlightened. I would not recommend using the Krylon clear coats as primers.

 

[mikewint]

I personally do not apply any type of primer coat. However I do wash all plastic parts in water and Dawn followed by a through rinse and then a quick distilled water rinse (minerals in tap water). Manufacturers use various chemical agents to aid in the plastics removal from the metal molds (mold release agents). These can remain on the plastics and can interfere with paint adhesion. Seldom do I have any paint adhesion problems, though again I use a very low tack masking (drafting) tape and/or post-it notes.
In addition if the plastic parts are very shiny I will quickly give them a light sanding with very fine (1200) wet/dry sandpaper to break that glaze and give a better surface for the acrylic paint to bond to
That being said I 110% agree with Andy's post above. The hot solvents used in lacquer paint will actually "eat" into the plastics giving excellent adhesion. The rough primer coat then gives an excellent surface for the acrylics to bond to. I just strongly object to the toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, etc. properties that all lacquer solvents share. Without strong ventilation and protective breathing apparatus they are just plain dangerous to use in a home. The can/jars themselves say things like "adequate ventilation". Who defines "adequate"? 1 cu ft/min? 10 cu ft/min? 50 cu ft/min? Not a risk I personally want to assume for a plastic model.

 

[fubar57]

I just graduated myself last year and kick myself for not starting sooner. One thing you'll find is that 10 different people will give you 10 different options. None are wrong, it's what works best for them. For me (#11) you won't be wrong following the manufacturers paint/thinner ratios. From there you can tweak. I use a lot of Tamiya but many WW2 colour have to be mixed. Several here mix their own colors and are very good at it, I've got a Notepad full of these. I've also got very old bottles of Pollyscale and Gunze Sangyo that I've used with no problems again following the manufacturers recommendations. I have sprayed Tamiya thinned with IPA, Windex and distilled water without a problem. I've got a fairly large collection of Vallejo Model Air. These spray fine right out of the bottle but I have found a few drops of their Flow Improver helps. One thing I will warn you about Vallejo is that some of their early colours were sketchy to say the least. Check the bottles before you buy. I rarely use primer unless the camo colours are white, yellow, red, etc., then I use Vallejo White Surface Primer straight out of the bottle. This stuff needs to be shaken very well. When you feel that you've shaken it enough....keep shaking. After spraying let it dry for 24hrs minimum. As an acrylic primer I haven't suffered any paint lift...............yet. On a very happy note I've just found a Gunze Sangyo distributor with very reasonable shipping. Now that our dollar is coming back the paint will be cheaper than the Tamiya I get. The big plus here is that Gunze has a lot of RLM and FS colours. That's my .02¢(1.21$CAN) worth

 

[mikewint]

Vallejo Model Air. These spray fine right out of the bottle

I totally agree with Geo. I started using Vallejo Model Air about a year ago and am very pleased with it right out of the bottle with no thinning. My only problem with Vallejo is that their Air colors don't match their Model colors with the same English name. Other than that I use Tamiya acrylic paints, in general, and Testors' Model Master acrylic line for specific colors like German RLM colors. I never mix my own as I'm a lifetime member of the Close Enough School
I don't measure when I thin, just, by guess and by golly, like the viscosity of milk

 

[turbo]

Using Turbo's method would perhaps be doable (spraying directly into the cup) but I cringe at the clean up!

No, don't spray directly into the cup Ralph, that would make a mess! I take a spare 10 ml paint jar and cover the top with cling film secured with a rubber band. Then pierce the cling film with a straw from one of those boxed juice drinks and connect the other end of the straw to the spray can nozzle and spray down the straw. You then have a jar of ready to spray paint that will last for ages! I think there are Youtube tutorials on the method if you do a search. It is a fairly clean method but I still do it outside and wear a mask. Or you can just buy the primer in a jar as Andy has shown!

Also, thanks for the photo attachment Turbo. It is a rare image of a model in this stage of the build. I suppose you create your own canopy masking (Tamiya yellow tape?)?

In this instance Eduard provided die cut canopy masks in the kit, but I obviously masked the cockpit opening myself with Tamiya tape. As many people on this forum know, I hate masking so I often buy Eduard or Montex die cut canopy masks, especially if the canopy frame is complex and/or has lots of curved borders. I also find die cut masks give a superior result to doing it myself.

Mike also raised a point worth thinking about if you haven't already. If your spray area is to be indoors with poor ventilation you may wish to invest in a spray booth at some point and at least one of these for cleanup.

 

[fubar57]

Exactly like the one I have Kirby though it's a bit awkward with the Aztek AB. One day I'll break out my Iwata

 

[Ralph Haus]

The spray booth will probably be a good idea given it's getting towards Texas summer here and that isn't good for being outdoors anytime. My work area is fairly large and does have doors, windows and fans as well as being fed by the main A/C unit. Did I mention Texas summer? I'll know the first time I push that button. I'm more concerned about over spray and painting something unintentionally! I have constructed a sub work area that I guess would appear to be a booth, but no exhaust, so it wouldn't count for that. As for the cleaning pot, it will be coming with the kit-O-stuff that I ordered.

 

[fubar57]

If you're using strictly acrylics as I am get a largish cardboard box and use that to collect over-spray. I have a 3'x3'x1' wooden box with a very large over-powered squirrel cage exhaust fan. Covering the exhaust I have a pillow case to collect the spray that might get away. I always wear a face respirator

 

[Airframes]

What, even in the pub ?