Model Boat Mayhem

Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => Painting, Finishing and Care. => Topic started by: Martin [Admin] on December 20, 2010, 10:37:35 am

Title: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 20, 2010, 10:37:35 am

While I was coughing me lungs up yesterday (... lovely!) and watching 'American Hot Rod' & 'Orange County Choppers' (motorbikes),
 I thought what would be a good idea to have a Mayhem Masterclass on airbrushing.

 Many of us have good airbrushes or even those cheapo Humrol things but I for one am too scared to experiment with it.
 So what I thought is, someone with a bit of time and experience could teach us the basics, then show us what (& how) to do and set some tasks for
 us to try ourselves and post  the results on here say on a weekly or monthly bases.

 Lessons such as:
 1. What type of airbrush do you have?
 2. How to setup your air brush. (Do's & Don'ts)
 3. How to strip down and clean your air brush.
 4. What types of paints and cleaners to use. Viscosity etc.
 5. Spraying. How to get even coverage.
 6. TASK 1 -  spray an A4 piece of cardboard evenly.
     (Post pictures and assessment)
 7. Marking and spraying a waterline.
 8. TASK 2 - Mark up and spay a waterline on a piece of plasticard.
     (Post pictures and assessment)
 9. Spraying detail components.

    etc. etc.  We can add lesson and tasks on request.

  Good idea? Yes / No?
 
  Who wants to be teacher?


 Martin  :-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Popeye on December 20, 2010, 11:31:09 am
Good idea Martin though I would'nt be much use coz I wanna learn about airbrushing too.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Colin Bishop on December 20, 2010, 11:41:53 am
Some useful tips here (at the risk of a bit of advertising  %)) http://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article.asp?a=4498

Colin
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on December 20, 2010, 12:17:46 pm
I have a couple of public domain e-books on the subject of weathering.  They are model railway and military related but still have some good tips and techniques that could be transfered to boats
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: john s 2 on December 20, 2010, 12:39:19 pm
I would certainly like to learn more about airbrushing. Any advice would be of great help. John.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on December 20, 2010, 04:52:26 pm
Hi all,
I have wanted a decent airbrush for ages. I have one of the cheap Humbrol ones which is now defunct.
So what should I buy?
What is the best value?
Some have bottle underneath - some have a cup on top - which is best?
I would still use an aerosol for large surfaces so the airbrush would be mostly for detail work.

Comments from those "in the know", please.

Dave.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: stuarts2 on December 20, 2010, 06:37:16 pm
Hi all
The best thing I ever did was to go on a beginners Airbrush course back in Feb cost me £95.00, it has given me so much more confidence and I just get on with what ever I am going to paint with out the wary of mistakes. with regards of Airbrush I have a Badger and it is fine for what I need, it did cost me a arm and leg but you get what you pay for.
same with compressors.
money well spent. :-))
Stuart
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: funtimefrankie on December 20, 2010, 08:10:37 pm
I bought a Revell Proffi  one some years ago. I never really got into it, I think I was a bit mean with the cost of the propellant gas.
So this year I bought a compressor and two brushes in an offer on eBay for about £60....
I also bought a gallon of cheapo celulose thinners from car parts shop so I'm not stingy with cleaning.

I'm finding the two brushes in the kit a bit cheap compared to the Revell one.

So far I've mostly been sraying some old Dinky cars to practice on, seems more worth while than just painting card etc. Also done a Tamyia Spitfire which I quite pleased with.
My advice would be to get stuck in and have a go, It's one of those things that needs practice. One of the first things I found was not to hold the brush too far away from the subject or the paint dries before it lands and you get a rough finish.
Have a look at this for some info..

http://www.howtoairbrush.com/

Frank
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: funtimefrankie on December 20, 2010, 08:14:57 pm
Some have bottle underneath - some have a cup on top - which is best?
I would still use an aerosol for large surfaces so the airbrush would be mostly for detail work.
Dave.
I prefer the top feed ones, and agree about using aerosols for larger areas.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Stavros on December 20, 2010, 08:20:39 pm
Isnt Voyager the man for the job,dont ask me cos I only use a gun that is suitable for cars


Stav
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: longshanks on December 20, 2010, 09:16:21 pm
Essex2visuvesi ,

I would be very interested in your e-books on weathering, can you post the links?

I've got the compressor and brush - just need an operational shed to practise in.

Stripped my shed down to extend it and the weather turned nasty........could be a long wait!
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: sentry on December 20, 2010, 09:33:04 pm
I to brought a Revell profi plus double action about eight years ago and daughter got me a compressor for fathers day  five years ago both still in box never been used yet just wished i had the guts to try.
                                  Regards, Sentry.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 21, 2010, 03:34:56 am
Model Rail magazine produce a DVD called "Airbrush Expert" which, while it relates (strangely enough  :D ) to model railways, is very helpful.

Peter.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 21, 2010, 04:15:51 am
   Martin

 If you're interested I could take the task on. I used to custom paint model railway equipment for people. I've given tutorials on airbrushing at various NMRA conventions and just did one in our local hobby shop the patrons.
 Let me know if you're interested.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 21, 2010, 06:00:11 am
 Martin
If you're interested I could take the task on. I used to custom paint model railway equipment for people. I've given tutorials on airbrushing at various NMRA conventions and just did one in our local hobby shop for the patrons.
Let me know if you're interested.
John

Now there's an offer for you, Martin O0

Peter.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: pugwash on December 21, 2010, 06:26:01 am
Come on Martin a volunteer is worth ten Pressed men.
Geoff
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on December 21, 2010, 06:36:22 am
I have a couple of public domain e-books on the subject of weathering.  They are model railway and military related but still have some good tips and techniques that could be transfered to boats

If anyone wants a copy of these, drop me a PM with your email address and ill forward them on
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 21, 2010, 08:54:22 am
John (oldiron) You're On!!!

Have a think about it and maybe use the list I suggested and we'll get started after Chrimbo!

 Thanks John. Top man!

 Martin   :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 21, 2010, 10:30:52 am
 Martin et al:

Not a problem. I'll start with your list, Martin, and i'll add a couple of more things myself. Where do you want me to put it? Shall I just continue with this thread?

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 21, 2010, 10:54:17 am
Yes, I guess so. We can sort it out as we go.

 Martin
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: sentry on December 21, 2010, 04:58:46 pm
I think i,ll speak for a lot on here and say a BIG THANK YOU John your a star.
                                   Regards Sentry.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 21, 2010, 05:49:50 pm
Any other request for lessons, pointers, etc?
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: pugwash on December 21, 2010, 05:57:03 pm
martin - how to adjust the airbrush to widen/narrow spray width and to adjust the amount of paint required and finally the pressure required for different types
of jobs and paints.
Geoff
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 21, 2010, 06:22:54 pm
martin - how to adjust the airbrush to widen/narrow spray width and to adjust the amount of paint required and finally the pressure required for different types
of jobs and paints.
Geoff

  I'll add those topics to the lesson list.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on December 21, 2010, 08:42:50 pm
Hi all,
I have wanted a decent airbrush for ages. I have one of the cheap Humbrol ones which is now defunct.
So what should I buy?
What is the best value?
Some have bottle underneath - some have a cup on top - which is best?
I would still use an aerosol for large surfaces so the airbrush would be mostly for detail work.

Comments from those "in the know", please.

Dave.

Hi John,
    It is great that you are taking on this task - can you cover these topics as well?

Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 21, 2010, 08:53:57 pm
Hi John,
    It is great that you are taking on this task - can you cover these topics as well?

Dave

 Dave:

  I'll  answer to brands I know and the difference between different types of brushes. There are, obviously, certain brands I haven't had experience with, but I've used the most common different types.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Peter Fitness on December 21, 2010, 09:24:13 pm
Thanks for volunteering, John :-)). I'm sure many people will learn from your expertise, me included.

Peter.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin13 on December 21, 2010, 09:53:31 pm


Looking forward to this.
I have touch up guns, normal spray guns etc which I can use quite proficiently but Airbrushes are a whole new ball game and I have a few.....

Will keep a keen eye on this post - thanks John in advance

Mdu
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: longshanks on December 21, 2010, 10:00:08 pm
Thanks John

I'm going to enjoy this  :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 21, 2010, 10:12:14 pm
  Thanks for everyone for your support. I'm adding the various topic requests to my list. Hopefully i'll be able to answer everyone's questions. As Martin indicated I'll start after Christmas. I'll post a "course outline" based on the topics requested, then we'll see how we make out.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: number-1 on December 21, 2010, 10:29:36 pm
Looking forward for this, Im going to buy an airbrush in the new year, so any pointers as to what to get would be great.

merry christmas.
Les.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on December 21, 2010, 11:25:04 pm
Thanks John,
            This is the best part of Mayhem, where people can share their expertise with us mere mortals. Something to look forward to in the new year!

Dave.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on December 27, 2010, 09:26:30 pm
Champing at the bit for this one John, can't wait. I have a Paasche single action external mix brush with 3 air caps with both gravity cup and bottles and a TC20T 3.5 ltr compressor, I'd love to give 'em the benefit of usage!   O0

I'd like to learn more about most suitable paints, thinning for the right consistency especially when spraying into those awkward corners, tips on storage, mixing, and even transferring paint from those little tinlets would be great.   :-))
                                                                      Regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on December 27, 2010, 09:33:15 pm
and even transferring paint from those little tinlets would be great.   :-))
                                                                      Regards, Tony.

Thats simple.... I use eye droppers sourced from my local Pharmacy.  If you ask nicely they will probably give you a handful of old ones.  Need to wash them thoroughly tho
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: wibplus on December 27, 2010, 09:33:58 pm
After much careful thought and a lot of research, I took the plunge and bought a second hand compressor and a new airbrush. Cant wait to learn how to start using it.  O0   %%

Chomping at the bit.   O0   :embarrassed:   :-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 27, 2010, 11:48:24 pm
Me too!   :-))
           I've bought a new airbrush in the sales...... tried it out today!  %)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 28, 2010, 12:32:38 am
Looks good Martin......for weathering. I think you've thinned the paint a little too much to properly make that tire white though. Of course, iif you're trying for white walls, you should really consider masking, O0

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on December 28, 2010, 10:27:17 am
Looks like he might be wearing a mask  O0 O0 %) %) %)

In meantime roll on the tutorial
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 29, 2010, 12:39:47 am
  Well folks, Christmas is over. Just finished a nice lunch with my daughter and wife at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. Excellent meal, excellent service and a great view.......including
 watching a self unloading laker maneuver into the Redpath Sugar dock.
   Time to get moving on this airbrush tutorial. As I said before, I'm posting a "course outline" to begin with. I believe I've encompassed the requests made by all in the initial postings. I'm going to cover each numbered topic on a minimum once a week basis. That way I can field questions originating from what's been written, and it gives me time to get the next section done properly, with pictures.
  As I mentioned at the start, I've custom painted model railway equipment, primarily, for over ten years. I did it both for hobby stores and for my own client base. Eye sight weakening as a result of age has caused me to stop doing it commercially, however, I still do my own work. During that time I developed techniques that served me well, and most importantly, repeatedly, to the satisfaction of my customers. I'm going pass on what i know here. There are many other extremely competent painters out there and hopefully they'll be able to put some of their ideas forth here. Stavros mentioned "Voyageur", as an example. His weathering was fabulous. Maybe he can add to some of the areas in this tutorial.
  Throughout this tutorial you will, no doubt, come across terms and products that may not be available out of North America, or a re called a different name from what we are familiar with. If so,  speak up and we'll try and sort the language out.
  Here, now is the "course outline". I'm going t try and get the first installment out later this week. Also some pictures of what I've done in the past.

John

P.S.

  .......and one picture for Stavros (knowing he's a body man) , a picture of my truck that I rebuilt and spray painted myself with an HVLP gun. Not an airbrush, but it was quite an experience.

MAYHEM AIRBRUSH TUTORIAL

Course Outline

1)   types of airbrushes – external mix, internal mix, single acting, double acting, advantages, disadvantages, manufacturers commonly used
2)   paint containers – bottle, open cup, use of, advantage and disadvantage
3)   parts of an airbrush and how to disassemble it, cleaning brush, troubles to look for and how to correct
4)   air supply – compressor, aerosol can, other, pressures to use
5)   air brush safety – ventilation, breathing protection
6)   types of paints that can be used, advantages and disadvantages of different types, how to mix same and thinners to use
7)   spraying with an airbrush – basic airbrush handling during spraying, different patterns, how to get them, how to get proper coverage from an airbrush
8)   how and when to mask the object to be sprayed, types of masking, how to make them, tips and techniques
9)   proper decaling techniques for models, using other forms of lettering methods on models
10)    other tips on model painting and finishing. – including weathering techniques

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 29, 2010, 01:09:27 am
......some boat related pics. My Smit Nederland.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 30, 2010, 03:20:25 am
TYPES OF AIR BRUSHES


  Air brushes may be broken down into internal and external mix air brushes, while the internal mix variety may be broken down into single stage and two stage air brushes. Each of these varieties have there purpose. As in all tools, some do well at some jobs and poor at others.

  What is the difference between and internal and external mix brush?
This term is relative to where the air and paint is mixed in, or out of, a brush. An external mix brush is the simplest design in that the paint and air is mixed outside. This design of brush can be likened to blowing air across the top of a straw. The action of the air blowing over the straw reduces the air pressure within the straw and raises the paint mix from the receptacle, up the straw and to the tip of the straw where the passing air blows the paint on the surface to be painted. As the description indicates, this is a very basic brush. It is not ideal for doing fine detail work and certainly not for doing lining. The paint doesn’t atomize into fine droplets and can come out in blobs if not careful.  This brush is good for a beginner. They are generally much cheaper than other brush types. If you are covering large areas without the concern for the finer detail, they can do a decent job of this. Just be sure you’ve done a set up on a test piece of material before attacking your favourite model. In our marine applications these could be used for painting the hull in your usual choice of hull colours. It covers the larger area well and quickly. If the paint is thinned correctly it should go on reasonably thinly and, since most hulls don’t have a great amount of detail compared to the superstructure, it doesn’t hide a lot of detail.

  An internal mix brush mixes the paint and air inside the brush. As with the external mix brush the paint can be drawn up a straw from a jar due to reduced air pressure caused by the fast moving air, or the paint can be drawn from a paint cup. Some cups are designed to fit on top of the brush, while others are designed to fit in place of the paint jar. The type on top of the brush will allow paint down to the brush by gravity. This type uses less air pressure an volume compared to the type that draws the pint up from a jar or cup.

  Because the paint is mixed internally to the brush, right at the tip of the brush, much more control is achievable over the atomization and volume of the paint coming from the brush. A very finely tapered needle goes through a matching orifice. This fine restriction breaks down the paint into very fine droplets, assuming correct thinning for the type of paint used. This paint is ideally suited to fine work where paint quantity and application direction is crucial. However, the internal mix brush may be broken down into a single stage and two stage brush.

  The single stage brush has a button, or plunger, on the top of the brush body. When the painter’s finger depresses this  button more or less air will be drawn into the brush and , consequently determine when the pint will be drawn into the brush.. The control can be precise for the application needed. The quantity of the paint is made by a separate adjustment at the rear of the brush body. By moving this adjustment in or out  it moves the needle in or out of the fine orifice. Withdrawing the needle from the tapered orifice allows more paint through the brush for the air applied. Moving the needle in reduces the paint volume. One draw back of this design, in certain applications, is the fact the volume of paint can’t be adjusted while depressing the air valve when actually painting an object. For the majority of our model applications this isn’t a concern. We set the paint amount to that desired to paint a certain surface and can make any readjustments while we stop between strokes.

 For those who do graphics, such as fancy images on cars or motorcycles, this isn’t acceptable. For them the two stage brush was designed to be able to adjust the paint quantity and air flow at the same time. This way images could be drawn (painted) that faded one to the other, lines of varying widths could be laid out with the mere adjustment of the fore finger. The two stage brush does this by moving the paint needle in and out with the forward and backward motion of the button on the top of the brush body, while depressing the same to allow air into the brush to draw and spray the paint. This type of brush could be used on model work, indeed, I’m sure many of the excellent military modellers use this form of brush for the weathering and camouflage painting on their vehicles.

 Because of the dual action it can be difficult to maintain an even spray over large areas, the dual action brush is more designed for quick changes and relatively small amounts of paint. The choice is the painter’s, however, for myself, I prefer the single action brush.

  There are a number of manufacturers of these types of brushes. Badger and Revell are common in the modelling business;
however, Paasche and Bliss are common in the more professional paining arenas.


  This begins the introduction to airbrushing. Part (2) next.

John

 ........more pictures to follow .........



INTERNAL MIX, DOUBLE ACTION BADGER AIR BRUSH - (credit Badger Air Brush web site)


(http://s4.postimage.org/252wd9l7o/Air_brush_cutaway.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/252wd9l7o/)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 30, 2010, 11:15:02 am
Great Stuff John!  :-))

Everyone feel free to ask questions and make observations, we'll ediit it all all as we go (or afterwards) so that the tutorial stands apart for eaase of referance.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 30, 2010, 03:24:05 pm
  Here are some pictures of my brushes that illustrate the types I was referring to above.


(http://s1.postimage.org/l5gqyl1g/IMG_7664.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/l5gqyl1g/)

  This is the single action, internal mixing Badger 200 air brush. I've had, and used this one for most of my painting. Its about 30 years old now. They can be rebuilt. Badger carries all the parts for them. they are rugged and consistent when cared for.
_________________________________________



(http://s1.postimage.org/l5vmsphg/IMG_7680.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/l5vmsphg/)

  This is the Badger 250 external mixing air brush. They are cheap. Not good for fine work, but are adequate to cover large areas quickly. This unit is moving on to 40 years old now.
_________________________________________



(http://s1.postimage.org/l6kfuww4/IMG_7678.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/l6kfuww4/)


  This is a De Vilbiss internal mixing, 2 stage air brush with a permanently installed gravity feed cup. These are great for art work, small detail work, and close in quarters where a large volume of paint isn't required. Can be very handy for weathering and such.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 30, 2010, 05:13:42 pm

Thanks John,

Someone that's going out to buy a new airbrush for the first time, what should we look for and/or ovoid?
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 30, 2010, 05:34:09 pm

Thanks John,

Someone that's going out to buy a new airbrush for the first time, what should we look for and/or ovoid?

  For your first brush I'd go for something not too expensive, however, I would want some thing that can reasonably do the type of painting I want to work up to. For that reason I wouldn't select the external mixing brush such as the Badger 250 in the photographs. I did that route when I started and I rapidly found that my skill level overtook the brushes ability to do what I wanted. Its not that I'm a quick learner, quite the contrary, but doing air brushing isn't as hard as some people fear. Therefore we all tend to pick it up quickly once tried. With that in mind I'd tend to start with one of the internal mix, single stage brushes. Its simple to use, gives a good finish and only has one control to get used to handling when you're starting out. If you find your skill level improves to go to a double action, and the kind of painting you're expecting to be doing works better with it, then move up to a double action internal mix. The first purchase brush won't go wasted, you'll still find plenty of work for it over the years, but your skill level will have allowed you to increase your tool repertoire and therefore, the quality of product you put out.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on December 30, 2010, 08:57:21 pm
  For your first brush I'd go for something not too expensive, however, I would want some thing that can reasonably do the type of painting I want to work up to. For that reason I wouldn't select the external mixing brush such as the Badger 250 in the photographs. I did that route when I started and I rapidly found that my skill level overtook the brushes ability to do what I wanted. Its not that I'm a quick learner, quite the contrary, but doing air brushing isn't as hard as some people fear. Therefore we all tend to pick it up quickly once tried. With that in mind I'd tend to start with one of the internal mix, single stage brushes. Its simple to use, gives a good finish and only has one control to get used to handling when you're starting out. If you find your skill level improves to go to a double action, and the kind of painting you're expecting to be doing works better with it, then move up to a double action internal mix. The first purchase brush won't go wasted, you'll still find plenty of work for it over the years, but your skill level will have allowed you to increase your tool repertoire and therefore, the quality of product you put out.

John

John,

 :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: longshanks on December 30, 2010, 09:32:19 pm
Excellent !!

Going to enjoy this thread  :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Stavros on December 30, 2010, 09:33:31 pm
My Appologies Olidiron I had totally forgotten who the other airbrush Genius was,when i posted that Voyager was good to do this tutorial I knew there was someone else on the forum who was Brillaint at the craft.
I myself cant wait to read all about it.Yes I am a fully quallified paint sprayer BUT Tell me ...who is NEVER to old to learn something NEW let alone be reminded of the baisics,so far it is absoloutly brillaint keep up the good work


Stav
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 30, 2010, 11:41:25 pm
My Appologies Olidiron I had totally forgotten who the other airbrush Genius was,when i posted that Voyager was good to do this tutorial I knew there was someone else on the forum who was Brillaint at the craft.
I myself cant wait to read all about it.Yes I am a fully quallified paint sprayer BUT Tell me ...who is NEVER to old to learn something NEW let alone be reminded of the baisics,so far it is absoloutly brillaint keep up the good work


Stav

  Stavros:
 No apologies necessary. As you say, we can all learn something no matter what the age. I find that by teaching I learn more myself which is very handy. I don't know if you remember, but we met at the Warrington model boat show in 2009.  I was there with ggeorge and we talked about TID tugs and things.
 i agree, Voyager is certainly qualified, he puts out some great work, especially his weathering.

Thanks
John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Stavros on December 30, 2010, 11:52:41 pm
Yes i never forget a face,it was so nice to have met you in person


Stav
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RantandRave on December 31, 2010, 11:15:18 am
I picked up this leaflet at HobbyCraft the other day......   %)


(http://s3.postimage.org/z3uwvngk/Airbrush_1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/z3uwvngk/)

(http://s3.postimage.org/z3zvhoxw/Airbrush_3.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/z3zvhoxw/)

(http://s3.postimage.org/z46hn2x0/Airbrush_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/z46hn2x0/)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 31, 2010, 11:55:16 am
I picked up this leaflet at HobbyCraft the other day......   %)


  Guess you saved me a lot of writing.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: chingdevil on January 01, 2011, 12:39:19 pm
John what a brilliant thread already.

