RATIO?
- Thread starter ellis995
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B-17engineer
Colonel
No but if you still have half a jar full of paint in your airbrush do you throw it away? 
B-17engineer
Colonel
wait wait wait... how do you know exactly how much you'll need?
It is quite easy when it is used one paint. I mean it is not mixture of two or more paints.My fixed cup is of capacity 9cc.It is enough to paint whole model of 1/72 scale. Because it is quite rare that an aircraft was painted with one colour over all.I use a half of the capacity.And it usually is enough.If not I can add some of the paint to the cup.
Mixtures need to be prepared with bigger amount.But I always fill the airbrush cup up to half of its capacity.The rest of the mixture I leave in the can it was prepered.In that way I can either add paints if I need more or I leave it in the tightly-closed can or bottle for the future.
Mixtures need to be prepared with bigger amount.But I always fill the airbrush cup up to half of its capacity.The rest of the mixture I leave in the can it was prepered.In that way I can either add paints if I need more or I leave it in the tightly-closed can or bottle for the future.
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B-17engineer
Colonel
Ahhh very interesting thanks. Will have to remember that for the future.
No problem Mate. As a result I can use a very small amount of the thinner ( usually a couple of drops ) for my airbrush cleaning.The dirty thinner I spray on the paper towel.I do that twice or three times until I spray with clean thinner. The airbrush cup I clean with a piece of the paper towel soaked with the clean thinner ( usually the one from the last spraying for cleaning).
B-17engineer
Colonel
Ohhh thanks!!
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
B-17engineer
Colonel
Uh oh....
- Thread starter
- #33
ellis995
Staff Sergeant
I'll have to remember that one aswell.
Thanks for the tip Wojtek
Thanks for the tip Wojtek
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Wojtek is dead right on all points, and that's the way I do things too. OK, paint pigment settles, but it has also 'weakened' the thinners, leaving it, at least after second use, only good for cleaning paint off your hands, or the outside of the airbrush or other equipment. It only takes a very small amount of paint residue to contaminate the next batch, which can not only give colour problems, but can lead to chemical reaction with the paints after spraying, due to differences in 'strengths' of the thinner. Although I agree that acrylic thinners such as the one supplied by Tamiya are horrendously expensive, isopropyl alchohol is not, relatively speaking, and that, basically, is what Tamiya thinners is!
If you use enamels, then a 2 or 5 litre bottle of White Spirit costs very little, in comparison to a very small bottle of the same stuff branded as a dedicated (paint manufacturer's) product. So, apart from re-cycling for secondary cleaning, it's not woth re-using thinners for thinning, or cleaning the internal components of an airbrush; not for the delicate requirements of modelling anyway - it will lead to accumulation of pigment deposits, and these will be more corrosive (on the parts) than 'fresh' thinners, resulting in a shortened working life of the tool, and increasing operating problems as time goes on.
In photography, when it was all film, the film was the cheapest single item in the overall process, so it was always the norm to shoot off rolls of film, knowing that at least one or two shots would be 'the' ones, rather than shoot only half a roll and miss the 'dream shot'. It's the same with thinners - it's the cheapest item, overall, in modelling, so don't b*gg*r about trying to save half a cent at the expense of a good result - dump the bl**dy stuff!! (In an 'environmentally friendly' way of course!).
If you use enamels, then a 2 or 5 litre bottle of White Spirit costs very little, in comparison to a very small bottle of the same stuff branded as a dedicated (paint manufacturer's) product. So, apart from re-cycling for secondary cleaning, it's not woth re-using thinners for thinning, or cleaning the internal components of an airbrush; not for the delicate requirements of modelling anyway - it will lead to accumulation of pigment deposits, and these will be more corrosive (on the parts) than 'fresh' thinners, resulting in a shortened working life of the tool, and increasing operating problems as time goes on.
In photography, when it was all film, the film was the cheapest single item in the overall process, so it was always the norm to shoot off rolls of film, knowing that at least one or two shots would be 'the' ones, rather than shoot only half a roll and miss the 'dream shot'. It's the same with thinners - it's the cheapest item, overall, in modelling, so don't b*gg*r about trying to save half a cent at the expense of a good result - dump the bl**dy stuff!! (In an 'environmentally friendly' way of course!).
B-17engineer
Colonel
What's white spirit?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thinners. Mostly labeled as 'Turps (or Turpentine) Substitute'. It's clear, like water, and smells like the enamel paint does, only stronger - sort of a cross between paint and Petrol (Gasoline). 99.999% of any thinners for oil-based or enamel (including synthetic enamel) paints is White Spirit, just branded and marketed as, for example 'Humbrol Enamel Thinners'. OK, some of it is slightly more refined, but to be honest, that makes very little difference for thinning and spraying - it's more noticeable when used for cleaning.
Real Turpentine is very rare these days, due mainly to toxic concerns and production costs. It is derived from tree sap, oils and barks, mainly pine, fir and similar evergreens, and is expensive to produce (in modern tems) compared to the alternatives. White Spirit is the more common name for the thinner being discussed, worldwide, but some countries use different generic names - bottom line is, if the bottle includes the words 'Turpentins Substitute', or even enamel thinnes, and it's clear, it's almost certainly the same stuff.
Example of price:- Humbrol 250ml approx £2 to £2.50. DIY Supermarket, 2litres White Spirit approx £3.50. Works for me!!
Real Turpentine is very rare these days, due mainly to toxic concerns and production costs. It is derived from tree sap, oils and barks, mainly pine, fir and similar evergreens, and is expensive to produce (in modern tems) compared to the alternatives. White Spirit is the more common name for the thinner being discussed, worldwide, but some countries use different generic names - bottom line is, if the bottle includes the words 'Turpentins Substitute', or even enamel thinnes, and it's clear, it's almost certainly the same stuff.
Example of price:- Humbrol 250ml approx £2 to £2.50. DIY Supermarket, 2litres White Spirit approx £3.50. Works for me!!
2 Dram Clear Glass Vial w/ Dropper - 2drm DROPPER
These are the way to go. One bottle of paint equals 2 of these after reducing.
These are the way to go. One bottle of paint equals 2 of these after reducing.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
So do you think that my other ones weren't good at all... right?
Ok, for the record the other ones I had already heard about. This one I had not. Hey, I got all your books/pdf files as my bibles - not autographed yet, but I have them!
