turbo
Staff Sergeant
Get your coat Terry
Crossing from the Hairy to the Misty
- Thread starter Ralph Haus
- Start date
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Robert Dambrauskas
Airman
Hi Turbo, I am also going to try airbrushing for the first time. But I am wondering why you decant Tamiya primer from a rattle can?! Can't you just prime with the rattle can? After all, spray paint is more expensive than bottled paint?!
Or is it that you thin it further in the airbrush so as not to cover detail with a thicker paint?
Thanks for all your advice!
Bob
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Bob, the spray pattern from an aerosol can is often too 'heavy' and 'aggressive' for a relatively small model, and can leave a 'textured' surface, with uneven coverage, very often far too heavy in areas.
Accurate control of spraying is also more difficult, therefore many modellers decant the paint, and use their airbrush for for more precise control and even application.
Accurate control of spraying is also more difficult, therefore many modellers decant the paint, and use their airbrush for for more precise control and even application.
Robert Dambrauskas
Airman
That's kinda what I thought. I've never used an airbrush but watched a lot of videos and spray patterns seem much more controllable. I appreciate all your great advice!
Robert Dambrauskas
Airman
I will try airbrushing soon, especially since I like 1/144 scale and it's too easy to obscure detail with paint that's too thick. Thanks again!
fubar57
General
Looking forward to it.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Using a rattle can on a small model is kinda like lighting a cigarette with a blow torch.
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Terry and Andy are right Bob, it's about control. I sometimes spray directly from the can but, especially on smaller subjects, the airbrush gives me much greater control to get a good even coverage on all parts of the model. Also, spraying directly from the can wastes paint and makes a bit of a mess, including fumes that are best avoided.
Robert Dambrauskas
Airman
I agree! Especially in my favorite scale 1/144! But I also wondered why decant a spray can for paint to use in a airbrush, which is another "spray can"?
Why not buy a bottle of that paint and thin it for your airbrush? Certainly cheaper!?
Crimea_River
Marshal
The airbrush can operate and spray at a much lower volume and pressure. I use bottled primers and have only decanted once but I can't remember why.
turbo
Staff Sergeant
I love the Tamiya Fine Surface Primer but it's only available in the spray can which is why I decant it when I need to. I can't tell from reading reviews whether the Liquid Surface Primer that comes in the bottle and was designed primarily for brush painting to fill minor surface imperfections (think Mr Surfacer) is the same stuff or performs as well when sprayed through an airbrush. Maybe I'll get round to doing a test one day...
Crimea_River
Marshal
I spray it often and it works great.
- Thread starter
- #33
Ralph Haus
Tech Sergeant
I was finally able to open my airbrush shipment, and try some practice runs. Wow! all of those frustrating sessions with the hairy brush! I should have re-started my model building with this. I have tried the .3 and the .2 needles. Not to sure if the .5 will be useful yet; my truck still dosen't need repainting. I was able to create file lines and dots. Amazing. That, and with the aid of some food coloring, was able to broad spray the BW daily paper comic section into a color version. Thanks for all the input and help. I'm hopeful,l that sometime in the future, I will fee confident enough of my finished model to share some photos.
The down side to this is that I will now be buying some 'replacement' models. My favorites are brushed and would look SO MUCH nicer sprayed!
The down side to this is that I will now be buying some 'replacement' models. My favorites are brushed and would look SO MUCH nicer sprayed!
fubar57
General
If you have the patience you can strip the paint off your old models, touch up seams and panel lines and repaint with your airbrush. I've striped the paint off 4 and repainted them
Robert Dambrauskas
Airman
I look forward to your progress with your air brush, and would love to see photos!
- Thread starter
- #36
Ralph Haus
Tech Sergeant
But I'll have to un-learn some assembly and painting sequences. Not quite sure yet where the horse is relative to the cart in regards to when to assemble and when to paint. Before I would paint all the internal (wheel recesses, cockpit, etc.) and the landing gear assemblies, and then assemble (glue). Then do the finish color. Looking at some of the images provided by the airbrush users, with or without primer, it seems that their models are assembled and then masked and painted in various steps? The cockpit and internals already painted, masking these. I'm probably making this way more complicated that it should be, but that's the bane of being an engineer. Overthinking!