I have spoken to Martin about this, I am going to compile this thread into a hard copy for reference in my shed, would any other members like a copy of this when I have completed it. It will be complete with all the questions, answers and images that are posted, It will also be in PDF format so will be easy to e-mail.

Send me a PM if anyone is interested


Brian
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 02, 2011, 03:17:47 pm
AIR BRUSH PAINT RECEPTACLES

  Now that we’ve covered the basic types of air brushes, we need to look at a method of making the paint available for the use by the air brush. The two most common methods are via an under hung bottle or a cup. The cup may be under hung, side slung, or over head for gravity feed.   
  To begin with, why use a cup or a bottle? The bottle is used where large areas of the same colour are to be painted. Obviously because of their size, bottles carry a relatively large amount of paint. This allows you to cover a large area with one coat, or a smaller area with multiple coats, without refilling the bottle. Also, these areas can be covered more quickly than with a gravity feed cup.
  The down side for a bottle, in some applications, is the size. If you are only doing a small amount of a single colour, or using that colour sparingly, the bottle may be too much for your needs. This is the case when doing art graphics with an airbrush. Artists painting pictures with an air brush aren’t going to use the same quantity of the same colour as, say, someone painting the hull of a large vessel. For the vessel, the large bottle works well whereas the cup would rapidly need refilling just as you are getting into the swing of the painting (no pun intended). One thing to keep in mind with the bottle, it has a small hole in its lid (something around .060” dia). Ensure this hole is open and clear. Failure to do so will mean erratic paint application as the air brush will draw a vacuum on the jar preventing paint rising to the brush. Obviously open cup arrangements don’t have this problem.
  Another difference not often considered is the mass weight of the paint receptacle on the air brush. The bottle filled with paint imparts a weight mass to the brush that can be somewhat awkward to control when painting very fine areas. A paint bottle is not the best attachment when airbrushing lines for example. One needs a steady hand with as light a unit as possible. Here the cup excels.
 As well as mass, the paint bottle has the down side of being large. If you’re tying to get into a small area there is obviously a restriction with the paint bottle. That being the paint bottle can get in the way when trying to get the air brush into a tight spot.
 An upside to the paint bottle, as well as the volume of paint available, is the fact the top of the bottle is covered. Many of the paint cups on air brushes aren’t. Tip the air brush from any position but vertical and you wear your current choice of paint, or worse yet, your project does. Some cups have covers on them. I have a De Villbis that has a covered cup, however, most don’t. The bottle is much more forgiving in this area.
  As I mentioned earlier, cups can be made to interchange with bottles, some cups are permanently mounted to the air brush, some are on the bottom, some on the side and some on the top so the paint gravity feeds to the air brush. What’s the difference?
  
BOTTOM FEED refers to airbrushes on which material enters through a siphon tube or colour cup attached to the bottom of the air brush. This type of air brush should have at least 18 PSI while spraying to operate properly.
GRAVITY FEED refers to air brushes on which material enters at the top of the airbrush through a top-mounted colour reservoir. Gravity draws the material into the air brush. This type of air brush can be operated at spray pressures as low as 8 PSI. Gravity feeds are the best for detail work. Because of the lower pressures and they are ideally suited to fine detail work
SIDE FEED refers to air brushes on which material enters at the side of the air brush through a side attached color reservoir. This type of air brush operates best at approximately 12 PSI. The side feed also allows the cup to be swung for and aft in an arc to allow for variations in brush position while painting. (ref. Badger Airbrush Co.)

  For me, the bottom feed from a bottle works well for my general use. That said I can certainly see benefit to the use of a paint cup when doing fine weathering work with an air brush. The control of a gravity feed is best in this case. However, since most of us don’t want to buy more than one air brush, consider getting an air brush that you can change from a bottle to a cup readily. This gets the best of both worlds with the minimum of cost.

John


(http://s1.postimage.org/16ydvaakk/air_brush_parts_4.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16ydvaakk/)

 Side mount open cup air brush


(http://s1.postimage.org/16yitwc1w/air_brush_parts_5.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16yitwc1w/)

 Permanently attached closed cup (cap on it) gravity feed air brush. Ideal for graphic arts


(http://s1.postimage.org/16z7myjgk/paint_bottle.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16z7myjgk/)

  The familiar bottle for the underfeed, bottle fed air brush.


(http://s1.postimage.org/1701emsck/IMG_7661.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/1701emsck/)

  Air brush with bottle attached. This bottle and fitting can be slipped out of the air brush and a cup put in its place on this particular model
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nige2307 on January 03, 2011, 11:25:34 pm
A much appreciated and informative tutorial  :-))
Regarding the 3 types of airbrush you mentioned ,of the 3 which is the most versatile and best suited to all round abilities ? and are all types equally proficient with the different mediums available for spraying?
 you mentioned the psi needs of the different types,  do the internal/external ones also have different operating pressures, and all types suitable for canned air until funds permit buying a compressor . 
 If possible can you also include, where applicable, examples @ approximate prices ?
 would like to get one brush that fits all needs for all people all the time... and cheap!!..YEAH RIGHT!!
 I  as will countless others, now and in years to come..... THANK YOU.
  ......NIGEL....
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 03, 2011, 11:53:04 pm
A much appreciated and informative tutorial  :-))
Regarding the 3 types of airbrush you mentioned ,of the 3 which is the most versatile and best suited to all round abilities ? and are all types equally proficient with the different mediums available for spraying?
 you mentioned the psi needs of the different types,  do the internal/external ones also have different operating pressures, and all types suitable for canned air until funds permit buying a compressor .  
 If possible can you also include, where applicable, examples @ approximate prices ?
 would like to get one brush that fits all needs for all people all the time... and cheap!!..YEAH RIGHT!!
 I  as will countless others, now and in years to come..... THANK YOU.
  ......NIGEL....

 Nigel:

  to try an answer your questions:
1) For what we do in marine modeling, I feel the single action, internal mixing, bottle fed air brush is the most versatile. I've used it for covering large and small areas, weathering, shading and so forth. The later items are probably done better with a double action air brush, but the single action works best over all.
2) I have found the external mix brush, such as the 250 I've shown, work best on more air pressure, say about 20 PSI. This can be confirmed with type of paint and the degree of thinning. It does give you a starting point though. Yes, all forms of these air brushes can be used with canned air, which is very expensive in the long run anyway.
3) Since you live in the UK and I in Canada there may not be much value in me quoting prices of air brushes. I've seen significant price variations on many things from one side of the pond to the other.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nige2307 on January 04, 2011, 12:43:32 am
I guess you wont know where i can get one in LEEDS then ?  :embarrassed:
 
can you advise on brand/model?

(CANADA!!  thats not near here...is it?)   
  thanks again.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 04, 2011, 01:44:44 am
I guess you wont know where i can get one in LEEDS then ? 


I have bought a few off ebay.uk - and these people are quite cheap - http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIR_BRUSHES_.html

I have a query about an airbrush item that oldiron may be able to answer - it concerns a small cup provided with my bottle-fed brush. The cup is a small metal one with an angled feed pipe - shown here:

(http://s3.postimage.org/1rx4g8pl0/air4.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/1rx4g8pl0/)

If I were to use it for normal airbrushing, the angled feed pipe would mean that the paint would all spill out. The only way I could use it is if I were airbrushing vertically upwards - like this:

(http://s3.postimage.org/1rxedgsjo/air3.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/1rxedgsjo/)

But in practice the bottle feed will work at this angle as well - so I can see no obvious need for a separate 'vertical' cup. However it seems to be a common accessory for bottle-fed brushes. Am I right in thinking that it is a 'vertical spraying' accessory, and, if so, why only for bottle-fed brushes?

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 04, 2011, 03:16:28 am
I guess you wont know where i can get one in LEEDS then ?  :embarrassed:
 
can you advise on brand/model?

(CANADA!!  thats not near here...is it?)   
  thanks again.


 As I mentioned earlier I prefer the Badger 200. Its a single action brush that can take a cup or a bottle, parts are readily available, you can readily fit it with fine, medium or heavy needles that cover most of your spraying needs. Its a good quality, all metal rugged brush that will shoot just about anything.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 04, 2011, 03:29:53 am

I have bought a few off ebay.uk - and these people are quite cheap - http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIR_BRUSHES_.html

I have a query about an airbrush item that oldiron may be able to answer - it concerns a small cup provided with my bottle-fed brush. The cup is a small metal one with an angled feed pipe - shown here:


If I were to use it for normal airbrushing, the angled feed pipe would mean that the paint would all spill out. The only way I could use it is if I were airbrushing vertically upwards - like this:


But in practice the bottle feed will work at this angle as well - so I can see no obvious need for a separate 'vertical' cup. However it seems to be a common accessory for bottle-fed brushes. Am I right in thinking that it is a 'vertical spraying' accessory, and, if so, why only for bottle-fed brushes?



  Doggy:

  You're quite correct in the cup being a more or less vertical alignment tool for all the reasons you've mentioned. The brush you have has the ability to take a bottle or a cup. The bottle fitting plugs into the brush just as your cup does. Since the cup design is primarily designed for graphic arts and the like, most of their work is on a vertical surface, being set on an easel or something similar. In that case the cup has a certain minor adjustment to allow its use in that position. However, when we paint our models we are moving the brush in all sorts of directions that will usually end up emptying the cup before we want it to. Since your brush is a double action brush (and good one by the looks of it) the brush was more directed to the graphics arts cutomer as opposed to the model builder, hence the application of the cup as standard issue for that application. May I suggest investing in a bottle and fitting to go into your brush. You'll find it much more useful for model work.  
  You mention only for bottle fed brushes. This is because there is no bottle application for gravity feed brushes, only cup feed. Most of those have the cups permanently installed. At least the underfeed type (which you have) allows us to use either a cup or a bottle.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 04, 2011, 02:02:21 pm
 Doggy:

Woof, Woof....

May I suggest investing in a bottle and fitting to go into your brush. You'll find it much more useful for model work.  

Yes, the airbrush shown came with a bottle fitting as well. I just didn't show it...

Thanks for the info. In practice I find that the bottle works well vertically if it is fairly full, so I never use the cup, and wondered why it semed to be a standard feature of all underfeed bottle brushes.

For modeling I find a bottle to be very useful, since we are likely to use our airbrushes as sprayguns as well as detail painters, and you really need a lot of paint for a hull. I also find the underfeed models to be a bit cumbersome to hold - Everythingairbrush in the UK do a side-feed bottle model which looks more practical - the AB-133 here: http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/Suction_Feed.html 
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on January 04, 2011, 03:58:01 pm
Topic renamed.    :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on January 04, 2011, 04:06:00 pm
How does this kit look oldiron?  £70 £80 GBP

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-KIT-%20-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR_W0QQitemZ370268372610QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=193605897717&rvr_id=193605897717&cguid=51c375bf12d0a0e201b2e142ffed0707
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 04, 2011, 04:50:06 pm
How does this kit look oldiron?  £70 GBP

It looks like £79.50, as I said here: http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28105.msg276398#msg276398


"Buy it from their own website rather than ebay. It's £79.50 from ebay, and £74.03 from their site here:

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIRBRUSH_KITS_AND_SPARES.html "

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 04, 2011, 06:31:28 pm
How does this kit look oldiron?  £70 GBP



 Martin:
 That kit looks pretty good from what i tell in the photos. Use will be the final determining factor. I see they're double action brushes. The large removable side cup is nice, particularity as commented by Dodgy Geezer ("Doggy" sorry about that, I should proof read better). I like that fact the brush with the bottle has a stop limiter on the air/paint control This can turn your double action into a single action through adjustment of the stop. Makes it great for covering large surfaces, like hull, with a minimum of control effort.
 Looks like a good deal to me. Just be sure you can get parts and different tip sizes for them. You'll find that'll pay dividends the more you use it.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 04, 2011, 06:32:54 pm
Woof, Woof....


  Dodgy:

  Sorry about that. I'll check what I've written more closely next time.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 04, 2011, 06:36:18 pm

For modeling I find a bottle to be very useful, since we are likely to use our airbrushes as sprayguns as well as detail painters, and you really need a lot of paint for a hull. I also find the underfeed models to be a bit cumbersome to hold - Everythingairbrush in the UK do a side-feed bottle model which looks more practical - the AB-133 here: http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/Suction_Feed.html 

  I agree with your observation. As I mentioned in one of the earlier entries, the weight of the bottle and the paint in it can be a bit of a drag, especially when doing fine detail work. The larger side cup can be a benefit.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 04, 2011, 07:21:07 pm
I'll check what I've written...

No issue - I just couldn't resist.. :} :} :}
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on January 05, 2011, 12:44:34 pm
Hi All,
   I'm in the market for a new airbrush - using a very basic one with aerosol propellant at the moment.

I saw this on ebay and it looks too good to be true. The seller has 100% fedback which is reassuring but my Dad always said "if lt looks to good to be true it probably is!"

Any comments would be much appreciated.....

Many thanks,

         Dave

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370268372610?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item5635b6fe82
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on January 05, 2011, 12:57:26 pm
Hi All,
   I've just spotted similar posts on oldiron's airbrush tutorial but would still like to know:-

   What is the quality like, say in comparison to Badger?
   How noisy is the compressor?
   Any other comments...


Again many thanks,

        Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nhp651 on January 05, 2011, 01:19:24 pm
I have a similar one made by Badger, plus compresser similar to that in the add..... had it for about 10 years...................never use it. too much of a farse cleaning it out every time I want to change colours, so it sits in a corner collecting dust.............I find it easier using aerosols from such places as Halfords. :(( :(( :((
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on January 05, 2011, 01:51:41 pm
Apologies to you oldiron, I deliberately didn't post my above query on to your air brush tutorial as I didn't want to disrupt the flow of your posts. However a moderator has seen fit to move it here so I hope it won't detract from your fine masterclass which I am enjoying very much.

Apologies again, not my fault,

All the best.
       
      Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: 6705russell on January 05, 2011, 01:52:32 pm
I have a similar one made by Badger, plus compresser similar to that in the add..... had it for about 10 years...................never use it. too much of a farse cleaning it out every time I want to change colours, so it sits in a corner collecting dust.............I find it easier using aerosols from such places as Halfords. :(( :(( :((

I have been after a cheap airbrush and compressor!!   ok2
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 05, 2011, 03:47:53 pm
I have been after a cheap airbrush and compressor!! 

For the UK, I think that two good places to look for cheap airbrushes are:


http://www.everythingairbrush.co.uk/

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIR_BRUSHES_AND_COMPRESSORS.html


but just after VAT has gone up to 20% is the wrong time to be looking for cheap items of any kind.... <:( <:(
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Double D on January 05, 2011, 04:56:32 pm
I have been after a cheap airbrush and compressor!!   ok2
Dave's got one he never uses (air brush and compressor that is).  You can just borrow that then don't bother givin it back.  Kills two birds with one stone ...... you get the airbrush and I make some room in the kitchen, and if we both deny all knowledge he'll just think it's in the shed  :}
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on January 05, 2011, 05:59:12 pm
For the UK, I think that two good places to look for cheap airbrushes are:


http://www.everythingairbrush.co.uk/

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/AIR_BRUSHES_AND_COMPRESSORS.html


but just after VAT has gone up to 20% is the wrong time to be looking for cheap items of any kind.... <:( <:(

Thanks dg,

            I have seen both these sites, what I want to know is are the airbrush/compressor kits any good?  They certainly look the part but are there any problems with them?

All the best,

          Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 05, 2011, 08:25:28 pm
Apologies to you oldiron, I deliberately didn't post my above query on to your air brush tutorial as I didn't want to disrupt the flow of your posts. However a moderator has seen fit to move it here so I hope it won't detract from your fine masterclass which I am enjoying very much.

Apologies again, not my fault,

All the best.
       
      Dave

 Dave:

 Not a problem. It's all information for the cause. As you've seen, someone else asked about that package. I can't comment directly on item quality as I haven't seen it in person. however, from the photos it looks like it has many of the right things about it.
  Thanks for the note.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 05, 2011, 09:00:56 pm
what I want to know is are the airbrush/compressor kits any good? 


Hmm...   I am not an expert in these matters and am following oldiron's admirable masterclass with rapt attention.

I bought one of the bigger cheap sets some time ago for one of the kids - AB-AS186 compressor with reservoir and an AB-133. I have never used a 'decent' airbrush, since they can be £150+ just for the brush, so I have nothing to compare with, but what I bought seemed to do a good spraygun job. It could lay down a very fine atomised mist with no spots. The compressor was not whisper-quiet, but I didn't mind that too much. However, it became obvious to me that you need two things for successful airbrushing - adequate tools and an appropriate level of skill/practice.

I suppose I'll be able to tell you if they are good once I have completed this masterclass....
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 05, 2011, 09:25:54 pm
  I'm going to cover air supplies next week, but a note on compressors for now. I have two diaphragm compressors, one is a Badger. They both work well, but both are equally noisy. I think the inherent design in these small diaphragm compressors precludes the noise level.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dougal99 on January 05, 2011, 10:15:14 pm
I bought a compressor similar to the one in Martin's post with just a coiled hose for a resevoir- so very small. Whilst it is very good, and runs quietly, I think a bigger resevoir would improve it greatly. Mind you I am using a Badger 350 so perhaps a better brush would also help  :((
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: sailorboy61 on January 05, 2011, 10:21:55 pm
Dave's got one he never uses (air brush and compressor that is).  You can just borrow that then don't bother givin it back.  Kills two birds with one stone ...... you get the airbrush and I make some room in the kitchen, and if we both deny all knowledge he'll just think it's in the shed  :}

 {-) {-) {-) {-) {-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 06, 2011, 01:11:32 am
Parts of an airbrush and how to disassemble it


  This section is on the components of an air brush and how to care for it to provide the best results when you need it. To begin with
  I’ll go through my Badger 200 air brush. It’s a single action, internal mix air brush. A rugged all metal design  that’ll spray just about any
  kind of fluid thin enough to go through the nozzle. The components of this brush are the same regardless of bottle or cup.

  From the photograph, below, of my Badger 200 you’ll see it broken down into its principle components. Starting at the top of  the
  picture we have the needle. On the right hand side of the needle is the collect that entraps the needle so it can be run in and
  out of the brush by the needle adjusting screw.

  Below the needle is the trigger. This is what you push down with your index finger to make the brush work. By pressing it down
  you are opening the valve at the air inlet to the brush. (I haven’t disassembled this part since it has a spring, sealing washer and
  plunger in it). The opening in the trigger allows the needle to pass through to reach the head.

  Below the trigger is the air brush body that the above components fit into. The blue end of the body is detachable from the
  chrome portion; however it is only a hollow tube. Air brushes have these long back end extensions to aid in balancing out the air brush
  to make it easier to operate consistently. Between the air entry and the paint pickup points on the body, inside the body is a very small
  Teflon (PTFE) washer/guide. Its purpose is to seal the air portion from the paint portion inside the brush and allow the needle
  to pass through.

  To the left of the body is the head and tip of the brush. These are successively screwed into the brush body, with the head having a
  Teflon (PTFE)  sealing washer (the white ring) again to separate air and paint at this point.
 This is the important part of the air brush.

  The part that makes the difference in how the brush will perform and the degree of paint you get on your work. The needle passes
   through the center of the head. The inside of it is tapered to match the appropriate needle. In other words, a fine needle should
   have a matching fine head for the brush to work properly. I have mixed and matched and had variable to poor results with the mixed
   head /needle combination. Stick to the matched pairs. The mixing of the paint and air happens at the very tip of the head
   where the needle just protrudes through the head. The action of the air passing over this opening creates a vacuum on the paint side
   drawing paint up to the opening. Then the paint and air combine and go out through the tip to the work being painted.


  This, then, comprises the main components of a single action, internal mix air brush. The double action brush is very similar except for
   one key area.
  The trigger, as well as pushing down the air valve to open it, also moves the paint needle back and forth to give the
   desired amount of paint during spraying.
In this case the paint needle has a spring to naturally return the needle to close when the
   finger is released plus the mechanical bits to make the trigger work the needle. The needle also has the same collect and adjustment
  screw on the end it. This allows the major pre spraying adjustment to be made to “zero” the brush before use.

  As I’ve mentioned before, these the brush manufacturers make, or should make, extra needles, heads, and tips, to make the air brush
  able to spray fine, medium or heavy paint outputs. This is a tremendous advantage for modelers. One brush can cover all the jobs we
  want to do on a model. The heavy components will move enough paint to do an admirable job on painting the hull, while the fine is
  great for doing weathering a little at a time and in close quarters.

  Fine tip – for low viscosity paints. It will not pass heavy viscosity course pigment paints.

  Medium tip – for detail work and can spray a line from 1/16” to 1 ½” across.
   It will handle most lacquers, acrylics and hobby enamels. It will spray 2 times the amount of paint as a fine tip.

  Heavy tip – will spray from 1/8” to 2” line and spray 4 times the paint of a fine tip.
   It can be used with automotive lacquers, ceramic glazes and acrylics.


(http://s2.postimage.org/5oea60ro/air_brush_parts.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5oea60ro/)

Components of the Badger 200 air brush


(http://s2.postimage.org/5opuxg84/air_brush_parts_paint_needle.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5opuxg84/)

  The needle in the brush body and the head to the left with its white Teflon washer


 CARE OF THE BRUSH

  When using an air brush be very aware it is not to be used heavy handed. Although the components are rugged on this type of brush,
  they won’t stand abuse, the result of which is either money out of pocket or a ruined paint job.
 
