Crossing from the Hairy to the Misty (1 Viewer)

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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.

View attachment 489308

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!

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
 
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.
 
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.
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!
 
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

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.
 
Using a rattle can on a small model is kinda like lighting a cigarette with a blow torch.
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!?
 
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!?

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...
 
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!
 
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!
I look forward to your progress with your air brush, and would love to see photos!
 
I look forward to your progress with your air brush, and would love to see photos!
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.
 
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.


Bf109 and Tiffie 001.jpg
Bf109 and Tiffie 003.jpg
Bf109 and Tiffie 022.jpg
Bf109 and Tiffie 038.jpg
Bf109 and Tiffie 135.jpg
 
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.
 
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.

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.
 
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.

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.

staining c web.jpg


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.
 

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