The great part about this forum (and the people that frequent it) is that even though one asked a somewhat 'basic' question, no one chides, only helps. What a great group. If you have seen some of my previous posts you can see the novice being tutored.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
The basic construction and painting stages remain the same, although some thought and pre-planning may be required for future masking requirements.
For example, is it easier and more convenient to paint the wheel wells, and then mask these when it's time to spray the overall model, or just leave them 'open', and paint them, by hand (brush) after painting the model ?
As for re-painting (or re-building) older models, it's certainly possible. The pics below show the old Matchbox 1/32nd scale Bf109E being stripped ready for a re-furb and re-paint. The model was originally built around 1986, and brush-painted, including the mottle.
The re-build and re-paint took place in 2010, with major components being carefully removed, and the original paint sanded down, followed by a light primer coat using the airbrush, before re-spraying and cleaning, re-painting and attaching the bits and pieces.
For example, is it easier and more convenient to paint the wheel wells, and then mask these when it's time to spray the overall model, or just leave them 'open', and paint them, by hand (brush) after painting the model ?
As for re-painting (or re-building) older models, it's certainly possible. The pics below show the old Matchbox 1/32nd scale Bf109E being stripped ready for a re-furb and re-paint. The model was originally built around 1986, and brush-painted, including the mottle.
The re-build and re-paint took place in 2010, with major components being carefully removed, and the original paint sanded down, followed by a light primer coat using the airbrush, before re-spraying and cleaning, re-painting and attaching the bits and pieces.
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Good luck with the airbrush Ralph, you'll never look back!
Being an engineer, the painting and construction sequences should come fairly easily to you. In general, I prepaint cockpits, wheel wells, and any other visible internal areas as they will be difficult to access with the airbrush after construction. I then tend to prepaint parts and sub-assemblies that are liable to get broken off or interfere with airbrush access during painting of the main airframe such as landing gear, pitot tubes, antennae, props, control surfaces, open canopies, etc. They are then attached as one of the last steps in the project.
Being an engineer, the painting and construction sequences should come fairly easily to you. In general, I prepaint cockpits, wheel wells, and any other visible internal areas as they will be difficult to access with the airbrush after construction. I then tend to prepaint parts and sub-assemblies that are liable to get broken off or interfere with airbrush access during painting of the main airframe such as landing gear, pitot tubes, antennae, props, control surfaces, open canopies, etc. They are then attached as one of the last steps in the project.
- Thread starter
- #39
Ralph Haus
Tech Sergeant
You have just described how I have been approaching the builds so far. Painting the cockpit and the internals nearby are a given. The landing gear and the small bits are what I generally paint separately and assemble last. My yet untested skills are the masking of (if there are any) the openings such as the already painted bomb bays and detail parts (as on a B25 - B29), as well as fixing, and masking, the clear plastic parts such as the canopy and the side windows before the final painting. I can spread paint around these with a brush. Not so much with an airbrush (yet). It will just be an adjustment. One that I believe will be rewarding.
turbo
Staff Sergeant
There are plenty of options out there for masking those elements Ralph. I often use damp kitchen towel to fill openings such as wheel wells, bomb bays, radiator housings, etc.
Things like bomb bays and wheel wells you can sometimes even temporarily fit the doors in a closed position as masks. For clear parts, you can cut Tamiya tape to fit, use liquid mask which you can paint on and peel off later, or even buy commercial die cut masks that are available for a large range of models these days. Just browse the builds on this forum and you'll pick up plenty of methods and tips! I think you'll find masking a cinch once you settle on the right techniques, which is when it just becomes boring! It's a skill well worth developing though as I try to brush paint as little as possible as an airbrushed finish just looks that much better.