  One area to be aware of is the needle and head arrangement. The needle projects into the head. The orifice around the outside of
  the needle is what determines the amount of paint issuing from the brush. If you drive the needle too far into the brush the taper in
  the head can split. (See photo of needle inside the head). This results in a ragged spray pattern that will lead to paint coming out in
  drops and gobs and landing intermittently on your nice new paint job.  The solution, don’t force the needle into the head. Stop when
  you feel resistance.

  If you don’t clean the brush and try and remove the needle with dried paint on it you can ruin the small Teflon guide bearing seal inside
  the body of the brush. Done that, got the “T” shirt. The dried paint will build up on the needle shaft. When you pull it back through
  the Teflon guide, it tears the Teflon and allows air to get into the paint portion of the air brush body. You will soon know when you
  try and spray paint. The paint will sputter out the tip and intermittently come out in gobs. No amount of adjusting will make a difference.
  The solution is a new Teflon guide/seal. I found I had to make a special tool to install a new one. Not bad once you’ve made the tool,
  but still an aggravation.  Since you may get this sputter after a lot of use of your brush, again due to wear on the Teflon guide, you
  can put bee’s wax on the paint needle before you reinstall it into the guide. This will, hopefully, seal any scratches in the guide and cure
  the problem. I’ve used a very small amount of Vaseline with great success.

  The reason of “pffft – pffft” of the paint is because air has got into the paint side. Since this type of brushes relies on vacuum
  to raise the paint from the cup or jar, allowing air into the paint area breaks the vacuum cutting off the paint supply. Paint drifts back
  from the  tip, seals the guide and paint lifts again under vacuum until air comes back through the guide again. This all happens very
  rapidly, but makes  it impossible to get a good paint job.

  In order to clean a brush I have found it’s not necessary to disassemble the brush. Others may disagree which is fine. If you feel you
  want to disassemble the brush that’s fine. I just haven’t found a need for based on my experience. Before you start painting be sure
  to have a bottle of the cleaning solvent, you use for the paint used, at hand. When you are finished spraying, put a paper cloth over
  the  discharge  end of the air brush and press the trigger. This will blow back the brush to clear out any paint inside the brush body
  and pick up tube.

  Remove the paint bottle from the brush and tie on your bottle of solvent. Press the trigger and spray the brush as you would when
  painting something. Work the needle in and out of the brush head with the adjusting screw to ensure any lumps get a chance of
  blowing through.  When you feel you’ve sprayed enough through the brush, spray the brush against piece of white paper or cardboard.
  If it comes out clear, you’re finished cleaning. If your still get colour, keep spraying solvent to clean the brush. It takes less time to do it
  than it does for me to write about it. When you’re satisfied you’re clean, blow back the brush again to blow out any solvent. Put the
  protective cap on the brush  and hang it up, you’re done.
  
  Very occasionally the tip may need to be removed to clean out any paint build up over time. Simply let it sit in a lacquer solvent and
  wash  out the paint. You’re good to go again. Clean the bottles and cups as you would with any other clean up and you’re ready to go again.

  That about does it for this section, but I’m sure there are many questions. Step up and we’ll see what we can do.

    John


(http://s2.postimage.org/5owh2u78/air_brush_parts_paint_needle_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/5owh2u78/)

Needle in the air brush head. Be careful not to split this delicate part when running the needle into close the opening.


Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on January 06, 2011, 02:10:10 am
Oldiron AKA John,

Is the example below the same as your Badger 2000.
Confuses us novices/newbies etc when they refer to them as detail, deluxe, medium etc  {:-{ {:-{

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBTC8&P=7
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 06, 2011, 03:01:43 am
Oldiron AKA John,

Is the example below the same as your Badger 2000.
Confuses us novices/newbies etc when they refer to them as detail, deluxe, medium etc  {:-{ {:-{

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXBTC8&P=7

  Yup, that's the same thing. Its a lot newer than mine, but its the same brush. Yeh, I agree, the hipe is sometimes hard to get around. New and improved and all that.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on January 06, 2011, 03:28:15 am
John,

 :-)) :-)) Looks like we may become air brush painters of after all.

Now know what an air brush looks like.  :embarrassed:

Thank you.  :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 06, 2011, 03:45:24 am
John,

 :-)) :-)) Looks like we may become air brush painters of after all.

Now know what an air brush looks like.  :embarrassed:

Thank you.  :-)) :-))

Thankyou, glad to help

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: grayone on January 06, 2011, 04:04:20 pm
Hi Folks

First time round on here.  This tutorial is just great I have decided to get back into model boat building after a lay-off of over 40 years.  My better half, bless her bought me a Robbe Dusseldorf Fireboat as a Christmas pressie and I conned her into buying me a Badger 1757 Creshendo air brush and a compressor from Axminster as a birthday gift :0).  The local firewall blocks me trying to upload pictures of the kit and tends to strip pictures from the posts.

Regards

Graham
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 06, 2011, 07:40:03 pm
  For those who want to put their newly learned air brushing skills to the test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=zKnsyYbfC60&feature=popular


John

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Tombsy on January 07, 2011, 12:55:40 am
Great stuff here Thanks!
Any info on spraying Klass Kote epoxy paint would be appreciated I have a boat that will be my test subject in the near future.
I'm planning on using a Paasche VL with a #5 tip which supposedly other people have used with 1-2 parts reducer. I also have an inexpensive Hobbico spray gun that I haven't tried but my compressor is only 1.0 SCFM so it might be a bit small.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 07, 2011, 01:44:33 am
Great stuff here Thanks!
Any info on spraying Klass Kote epoxy paint would be appreciated I have a boat that will be my test subject in the near future.
I'm planning on using a Paasche VL with a #5 tip which supposedly other people have used with 1-2 parts reducer. I also have an inexpensive Hobbico spray gun that I haven't tried but my compressor is only 1.0 SCFM so it might be a bit small.

  I'll get into various paints and primers a little later, but will keep the epoxy primer in mind.
  I agree the 1 CFM looks small. I think it would be adequate for most small quantityhobby work. Definitely not for larger or production work. The Badger compressors run at 2CFM at 30 PSIG. However, they do sell some at less than 1 CFM, but not for heavy work.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 07, 2011, 02:02:02 am
Hello John many thanks for such a great tutorial. Written in a manner easy to understand and absorbing to read - well done, I  'don my cap' to you sir.  :-))

       As mentioned before I have a new Paasche HS single action external mix brush with three tips, asking your honest opinion, how much of a disadvantage is this for general model painting compared to an internal mix brush?  Can I, with a reasonable amount of practice and further tuition from your goodself, achieve good results without having to have exacting skills? (I'm not thinking of fine artwork or the use of inks etc)

Looking forward to the next installment, kind regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 07, 2011, 02:11:14 am
Hello John many thanks for such a great tutorial. Written in a manner easy to understand and absorbing to read - well done, I  'don my cap' to you sir.  :-))

       As mentioned before I have a new Paasche HS single action external mix brush with three tips, asking your honest opinion, how much of a disadvantage is this for general model painting compared to an internal mix brush?  Can I, with a reasonable amount of practice and further tuition from your goodself, achieve good results without having to have exacting skills? (I'm not thinking of fine artwork or the use of inks etc)

Looking forward to the next installment, kind regards, Tony.

 Tony:

  Thanks very much for the kind words.
  If you're careful with your paint thinning and don't try and get into too much fine detail work you should be able to make a very passable job of painting a model, particularly where larger surfaces are concerned. I started with one of the cheaper external mix brushes (you'll see it one of the earlier pictures) and it served me well. I still occasionally get it out when I want to cover large areas simply. Don''t discount it, but don;t expect it to do the fine work and internal mix brush can do. Get to know it by experimenting with various paint consistences and air pressures, if possible, until you get the combination that works best for you.  Il think it'll work for you.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 07, 2011, 12:12:12 pm
Thank you John.  O0
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nige2307 on January 08, 2011, 03:47:53 am
can you please clarify what you mean by"fine" and "detailed" .
 just a little confused at what point detailed and fine begin,
for example, weathering the hull and weathering winches,etc.
could both be done with an external brush or would winches ect, need an internal brush?
and.. is there any obvious ways of ascertaining whether an airbrush is ,...rubbish, for want of a better word.
Sticking to recognized and trusted brands is obviously safest but.....
have been offered a couple of brushes,compressor,and associated items by someone,
who found them in the cellar of his new house.
do i turn my back on the opportunity ? 
he,s no wiser than me and wants 40-50 pounds..
could be a steal .



cheers.. nige
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 08, 2011, 12:15:59 pm

have been offered a couple of brushes,compressor,and associated items by someone,
who found them in the cellar of his new house.
do i turn my back on the opportunity ? 
he,s no wiser than me and wants 40-50 pounds..
could be a steal .


You need to know what the compressor and brushes are.

It might be possible to buy two really cheap brushes and a really cheap compressor for about £50 new - if they are half-way decent they would set you back £120 - if they are top-end they might cost £800-1000.

If the brushes are internal-mix and the compressor has a reservoir then they are going to be more expensive - probable new cost £150+...
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on January 08, 2011, 02:59:57 pm
I have picked up one of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINI-BABY-ELEPHANT-COMPRESSOR-AIRBRUSH-NAIL-ART-/260709521107?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item3cb37f96d3

I already have a water trap/filter and some mid range airbrushes so I think it should be OK
When it arrives Ill post a quick write up if anyone is interested


I do already have a very nice big compressor for my big spray guns/tools etc but as I like to work in the evening after the kids are in bed its not really suitable as its a bit noisy (actually a lot noisy)  <:(
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on January 08, 2011, 04:20:38 pm
Re: Cleaning your airbrush...

I've seen something somewhere called 'Airbrush Reamer'  - what's that all about?

Great tutorial John!
 Martin  :-)

PS found some Airbursh internal diagrams....


(http://s3.postimage.org/16qkmgzb8/gravity_feed_airbrush_diagram.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qkmgzb8/)   (http://s3.postimage.org/16qnxjoas/328_EE269679_A4476_B6_F31_E7541_A6_D5_FA.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qnxjoas/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qpl30sk/ab1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qpl30sk/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qr8mdac/airbrush_diagram.gif) (http://postimage.org/image/16qr8mdac/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qsw5ps4/brush2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qsw5ps4/)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: BJ on January 09, 2011, 11:57:54 am
At the end of this thread cannot the individual posts of the tutorial be collated into one article  and pinned to the Tutorials & "How To’s" ... section (without our individual comments)? Seems too good to be "lost" amongst other threads.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on January 09, 2011, 12:13:25 pm
At the end of this thread cannot the individual posts of the tutorial be collated into one article  and pinned to the Tutorials & "How To’s" ... section (without our individual comments)? Seems too good to be "lost" amongst other threads.

BJ,

I think that may be what is intended by reply No.52
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on January 09, 2011, 12:14:38 pm

We keeping an eye on it BJ.

Once John has concluded this tutorial, we'll split up the tutorial, questions and answers into relevant topics,
   .... like we've already done with the Masterclasses.  :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on January 09, 2011, 03:44:39 pm
I was talking to a friend of mine at my local hot-rod club who does a lot of airbrush work and asked him for any beginners suggestions and his was this

"Keep your airbrush clean.... clean it well and when you think its clean enough clean it again"

He suggests one of these:-
https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=3144

Also available here
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GX-Pro-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-VGT-2000-/250639606009?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5b48e0f9
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 10, 2011, 12:27:38 am
Re: Cleaning your airbrush...

I've seen something somewhere called 'Airbrush Reamer'  - what's that all about?

Great tutorial John!
 Martin  :-)

PS found some Airbursh internal diagrams....


(http://s3.postimage.org/16qkmgzb8/gravity_feed_airbrush_diagram.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qkmgzb8/)   (http://s3.postimage.org/16qnxjoas/328_EE269679_A4476_B6_F31_E7541_A6_D5_FA.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qnxjoas/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qpl30sk/ab1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qpl30sk/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qr8mdac/airbrush_diagram.gif) (http://postimage.org/image/16qr8mdac/)    (http://s3.postimage.org/16qsw5ps4/brush2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/16qsw5ps4/)


  Just back from a weekend in Buffalo.......PARTY TIME!! Was a great break. Now...back to business.

Martin:

  I've never used on of these reamers. They're for cleaning out hardened and chocked paint in the air brush. There is also a liquid version sold. If and when I get to the point that dry paint has to be removed I disassemble the unit and let the parts soak in lacquer thinner for a bit. It'll cut through just about anything. When the well soaked part is removed from the thinner blow the rubbish out with air blown through and around the parts. The trick is to not let it get his way. The best way to do that is make sure the brush is clean when you're done with it, and clean the pint out of it before it gets hard.

   I love the air brush internal diagrams. They're great for imaging what I was trying to explain in words.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 10, 2011, 12:46:08 am
can you please clarify what you mean by"fine" and "detailed" .
 just a little confused at what point detailed and fine begin, for example, weathering the hull and weathering winches,etc.
could both be done with an external brush or would winches etc, need an internal brush?

and.. is there any obvious ways of ascertaining whether an airbrush is ,...rubbish, for want of a better word.
Sticking to recognized and trusted brands is obviously safest but.....have been offered a couple of brushes,compressor,and associated items by someone,
who found them in the cellar of his new house.
do i turn my back on the opportunity ?  He,s no wiser than me and wants 40-50 pounds..
could be a steal .

cheers.. nige


  Difference between "fine" and "detailed" . "Fine" is close tolerance work. In painting that means narrow, controlled sprays, misting sprays with a fine particle output to lay on soft layers of colour without perceptible droplets. The paint layers can be be built up gradually with control over the translucence of the paint covering. This will allow dust, mud, and rust covering to appear gradual and almost see through depending on the degree of weathering or pain covering you want.
  "Detailed" is a along the same lines. You want to drop specific amounts of colour in a specific area on the model with great control.
 Both of these requirements can't be covered by an external mix brush. The paint droplets are too large for the application. Because of the inherent broad spray you don't have the control to give you the close control on narrow lines of paint, nor provide the  fine droplet paint needed for  small items, like winches. The external mix brush will do large areas (eg hulls) adequately. I wouldn't normally have both types of air brushes. The internal mix brush can do everything the external can do and vastly more and many, many times better.

  As to the used air brush compressor, without knowing the brand, the only way to tell if the brush will do what you want it to do is try it. Otherwise, if the brush seems to be made in a quality way (fit, finish and material) you are probably on your way to getting a decent item, but not guaranteed. Also, can you get parts for it if you don't know who the manufacturer is?

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 10, 2011, 12:52:23 am
I have picked up one of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINI-BABY-ELEPHANT-COMPRESSOR-AIRBRUSH-NAIL-ART-/260709521107?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item3cb37f96d3

I already have a water trap/filter and some mid range airbrushes so I think it should be OK
When it arrives Ill post a quick write up if anyone is interested


I do already have a very nice big compressor for my big spray guns/tools etc but as I like to work in the evening after the kids are in bed its not really suitable as its a bit noisy (actually a lot noisy)  <:(

  I trust you noticed the qualifier on the advert "only suitable for gravity feed or side delivery feed air brushes" This is because the air pressure and volume requirement is lower  than for a bottom feed air brush.
  Let us know how you make out.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 10, 2011, 12:56:12 am
I was talking to a friend of mine at my local hot-rod club who does a lot of airbrush work and asked him for any beginners suggestions and his was this

"Keep your airbrush clean.... clean it well and when you think its clean enough clean it again"

He suggests one of these:-
https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=3144

Also available here
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GX-Pro-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-VGT-2000-/250639606009?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5b48e0f9


  Your friend is quite right, cleanliness is next to Godliness in this work. I have a similar cleaner to what you have shown. Although I haven't used mine for cleaning air brushes I don't see why it couldn't work. Just remember the cleaners work at a very high frequency vibration. Don't leave parts together that may vibrate together and cause damage in critical areas, such as the needle inside the head.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on January 10, 2011, 02:19:45 pm
  I trust you noticed the qualifier on the advert "only suitable for gravity feed or side delivery feed air brushes" This is because the air pressure and volume requirement is lower  than for a bottom feed air brush.
  Let us know how you make out.

John


Yes I did... I only have gravity fed airbrushes
Thisi type
(http://s3.postimage.org/16qkmgzb8/gravity_feed_airbrush_diagram.jpg)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nige2307 on January 10, 2011, 03:30:22 pm
 Difference between "fine" and "detailed" . "Fine" is close tolerance work. In painting that means narrow, controlled sprays, misting sprays with a fine particle output to lay on soft layers of colour without perceptible droplets. The paint layers can be be built up gradually with control over the translucence of the paint covering. This will allow dust, mud, and rust covering to appear gradual and almost see through depending on the degree of weathering or pain covering you want.
  "Detailed" is a along the same lines. You want to drop specific amounts of colour in a specific area on the model with great control.
 Both of these requirements can't be covered by an external mix brush. The paint droplets are too large for the application. Because of the inherent broad spray you don't have the control to give you the close control on narrow lines of paint, nor provide the  fine droplet paint needed for  small items, like winches. The external mix brush will do large areas (eg hulls) adequately. I wouldn't normally have both types of air brushes. The internal mix brush can do everything the external can do and vastly more and many, many times better.

  As to the used air brush compressor, without knowing the brand, the only way to tell if the brush will do what you want it to do is try it. Otherwise, if the brush seems to be made in a quality way (fit, finish and material) you are probably on your way to getting a decent item, but not guaranteed. Also, can you get parts for it if you don't know who the manufacturer is?

John


thank you
was  helpful
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on January 10, 2011, 04:44:31 pm
Also something else to bear in mind is personal tastes/preference

What I use is possibly different to OldIron and others on here.  What we find to be nice comfortable brush may not fit as well in your hand and be uncomfortable to use.  That's not to say what any of us are using are wrong... just different
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 10, 2011, 07:24:42 pm
Also something else to bear in mind is personal tastes/preference

What I use is possibly different to OldIron and others on here.  What we find to be nice comfortable brush may not fit as well in your hand and be uncomfortable to use.  That's not to say what any of us are using are wrong... just different

 I quite agree. We will all have our own style. Go with what works for you.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 11, 2011, 02:07:09 am
Hello again John, your reply No.102 has certainly expanded on and clarified my thoughts re my earlier question of achieving satisfactory results with my external mix brush.
       As a beginner to modelling in its entirety, I tend to spray all my 'bits' prior to assembly and so therefore am not (yet!) weathering or trying to pick out fine detail on ready assembled parts or structures.  Perhaps wrongly, I envisaged using the brush as a good quality spray gun, if that makes sense. I did actually Spray the hull of my loyal class build with this brush with reasonably pleasing results, but would generally want to limit its use to the smaller single colour structures or parts.
       Anyway sorry for interrupting!  Am really looking forward to more words of wisdom - this really is a great topic,  :-))

                                                   kind regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 11, 2011, 03:15:01 am
Hello again John, your reply No.102 has certainly expanded on and clarified my thoughts re my earlier question of achieving satisfactory results with my external mix brush.
       As a beginner to modelling in its entirety, I tend to spray all my 'bits' prior to assembly and so therefore am not (yet!) weathering or trying to pick out fine detail on ready assembled parts or structures.  Perhaps wrongly, I envisaged using the brush as a good quality spray gun, if that makes sense. I did actually Spray the hull of my loyal class build with this brush with reasonably pleasing results, but would generally want to limit its use to the smaller single colour structures or parts.
       Anyway sorry for interrupting!  Am really looking forward to more words of wisdom - this really is a great topic,  :-))

                                                   kind regards, Tony.

 Tony:
  I'm glad you're enjoying the topic, thanks very much.
  I think you've experienced what I've been trying to say relative to external mix brushes. They're fine for what you've described, but can't adequately do the fancy bits. Sort of like using a sledge hammer to drive a nail in fine furniture............the nail will go in, but with more side effects than would be desired.
  More tomorrow.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 11, 2011, 11:01:16 am
Cheers John, what an apt analogy.  O0
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 12, 2011, 01:08:30 am
AIR SOURCES FOR AIR BRUSHING

 
We now come to, what may see, the easy part of the whole air brushing operation….air supply. As has been seen in our discussion to this point there have been a few questions in this area. Anything from the amount and pressure required to the noise level of the compressors.
  The most obvious requirements for our air brush are constant air at a pressure required by our type of brush, and free of water and oil. We will look at each of these requirements relative to the supply options we have.
  The compressors typically marketed by air brush outfits such as Badger, Paasche, De Vilbiss are a diaphragm type of construction. These fit the requirement of oil free, but can produce a pulsating air flow due to the up and down movement of the diaphragm. This pulsating movement can upset the output of the airbrush by not giving a smooth even coat. In most cases this won’t be noticed when heavier coating applications are involved, however, if you are doing layers of paint in the light misting category the effects of the pulsating may be seen in an uneven application of paint. Although this may be minimal, it will be present. To what degree that bothers you will determine how you want to correct it.
  From the producers standpoint these compressors are cheap and easy to build, light weight, oil free and the pulsating effects won’t be noticed by the majority of the consumers. We can get around this by introducing something as simple as a moisture trap. The volume of air in the trap and restriction of the air passing through it will smooth out the pulsations. Fortunately this is an item we need in our air supply. More on that later.
  One may consider other compressor options; however, you need air free of oil. Oil will give the same effect as moisture in the air except it won’t dry ad will contaminate your clean prepared surface. Either an oil separator (extra cost) is required, or you need a compressor that doesn’t use oil in the piston area. The photos show two other compressors. The red one produces air pressures up to 125 psig, as will the blue one Mastercraft job. Both supply adequate quantities of air and both have air receivers to reduce the start/stop cycle of the compressor. All plus points, however, the red compressor is oil lubricated, something we don’t want to get into for our application. In this case a type similar to the Mastercraft job can be worthwhile. It has the advantage of doing other small jobs around your shop since it is equipped with a pressure regulator.


