Painting problems

ok guys..i've read and searched and read some more and I'm still having some problems with my painting. I'm using a an airbrush with a ridiculously powerful compressor (my dad's garage one) that has a pressure regulator. I'm also painting with acrylics (modelmasters and those testors 'ready for spray' paints). I can get a decent smoothness but no gloss. I read that you don't want a 'wet look' when painting the first coats, so I kept it light and dry, but now I need a shine. On one car I tried to clear coat over it ( model master clear w/ alchohol -6:1 mix, looks kinda ruff now).

On another car I just applied a thicker coat with the brush closer up (also not very smooth but shinier). I've got the tamiya rubbing compound. What should I do from this point to achieve at least a decent gloss on my projects now? Hate to sound like a bad newb but I've read the p-man tutorials and searched.

Am I not close enough when I paint? Should I apply a few clear coats and then rub smooth? Should I try to acheive a 'wet look' on the last coats? Or should I just wait it out and try to very-fine-sand both cars then rub?

what to do what to do...any help greatly appreciated

And another thing....if tamiya acrylics are ready to spray...why do those come out so clumpy when I use them in my airbrush..the model masters difinetly come out a lot smoother. Should I thin them with alchohol?

And another thing....if tamiya acrylics are ready to spray...why do those come out so clumpy when I use them in my airbrush..the model masters difinetly come out a lot smoother. Should I thin them with alchohol?
Well, you should always thin the paint out. As for your other question, set your air compressor to a lower output psi, so is isn't too powerful. Just play with it, and you'll find the pressure that you need.

Also, are you sure the "clumps" isn't water? If so, purchase or fabricate a water trap to keep the moisture out of the air. When I started airbrushing, I shot from far, making very light coats. Doing this gave me a bad shine and orange peel, but getting too close can cause "drips" if too much paint is applied. Adjust you're distance as you paint, also if it's humid, the paint will take more time to harden which can cause the paint to accumalate dust while the paint is still sticky.. so try to paint on dry, sunny days.

Hope this helps you, if not hopfully another member will.

I am still a newbe so take it for what it is worth,

I have noticed that after my first couple of dry coats I have to lay down a nice wet coat to get the shine. I am still using spray cans. You have to get close so that the paint looks shiny but not to close, to too long with your strokes, to where the paint will start to run. I have noticed that the wet coat (shiny) will take away some detail in the lines of the car but once it shrinks and is cured things are ok.

I read it someone's paint how to NOT paint untill you get the full wet look. I am not sure that is always true because I read in two model scale books you want to paint close enough for the wet look but not to close you get runs. It is kind of tricky.

alfred

First of all, Tamiya acrylics are not ready to spray from the bottle, thin it with their thinner or isopropyl alchohol to a consistancy of milk. Try a couple of light coats for coverage then a heavier wet coat for gloss. For max gloss and smoothness you have to do more than lay on a good paint job, you must polish the surface.

Also. acrylic or water based paints take a little more pressure to spray because they are heavier than than oil based paints. Oil based usually spray well at 15 to 20psi and more for acrylic. Keep practicing to get a technique down that works for you. Definitely get an inline water trap and put it in the hose going to your airbrush, close to the brush.

I guess the ultimate trick is wet but not too wet. That I still have not mastered. -) The set up you do prior to spraying is at least as important as the spraying technique.

The thinning ratio, pressure, distance, the whole procedure will be different for everyone and you need to practice and figure out what works for you.

My setup:
28 psi
1:6 - 1:8(depending on paint brand) alcohol to paint ratio
white primer for light/bright color finish, gray for black or very dark finish

I spray close to the model(4-6 inches) but I move very quickly in order to avoid too much paint. First coat is very light, barely enough to cover the underlying color. Second coat is just wet enough to get gloss look. Alcohol makes it dry quick. I use hair dryer to dry even faster. Then I place decal, wet clear coat, dry, sometimes another clear coat.

It's difficult to spray so that the coating is wet but thin.

I've just painted my 5th body with the same technique, and just as I was thinking that I had gotten better.....I sucked it up! Horrible, I mean horrible orange peel. I even think that I got bubbles come up from the underlying layers (are those air bubbles?).

Just to see if I did in fact set it too low...what happens when you set the pressure too low when applying paint?

I can get it smooth when I go high pressure just no shine.....dam dam dam!