Tamiya or Aztek Airbrush's

[ImolaEK]

Originally Posted by Martbee

Agree for the moisture thing and the working pressure too. Beware of the rust or you're investment will suffer. And don't shoot too high with the Iwata... I don't have this exact model but most of Iwata are rated to work under 40psi... don't blow it !

Thanks guys, i'll check for those things once i get home. I wont be able to use my airbrush for a while though. This week i have lots of things to do Have to take the PSAT (High School test) tomorow. Wish me luck!

[Martbee]

Good luck then. Don't think too much about the Airbrush, it'll e there when the exam is over... Concentrate !

[ImolaEK]

Originally Posted by Martbee

Good luck then. Don't think too much about the Airbrush, it'll e there when the exam is over... Concentrate !

Finally testing is over! Well guys i tried doing some letters and graffiti with my airbrush. One question i have to ask is when painting a model do you guys press it all the way so alot of paint comes out at once? Or do you have to do it real lightly so it wont accumulate? I know that when painting a car you want to get everything covered at once. Should i give it all the paint and hold it back from far or will i get that old fasion orange peeeeel

[StephenDeli]

Well I had a talk with Vric. I asked him about orange peel with an airbrush and he said he didnt know it was possible. Although, he uses enamels and I spary acrylics. I have finnally gotten the "touch" for using my anthem. It is spray light, but not dry. Hard to explain but it turns out great.


As for trigger use. I never pull back my trigger past half way. I find it to be a waste of paint. Also it runs easier like that. Our airbushes are different, so I suggest you use a bottle to test. What works and what doesn't. It will save you hassles.

[Martbee]

Well, orange peel depend a lot of the paint you're using... I found that nail polish is pretty hard to do without that orange peel. It suppose to be that way so don't freak out when it's happen... it take a little patience and some 2000 sand paper and compound to have a decend finish. I've never achive a perfect finish with that knid of paint. For acrylics, it pretty easy and you'll have almost no orange peel with the adequate pressure and amount of paint. I spray Tamiya acrylics often and almost never worry about it because it's almost always problems free paint if it's thinned the right way. The Createx is a little more difficult to do right at first, it tend to dry with a little orange peel even if it look OK when you finish shooting... kind of tricky. On enamel, the trick is to do a tack coat before the wet and pretty decend result can be obtain... if not, it's quite easy to compound it to a glossy finish...

I almost never go at full throttle with the airbrush, always keeping in the middle pressure, middle flow area but every airbrush is kind of different so you'll have to do your homework and practice to get it right. Don't worry, it's not that long, the fingers are learning faster than the brain and the first thing you know, you're quite good at it but can't explain why !!! No, sincerely, when poeple ask, it's not easy to explain why the result is so good compare to older works !!! Yup... finger learning !

[Martbee]

Ho, and I never work very far from the surface I'm working on... well not too near either or you'll have too much paint and start buildups.

[StephenDeli]

Martbee, what psi do you spray your tamiya acrylics with. Becuase im at about 7-13 and I get this VERY FINE orange peel. I thin at about 2:1.

[Vric]

One thing I learned the hard way today... Lacquer Thinner really hate plastic
One of my small Plastic jar is totally scrap becose of that.. was kinda funny to see it, but it's now in really funny shape

As for Orange peal, I think it's normal. Exactly like a spray can, you need to do a wet coat once you have "finished" Try higher PSI (15-20psi) and make a bit thicker coat.. be carfull, paint can run easily

[Martbee]

Originally Posted by StephenDeli

Martbee, what psi do you spray your tamiya acrylics with. Becuase im at about 7-13 and I get this VERY FINE orange peel. I thin at about 2:1.

Most of the time between 20 to 25... sometimes I go up to 30... always depending on the way you've thinned your mixture. If I were shooting a mixture of Tamiya 2:1, I'd be around 15psi but that a rule of thumbs... I never go really with the number when it comes to Airbrushing. I like to go with the feeling more than the numbers.

As exemple... I don't even know at what dose I thin... I go with the look of it, if it's milk like, then it Ok for most acrylics (I like my tamiya to be a little (but very little) more thick than that... that's why the higher psi), if I shoot lacquer, I like it to be a little more dillued... especialy the first 2 or 3 first mist coats... just to see if there's a "nude spot" on my model. If there is, the little lacquer won't eat all the plastic but will dig a little hole in it but can easely be repaired then reprimed.

As for another exemple, I don't really write down at what psi with what paint. When the paint have a decend look in the jar, it's time for an "Airborne Shooting"... just shooting away from any surface in the air to see how the paint mist and blend in the air... to ajust the spitting (not enough psi) or too much mist (too much psi). Then the "Object trial"... this is where I shoot on a piece of old canvas to find the right "sweet spot" where the paint will cover at a perfect distance, at the right psi with the prepare dillued (or not) paint. Let the brain control and learn that... observe, pay attention at the weigh you're putting on that trigger, at what distance and everything. Then the final step, move the body of your model, the bike helmet, the real car or everything you have to shoot and go on... don't loose faith in you and never turn back unless if it's to change paint color or add more in the cup (or jar).

Of course... if your shooting at 7-13 psi but never pull all the way back down on the trigger of a double action Airbrush... you're not shooting 13 psi... but you know that !!! So you don't know at what psi you're shooting right ?? Just like me !

As exemple... this babe never had a polish or a compound on it:

[Vric]

Martbee, the trigger don't control the PSI, but the quantity of paint. the PSi is controled up and down on the triger (most of the time, it's nearly imposible to not press all the way down the triger, so you always shoot the psi that your compressor give you)

[Martbee]

oops, right, got mixt up in the hurry to write such a long message right before work... well, you know what I meant !

I should have wrote "...push all the way down..." instead.

[Martbee]

Originally Posted by Vric

Martbee, the trigger don't control the PSI, but the quantity of paint. the PSi is controled up and down on the triger...

PS Vric... this sentence make no sense !!
The trigger does control the pressure but not in a front to back mouvement. Take it easy... we 'll say you were in a hurry too ! 've got to admit though that 80% of the time this is way down... almost 100% of the time on body (well scale model that is).

I notice that the outside temperature has an influence too. Humid day or a windy day don't give great result like you can see on my 350Z done a few month ago (almost years now !?)... it has a light little orange peel when you look at it !

It's not a "P-man flawless paint job" as you can see:

Maybe I should learn to polish but... I'd be modelling less !

[Vric]

this is what I wanted to say. I just got out of bed, give my english a break

The triger does control the pressure (up and down mouvement) but it's so hard to control that, you end up using the max psi anyway.

your 350Z look fine, beside your interior look glossy The really small orange peal can be removed using only coumpond.

btw, I see you had some problem with the windsheild. Glad to see i'm not alone

[Martbee]

Yup, seat are too glossy (it's been almost a year now, I've learn a lot in modelling since then... AF credit)... the orange peel are on the upper end of the hood. It's not that bad but not perfect neither. 've got to admit though that 80% of the time this is way down... almost 100% of the time on body (well scale model that is).

[Martbee]

Originally Posted by Martbee

Yup, seat are too glossy ...

Woo, I quote my own now !!!
Seats ... I meant all the orange componements in the inside are too glossy cuz they were shot at the same time than the body so ... well, live n learn .