(http://s3.postimage.org/25pog0y4k/IMG_7798.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25pog0y4k/)

Typical oil less diaphragm compressor

(http://s3.postimage.org/25pwppolg/IMG_7830.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25pwppolg/)

Oil lubricated compressor with receiver

(http://s3.postimage.org/25q00sdl0/IMG_7834.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25q00sdl0/)

oil free compressor with air receiver

  Another air supply possibility is a portable air tank, or as we call them here, an air “pig”. This particular one is a 2 gallon size, but other sizes are available. It can be pumped up to 125 psig. The tank is taken to a local air source such as the tire compressor at your local auto service center, filled and taken home. Put a regulator in the outlet and connect your favourite air hose. No sound, no moisture worries, and most likely no oil worries. Not a bad way to go. How long will it last? Depends on how much you spray, but I expect it would have no problem doing a boat. After all, if you pump it to 125 psig you can draw it down to 20psig or less. Plus it’s inexpensive. Some have suggested using a tire. You can do, except you may only get 40 psig in it and its awfully heavy and cumbersome to haul around. The tank has the benefit of light weight and a handle.

(http://s3.postimage.org/25q4zef2c/IMG_7836.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25q4zef2c/)

Portable air tank

  We talked of moisture traps. These are a necessity in virtually all our air brush painting. When we compress air the amount of moisture in a cubic foot of air becomes denser when subject to higher pressures. The dew point of that dense moist air can often be low enough, at room temperature, to allow that moisture to condense out of the air. This results in droplets of moisture being carried into the air stream and into our paint and onto our work. When you look at your work, you will think you’ve got large droplets of paint coming from the brush, when in fact its paint floating on drops of moisture. You may hear a sputter from the brush when this happens. As the paint dries and the moisture evaporates we are left with “fish eyes” on our work resulting in more sanding and respraying. The moisture effect is much more pronounced on hot humid days and lesser so on dry cold winter days.
  To over come this one can purchase a commercial moisture separator /filter combination that will work very will. For those who like to improvise, such as myself, you can make your own. You can see mine in the photos. Its an arbitrary length of 1 ½” dia. ABS plumbing pipe (because I had some scraps on hand). I glued caps on each end. (see pictures) The bottom one I installed a screw in cap because I thought I may have to drain the moisture build up. I have never had to up to this point. You put your air supply in the bottom and take your brush supply off the top. Since I use the diaphragm type compressor this acts to mediate the pulsations from the compressor and it serves to entrap moisture that precipitates out of the air as the air expands through the tube.  Since I made it up thirty years ago I’ve never had a moisture problem no matter how humid the air gets, and it can get very humid here in the summer.


(http://s3.postimage.org/25qd935j8/IMG_7804.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25qd935j8/)

 ABS moisture trap mounted on the side of my spray booth

  Speaking of the air coming from the trap, what type of air hose are you using? Most air brush kits come with a heavy braided hose. A good rugged hose, but heavy and stiff when you want something that is light and flexible to feed your brush. I use the light plastic hose that comes with some brushes or can be purchased as an accessory. It is light weight, very flexible and, I find, excellent for bringing air to the brush and giving minimum resistance to movement when painting. (see picture).

(http://s3.postimage.org/25qjv8jic/air_hoses.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25qjv8jic/)

A comparison between the braided and light plastic hose.


Anti vibration material

As a side note, some have been concerned about noise from the compressors, a valid point. Even the little diaphragm compressors can do quite a dance when operating. Here’s a tip. I usually try and use stuff before it gets thrown out. I found a couple of tubes of silicone sealant had hardened from lack of use. The first instinct is to chuck them out. Hmm I thought, I wonder what its like if I cut the cardboard/plastic tube off them and see what the contents is like. The result is in the photo. I had couple of sticks of rubbery firm silicone sealant. The blue stick is much stiffer than the white stick. I have a pedestal grinder sitting on the basement floor. Every time I run it, it vibrates and meanders across the floor. I cut off a four disks of the white material and put one puck under each corner of the pedestal. Instant silence and no more wandering, works great. You may want to try something similar with your air compressors.


(http://s3.postimage.org/25qvfzyys/IMG_7825.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25qvfzyys/)

Rubbery silicone sealing sticks removed from dispensing tubes.

(http://s3.postimage.org/25r225cxw/IMG_7826.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/25r225cxw/)

Silicone puck under corner of pedestal grinder.

That about does it for now.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: wibplus on January 12, 2011, 05:26:18 pm
Brilliant stuff.   :-))  :-))

Very well explained, even to a numpty like me.   ok2 ok2
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on January 12, 2011, 08:18:35 pm
John,

Good tip about the silicone, always gets thrown out.

 :-)) :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: rathikrishna on January 13, 2011, 12:11:03 pm
Oh my god..it was a great topic lokking for...thanks for the great advices...
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 13, 2011, 12:56:09 pm
  Glad I could help out.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: davidm1945 on January 20, 2011, 05:11:10 pm
Hi All,
   Some of you will remember that I asked if anyone owned or had used one of the many airbrush kits available on ebay. Nobody seemed to be able to give me any info on quality, noise etc so I "bit the bullet" and went ahead and bought this one:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370455752491?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Tattoos_BodyArt_SM&hash=item5640e22f2b

Delivery was very quick - within 3 days and when I unpacked the units I was very pleased with the quality of both the airbrush and the compressor. I have given it a quick trial run and find that the compressor is surprisingly quiet and the airbrush seems easy to use and gives a good finish.

I will be able to tell you more after I have used it a bit more seriously but so far I am very impressed.

Dave
                         
                   

.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 20, 2011, 05:59:08 pm
Hi All,
   Some of you will remember that I asked if anyone owned or had used one of the many airbrush kits available on ebay. Nobody seemed to be able to give me any info on quality, noise etc so I "bit the bullet" and went ahead and bought this one:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIRBRUSH-KIT-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-AIR-BRUSH-COMPRESSOR-/370455752491?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Tattoos_BodyArt_SM&hash=item5640e22f2b

Delivery was very quick - within 3 days and when I unpacked the units I was very pleased with the quality of both the airbrush and the compressor. I have given it a quick trial run and find that the compressor is surprisingly quiet and the airbrush seems easy to use and gives a good finish.

I will be able to tell you more after I have used it a bit more seriously but so far I am very impressed.

Dave
                         
                   

.

  That's good news. Something to add to our repertoire. Thanks for the feedback.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Peter Fitness on January 20, 2011, 08:53:48 pm
John, have you had any experience of the airbrushes here? http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9294 (http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9294)

I bought one a few months ago and it seems first class. Being twin action it gives excellent control over paint flow, and is capable of quite fine work. The price, even allowing for freight, is ridiculously low, and the build quality, to my untrained eye, seems very good. You do need your own compressor, though.

Peter.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on January 21, 2011, 08:11:28 am
Same place as I got one of mine from

Works very well for the price
The seller is good as well. I buy many RC parts from there and delivery to Finland is normally just over a week
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 21, 2011, 09:21:11 am
John, have you had any experience of the airbrushes here? http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9294 (http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9294)

I bought one a few months ago and it seems first class. Being twin action it gives excellent control over paint flow, and is capable of quite fine work. The price, even allowing for freight, is ridiculously low, and the build quality, to my untrained eye, seems very good. You do need your own compressor, though.

Peter.

 Peter:

 I can't comment on that specific manufacturer of brush, but it certainly looks good.
 I see you've had an answer from someone else with experience with that brush. Sounds good.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 21, 2011, 07:58:09 pm
If you're looking for a cheap airbrush set, this looks like good value:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Airbrush-Kit-Airbrush-Compressor-/190492702529?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item2c5a3ff741

Including the postage, the total cost is £55 for a compressor, a pair of brushes and a hose. It's actually quite hard to find a hose for less than £10, and if we allow £10 for each airbrush, the compressor is £25.

Don't tell them I sent you, or they'll put the price up.... %% %% %%
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 21, 2011, 08:36:36 pm
Lottsa good deals goin down.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: rathikrishna on January 22, 2011, 05:35:34 am
thanks for the discussions...got even more knowledge...
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 23, 2011, 07:52:32 pm
PAINTING SAFETY

  This issue of our discussion is about painting safety. Its something talked about among modelers from time to time, but not often practiced. We tend to get into the thrill of the build and tend to overlook the hazards we are dealing with because “we are only using a little bit” “for a short time”. Quantity and length of exposure certainly are defining factors in what happens to our bodies when we uptake a chemical hazard. However, the type of hazard is very much an important factor too. Here we will discuss some of those hazards and how we can control them and reduce the risk involved.
  We use a wide variety of different chemicals in our desire to create the latest and greatest. I’m no different than the rest. We get into lacquers, cyano acrelates,  enamels, fumes created from such things as soldering and from  resins when building hulls to name a few. In much of this work our exposure time is short, however, depending on how many models we build the effects can build over time.
  Lacquer paints are probably among the worst we deal with on a regular basis. This is because they contain VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). These compounds make up such chemical compositions as aliphatic hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, and acetone.   Granted many of us have switched over to water base paints, however, I’m one of the hold outs because of the finish, cover ability and durability compared with other types of paints. With that in mind here is a write up of the effects of lacquer based paints from the Sherwin – Williams paint site:

Section 5 — Health Hazard Data
ROUTES OF EXPOSURE
Exposure may be by INHALATION and/or SKIN or EYE contact, depending on conditions of use.
Alcohols and acetates can be absorbed through the skin. Follow recommendations for proper use,
ventilation, and personal protective equipment to minimize exposure.

ACUTE Health Hazards
EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE
Irritation of eyes, skin and respiratory system. May cause nervous system depression.
Extreme overexposure may result in unconsciousness and possibly death.
Headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of coordination are indications of excessive exposure to vapors or spray mists.
Redness and itching or burning sensation may indicate eye or excessive skin exposure.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE
None generally recognized.
EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES
If INHALED: If affected, remove from exposure. Restore breathing. Keep warm and quiet.
If on SKIN: Wash affected area thoroughly with soap and water.
Remove contaminated clothing and launder before re-use.
If in EYES: Flush eyes with large amounts of water for 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
If SWALLOWED: Urethane Retarder => Get medical attention.
Other Products => Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Give conscious patient several
glasses of water. Seek medical attention.

CHRONIC Health Hazards
Carbon Black is classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B) based on


  How do we adequately protect ourselves from these hazards? Proper ventilation and wearing breathing protection is the best. What we don’t want to do is limit ourselves to a confined space where the toxins can accumulate while we breathe. Some of us spray outdoors with no other protection. A good start, but wearing some additional breathing protection would be a whole lot better.
  What about spraying inside our shop? After all we can’t always wait until the next sunny day to unleash our artistic talents through an airbrush. I know of at least one chap told me he had a spray booth. When I looked at it I was shocked. He was spraying directly into an unventilated cardboard box. I reminded him about the hazards and how he was magnifying them through his painting method. He brushed it off as fine. A few years later he was pulling an oxygen bottle around; I don’t think he’s alive now. The word is be wise and be careful.
  For many years I’ve used a ventilated paint booth that I built. I constructed it from plywood. I didn’t have any dimensions to go by, so used some test ideas to come up with what I have. I tried to keep the box as small as I could reasonably do and allow me comfortable access to the inside with some fairly large pieces. I went to my local hardware store and bought the biggest kitchen ceiling fan I could find, to shift the most amount of air. I also made sure it had a spark less (or brush less) motor drive. The sparkles or brush less motor is required due to the volatile nature of paint fumes. Lacquer and oil based paints being the worst. The sparking of the motor brushes, during operation, can cause the fumes to ignite rather violently when painting.
  I have the fan in the top of the fume hood, more due to my circumstances. The fan could be mounted under the fume hood to produce a downdraft type of paint booth. The fan was exhausted to the outside of my workshop. When I had it assembled and tried it, I lit a candle and, with the fan running, held the candle in the box opening to see the draft effect. The candle flame was drawn into the box indicating the draft was working as desired. I have no way to measure the air movement by volume. However, I haven’t run into a circumstance of smelling paint outside the paint booth.
  With this design I can put most of my modeling work inside the booth and spray with a reasonable expectation of the fumes exhausting to the outside of the workshop. I took advantage of the paint booth structure to add a paint rack on one side and put my moisture trap on the other along with an electric power bar.
  There are many commercially made paint booths on the market that will do as advertised. If you wish to build one according to plan you can try these web sites:

http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm

http://pages.interlog.com/~ask/scale/tips/booth.htm


(http://s4.postimage.org/330xlbcpw/paint_booth.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/330xlbcpw/)

My paint booth. The fan is the grey portion on top. The stove piping vents the booth up a spare chimney in my house.


(http://s4.postimage.org/3317ijfok/paint_booth_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3317ijfok/)

This picture shows the paint rack I made for one side of the booth. Keeps the most commonly used paints close to hand.




  As an additional breathing protection, I recommend an air mask. One that you can change the filtering arrangements on is best. That way you install charcoal filters when spraying oils or organics and fiber glassing resins, and use a mechanical filter medium for those times you’re doing sanding on your hulls. Pick a design that covers your nose and mouth comfortably and allows you to interchange the filtering medium by unscrewing the cartridge for replacement.
  Both the mask and hood should look after your breathing needs adequately. Don’t forget that VOC’s can be absorbed through the skin, so some sort of hand protection is advisable. This all sounds like a lot, but it will save you a lot of grief later in life.

John




Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 25, 2011, 01:17:22 pm
Hello John, thanks again for a very comprehensive tutorial.  :-)) Re your spray booth I can fully understand the logic in mounting the extract fan above the filter hood, but could you explain a little more regarding, quote, "The fan could be mounted under the fume hood to produce a downdraft type of paint booth." In my ignorance I would of thought that this would be the last thing you would want while spraying - you'll no doubt have a logical explanation - (just had to ask!)   :embarrassed: Also what type of filter is in the hood and how do you monitor the need to change/replenish?
          This is great stuff, looking forward to the next installment.    Regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 25, 2011, 03:27:51 pm
Hello John, thanks again for a very comprehensive tutorial.  :-)) Re your spray booth I can fully understand the logic in mounting the extract fan above the filter hood, but could you explain a little more regarding, quote, "The fan could be mounted under the fume hood to produce a downdraft type of paint booth." In my ignorance I would of thought that this would be the last thing you would want while spraying - you'll no doubt have a logical explanation - (just had to ask!)   :embarrassed: Also what type of filter is in the hood and how do you monitor the need to change/replenish?
          This is great stuff, looking forward to the next installment.    Regards, Tony.

  Tony:

  Thanks for the kind comments, glad you're enjoying the article.
  In the commercial painting industry (cars and trucks and so forth) down draft spray booths are the in thing for the best paint jobs. There are a couple of reasons I know of. One, the air flow is moving downward aided by gravity. This is a good thing since it helps the air movement. The other is it draws all dust and dried paint particulate from the bottom of the paint job and doesn't let as much land on top of the paint job as would happen with my type of booth. Variations on the downdraft design are side draft. In this case the air flows in and out through the side walls.
  Personally I've not seen the benefit of down draft booths in my application. Since I paint in a basement, I have to pump the air upward to get it outside. Any advantages due to gravity are lost in this set up. On the other hand, if you're set up in a back shed where you can vent straight out the side of the building without having to raise the exhaust air column to get outside, you may see an advantage. As to dirt, we want to keep the painting area as clean as possible, but in our shops that is much more controllable working by ourselves than it would be in a commercial body shop.
  This leads us to filters. I don't use filters on the exhaust. The biggest reason would be to protect the fan from paint build up, and that does happen over time if you paint enough. Fully enclosed paint booths have a filtering system for air coming into the booth for obvious reasons. Since I don't have a fully enclosed booth, its difficult to filter the air coming into the booth, as you can imagine. If you do decide to put a filter on your exhaust, i would use furnace filters that we have over here. They're cheap and very common and can easily be replaced. You are going to suffer something in air flow when you do it. As to when the filter gets plugged? I can tell a lot by the sound of the fan. Sort of like the hose on your vacuum cleaner getting plugged. The fan motor slows down and gives a deeper growl......same thing with the vent fan.

  One thing I neglected to put in my comments was "light". I can't stress how important light is when painting, particularly dark colours.  There is the obvious brightness so you can see, but there is also the type of light you're using. For example, fluorescent lighting will alter the tones of colours. Not good when you're trying to mix up a specific colour. Paint the object, then wonder why its all wrong when you bring it out into the daylight. Look for daylight balanced lighting bulbs. It'll save a lot of grief if you're concerned about the colour of your model.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 25, 2011, 04:09:57 pm
Brilliant, thanks John, :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on January 26, 2011, 03:18:44 pm
Hi John,

Great stuff!

What about the use of non vented / filtered cooker hoods?
Although I guess not as good as a ducted hood, would it be of any use where I don't want to knock a hole through the house wall?
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on January 26, 2011, 03:50:26 pm

What about the use of non vented / filtered cooker hoods?


They will get rid of particles, but I don't think they are so good for gases. Even if you use activated charcoal filters, which are meant to adsorb gases. So if you are worried about the effects of breathing in volatile solvents they will not help much, but they will tend to trap paint particles. Not very well, because they are not working in a box-like structure, and you will tend to end up with little paint dots all over the bottom of the hood, which might annoy SWMBO. 

I also expect they will swirl the air in the room, which might end up with more gunge on the surface of the workpiece....
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 26, 2011, 07:06:07 pm
 
  Martin
Dodgy has put the answer to your question very well.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: nige2307 on January 26, 2011, 11:38:30 pm
Hello John, thanks again for a very comprehensive tutorial.  :-)) Re your spray booth I can fully understand the logic in mounting the extract fan above the filter hood, but could you explain a little more regarding, quote, "The fan could be mounted under the fume hood to produce a downdraft type of paint booth." In my ignorance I would of thought that this would be the last thing you would want while spraying - you'll no doubt have a logical explanation - (just had to ask!)   :embarrassed: Also what type of filter is in the hood and how do you monitor the need to change/replenish?
          This is great stuff, looking forward to the next installment.    Regards, Tony.

Another reason for having downdraft over top mounted extraction is as the spray rises the particles may form together and then become too heavy 4 extraction or collect dust particles and do likewise, both been detrimental to achieving a good finish.  Another less important yet usefull feature is as the fan and filter are beneath the booth , maintenance is easier.

http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm    this explains better than i can... hope it helps


Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 27, 2011, 12:00:29 am
Another reason for having downdraft over top mounted extraction is as the spray rises the particles may form together and then become too heavy 4 extraction or collect dust particles and do likewise, both been detrimental to achieving a good finish.  Another less important yet usefull feature is as the fan and filter are beneath the booth , maintenance is easier.

http://modelpaint.tripod.com/booth2.htm    this explains better than i can... hope it helps




  I agree. That is what I was trying to point out with : The other is it draws all dust and dried paint particulate from the bottom of the paint job and doesn't let as much land on top of the paint job as would happen with my type of booth.

  The maintenance feature on our small units becomes a mute point, however, on large industrial units I take your point.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Tombsy on January 28, 2011, 01:02:19 am
Great info! Looking forward to more.

I thought I would share my experience spraying Klass Kote epoxy paint on my JAE rigger. It was sealed with 2 coats of West Systems epoxy and sanded with 220. This is my first try spraying epoxy paint and I started with the fast acting white primer. When you mix the 2 parts you do not have to wait the 30-40 minutes to activate like the other colors. I first tried the little Hobbico spray gun from Tower Hobbies but I wasn't very happy with it, I think the air pressure was too high and the paint was drying before it hit the work surface making it really gritty and dusty.

Yesterday I tried my Paasche VL with a #5 needle and tip and a bottle attached. I set the pressure at 20 psi (actually the same Mastercraft compressor you have, you have to love Crappy Tire).
I thinned it with 2 parts reducer and strained it through a paper paint filter. What a difference, it sprayed really well, no clogs and the surface dried silky smooth. The primer also seems to sand very easily. On to color next and maybe some flames if I can figure out the masking order. I shouldn't have to clear coat with the glossy colors unless I want to seal some decals.

I'm trying Klass Kote to stand up to the 60% nitro in my fuel, otherwise I would have to use auto clear coat and that would take a bigger compressor and an auto touch-up gun.

Again great job keep up the good work.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 28, 2011, 01:25:14 am
Tombsy:

 Thank for the tips. Yeh, where would we Canadians be without Crappy Tire. I can hardly wait for the sales fliers each week.
Another paint, designed for models, I've found stands up to chemical abuse very well is Scalecoat. Applies beautifully, glass coat and stands up to heat and volatile chemicals with no problem.

http://www.weavermodels.com/page7.html

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: CanadianTired on January 29, 2011, 10:43:29 pm
Hi John

Thank for sharing your knowledge on airbrushing - it's certainly very useful to me! I notice you live in Ontario and wonder if I could get some advice from you? I have recently relocated to Canada and am just starting out on model boat building. Thing is I am finding it difficult to find sources of kits, tools (including airbrushes) or materials in Canada. Also despite searching the web I have not managed to find a model boat club anywhere near me. Do you buy from the US or are there any places in Canada that you can recommend? It seems that businesses in the US will generally ship to Canada, except for certain liquids. Would appreciate any pointers.

Andy
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: chersguy on January 30, 2011, 12:22:27 am
Hello Canadian Tired (great username btw) welcome to Mayhem. There is a model boat club right in Hamilton, the Confederation Marine Modellers. They meet second Tuesday of the month, 7:30, at the Steam Museum on Woodward Ave. They also sail at the pond at Spencer Smith Park every Thursday in the summer. They're a great bunch of guys, very helpful to us newbies, and you'd be most welcome. Check out their website for more information. You should be able to find it on the "Clubs" listing in Mayhem as well. Hope to see you there.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 30, 2011, 03:11:37 am
Canadian Tired: (yes a great handle!). Welcome aboard.
  Chersguy has given some good advice. I know some of the Confederation chaps, and they're a good bunch. Every year there is a Great Lakes Model Boat Expo in Kitchener, not far from you. Its a two day event and a great place to meet other clubs. Here's a link to that and other club URL's: http://www.metromarine.org/links.html
I'm in the Kawartha Marine Modelers.
 As far as air brushes are concerned, I get my supplies at a locla hobby story here in Lindsay (Hobbies and Beyond: http://www.hobbiesandbeyond.ca/). There are good hobby storees in your area two that should carry your painting needs: http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1440&bih=732&q=burlington%2C+ontario+hobby+stores&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&fp=19e974be687f7f6e

Hope this helps.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: CanadianTired on January 30, 2011, 04:36:07 pm
Thanks chersguy and oldiron. Lots of good links there for me to look into, and I'll get myself along to the Confederation.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: grayone on January 31, 2011, 07:49:01 am
Is this post going to cover the surface prep prior to air brushing for the various materials we make our models from, such as GRP, that vac moulded plastic and wood?
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on January 31, 2011, 10:43:32 am
Is this post going to cover the surface prep prior to air brushing for the various materials we make our models from, such as GRP, that vac moulded plastic and wood?

  yup, I',m going to be looking at surface prep.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 02, 2011, 05:35:46 pm
PAINTS

  When we look around for choices of paint to decorate our models, we are barraged with a host of options. What is the difference between them? Which paints are best for my model? How do I use them? These and a host of other questions come to the fore.
  I will attempt to add some clarity to the puzzle. For those who have painted for some time I expect you will already have your favourite paints, however, this may open up some new ideas to you for future projects.

TYPES OF PAINT

The following is a list of the most commonly used types of paints
Acrylic
Enamel
Oil
Laquer
Water colour

  You can find most of the above types of paints available from many suppliers labeled for “model use”. What does that mean? It largely comes down to the size of the pigment in the paint. Model paints have very finely ground pigments. This aids in the covering (opaqueness) and the ability to pass the paint through the close dimensions of an air brush tip. Paints traditionally used for covering vehicles, our lawn furniture or the side of the house have much heavier pigments. The paint is being applied, relatively, thicker with a much courser application tool. Because the paint goes on thicker, the course pigments can build up and cover satisfactorily. With our models, paint applications are in the order of a 2 – 3 thousands of an inch thick. Larger pigments would look like golf balls and leave translucence to the paint that we would find unsatisfactory.
  Because of the larger pigments, in non model paints, we are hindered in our ability to thin the paint sufficiently to go through an air brush and, at the same time, hold the paint pigments together. Over thinning results on a less than durable finish. Because of the finer pigments in model paint we can thin the paint to a much greater degree before we see paint detereation. This characteristic makes model paints ideal for putting through an airbrush and making “washes” to weather our models.


ACRYLIC

  Acrylic paint is pigment suspended in a plastic suspension material know as acrylic polymer emulsion. The amount and type of emulsion can be varied to change the thickness of the paint, depending on the effect desired.
 This paint characteristically is fast drying and is easily cleaned up with soap and water. However, once set it is impervious to water. I like it for weathering. It can be thinned with water and used as a wash to great effect.  This paint can also be used through an airbrush when appropriately thinned.
   Tamiya (http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/acrylic_1.htm) is one of the manufacturers of this type of model paint. I’ve used their paint through an air brush and a bristle brush. It covers well and leaves a nice finish. Cleanup is easy with soap and water providing you don’t let it set up.


(http://s1.postimage.org/8joe4ptw/paint_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8joe4ptw/)

A selection of acrylic paints I use.

ENAMEL

  Enamel paint, in the traditional recipe, comprises of pigment held in an oil based carrier. Enamels used to be thought of as glossy finished; however, matte finishes have been developed that have put that description to rest.
  These paints tend to be durable and hard wearing, a good feature for models that get regular handling.   They are slower drying than acrylics and need to mineral spirits (or similar) for cleanup. They can be air brushed successfully. Humbrol paints recommend 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner as a starting point.
  My experience with Humbrol has been limited due to availability and those small cans over here. I find bottled paint , such as Model Master (Testors) produces, to be much easier to get the paint out of and its in reasonable quantities.
  Testors paints tend to be more available on this side of the pond and they produce a full range of different types of paints: http://www.testors.com/category/50736/Paints
  I’ve used the Floquil range of paints for many years. They are very popular with model railroaders : http://www.testors.com/category/133504/Floquil


(http://s1.postimage.org/8k6l1j9g/paint_3.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8k6l1j9g/)

Oil

    This paint consists of pigment suspended in a linseed base or similar drying oil. They are extremely slow drying. Their consistency is very thick. Because of these traits they are unsuitable for air brushing, but are ideally suited to artistic paintings such as done on canvas.

LACQUER   

  This paint tends strike fear into the hearts of many modelers. I’m not sure why entirely. Possibly because of the chemicals involved, however, correct ventilation and breathing protection looks after that.
  Lacquer is pigment suspended in a base of solvents typically consisting of butyl acetate and exylene or toluene or, in older lacquers some sort of volatile organic compound. Non of these chemicals are pleasant to the smell or the lungs. However, properly used they produce a durable fast drying finish. These paints can be baked on at up to 200 deg F. to produce an extremely durable finish that is impervious to almost anything.
  Model paints of this type spray beautifully and can leave a glossy finish ideal for wet transfer decal application (we will cover this later).
  Lacquer also has the downside of being hard on plastics. I’ve air brushed plastics without a primer or shield between the lacquer and the plastic successfully. The trick is to make very light passes to allow the solvents in the lacquer to flash off very quickly. Once this layer is on, the surface can be painted as one normally would. One advantage of doing it this way is the lacquer partially eats into the plastic giving the paint tremendous adherence power to the plastic surface.
  Tamiya has released a lacquer that is designed to go on plastics without harming them. It’s a synthetic based lacquer that covers beautifully, and is very fine grained. The only drawback is I haven’t found it in a jar as yet. It comes in spray cans, which makes it difficult to get into air brushes. With this paint a primer is recommended.
  I’ve used automotive spray paints, from rattle cans, for large surfaces such as hulls. Although they do have a larger pigment than model paints, the large surface being covered compensates for this. Also it’s not going through the fine confines such as an airbrush.

(http://s1.postimage.org/8lgw3938/paint.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/8lgw3938/)

WATER COLOUR

  Water colour paints consist of a pigment in a water based carrier. The pigment grains tend to very course. This combined with slow drying and lack of durability make it unsuitable for most of the work we do. This paint can be mixed to make a stain that may find its use in staining handrails and so forth. By and large it is not likely to find a use on many of our models.  Poster paint and tempra paints generally fit into this category. Acrylics can do the job much better.

  When mixing paints don’t try and mix paints outside of their family of chemicals. For example don’t mix lacquers with enamels or acrylics. Enamels can be mixed with oils usually successfully.
  Although we have covered pigment paints, when painting an object it is usually wise to prime the object before hand. Pick a primer that is compatible with the paint you want to put on top. Any other way can result in major disappointment and a major re allotment of time to recover what you’ve done.
  As well as coloured paints, many of the manufacturers sell clear coats in gloss or matter finish. This is ideal for sealing in decals on a finished surface. We’ll cover that later.


John

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on February 09, 2011, 11:07:36 am
Found this on ebay...

SPRAY BOOTH + EXTRACTOR FAN FOR AIRBRUSHING.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPRAY-BOOTH-EXTRACTOR-FAN-AIRBRUSHING-/300419175584?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item45f260d4a0 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPRAY-BOOTH-EXTRACTOR-FAN-AIRBRUSHING-/300419175584?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item45f260d4a0)


Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 09, 2011, 01:11:03 pm
Looks like a nice compact unit Martin. I wonder what they use for a medium for getting rid of various noxious vapours that are in many paints? You would usually need a carbon filter of some type. i ask because I don't see it mentioned in the write up. Just something to think about.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tbone on February 10, 2011, 02:03:42 am
Great thread so far, lots of good info.
I was just looking at the Tamiya paints and they come in 10 and 23 ml sizes.  (They also offer thinner but I've heard people have used other things to thin the paint for spraying)
How much paint is needed to paint a hull or superstructure?  I'm sure the airbrush would use less than brushing but would one jar be enough?
Hull size matters, so roughly a 36" hull for examlple.

Thanks
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 10, 2011, 03:19:22 am
Great thread so far, lots of good info.
I was just looking at the Tamiya paints and they come in 10 and 23 ml sizes.  (They also offer thinner but I've heard people have used other things to thin the paint for spraying)
How much paint is needed to paint a hull or superstructure?  I'm sure the airbrush would use less than brushing but would one jar be enough?
Hull size matters, so roughly a 36" hull for examlple.

Thanks


 Ii believe the Tamiya paints you've indicated are acrylic. That being the case, Tamiya says it is water soluble, therefore, you should be able to use water to thin it with success. I've also tried methyl alcohol with success. Based on thinning the paint to 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner, I would guesstimate the larger (23Ml) size will do the hull you suggest. Normally you would say spraying would take more paint than brushing, but in the case of an air brush you are can make a smaller controllable cone of paint when spraying. This allows you to more accurately cover the object with minimum wastage and get a better finish than you could get with a brush. Don't forget, all paints don't lend themselves to brushing well. Some can flash to quickly to allow the paint to flow together after a brush has passed through it. This leaves the infamous brush strokes in the paint. Also paint tends to go on thicker with a brush than with an airbrush.
  As a side note, I found a web site that gives conversions of colour from one paint manufacturer to another. Can be quite handy if you find the colour you want, but want that colour from your favourite manufacturer.

http://www.paint4models.com/

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tbone on February 10, 2011, 05:28:03 am
Thanks John.  I assume the acrylic paint would have the least fumes, being water based?  It's been a while since I used tamiya paint but do remember getting good results with it.

Tbone
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 10, 2011, 10:23:02 am
Thanks John.  I assume the acrylic paint would have the least fumes, being water based?  It's been a while since I used tamiya paint but do remember getting good results with it.

Tbone

  Yes, being water base they are the most "fume friendly" you might say. I like Tamiya paints. They cover well and give a nice finish.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dougal99 on February 10, 2011, 10:53:59 am
I have tried thinning Acrylics with water but have had problems with surface tension ie the paint tends to form drops on the plastic surface ( I had previously cleaned the surface with surgical spirit). I tried thinning using car windscreen wash, with some some success, but plain water gave me problems. I have always used Tamiya thinners with their paint. Unfortunately, for my current project I couldn't get the colour I wanted so had to use Revell, which is not acrylic.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 10, 2011, 12:34:54 pm
I have tried thinning Acrylics with water but have had problems with surface tension ie the paint tends to form drops on the plastic surface ( I had previously cleaned the surface with surgical spirit). I tried thinning using car windscreen wash, with some some success, but plain water gave me problems. I have always used Tamiya thinners with their paint. Unfortunately, for my current project I couldn't get the colour I wanted so had to use Revell, which is not acrylic.

  Using acrylics directly on plastics can lead to the "beading" problem. Certainly cleanliness is the first consideration, however, that is not always a cure as you've found out. A lot has to do with "tooth" on the working surface. Styrene in its virgin (ie. unsanded or roughened) will contribute to the problem greatly. Try using a plastic compatible primer on your surface first. When dry it will provide a gripping surface for your acrylic that will prevent the beading effect. Without primer this same problem can been seen with enamels on plastic. This usually shows its self as "fish eye's". The condition can also be brought on by oil on the working surface, but an ultra smooth surface will also promote the condition. Here again primer will save the day. Lacquers don't' usually exhibit this problem as they etch the plastic surface (destroy it in extreme conditions) and provide its on tooth to grip the work surface.
  I'm just in the middle of writing the section on surface prep, primers and brush handling and spraying right now. I'm going to try and get it posted today.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 10, 2011, 09:50:44 pm
Spraying with an airbrush

  I’m sure this is the part most viewers have been waiting, the proper use of an air brush for best results. We shall assume you’ve selected the type of air brush you want to use based on our previous talks.
  In the discussion on the types of air brushes I’d talked about paint cups versus bottles. I haven’t normally used a paint cup rather preferring bottles for the job. This time I went out and bought a cup to use for the demonstration work to follow. I just discovered one reason why I haven’t normally used them. In the course of setting up this demonstration painting for pictures I used the paint cup. When I started to spray, the brush nozzle was blocked. The result was the air backing into the paint cup and depositing the enclosed paint all over my hands and work area. A bottle doesn’t present this particular problem. I’m still wearing a rather daring shade of black on my finger nails.
  That aside, the first stage in painting of any type is surface preparation. As modelers we tend to use a wide range of materials from brass to plastic, that all require a little different preparation for best results. As I’ve mentioned before, cleanliness is next godliness. Sometimes this isn’t always enough though.
  Styrene, fiberglass (GRP?) and ABS can be somewhat particular in how they need to be prepped. In each of these case a good soap and warm water wash is needed, however, fiberglass and GRP often have a mold release still adhering to them that even soap and water won’t dislodge. It is usually made of a special wax or polyvinyl alcohol. A mixture of Tri sodium phosphate (TSP) and hot water can make an effective cleaner to remove this mold release. I’ve also used silicone wax remover (usually available at auto parts stores dealing in auto paint) as a cleaner for the surface.
  Once you are satisfied the surface is clean, go over it with a tack rag. These are generally available at DIY stores and are used for taking any last minute dust particles from the work surface prior to painting.


(http://s1.postimage.org/2skjrhxok/silicone_wax_remover.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2skjrhxok/)

 This is a cleaner designed for removing various silicone based materials from a prepared paint surface.

  Now prime the surface to be painted. With styrene surfaces you want something that is compatible with this type of plastic. Fiberglass and GRP are much more forgiving when it comes to primer. Prime the whole surface to be painted with light coats of primer enough to provide a smooth even surface over the model. The colour of primer used can have a direct effect on the shade of the colour applied over it. A darker primer will produce a darker shade of the applied colour, something to think about when priming. The technique used in spraying will be covered shortly. Allow time for the primer to fully set up before spraying colour. To get a good finish, the primer can be lightly sanded with a 400 or 500 grit sand paper and then tack ragged again before final colour. This will make a considerably smoother surface. This procedure may be difficult to do on wheel houses etc, but is ideal for hulls.
  Metal parts can be treated a bit differently. Do the same cleaning procedure as above. However, the priming can be a little different. I’ve had success with etching primer. Used on metal surfaces, it etches slightly into the metal and provides phenomenal holding ability for the paint applies to it.
  Another primer I like, that can be used on most any surface, is high build primer. It goes on relatively thick and the thickness provides excellent scratch and wood grain filling abilities. When the primer is sprayed then allowed to dry, it provides a good base for touch up sanding to out take minor low and high spots on the work surface. It’s great for smoothing the wood grain on many of our kits.


(http://s1.postimage.org/2sl3ly3lw/primers.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2sl3ly3lw/)

 A selection of primers I typically use. The Duplicolor can contains the etch primer. The resulting primer is green. When applied correctly its very tough.


(http://s1.postimage.org/2slgu8vk4/primer_King_tender.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2slgu8vk4/)

  This tender frame of a steam loco I'm building shows the etch primer in place.

  With our surface prepped we can now turn to the colour to be applied. We covered a number of different paints in a previous issue. Although it’s best to look to the paint manufacturer on tips about thinning, I found we can usually do a bit of fine tuning ourselves. Most paints can use a starting point of two parts paint to one part thinner for air brushing. The paint I used for this demonstration is from Trueline. It’s an acrylic paint that the manufacturer specifies, on the bottle, can be air brushed right from the bottle. I tried it and found it to be a little on the thick side. To thin it to my liking I used a bit of methyl hydrate (alcohol). How do I know what is the right consistency? Since I use jars for my air brush, I put the paint into the jar, then swirl the jar around in a tight circle in such a fashion that the paint will wave up against the inside of the jar. When I stop the paint will run down the side of the jar again to regain its static level inside the jar. When it does, I watch the effect of the paint on the side of the jar. If the paint runs off quickly, the paint is too thin. If it sticks up on the side of the jar, the paint is too thick. It needs to run down the side at a rate that will leave the side of the jar clear in about 10 seconds or so. It’s all very precise and scientific………….not. But it’s a system that works well for me.
  The next step is to set up an airbrush jar of clean solvent to have at the ready to clean your airbrush when your job is done, or your brush becomes plugged. Also, if you think you’re going to use more pain than can fit into one jar, have another jar of prepared paint at the ready when the first one runs out.



(http://s1.postimage.org/2slqrgyis/Trueline_paint.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2slqrgyis/)

 True Line acrylic paint used in this demonstration


(http://s1.postimage.org/2slz15ozo/adding_paint_to_a_cup.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2slz15ozo/)

  A tip on pouring paint from a bottle into a small container

  Unless it’s a large object such as a hull, I use various bought and home made holders and clamps to hold my work while painting. I’ve never got on to using turntables. I find my models usually need paint under edges and lips and things. Having a model sitting on a turntable greatly restricts your ability to get under such protrusions with paint. I much prefer to hold the item up so I can turn it around to get under and about it easily.


(http://s1.postimage.org/2sno81j9g/IMG_7819.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2sno81j9g/)

  Various clamps on devices for holding onto items to be painted.

  Some basic pointers when applying paint.
-   When spraying any surface move the air brush across the face of the surface, while doing so press the air control button down before the air brush starts to pass over the surface. Hold the button down until the air brush has passed the painted surface, the release. This prevents the build up of paint at the end of the brush stroke. This build up appears as a large blob of paint that will run. On the return stroke follow the same procedure. Once you are used to it, it provides a smooth rhythm that makes painting easy.
-   On each pass move the air brush down slightly so that the new pass slightly overlaps the previous pass. This will ensure coverage with looking like fence rails of paint across a model.

(http://s1.postimage.org/2so4rf078/air_brush_technique_layers.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2so4rf078/)


  -   Move the air brush across the painted surface at a consistent distance. This will ensure even coverage over the length of the pass.

 (http://s1.postimage.org/2somybtms/air_brush_technique_flat_surface.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2somybtms/)

-   Make your first layer of paint very light. Don’t try and paint the model in one pass. If you do you will get runs. The first light coat will add tooth for successive build up coats.
-   On a piece with inside corners, paint the inside corners first. Again, don’t do the full paint build up, but start by painting the inner corners first then finish off the coat by painting the easier to get at sections. This means the hardest part is painted first. If you paint these afterward, you will get too much paint on neighbouring flat surface while trying to get enough paint into the corner for coverage.

(http://s1.postimage.org/2sp6srzk4/air_brush_technique_corners.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2sp6srzk4/)

-   When finishing, add a couple of extra coats to the outside corners. These tend to be inherently thin and subject to wear. Extra paint build up will make them less likely to wear through the paint in the short term.
-   Watch the paint as you apply it. You will notice flecks of paint being applied to the work surface as your brush passes over the surface. As you make successive passes these flecks will merge together to form an almost orange peal appearing surface. This is where you have to be careful. Make one more pass and you should she the orange peal melt away as the paint flows into a level surface. Too much paint (either a slow pass or the air brush adjusted to rich in paint) will result in paint sag and a run. This is a critical point that will be aided greatly by observation and experience.

(http://s2.postimage.org/fihyde04/air_brush_technique_paint_build_up.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fihyde04/)

(http://s1.postimage.org/2spqn85hg/air_brush_result_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2spqn85hg/)

 The large blobs of paint can be seen at the end of a pass when the air valve isn't closed, but held open for the next pass.

 The following picture gives a comparison of the texture of paint from a Tamiya rattle can (blue) and the fine texture from my air brush with the True Line paint (black). Not a reflection on Tamyia quality so much as the difference achievable from an air brush to a rattle can.


(http://s1.postimage.org/2sr7kf9ac/air_brush_result_4.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2sr7kf9ac/)


  Now you’ve got your surface painted, set the object to one side to dry and we can clean the airbrush. Here’s where the paint jar comes in handy versus the cup. If you use a cup, dump out the remaining paint into a suitable container. If a paint jar, leave it attached for the moment. Place a cloth over the nozzle of the airbrush and pull the trigger. The air will flow and blow back through the paint side of the air brush. This gets rid of the bulk of paint trapped inside the air brush and pick up pipe. Remove the paint jar and set it to one side. Install the jar with the clean solvent, and blow the solvent through the gun against a clean sheet of paper. This way you can see when the effluent from the gun is blowing clean. As you pull the trigger, move the needle in and out in the brush. This will aid in dislodging any held up paint inside the brush. When you are satisfied the air brush discharge is blowing clean, hold you rag over the nozzle of the brush and pull the trigger again. This will clear any let over solvent out of the brush and it will be ready for future use. Dispose of the left over solvent and paint as your see fit.

(http://s2.postimage.org/ffsdnwv8/air_brush_blow_back.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/ffsdnwv8/)

Blowing back an air brush


(http://s2.postimage.org/fgakkqas/air_brush_effect_of_leaking_seal.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fgakkqas/)

The pulsating effect of the bottom paint line is what you will find if the internal air/paint seal around the needle leaks air to the paint side of the gun. I referred to this in one of the earlier talks. I removed the needle and put a touch of light grease on the needle then re installed it. the brush worked satisfactorily.


(http://s2.postimage.org/fgkhst9g/air_brush_and_cup_holder.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/fgkhst9g/)

 A quickly made air brush and cup holder. Saves them bouncing around the work table.

  That does it for the minute. I’ll talk about masking and boot toppings and such next.

John




Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 11, 2011, 03:30:57 am
 For those who may be concerned as to the size of vessel one could expect to paint with an air brush, I offer this example of one I painted. Its completely done with an air brush using techniques highlighted in this tutorial. I built it about 20 years ago and its still holding up.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tbone on February 11, 2011, 05:08:02 am
I was at one of the local hobby shops today and found they carry tamiya, testers and humbrol paints.
I did find out something interesting though.  I was thinking of a single action air brush for simplicity but he told me that the dual action could be like a single action as the initial needle position could be set and the button just used to open the air but not move the air.  Makes sense, just never thought it would work that way; might start with a dual action in that case.  For what it's worth he recommended Iwata brand airbrushes, gravity feed vs bottle and Tamiya paint thinned with windex(of course most of this is personal preference).

On another note I just bought a Graupner Neptun I will be building and I believe the hull is abs.  Have you ever used the Krylon Fusion paint as a primer on plastic?  Walmart sells it and it's designed for plastic.

Tbone
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 11, 2011, 10:33:20 am
I was at one of the local hobby shops today and found they carry tamiya, testers and humbrol paints.
I did find out something interesting though.  I was thinking of a single action air brush for simplicity but he told me that the dual action could be like a single action as the initial needle position could be set and the button just used to open the air but not move the air.  Makes sense, just never thought it would work that way; might start with a dual action in that case.  For what it's worth he recommended Iwata brand airbrushes, gravity feed vs bottle and Tamiya paint thinned with windex(of course most of this is personal preference).

On another note I just bought a Graupner Neptun I will be building and I believe the hull is abs.  Have you ever used the Krylon Fusion paint as a primer on plastic?  Walmart sells it and it's designed for plastic.

Tbone

 Tbone:
 Yes you can get dual action airbrushes that allow you to put a fixed setting on the needle position by turning a locking mechanism. If you look at my earlier tutorial on air brushes you'll see a picture of a black Devilbis gun. It has the needle locking feature on it. Its a very handy feature that gives flexibility to your brush.
 I've mentioned my thoughts on cups, which is what a gravity feed will lead you to. For doing models I think you'll find it very restrictive with little latitude for physically moving the brush around as you paint. The Iwata is a fine brand, and the brush you suggest is certainly beyond the starter level........for poster art sort of applications. Also consider availability of parts. Badger parts are available almost anywhere, I'm not so sure about Iwata. Also consider the types of paints you'll put through it. If the Iwata is of plastic construction, you will be restricted if you decide to use lacquer based paints.
 You have to consider your current, and possible, future applications for the brush. If they are satisfied, then maybe its the right one for you.
  As to Krylon primers, if its designed for plastics it should be OK. Don't forget, the spray nozzles and the size of the pigment in these paints weren't designed for the fine work on models. Its fine for its application, but you may find it a bit heavy for models, particularly where a lot of detail work is included.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: dodgy geezer on February 11, 2011, 12:23:04 pm

... I've mentioned my thoughts on cups, which is what a gravity feed will lead you to. For doing models I think you'll find it very restrictive with little latitude for physically moving the brush around as you paint. The Iwata is a fine brand, and the brush you suggest is certainly beyond the starter level........for poster art sort of applications. Also consider availability of parts....


I have an old Aerograph cup brush, as well as some of the cheap chinese-made brushes. I was going to wait until I understood how to use them before writing a review, but my uneducated impression is that it is hard to beat the chinese models for value. They are certainly less well finished than my Aerograph - internal screw threads are left with rough edges, for instance, but they seem to perform ok, and they will cost between 15 and 30 Canadian dollars. I suspect you won't get an Iwata hose for that price...

I second Oldiron's thoughts on the paint containers - cup only airbrushes are of limited use to a boat modeller. We are likely to want to spray large hull surfaces, and we need the paint capacity that a bottle gives us. I think my most useful brush is a Chinese dual gravity/suction one: it has a side mounted bottle which can be exchanged for a cup. If you look for one of these, note that the ebay adverts for Chinese airbrushes include a side-mounted cup model which cannot have a bottle attached - only go for the brushes which have both....
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on February 28, 2011, 12:38:37 am
How and when to mask the object to be sprayed, types of masking, how to make them, tips and techniques.


 Before any painting is done on a model, or anything else, some planning is best done ahead of time. This can include;
•   Is it better to paint modules before assembly? – It may be, since some parts can be very hard to mask after they are installed on a model. This can due to the delicate nature of the part, or the awkwardness of getting masking tape in tight areas.
•   What colours am I going to paint the model? – Its much easier to cover a lighter colour with a darker colour than the other way around. It can be easier to paint and spray the underwater portion of the hull before you spray the freeboard portion of the hull (masking the water side is easier).

  With the planning done as to where and when and what type of paint you are going to use, its time to get to business. We will assume you’ve already primed and applied your first colour of paint. Now you have to mask that colour for your next application. What are you going to use?
 Many suggestions have been made with regard to the type of masking tape to use. Some use the green household interior masking tape. I’ve tried this and found it can be low in tack. Some may find this fine, but I’ve found it leaves me prone to getting paint blow under the tape. This entails a cleanup of the previously painted surface that takes time and may have variable results when done over a large area.
 Some use Scotch cello tape. I steer away from it use. It tends to be rather stiff and high tack and leaves a sticky residue behind. When going around corners, you want a tape that is very flexible and can be pressed into a corner without fear of it buckling or bridging the corner. I found cello tape has a habit of doing the worst of both.
  I’ve used a cheap white general purpose masking tape for virtually all my painting. It has the right amount of tack, bends easily, because its thin and comes in varying widths.
  For boot top lines I’ve used the pin striping tape available in auto parts stores. It has a sharp edge and is of consistent dimension. If it is removed right after painting it comes off satisfactorily and leaves a nice stripe.


(http://s1.postimage.org/15kwsgoqs/boot_top_3.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15kwsgoqs/)

  This the striping tape I used as a mask to spray a boot top line.

  To begin masking, acquire a piece of glass plate, something about 12 to 18” long by about 6” works well.  I lay a strip of masking tap across the length of the glass. Smooth it out, but don’t press it in hard. Using a straight edge and a sharp knife, cut the outside 1/32 to 1/16” off the tape. This removes the rough edge left from the forming of the tape roll and the handling it’s received in its life.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15l525f7o/File0004.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15l525f7o/)

  Glass surface with my choice of masking tape.

  Cut the tape to a length that is handelable in proportion to the surface to be taped. If you are tapping a flat surface, place one end of the tape, with the fresh cut side to the paint line, down onto the work. With one finger holding this end of the tape to the work, pull the other end snuggly away so the tape is taught, and lay the tape onto the work. If you’re looking for a straight line, eyeball down the length of the edge of the tape to look for deviations. Lift and reset the tape as required to get a straight line. There is no use using a straight edge for this work. Your eyeball sighting the length will give you a more accurate indication of the straightness of the line being masked. When you are satisfied as to the accuracy of the line, press the tape down onto the work firmly. Then use a burnishing tool to run along the edge of the tape, next to the new paint, to be sure it is set against the previous colour of paint. This will minimize, and possibly eliminate, the chance of seepage under the tape of the new paint.
  When laying the tape over a raised or depressed surface on your work, do as above by gently setting the tape against your work to begin with. Then, using your burnishing tool, press the tape into the corners of the raised surface until you are satisfied a tight seal is made. Continue as above.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15lgmwuo4/File0002.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15lgmwuo4/)

  Adding a colour defining mask to the side of a model. This car is be two toned with no dividing line to hide the colour separation. Therefore the edge has to be exact first time.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15lviqz44/File0008.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15lviqz44/)

  The masking and cover up added for the remainder of the model ready for the next layer of paint. Notice I've painted the whole model in the yellow. This is because it will act as a base for the next layer of paint and as such affects the tonal level of the next layer. In order not to show a tonal difference due to lack of uniform coverage of the first coat, the whole model has been painted the same undercoat.

  For boot toppings, paint the boot top colour first. With a soft pencil, mark your water line on the boot top paint. Use automotive pin stripe tape, of the appropriate width, to mask over the pencil marking for the water line. Use the technique described above to seal the tape. Now paint the water side colour, but don’t remove the tape before your freeboard colour is painted.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15mlzcj0k/boot_top_1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15mlzcj0k/)

Boot top mask added to the white surface, to get a white boot top line. Then the whole was sprayed black.

  Using some newsprint or other paper of appropriate size, run masking tape along the edge of the paper for the length of your hull, or length of paper, which ever comes first. Overlap the masking tape on the edge of the paper so you have enough to stick your new mask to the boot top line. Lay the masking tape onto the existing pinstripe tape on your boot top line. Continue until the paper forms a curtain around your already painted water side of the hull.(see the box car model above)
   Now paint the freeboard side of the hull. When you’ve cleaned your airbrush, begin by removing the paper curtain. Then remove the pin stripping tape.
  There is a technique to removing masking tape of any kind from a painted surface. Pick the end of the tape that is most easily accessible. Pull it back, into the direction you are removing the tape, at a very sharp angle to the work. This will remove the stress on the paint that can lead to paint lifting as you remove the masking tape. The pull should be even and gentle at a slow speed. Don’t pull it fast as if you’re pulling a plaster from a wound. Continue until all your tape is removed.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15mvwklz8/boot_top_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15mvwklz8/)

Removing the mask to reveal the boot top line. Notice the sharp back angle with which the tape is being removed. this reduces the chance of paint removal along with mask removal.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15n469cg4/File0006.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15n469cg4/)

Doing the same thing on our railway car model. This reveals the two tone paint job and the sharp line defining both colours.

  You will, undoubtedly, get a little bit of overspray here and there. This is not unusual and should not be cause for panic. One method of correcting it is to paint over the errant overspray with the appropriate colour. Another method is to use a little Varsol, or similar, on a small paint brush. Moisten the brush with the thinner and gently work the brush against the overspray until it is removed. This should be done right after your masking is removed and before the paint is set up.  I’ve used a bit of lacquer thinner on stubborn areas. However, 95% of the time I don’t have to touch up paint and you can’t see where the correction has been made.

(http://s1.postimage.org/15ncfy2x0/File0016.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/15ncfy2x0/)

Removing over spray with Varsol

  You may come, from time to time, a situation where a straight tape line isn’t required. You may need some fancy shape to do the job. To do this make a heavy paper shape of the paint edge pattern you want. Cut this pattern out with scissors or a sharp knife. Lay some wide masking tape onto your glass panel and trace the paper shape onto the masking tape. Cut out the masking tape while it is still on the glass. Remove the masking tape and apply to your work as described above.
  If you’re free handing curves, the paper pattern can be used to check the consistency of the shape you are masking. Also use much narrower tape to make it easier to go around corners without kinking of the tape.

Our next talk will be on decaling and finishing your model.

John

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 07, 2011, 12:23:46 pm
Decaling a model for best effect

 Over the years various methods of lettering our models have been available. Some are still with us, some passed by the wayside for good reason. The most common lettering methods still generally in use are water slide transfers or decals, dry transfer lettering (eg.Letraset), vinyl backed lettering, or custom made vinyl lettering. I’ve used all these forms on my various models. Each has its own plus’s and negatives.

(http://s4.postimage.org/28d3qm5gk/File0009.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28d3qm5gk/)

Water slide decals:

  On this side of the pond, wet transfer decals are by far the most common lettering system available. They consist of a paper covered with glue. That is in turn covered with a varnish material that is then printed with the designs wanted. There is another layer of varnish sometimes put over the print to seal it. Usually the varnish application forms a constant thickness over the entire decal sheet. Some of the better quality water slide decals have the print done on areas of a specific size to match the lettering. The varnish tapers away from the lettering to zero thickness. This means the decal can be applied to the model and leave no discernible edge. With proper application, the decal varnish is invisible and the lettering appears to be painted on the models surface. These are ideal.

(http://s4.postimage.org/28dimg9wk/IMG_8087.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28dimg9wk/)

  To start this project, your finish paint on the area to be lettered should take on a glossy appearance. This provides a very smooth surface for the decals to properly seat to. A matte surface has millions of tiny projections upwards that form microscopic hills and valleys on the paint surface. This is what gives the matte appearance to the paint. If a decal is applied to this surface air remains trapped under the decal that shows up as white blotches under the decal film after the decal has dried. If the area to be decaled is not glossy, spray on a clear glass coat such as that offered by Testors and similar suppliers.
  Our tools for this job are a sharp knife, a hard surface to back the decal when we cut it, tweezers, and fine paint brush and a decal solvent such as Walther’s Solvaset, and a dish of tepid water, some clean tissue.


(http://s4.postimage.org/28ej09wro/File0015.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28ej09wro/)

  Begin by trimming out the portion of decal you are about to use with the knife. Make the cuts as close as you can to the lettering. Except where the varnish film is manufactured to be close to the letters, the final result will be much better the closer you can trim the decal to the lettering. You can trim out several pieces at a time.
 Place the trimmed decals into the dish of water and let them sit. How long? Until the decal film raises off the paper backing. This is contrary to all decal instructions; however, the following steps will more than make up for the loss of glue. I don’t want any glue left on the back of the decal, just the varnish film and its printing.


(http://s4.postimage.org/28dqw50dg/File0014.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28dqw50dg/)

  With the tweezers, remove the decal from the water bath very carefully. The film is quite fragile and won’t take a lot of beating. Place it on the model with a liberal coating of water under it. Slide the decal around until it is where you want it. With your tissue placed against the edge of the decal, siphon off the excess moisture.
 Now comes the Solvaset part. This liquid is designed to dissolve the decal film and make it part of the paint surface it’s on. It doesn’t work as well on bare metal or styrene, but is superb on painted surfaces. Using the small paint brush (not the one included in the bottle) apply Solvaset to the periphery of the decal. There will still be moisture under the decal and that will aid siphoning the Solvaset under the decal.. Then leave the decal. At first it will appear to shrivel and you’ll think you’ve ruined the decal. DON’T TOUCH IT!!. As the decal dries out it will pull taught and snuggle down to the surface.

(http://s4.postimage.org/29ff0tlb8/Solvaset_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/29ff0tlb8/)


(http://s4.postimage.org/28nrfao10/File0013.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28nrfao10/)

  This process works ideally on uneven surfaces. That is, surfaces that go up and down, such as over doors and hatches and rivets and such. The decal will snuggle down over these surfaces just as if they were painted.
  When the decal has mostly dried and appears to have snuggled down, look at it carefully. Has it completely snuggled down over any unevenness (tenting of the decal)? Is there any white (trapped air) showing through the decal”. If you answer yes to any of these, go back over the decal with a little more Solvaset. Areas, such as trapped air, can be more stubborn. Using the sharp knife slice the decal film and apply more Solvaset onto the slice. You should see it rapidly siphon into the white are. When this is done the decal will set down fully. Tenting can be sorted the same way. Slice through the “tent” and apply a little Solvaset with your small paint brush.


(http://s4.postimage.org/28ptuha90/File0011.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28ptuha90/)
  This shows the effect after the first application of Solvaset. Another light application will draw the decal film down around the rivets


(http://s4.postimage.org/28q0gmo84/File0012.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28q0gmo84/)

This is the effect of air under the decal. The decal hasn't properly set down and sealed to the model in these areas. This condition is aggravated by applying decals to a matte surface


(http://s4.postimage.org/28qadur6s/File0010.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28qadur6s/)

This is how the finished decal application should look

  Leave the decal over night for all your decaling to dry out an set up. Then using a damp cloth remove any water drops and stains from the surface over and around the decal. Then use your favourite dull coat, or whatever, as a spray over the decal. This will serve to seal the deal surface and take away the sheen of the decal. The result will be very hard to distinguish from a painted lettering job. The same is done with pin stripes.

(http://s4.postimage.org/28xrygbok/Athearn_CP_5415_front_d.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28xrygbok/)

 This is a finished model done with water slide decals and a satin finish coat sprayed over everything.

  Blank water slide transfer deal sheet can be purchased that opens up other avenues for creativity. If you have some ornate striping or picture to do on the surface of your model that is over a curved or hard to get at surface you can make your own decal. I’ve done this by making a stencil of the pattern I want to make, then spraying my favourite model paint through the stencil held against the decal sheet. When the stencil is removed the paint pattern remains. The decal sheet is cut out and the decal applied as above.


(http://s4.postimage.org/28yndnx2c/File0023.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/28yndnx2c/)


(http://s4.postimage.org/2902nbodg/239_electric.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2902nbodg/)
Credit this photograph to Ebay
I painted this New York Central electric model for a customer, back in the eighties. It appeared on Ebay from Germany last fall. Funny how some models get around. Anyway, the cats whiskers stripes on the front of the cab were done using the mask shown above. As described the mask was held against the decal paper , then the decal applied as usual.

Dry Transfer Lettering

  Various manufacturers have marketed this product over the years. Letraset was probably the best known product on the market. It is still available, but probably not as common no that computer printing is available.
  Dry transfer lettering comes on a wax paper like sheet with all the lettering in vinyl affixed to the sheet. It may come as alphabets or pre made designs. The back of the vinyl has a pressure sensitive coating that sticks the lettering to the model. Matte finish paint is best for this type of lettering because it provides tooth for the lettering to hold to.
 Begin by deciding where you want the lettering to be. Draw a faint pencil line across the model where the base of the lettering is to be. Place the semi transparent sheet over the model with the base of the letter on the pencil line. Using a ball point pen begin rubbing the letter to until you have covered the whole letter. Hold the wax paper to the model with one or more fingers. Gently pull the paper back to reveal the letter and to be sure it has properly transferred. If not place the paper back down again and give the letter a few more rubs in the area it is lifting.
  This can be a tedious job that is very difficult to do well. The letters tend not to be evenly spaced nor even on the pencil line, or the surface of the model is variable and it makes it hard to get the lettering on smoothly. An alternative is to look back to our waterslide transfer decal. Using the blank decal sheet, place it on a firm surface (desk top). Mark a faint pencil line on the decal sheet as before. Now transfer the lettering to the decal sheet. The pencil line on a white paper background is much easier to see through the semi transparent carrier material. You are working on a flat easy to use surface with good light. The result can come out much better. This is applied as the water slide decal above. It’s also beneficial for getting lettering over uneven surfaces, something almost impossible to do by using the direct transfer method.


(http://s4.postimage.org/290wezx9g/File0018.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/290wezx9g/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/2921rfllw/File0019.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2921rfllw/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/292llvrj8/File0020.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/292llvrj8/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/292s815ic/File0021.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/292s815ic/)

blank water slide decal material being used to accept dry transfer lettering

(http://s4.postimage.org/2930hpvz8/File0022.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2930hpvz8/)

Vinyl backed lettering

  This seems to be a popular item in Britain from what I’ve seen. The products from BECC are certainly nice. They are not as common over here.
  Here lettering is printed on a vinyl film. The film makes up the whole sheet of lettering. As in the water slide decals cut the vinyl decal out as close to the printing as possible. Remove it from the surface of the backing and apply to the model. Its much quicker than the water slide method, however, it leaves the raised vinyl edge that it is visible after application, plus the vinyl sheen of the decal. In order to attempt to reduce the effects of both these drawbacks I’ve applied Testors dull coat over the decal after application. It works reasonably well in blending the decal into the back ground.
  I’ve applied this decal over a matte surface. It worked fine, but I suspect it would improve with application over a glossy surface.


(http://s4.postimage.org/293h13cx0/IMG_8086.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/293h13cx0/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/294szof8k/IMG_7546_1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/294szof8k/)

The depth markings are a BECC product

(http://s2.postimage.org/136b2d9r8/Smit_Nederland_2_small.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/136b2d9r8/)

The Smit herald was placed on the stack



  Another form of vinyl lettering is available through sign makers these days. The image is computer generated, then cut out of a vinyl material that is back with a protective paper and a clear wax paper material on the outside or top of the lettering. This is good because you can have just about any shape cut out of vinyl, and in various colours, that the computer is capable of generating. I’ve found the cost to be reasonable too.
  To apply them, tape one end of the decal top paper to the model. Being sure the decal is in line with where you want it to go, slowly remove the backing paper from the decal and press the letters down as you go. By the time you have all the backing paper removed the letters should be set into place. Go over the top covering to ensure all the lettering is pressed down completely, and then remove the top paper. Pull it back slowly at a sharp angle to the model. This will reduce the strain on the letters and reduce the chances of them being lifted from the model.
  If you feel you will want to move the lettering around , as you apply it, to get it in the correct place, cover the application are with soapy water. Remove the backing paper from the decal and place on the are to receive the lettering. Don’t press down, but slide the decal around until you’re happy. Then press the lettering down to the surface with a plastic squeegee or similar. Remove the top paper and clean up. Job done

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on making your model lettering a bit easier.

John







Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: bbdave on April 13, 2011, 10:17:18 pm
Great tips on here can i just add a couple of problems i get when spraying

How much should i thin Tamiya acrylics to spray as i have used them to spray orange on a lifeboat and it took a huge amount of coats to get a good solid colour.

How do i reduce the ridge of paint when masking is removed? or is that down to getting good colour depth with a thin coat

Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on April 13, 2011, 11:32:41 pm
Great tips on here can i just add a couple of problems i get when spraying

How much should i thin Tamiya acrylics to spray as i have used them to spray orange on a lifeboat and it took a huge amount of coats to get a good solid colour.

How do i reduce the ridge of paint when masking is removed? or is that down to getting good colour depth with a thin coat

Dave

  I've tried spraying Tamiya acrylics and run into the same problem as yourself. They have to be thinned so far that you loose opaqueness in the paint (i.e. the paint becomes moderately transparent). This means you have to apply more paint to get the colour opaque. For this reason I've never been fond of spraying Tamiya acrylics. They are great to brush with, but not great for spraying based on my experience, and yours too by the sounds of it. Another thing to try is to go to the most course needle/tip combination for your type of brush and raise the air pressure a little. It will help getting the thicker paint through the brush's tip and atomizing it at the same time.
  As to the paint ridge, you're in a catch 22 situation with the amount of paint you have to apply to get your colour also creating a build up to give you a ridge.To help reduce the ridge when the masking is lifted, remove the masking tape when the paint is still soft, that is right after you've finished the last colour to the tape. It will aid in allowing the edge of the paint to settle back down onto the previously painted surface. Also, when removing the tape pull it back at as sharp and angle as possible to the painted surface. This will help in reducing the lift on the paint over the tape.
 You may try switching to another brand of water based paint. There are those out there with a finer pigment and freer flowing.
 Hope this helps.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tbone on April 14, 2011, 12:57:58 am
Although I haven't tried yet I was planning to try Tamiya acrylic's as I like the idea of windex to thin and for easy cleanup.
Now it doesn't sound like the best choice.

Tbone
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: bbdave on April 14, 2011, 06:45:17 pm
Hi thanks for the great reply

 Tbone i used a huge amount of paint on my atlantic 21 i enjoyed the easy clean up of water based acrylic but spent alot on Tamiya paint the grey was ok but the orange a nightmare.

What other water based paints are out there any recomendations Oldiron? or i could just go the Halfords rattle can acrylic option

Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on April 14, 2011, 07:05:57 pm
Hi thanks for the great reply

 Tbone i used a huge amount of paint on my atlantic 21 i enjoyed the easy clean up of water based acrylic but spent alot on Tamiya paint the grey was ok but the orange a nightmare.

What other water based paints are out there any recomendations Oldiron? or i could just go the Halfords rattle can acrylic option

Dave

  I like True Line Train paint (  http://www.truelinetrains.ca/paint-accessories  ). Its acrylic, air brush ready ( that said, I've found it works better with just a touch of solvent to thin it a little)  and water cleanup. Look at Morency orange. I think its pretty close to RNLI orange. This is the colour Canadian National Railways used to paint their cabooses.
  If you're using rattle can paint, decant some of it into your air brush jar. Hold the nozzle into a larger jar than you use for your air brush. And spray the paint into the jar. Leave it sit in the jar for a few minutes to let the aerosol gases release from the paint. Then pour it into your airbrush jar and paint. You get much more control from your air brush than with a rattle can.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: bbdave on April 14, 2011, 08:17:28 pm
Thanks again John my current project is fairly big and only requires 3 colours so i think rattle cans will be good.

Has anyone any experience of Vallejo paint?  http://www.vallejopaints.co.uk/

Dave
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 17, 2011, 05:15:00 pm
Hello Dave very much a newbie but have used Vallejo paints, can't compare with too many others but am well pleased with my first efforts using both an airbrush and these paints. They are held in high regard by many modellers and have a very good reputation for quality.A lot more info here, http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/gb/index.html     look at the videos and read some of the blogs, found them very informative and compliments well with John's tutorial.

        Hope this helps, regards, Tony.

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 21, 2011, 06:18:53 pm
I assume your tutorial is now complete John other than questions or queries that may arise. I'll take this opportunity then to thank you very much for the extensive time and effort you have no doubt had to generate to present such a commendable and complete tutorial on our behalf. I have thoroughly enjoyed it all and have learned much from your most knowledgeable presentation , as have many others no doubt.
          I realise the presentation was based on your personal experience and opinion, your results speak for themselves, therefore I've taken on board some of the things that work for you. Recently purchased a Badger 200 internal mix airbrush to compliment my Paasche external mix, what an improvement! £42.50 including delivery - am well pleased. My winter " Build" project was converting the rear of my garage workshop into a modelling room leaving the conservatory for the dog  {-) I have incorporated a little spray booth with an led strip light and bottom feed extraction,  (see - I was listening! {-) {-)) Have posted a few pics for those interested

         Anyway, thanks again John I really do appreciate your efforts and hope to show they weren't left in the archives!   O0 {-)    kind regards, Tony.  :-))


(http://s2.postimage.org/2yta222zo/CIMG3026_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yta222zo/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2ytjza5yc/CIMG3028_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2ytjza5yc/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yu0inmw4/CIMG3031_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yu0inmw4/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yu74t0v8/CIMG3030_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yu74t0v8/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yuc3f2ck/CIMG3037_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yuc3f2ck/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yum0n5b8/CIMG3035_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yum0n5b8/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yupbpuas/CIMG3032_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yupbpuas/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yusmsjac/CIMG3029_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yusmsjac/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yuuabvs4/CIMG3033_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yuuabvs4/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yv0wh9r8/CIMG3036_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yv0wh9r8/)

(http://s2.postimage.org/2yv5v3b8k/CIMG3034_Large.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2yv5v3b8k/)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: pugwash on April 21, 2011, 07:28:35 pm
tony that is far too neat to be a model boat workshop

Geoff
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on April 21, 2011, 07:41:58 pm
  Tony:

 Thanks very much for the kind comments. I'm pleased you found it helpful. As you say, what I've written is based on my experience, hence, what has worked for me and what hasn't.
 I was trying to think of something else to add to the tutorial, but areas such as weathering have been done by others, such as Voyageur, so much better that i felt it was hollow redundancy to cover the same ground. In that case, yes, this is the end of the tutorial as far as I'm concerned. I'm more than happy to answer any questions that come along, and I may add the odd tid bit here and there if I see something worth mentioning..

  I like your new workshop, especially the fact you have a window with nice light right along side your work table. Mine is in the basement and not conducive to working on models on a nice summer day. How does your downdraft fume hood work?

thanks agian

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: derekwarner on April 21, 2011, 11:25:47 pm
 {:-{ :(( >:-o >>:-( <*< ...Tony ...I think there are many members world wide that are GREEN with envy in looking at such a workshop........ :-)) ....Derek
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 22, 2011, 04:14:52 pm
Hello Geoff, yes it looks a bit clean and clinical at the moment but that'll soon change I'm sure! used up a lot of spare white paint but it helps a lot with the lighting, Will do most of my mucky stuff in the other half and try to keep it a bit tidy for the cleaner work. It's nice and cosy and doesn't need much heating.
         Thanks for the comment Derek, had picked up a lot of ideas from this forum, at the end of the day it's nice to have a good tool so as to speak, but will I be good enough to get the best out of it!  {-)  I've seen many a marvel made on here with far less, time may tell.

Hi John, by "how does it work?" I assume you mean the effectivity of the unit, well I've not yet tried it out in anger as they say, but the motor pulls approx. 253 cu. mtrs. an hour and vented in a very short run through the outside wall. It certainly works well with a smoke test and If the acrylic doors are left closed they get pulled well in by the suction!!  Am very aware that the idea is to put the paint on the job not down the vent but can always fit a speed controller if needs be.  I've fitted a plenum before the fan and used synthetic filter material within if only to save painting the impellers.  Have a vent yet to be fitted in the dividing door to ensure adequate air supply from the main workshop, this may help in the winter when the outside air is much colder.

           Just got to practice now and improve my skills in the art of making models  {-)

                                                                   Kind regards to all, Tony. :-))

       



           
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RaaArtyGunner on April 22, 2011, 10:51:48 pm
{:-{ :(( >:-o >>:-( <*< ...Tony ...I think there are many members world wide that are GREEN with envy in looking at such a workshop........ :-)) ....Derek

Your'e right Derek it almost cries out to be censored, reminds me of the comment "tidy desk tidy mind" O0 O0
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: sunworksco on April 23, 2011, 06:51:47 am
I'm going to build a paint booth just like that!
Thanks Tony !
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 23, 2011, 12:14:08 pm
Tried it out yesterday, purposely used black paint to see more clearly how it performed - worked an absolute treat and was really pleased.

         Hello again John, (oldiron), can you advise on the following? - started using my new badger with Vallejo acrylic paint thinned firstly with water and then with Vallejo's own thinners, I was practicing blowing in the corners of some little cardboard boxes I made up trying to use fine misty type strokes close in, all went very well for several passes but then the paint supply dried up although air pressure was maintained, I had to keep opening the needle to allow a more coarser spray pattern to generate paint flow and then tune back down to a fine spray only for the problem to consistently repeat itself. I 'think' the paint was thinned to maximum and varied the tank pressure from half to two bar and everything in between but still could not achieve more than several fine passes. Am I getting paint build up and or drying at the tip do you think?  the coarser spray strokes were very good and consistent but obviously it's the finer line spray technique I'd like to achieve. Sounds daft I know but it works well with coloured water!!  {:-{ {:-{
                 Would be grateful for any input or advice from yourself or indeed any interested members, thanks and kind regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 23, 2011, 12:18:09 pm
Oh forgot to mention when cleaning and using the 'blow back' technique you outlined, I used the protective cap that came with the brush rather than cloth at the needle tip - worked a dream!  cheers.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on April 23, 2011, 01:27:07 pm
  Tony:

 Sorry to hear you're having problems. It sounds, to me, like the paint rather than your technique. Another thing I'm wondering, is it "lumps" of paint coming into the tip and clogging? I've had the happen before. It doesn't take much when you've got the tip closed right down for very fine painting. Just to be sure, try filtering the paint through a proper paper paint filter, after you've mixed it, but before you spray it. Paper filters are available at auto parts supply merchants and quite cheap.
  Some brands of paints can dry rather rapidly. If this turns out to be the case you may have to switch to a different brand.
Hope this helps.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: pugwash on April 23, 2011, 01:53:28 pm
John spent about an hour this morning going through your post to make sure I hadn't missed anything.  Well worth
the time spent and hopefully some of your tips may come in handy for the next build
I think you did a great job which must have taken you quite a time to prepare and type.
Much appreciated

Geoff
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on April 23, 2011, 03:02:39 pm
John spent about an hour this morning going through your post to make sure I hadn't missed anything.  Well worth
the time spent and hopefully some of your tips may come in handy for the next build
I think you did a great job which must have taken you quite a time to prepare and type.
Much appreciated

Geoff

 Geoff:

  Thanks very much. I'm glad  you found the thread useful. Good luck on your next build.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on April 25, 2011, 05:20:11 pm
Thanks John,  :-)) there's a cure somewhere just got to find it - I don't give up easily.  O0
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: grayone on May 28, 2011, 08:23:22 am
At one point some one was going to turn this set of postings into a pdf :-)).  This would be real nice as most of the pictures in the post are blocked by the compny fire wall :police:
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: chingdevil on May 28, 2011, 09:11:35 am
I am doing that, unfortunately work and a daughters wedding have slowed me down. It is getting done :-)) :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))


Brian
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on November 29, 2012, 01:32:41 pm
what about this?


http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-cp103-air-brush-compressor-with-reservoir-tank-prod21805/#bottomsection (http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-cp103-air-brush-compressor-with-reservoir-tank-prod21805/#bottomsection)


Looking to invest in good airbrush and compressor.


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on November 30, 2012, 07:48:06 pm
Dan:

 It looks like it should do the job more than adequately. One of the key elements to look for is "oil less", which the one in the URL is.

John


what about this?


http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-cp103-air-brush-compressor-with-reservoir-tank-prod21805/#bottomsection (http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-cp103-air-brush-compressor-with-reservoir-tank-prod21805/#bottomsection)


Looking to invest in good airbrush and compressor.


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on November 30, 2012, 08:10:09 pm
Thanks John,


I am still looking for the 'perfect' airbrush given the wealth of knowledge you have given us all  :-))


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on November 30, 2012, 08:20:48 pm
Thanks John,


I am still looking for the 'perfect' airbrush given the wealth of knowledge you have given us all  :-))


Dan

Something to bear in mind... what is "perfect" for one person may not be comfortable for you to use.
Stick to the well known brands and find somewhere that will let you try them out
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on November 30, 2012, 08:25:40 pm
yeah its yet another minefield.


Ive used one before for one little job but it was a cheap nasty thing i got free with model boats mag.


Equally, Id rather not keep on spending money until i find 'the one'. I can get used to it if i do enough of it, surely!?!?!


No rush as yet, so plenty of time to look around.


I would using the brush for airfix models and individual parts on model boats. For hulls etc, I would use the halfords gear.


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on November 30, 2012, 09:49:16 pm
Dan:

 the URL you posted just showed the air compressor and tank.
I agree with staying with the standard brands such as Badger or Pasche ( to name two) if you're unsure what to buy. Stay away from the cheaper plastic external mix type air brushes. You don't get the control with them. Don't be afraid to try air brushing . Start on something you won't worry about loosing, such as a scrap piece of metal or plastic. Develop your technique there then go to the model.
  I just did a clinic on air brushing at our local hobby store these past two weekends. the content was basically what I wrote in the tutorial. The biggest thing the students had to over come was the fear of trying it and getting it wrong. Once they tried it, at the clinic, made the standard mistakes and then were shown how to correct them, they were off and running and the fear dropped.

John

yeah its yet another minefield.


Ive used one before for one little job but it was a cheap nasty thing i got free with model boats mag.


Equally, Id rather not keep on spending money until i find 'the one'. I can get used to it if i do enough of it, surely!?!?!


No rush as yet, so plenty of time to look around.


I would using the brush for airfix models and individual parts on model boats. For hulls etc, I would use the halfords gear.


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on December 16, 2012, 05:56:46 pm
Defo going for the axminster compressor, now just what airbrush.


https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=1_9_109&sort=2a&page=1&osCsid=a3e54137c6c1c32cc41aded23d9986aa (https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=1_9_109&sort=2a&page=1&osCsid=a3e54137c6c1c32cc41aded23d9986aa)


Willing to spend sort of £200 on one.


Dan



Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 16, 2012, 08:09:24 pm
 I would go for a double action with a seperate cup and glass charge arrangement with a non gravity feed. this allows you to change between the glass jar (for large quantities of paint to do larger areas) and the cup ( to do small areas). This gives you the maximum amount of flexibilty with your tool.
 I normally use a single action air brush, but if you're willing to take the practice, a double action brush can add to the over all versatilty.
 Iwata's are a good name in air brushes. You can also include Badger and Pasche in that realm too.

John


Defo going for the axminster compressor, now just what airbrush.


https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=1_9_109&sort=2a&page=1&osCsid=a3e54137c6c1c32cc41aded23d9986aa (https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=1_9_109&sort=2a&page=1&osCsid=a3e54137c6c1c32cc41aded23d9986aa)


Willing to spend sort of £200 on one.


Dan
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on December 16, 2012, 08:14:59 pm
 
Hey John!
 How you doing sir?
 Working on any projects at the moment?


 Martin   :-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 16, 2012, 09:35:15 pm
Good Martin, thanks. I'm working on a Model slipways Tsekoa at the moment. It'll be done in time for the spring running season. I've also been doing talks (clinics) in the local hobby stores on air brushing and such.

Have a good Christmas

John


Hey John!
 How you doing sir?
 Working on any projects at the moment?


 Martin   :-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: cos918 on December 16, 2012, 09:46:43 pm
Hi John
I have seen this air brush the badger 155 on special offerhttp://www.badgerairbrush.com/Anthem_155.asp
is it a good air brush

john
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 16, 2012, 11:20:57 pm
John:

 Yes, Badger products are excellent quality and parts are readily available. The underfeed type has the ability to quickly change bottles or cups in mid operation when you are painting complex colour situations such as weathering or art work.
  I've had a badger air gun for about 30 = years now and it still performs well.

John

Hi John
I have seen this air brush the badger 155 on special offerhttp://www.badgerairbrush.com/Anthem_155.asp
is it a good air brush

john
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on December 16, 2012, 11:54:32 pm
I think the issue most people have is the amount of choice. I for one am bamboozeled at what to buy...



Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 17, 2012, 02:28:03 am
 Where are you confused? The previous write up on spray painting covers the different types of air brushes and where each tend to excel in their use. What do you need to relieve the confusion?
 You mentioned earlier you wanted the "perfect" air brush. I'm not sure what that is. Its kind of like looking for the perfect wife.

John

I think the issue most people have is the amount of choice. I for one am bamboozeled at what to buy...
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RAAArtyGunner on December 17, 2012, 10:32:40 am
  Its kind of like looking for the perfect wife.

John

Got one of those  :-)) :-)) :-)) yes she is standing over my shoulder {-) {-) {-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on December 17, 2012, 11:29:35 am

Got one of those  :-)) :-)) :-)) yes she is standing over my shoulder {-) {-) {-)

LOL, same here. She tells me so every day.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: cos918 on December 17, 2012, 01:23:53 pm
Hi John
thanks for the advice. I think i will get it as Badger do have a goood name.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on December 17, 2012, 04:24:42 pm
I followed John's advice and got the same model that he uses (very slightly updated), it's excellent! and very good value for money :-))   Choosing the right paint and getting the right viscosity counts for so much as with all airbrushes - takes practice.
                                           Regarsd, Tony.
                       
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on December 21, 2012, 10:19:51 pm
Going to go for this one i think - https://airbrushes.com/parts_info.php?products_id=34&osCsid=9cbb270c031036f79af6768b78cb74c2


 :}
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on January 04, 2013, 05:38:04 pm
And here she is, absolute beauty. Seems to be well balanced and very smooth.



(http://s8.postimage.org/gewqkduap/100_2902.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/gewqkduap/)


(http://s8.postimage.org/r4afcn63l/100_2903.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/r4afcn63l/)


Got the crown cap for it as an extra and also the quick disconnect bits.


Just need a compressor now
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on January 04, 2013, 06:22:34 pm
Dan, the link you've given goes to email address only not the product as such.
                              Regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: F4TCT on January 04, 2013, 06:24:52 pm
ah  :embarrassed:


Its an Iwata HP-C plus.


Sorry  :kiss:
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: sailorboy61 on January 07, 2013, 04:03:59 pm
OK, so I'm sure the usual applies, spend as much as you can, you gets what you pays for, but mini compressor with or without tank. Currently there are some offers (Ebay anyway) of with tank and what look like average side/bottom feed brushes, or without tank and a bottom and side feed but the side feed has interchangable needles and nozzles.
 
For those regular users, does the tank make a big difference on long sessions where otherwise the compressor might be running longer?
 
Thanks.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on January 07, 2013, 05:06:28 pm
Back in the 1980's I did a lot of Airbrush poster adds / paintings a long with T shirts . I went through about 3 compressors .
The smaller oscillating compressors over heat after 45 mins of running and only put out about 20 lbs. of pressure.
They have a pulsating air flow if your going to put out the maximum power to paint an object you will not notice it ,
 But if you are painting some very small line stuff it will hamper your ability the paint tends to spit out .
Placing a tank in the system will slow this down but wont remove it .
A shop compressor designed to run a stapler will be a better choice it has a tank  ,Both of these will make a noise .
In 1986 I bought a Jun-Air model 6-M for about $500.00 Canadian, has a 3 gallon tank and runs at 100 psi. It can run about 6 Air Brushes .
With dead silence running ,My fridge makes more noise.
Jun- Air was bought out by a larger company in the late 80's , My compressor is now classed as a medical machine and cost about $3500.00 used.
A general shop compressor is your best bet you can fill your car tires with it.
Some fellows used Nitrogen bottles the larger K type.
Gary 
 
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: welshdragon on February 12, 2013, 06:12:51 pm
   Hello Oldiron. Just starting out out on this airbrushing thing.  The main question from what I can gather, is what, if any, would be the best room/shed temperature?
   taff
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on February 12, 2013, 06:28:06 pm
You will find out that if you paint something on a sunny day and then the same paint on a rainny day you may get 2 different surface tones or matt look, One way of trying to stop this is bring the item inside after painting it.
The best time to paint a car outside is the day after it has rainned , Less dust is preasent , Try and have air temp above 12c if possible .
Try and use the same type of paint , Cross painting from laqcuer and back to enamels will make the brush internals cloge, the paint will skin away from the sides and block flow. Even if you think you cleaned it last time it may still happen.
Gary
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: AlisterL on March 17, 2013, 10:13:22 pm
Did the question of air pressure ever get addressed? If so I missed it in this tutorial. I'd be keen to find out more about this, along the lines of:

Regards to all,


Alister.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 17, 2013, 10:17:15 pm
Did the question of air pressure ever get addressed? If so I missed it in this tutorial. I'd be keen to find out more about this, along the lines of:
  • What pressure for what paint type
  • Any other factors that need to be taken into account, etc.
Regards to all,


Alister.

  The air pressure would nominally run 25psig. This can be slightly greater for heavier paint and correspondingly lower for lighter paints.
The best way, after using this pressure as a base, is to see how the paint applies to your model. If its not atomizing correctly, the pressure is too low. Under these conditions you'll get blobs of paint coming out of the brush and , quite often, dribbles at the tip.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 17, 2013, 10:18:37 pm
   Hello Oldiron. Just starting out out on this airbrushing thing.  The main question from what I can gather, is what, if any, would be the best room/shed temperature?
   taff

  Sorry for the late answer. Your paint manufacturer will prescribe the best temperature for their particular paint, however, if you keep around the 70 deg F mark you should be about right.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: AlisterL on March 18, 2013, 12:44:19 am
Thanks for your reply John.


As a matter of curiosity, what happens if you use too much pressure? I think what I've been doing with my Iwata Revolution BCR is using too much air and getting a really thin, low density coat. However I felt I needed the higher air pressure to atomise properly - maybe I wasn't thinning enough - not sure I believe that, but who knows.


I bet it's hard to diagnose this stuff over a forum :)


Regards,


Alister.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 18, 2013, 12:52:01 am
Thanks for your reply John.


As a matter of curiosity, what happens if you use too much pressure? I think what I've been doing with my Iwata Revolution BCR is using too much air and getting a really thin, low density coat. However I felt I needed the higher air pressure to atomise properly - maybe I wasn't thinning enough - not sure I believe that, but who knows.


I bet it's hard to diagnose this stuff over a forum :)


Regards,


Alister.

  Alister

  you've pretty well described what happens with too much pressure.  If you're getting a condition, with lower pressure, that causes the paint give an orange peel effect on the subject, or is hard for the brush to "pick up", I suspect you have the paint too thick.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on March 20, 2013, 03:45:06 pm
In the poster art world of painting , Paint thickness and air pressure can be manipulated to one's advantage , Paint can be spat out and create a sand effect , Orange peel if too much paint is applied .
However  you are wanting a smooth finish , Some paints depending on it's granular pigment cannot be reduced to flow nice . Humbrols are a good choice for thinning provided you are using the proper thinners.Try about 25% thinners. But the satin and Matt paints may take more.
Is your paint free of clumps and dry skin parts, Passing the paint through some brand new clean pantyhose material will screen out a lot of stuff.
Coverage spray pattern from your airbrush at full spray may only cover the area of a 25 mm circle for small parts this works good but for a larger cabin / hull you may want to get a larger touch up gun.
I found out that over spray from passing over several times can leave a streaky pattern behind.
Air temp and humidity can make a gloss finish come out satin.( Rainy Day Cold)  , Paint it out side and bring it in to the warmer air right after painting  .
Diaphragm air compressors can make heat and moisture when in use for a long time , They also pulse air this can be a hindrance as well, Compressors with Tank systems are better.
I try and use about 20 psi as a base pressure for general stuff. depending on your compressors flow cubic feet per min. You might find out the air volume can drop and make the psi drop even after it shows about 20 psi on your gauge, This is just the same as not enough air pressure.


I got a paint sample from a shipyard and thinned it out and got a rubbery sticky mess, some commercial enamel  paint will not thin down or dry properly after. I try and get Automotive 2 part paints , yes these are costly but last and spray good .


Gary   
         
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 25, 2013, 08:40:26 am
hi Oldiron
i used my air brush for the first real paint job today wasn't impressed ( its a duel action 0.3 nozzle gravity feed
i have been spraying water and turps through it to get a feel of it
so i dried it out over night and produced to try some ordinary RED enamel after straining it through some pantyhose it was  slightly thinner state  the you would use for brushing


i half filled the 7cc cup and all went well for about 3 to 4 minutes then it started to spit lumps of paint out and clog  up so i put my finger over the end and pulled the trigger and blew it back in to the bowl clearing it  this just kept happening so i thinned the paint about 50/50 was better but not perfect still kept clogging up 
i ended up with paint so thin that a 7 cc cup was gone in about 60 sec i had the pressure at max for the little desk top compressor they say 20 psi ?


what am doing wrong ??
thanks bob
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on March 25, 2013, 03:46:45 pm
Do not mix turps with water in an airbrush it will clog, The Turps will skin the inside of the air paint mixing galleries. Your Enamel then worked like paint remover inside the brush and released the turps skin . To remove the turps use some Lacquer thinner . Yes this will again make it clog but just keep forcing it through. I keep a bottle of thinners in squeeze container to force it in if required.
Have a bucket to dump stuff into and catch over spray place a rag in the bucket to absorb most of the spray.

If your paint is going to be Enamels only get a better grade thinners for paint mixing , You can use the lacquer thinners for clean up of the airbrush any time with out clogs happening in the future.
If you use Acrylics water based paints , Then try and use Enamels the same skin problem may occur inside again.
If you can afford 2 air brushes this is best no main clean ups.
What make of paint is the Red??
I have used some cheap thinners and they turned the paint in to glue and rubbery gunk.

Your air brush flat out should be able to empty the cup in about a min.
Paint build up on the needle as it comes out will make the brush spit keep this clean by rubbing it with a cloth and some thinners on the needle. This only happens if you are stopping and starting a lot.
Gary

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 25, 2013, 11:06:24 pm
HI GARY


thanks for that info ,i have always been a brush man so spraying is new to me
the RED enamel is a turps clean up  one from the the local hardware in the small 125 mil tins ASIAN PAINTS  APCOLITE full gloss  SYNTHETIC enamel
might try a new regular brand of paint as i have added a fair bit of turps to the strained lot i have
cheers Bob
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 26, 2013, 12:17:29 am
has any one used this product
http://www.floodaustralia.net/products/paint_additives/penetrol.php


the other paints i have ( except for the red ) are from this company FLOOD COMPANY AUSTRALIA
handy can enamel gloss and it does BRUSH very well if you warm it up with out thinning it
i might try some penetol and see how well the brush goes IF I DONT have any joy with the enamel thinner
i was reading that the red is synthetic paint from India ??? 
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on March 26, 2013, 02:06:40 am
It sounds like a cheap sign paint.
The best results are from a more quality made paint but the supply that you have to deal with may not change.
The cheaper paints have a different type of Polymer plastic construction ( Carrier) some of these chemicals don't like mixing with some thinners.
Paints depending on the density of the color pigment  can not be cut down much the pigment may not look the same color after it dries.
The Polymer in the paint may not even dry well after ( Rubbery and easy to peal ).
Humbrol's don't like my locale cheap thinners they go rubbery and don't dry , The hobby guys bring in a suitable thinner for this paint that I use.
Lacquer thinner is still what I use to clean.
Some fellows just find out that some stuff just wont flow good for spraying out a small nozzle , I have found this out myself .
Gary
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 26, 2013, 07:54:43 am
well i went bought  a  different  brand of paint (still enamel )  and some enamel spraying thinner (  and it dident clog as much ) striped the gun and then blew 2 cups of thinner through , it  is clean
BUT
it looks like to me  like the nozzle isn't big enough .3 as you have to have the paint like water ( with no coverage ) it would take an hour to do one coat on the under water part of hull
so i did it with a brush and will rub it back then try the spray again with a .5 nozzel &%$#@#$%&* air brush

is water base any easier to spray ?

clean up would be a lot cheaper


Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 26, 2013, 09:45:08 am
well i went bought  a  different  brand of paint (still enamel )  and some enamel spraying thinner (  and it dident clog as much ) striped the gun and then blew 2 cups of thinner through , it  is clean
BUT
it looks like to me  like the nozzle isn't big enough .3 as you have to have the paint like water ( with no coverage ) it would take an hour to do one coat on the under water part of hull
so i did it with a brush and will rub it back then try the spray again with a .5 nozzel &%$#@#$%&* air brush

is water base any easier to spray ?

clean up would be a lot cheaper

  I've been following the responses to your problem. Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time of it. Properly sorted an air brush will do a far superior job to a bristle brush.
  That said, your "dribble" problem can be as  simple as trying to force too much paint through to small a nozzle. I've caught myself in the same situation, at times. I either get too lazy to change too a needle and tip(in my case) or I try and do too big a job for the size of the tip, but the result is the same..............a dribble. You've probably got an excellent tip for doing the small work such as figures and fittings where you're not spraying a lot at a time. However, when you open it wide for the deck, hull, superstructure, or what ever, you're trying to force too much paint through the opening.  When this happens not all the paint atomizes properly and drops out of the stream, getting caught on the rim of the tip. Get enough, and the stream blows it off the tip and gives you a blob on your work. This is usually accompanied by a distinct blueness in the air.
  Lesson, go to a larger tip for larger work and don't force the nozzle to do too much.
  good luck

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on March 26, 2013, 03:51:34 pm
Water based acrylics Tamiya and the other hobby stuff spray nicely . Anything with Latex base avoid it it has a gluey polymer construction and sand like particles.
You can spray latex but not from a airbrush , a smaller touch up gun can do it, Or use a Wagner air less unit.
Air brushes are not the best choice for general coverage of painting hulls / super structures , There paint coverage is to small , Get a larger unit to put out paint fast.
Its like coloring a poster board with a sharpy pen  you will see the lines between.
Double action air brushes are known for fine work , Paasche , Binks, Wren, Badger all make a single action that can cover stuff quicker but I would still get a larger gun for the main hull stuff.
Gary
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 26, 2013, 11:05:49 pm



thanks guys for words of wisdom , yer i think because i've all ways used commercial paints for my real boat painting  refitting jobs every year for 50 years
with a brush and had good success they would be worth a try as i have a good range  of acrylic water base / 2 pack /enamel / etc
put it looks like i need some hobby paint after talking to you and reading up on it all the structure of the hobby paint seams to be a lot finer then commercial paint ,
i though it was the same only in little tins with a big price ?


also agree  im trying to do to big a job with to little tool as you have said i don't know what tamiya is worth in the UK but its about $8 for 10m jar here ,you can get it  from china
free shipping for $3.45 so im going to order a kit 25 jars of your choice of color  for $80 and some thinner
and i will look in to a bigger gun
cheers Bob
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: West Coast tug on March 26, 2013, 11:23:35 pm
Have you tried the Auto paint supplier for 2 part urethane colors in half liter sizes, I have done this for 2 of my tugs that had a custom color . Yes it's expensive  but sprays with no problems .




One of the neat things is that I have found out is where to get a spray can of nonskid paint . It looks like sand paper when dry 40 grit. Some decks are covered with this stuff in real life .
As for the under side of the vessel I just get a can of Tremclad red oxide primer .
Gary
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captbearuk on March 27, 2013, 12:02:32 am
John,


I've been looking at Badger 200 airbrushes and I've found numbers 200-3, 200-5, 200-20. The Badger home page doesn't make it clear what these additional numbers relate to. Any idea, do they make a difference?
Thanks
Glyn
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 27, 2013, 12:23:45 am
Hi Gary
yes the red oxide is  what i've been trying to spray ? (does have the realistic look of antifoul with out the chalking off on yer hands )
might try a tiny roller as we used them all the time on the trawlers ( 60 lt of antifoul and 2 x 18" rollers and away you go ) LOL


i was going to ask what you guys use to simulate  nonskid deck paint ( we used fine glass beads in 2 pack epoxy paint on the real stuff , sprinkle it on  with a holes in the bottom of a liter tin , like a large salt shaker


i used 2 pack under coat ( gray )  on the hull over the glass but i brushed it and then rubbed it back smooth as i don't have a big gun or a large composer


yes it is expensive $50  liter in small quantities here , 20 lt drums are a lot more economical
we used poly urethane[size=78%]  exclusively on the trawlers inside and out  , (timber and steel ) no enamel paint anywhere[/size][size=78%] ,we could get 5 years on the forward half  of hull out of it , the aft half was painted every year[/size][size=78%]do you guys use the water based one ? we [/size]don't[size=78%] have it here yet  [/size]
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 27, 2013, 10:58:30 am
 Glyn
  I'm assuming you're taking about the range of 200's shown below (copied from the Badger web site). After looking at the instructions more closely it appears the biggest difference is in the spray head design. The bottom one is obviously a permanent gravity feed. Depending on the head design they will handle a certain range and type of paints. The gravity feed model is designed for very fine work as opposed to the others.
  About using these on large surfaces, I painted the hull on my Graupner Seabex with the one of these Badger 200's with no problem. Gave a very nice finish with a laquer paint designed for model work. The model designed paints have a much smaller pigment than paints designed for things int eh 12" to the foot world and are, therefore, much easier to pass through a small airbrush nozzle properly.


John



BADGER® 200®
   
Return to Airbrush Listing (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Airbrushes.asp)
  SINGLE ACTION, INTERNAL MIX SERIES
  Badger's 200® Series offers the ease of single action operation while providing the fine spray pattern of internal mix paint atomization for professional results. Depressing the trigger releases a pre-set amount of color which can be regulated by turning a needle adjustment screw at the back of the airbrush handle. Once the desired paint flow is set the airbrush will maintain the preset spray pattern until the user chooses to change it. 
 
 (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/library/200NH.jpg) (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/PDF/Model%20200NH%20Bottom%20Feed%20Instruction%20Book.pdf) 
  MODEL 200 BOTTOM FEED AIRBRUSH
 Simplicity of use makes this the top choice for the advanced model painter or decorative stenciler. Also an excellent airbrush for painting posters, auto detailing and  ceramics. The Model 200 will spray inks, dyes, watercolors, gouaches, properly reduced acrylics, fabric paints, modeling paints, automotive lacquers and enamels, most ceramic stains and glazes, Air-Tex®, Air-Opaqueª and MODELflex® airbrush colors. (Available in a single head design or detail design). 
FEATURES
 •  Choice of 3/4 oz. (22ml), 2 oz. (60ml), or 3 oz. (90ml) paint jars, and 1/4 oz. (7ml) free- standing color cup  (Bottom feed only)
 •  Color cup and one-piece jar adaptor taper-fit for quick color change (Bottom feed only)
 •  Self-lubricating PTFE needle bearing enables continuous proper paint flow and prevents needle wear
 •  PTFE head seal assures efficient air flow
 •  Non-slip, one-piece trigger
 •  Fine (F) - pencil line to 2" (51mm) spray pattern
 •  Medium (M) - 1/32" (0.8mm) to 2 1/2" (63mm) spray pattern
    MODEL 200 DETAIL AIRBRUSH
 The finest single action internal mix detail airbrush ever.  The Model 200-20 is designed with the PPS paint flow adjusting system, enabling recurring accuracy in spray pattern and line control.
 (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/library/200_detail.jpg) (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/PDF/Model%20200-20%20Instruction%20Book.pdf)

 MODEL 200 GRAVITY FEED AIRBRUSH
 Offers single action simplicity in a gravity feed airbrush. Allows for "close in"  CLICK  IMAGE TO VIEW INSTRUCTION BOOK
   spraying. Excellent for model detailing and fingernail artists utilizing mini-stencils. (Available as Fine and/or Medium). (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/library/200G.jpg) (http://www.badgerairbrush.com/PDF/Model%20200%20Gravity%20Feed%20Instruction%20Book.pdf) 
   
 
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on March 27, 2013, 01:56:46 pm
Hello folks, having asked your advice a while back John, I also bought the Badger 200 - the one in the first picture you've posted. I'm well pleased with it O0 :-))   
The only thing I can say Oldshrimper is that getting the right paint and viscosity is so important, I've had all the problems you've experienced and more, the difference in using quality paint with very fine pigment for airbrushing is amazing.  A friend put me on to this paint, not cheap but a good size bottle, limited in colour range but I tried it in desperation. A quick shake, into the paint pot & spray - absolutely amazing results!! no clinical settings neede on the brush.  gave me the heart to carry on
http://www.specialistpaints.com/products/inspire-airbrush-base (http://www.specialistpaints.com/products/inspire-airbrush-base)  Regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captbearuk on March 27, 2013, 02:02:54 pm
John,
Thanks again for the quick reply.
I initially did my search on Ebay and found these;
Badger 200-3 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-AIR-BRUSH-PRECISION-SPRAY-SET-MODEL-200-3-/290876047249 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-AIR-BRUSH-PRECISION-SPRAY-SET-MODEL-200-3-/290876047249)
Badger 200-5 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-MODEL-200-5-AIRBRUSH-KIT-BRAND-NEW-IN-BOX-/261181665051 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-MODEL-200-5-AIRBRUSH-KIT-BRAND-NEW-IN-BOX-/261181665051)
Badger 200-20 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-MODEL-200-20-DETAIL-SINGLE-ACTION-AIRBRUSH-/380568706856 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BADGER-MODEL-200-20-DETAIL-SINGLE-ACTION-AIRBRUSH-/380568706856)
I then went to the Badger website and found the information you've shown. All appear to be single action pick up airbrushes, but I now think that the 3 and 5 variation may relate to airbrushes supplied in different type of kits with more or less equipment supplied. The 200-20 is as you've stated a 'detail' airbrush. I'm prepared to pay the little extra and go for the 'detail' airbrush 200-20 and practice 'weathering' if, it's suitable for spraying the hull and larger areas of the model.
Regards
Glyn
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captbearuk on March 27, 2013, 02:06:49 pm
Tony,
Took a quick look at Specialist Paints and it's a site I've bookmarked for later. They do have metalflakes paints and for a brief moment I thought of 'Pimping my Tug'........but it was only for a moment. :embarrassed:
Glyn
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 27, 2013, 03:08:00 pm
Hello folks, having asked your advice a while back John, I also bought the Badger 200 - the one in the first picture you've posted. I'm well pleased with it O0 :-))   
The only thing I can say Oldshrimper is that getting the right paint and viscosity is so important, I've had all the problems you've experienced and more, the difference in using quality paint with very fine pigment for airbrushing is amazing.  A friend put me on to this paint, not cheap but a good size bottle, limited in colour range but I tried it in desperation. A quick shake, into the paint pot & spray - absolutely amazing results!! no clinical settings neede on the brush.  gave me the heart to carry on
http://www.specialistpaints.com/products/inspire-airbrush-base (http://www.specialistpaints.com/products/inspire-airbrush-base)  Regards, Tony.

Tony

 You're quite right about the fine pigment paint these brushes are designed for. Most model paints are of the fine pigment variety. I don't know if you can get them over there, but here are some I use that are specifically designed for model use:

http://www.testors.com/category/135232/Model_Master (http://www.testors.com/category/135232/Model_Master)

http://www.weavermodels.com/page7.html (http://www.weavermodels.com/page7.html)

http://www.testors.com/category/133504/Floquil (http://www.testors.com/category/133504/Floquil)

John

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on March 27, 2013, 04:29:52 pm
Hi Glyn, the brush I purchased was the 200-5, gives a good spray diameter for larger assemblies but also sprays amazingly fine, both  lines and into corners. Ideal I think for the newcomer and expert alike.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captbearuk on March 27, 2013, 07:59:25 pm
Tony,
Then the 200-5 it shall be. Thanks for writing down your experiences; it all helps us new-guys.
Glyn
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: tt1 on March 28, 2013, 02:32:22 am
Hi Glyn, John (Oldiron) is the man to thank really, I found his tutorial a boon and gladly I took his recommendation for the brush.
                                     Don't give up! it does take as they say...............practice, practice, and practice. 
       Rather than wait till I have something that needs painting,  I'll put time aside to do nothing else than have a play airbrushing. I prime up a few sheets of card with grey and white primer, I stick all sorts of scrap off cuts together any old how to form all manner of shapes, including corner and box type shapes, I prime these up and then just have a play!  different paints, thinners, colours, varying viscosity, air pressure etc. etc. and try to enjoy rather than endure.  I sometimes wish though that my model bits came out as good as the scrap! O0 {-) {-)  Regards, Tony.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 28, 2013, 04:45:23 am
well i think i have sorted out my problem


the NIB on my brush was not all the way home ( hard up on the O ring ? and was tight in the thread ) fixed that up and now it sprays like a bought one
probably[size=78%] a good idea to strip the brush and [/size]resemble[size=78%] it before you use it, just watch for the little trigger [/size]rocker[size=78%] [/size]thingy[size=78%] falling out  A %$#@#$% to get back in [/size]
lesson learnt
cheers Bob

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: oldiron on March 28, 2013, 10:21:52 am
well i think i have sorted out my problem


the NIB on my brush was not all the way home ( hard up on the O ring ? and was tight in the thread ) fixed that up and now it sprays like a bought one
probably[size=78%] a good idea to strip the brush and [/size]resemble[size=78%] it before you use it, just watch for the little trigger [/size]rockerthingy[size=78%] falling out  A %$#@#$% to get back in [/size]
lesson learnt
cheers Bob

 Good to hear you got it sorted. let's see some of your paint jobs on here.

John
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: old shrimper on March 29, 2013, 08:50:44 pm
might have to practice a bit more  lol


i tried table salt sprinkled over the wet paint and then wash it off after its dried then a another coat of paint over the top
come up not to bad for the nonskid look
would be more to scale  if it was finer
might try icing sugar next
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: essex2visuvesi on May 05, 2013, 03:59:53 pm
Mods.... can this be made sticky?
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RAAArtyGunner on May 05, 2013, 09:32:43 pm
Mods.... can this be made sticky?

I always thought, paint was sticky enough, without the mods making it worse. O0 O0 {-) {-)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on March 02, 2018, 10:53:02 am
 
Not sure where to put this.... so lets put it here!

Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Peter Fitness on March 02, 2018, 09:41:18 pm
Very interesting Martin :-))


Peter.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RAAArtyGunner on March 03, 2018, 03:24:35 am
Martin,
Good find O0 O0
As he says simple and cheap, meaning it becomes inexpensive to practice spray painting as you are not wasting expensive thinners.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captain fizz on March 05, 2018, 03:59:00 pm
Useful tutorial but i was losing the will to live with all the repetition.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Brian60 on March 05, 2018, 06:35:50 pm
I've used IPA as a diluent in acrylic paint for about 2 years, better than water, cheaper than the paint manufacturers own diluents.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Captain fizz on March 05, 2018, 10:42:01 pm
Do you just add it neat Brian.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on July 16, 2020, 05:04:41 pm
 
I've found my old Paasche / Badger external mix airbrush ( 'airbrush', I use that term loosely! ), is there a simple female to female hose adapter anywhere?
( Paasche to 1/8" ) -  I would have thought that was the first adapter available everywhere?

(https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/_/rsrc/1309653757537/badger-350/350%20kit.jpg)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Mark T on July 16, 2020, 07:16:36 pm
Hi Martin try these people I have always found them to be great  :-))


https://www.everythingairbrush.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqcT04q_S6gIVW-ztCh2sQAYdEAAYASAAEgJuWfD_BwE (https://www.everythingairbrush.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqcT04q_S6gIVW-ztCh2sQAYdEAAYASAAEgJuWfD_BwE)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: RST on July 16, 2020, 07:40:51 pm
Hi Martin, probably easier for me to say as I am kind of in the business but if it's 1/8" BSP you should be able to get it from any of your local industrial counters for a quid or so for an s304 one.  Sometimes if it's something very small like that at my local one they just turn their backs and say "see you next time" while you say "thanks" and grab it off the counter if you know what I mean.  Worth a try.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Big Ada on July 18, 2020, 06:12:36 pm
Great Tips are always welcome. :-))
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on July 18, 2020, 07:05:55 pm

NB: I've gone for this type ( external mix ) as:

a. I'm not very good at airbrushing,

b. I'm only priming and top coating, no detail stuff,

c. I found it on the back of a shelf,

d, Mainly the clean up is minimal !



( Minimal ... not  Manimal - that was a idiot TV program from the 80's!  Look it up, it was Terrible  )  {-)   




(https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/_/rsrc/1309653757537/badger-350/350%20kit.jpg)
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Mark T on July 18, 2020, 07:10:02 pm
Thats a good brush for what you need - suction feed that holds loads of paint and if you angle the brush the paint won't spill out either.  The most critical thing will be the viscosity of the paint.  Just thin it until its like milk and you can't go wrong.
Title: Re: Oldiron's Airbrush Tutorial
Post by: Martin [Admin] on November 01, 2020, 09:13:03 pm
 
Found this, for further reading:

 Airbrush for Beginners Right Now [Airbrush Buying Guide 2020]
 
 http://www.airbrushgeek.com/best-airbrush-for-beginners/?fbclid=IwAR0EK359DV4FTNOuwXGu6YFQeL508YkxjRUa-TaeUsvP5duCg567Oiw2FcA