Paint Handling for the Clumsy

I'm in a constant struggle with paint: dripping it, spilling it, cleaning it off my Paasche Type H airbrush parts.

There must be some tricks of the trade, some better ways to use paint and keep it under control

Here's an example of where I need help: I generally keep paint (ModelMaster and Floquil) in small glass jars, either bought that way, mixed, or decanted from rattlecans. But I don't know a good way to move small amounts from one jar to another or from a jar into my airbrush cup.

Pouring it directly from the jar is almost always a mess. It's impossible to control the amount, and I almost always end up with paint dripping down the jar onto my hand. I've thought of using an eyedropper, but that's something else to clean! Isn't there a neater way to move paint from one container to another?

I've tried those squeezy plastic droppers with the bulb at one end; they seem to work fine for adding thinner, but they're impossible to clean, so they're a one-time-only deal for paint.

What about those simple glass tubes? Are they really practical? Where would I get them? Is there something that's better yet?

Every time I finish spraying a color, I toss the AB parts into a covered jar of lacquer thinner. When I want to spray again, I fish them out and clean them individually with pipe cleaners and rags. That works, but it's tedious. And I get lacquer thinner all over my hands. Is there a more efficient way to clean AB parts? Would one of those expensive airbrush cleaning systems be the right thing for my basic single action airbrush? Or is it just something else to clean?!

Generally, I find myself spending WAY too much time cleaning up AB parts and paint messes. And I'm getting way too much paint and thinner on my hands.

I'd be very grateful for any advice about any aspect of paint handling. (The only thing I'd rule out is switching to waterborne paints. I'm convinced that Floquil and ModelMaster paints are best for my small-scale models.)

Thanks!

Diddy

1. With regards mess and controlled dosing, get your self some glass eye droppers from your chemist. Small doses, cleanly and cleans easily and quickly in the appropriate thinner/cleaner. Cost probably a dollar each and last ages.

2. Cleaning the airbrush. I suppose it depends on individual models but I have found thet it takes me no more than 5 minutes to fully flush through, dismantle, clean and reassemble my AB. I use tweezers to remove parts from the thinner bath.

3, I guess a large part of it is also down to personal habits and style. I try to keep my working area as tidy as possible (within reason) and regualrly clean up throughout a build

The dropper are great and very cheap so I deffo 2nd that!

Lets face it cleaning ure ab is a ball ache but its got to be done simple as. Find the best way to clean ures and stick to it, it takes me about 5mins as well.

Last note just learn to be more tidy no offence! And do a clean up of ure workstation on a regular basis.

I have been using a Paasche' H-series for about 20 years now, and the best way I have found to clean it is to just spray the apropriate thinner through your a/b after you are done painting.

First dump the un-used portion on paint either back into your paint jar, then use some "dirty" thinner to get a basic clean out, then use small ammounts of clean thinner to progressively spray through the a/b, until it doesn't spray any color out with the thinner. pop the cup off, run a pipe cleaner through it, pop paint needle/cap assembly off and inspect it for residual paint, clean accordingly. this takes probably 3-5 minutes, if that's to long, then you should resort to spray cans. On a side note, don't leave your airbrush parts in the thinner bath, as any paint that is in the thinner will stick to the metal, and need to be cleaned off. only soak in CLEAN thinner and only after every couple air brushing sessions, or when you are going from one paint to another with incompatiable base solvents.

I actually haven't had to soak mine in about 3 years, because I keep it clean.

as for pouring pant into the cups/jars for spraying, I always just pour it in straight from the bottle, and add thinner right in the cup, probably not a wise thing to do, but it works for me. I always keep a lint free cloth at the ready when pouring paint to catch any drips. I always cap the jar as soon as I am done pouring paint, always use eye droppers when adding thinner to the paint, always wear solvent resistant rubber gloves when painting/mixing/cleaning with solvents.

I think the biggest tip you can get on this subject is: Don't get in a hurry, as it has been said time and time again "Haste makes waste".

I didn't take offense about your work area comments; I fully agree and mine is pretty tidy.

Sounds like I'm using the right method to clean the airbrush parts. It takes me about the same amount of time. I'm pretty scrupulous about it, since I know that nothing is worse than a clogged nozzle right in the middle of a spray.

As to the eyedroppers, I'll definitely take your advice.

Anything else? (The folks on this forum are incredibly helpful, and I really appreciate it. Yesterday, I learned a whole new way to get paint thickness right. Wow.)

Diddy

Anything else?
Yep :D

If you haven't got one already, get youself one of these airbrush holders (or similar). It certainly helps prevent paint spillage when you don't have to juggle paint jar, pipette and airbrush all at one time ;)

Plus it's a great thing to be able to just rest up your airbrush at a moment notice.

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/269/32/26932-OB2ww-m.jpg

Also, get yourself one of these-

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/269/03/26903-0100-3ww-l.jpg

It's an Aztec airbrush cleaning station. (Cheapie airbrush sold separately.) It gives you somewhere to spray that cleaning thinner into, and the neck will mach nearly any airbrush made. I have two- one for use with acrylics and one with laquers.

My cleanup routine is as follows:
-Place thinner in color cup with eyedropper
-Partially spray out thinner, backpressure the airbrush, spray more out.
-Use a qtip soaked in the thinner in the cup to clean the cup walls. Spray out remaining thinner.
-Repeat with a bit more clean thinner if necessary.
-Turn off compressor. Remove paint cup (if removable) and store upside down
-Remove needle and wipe it down (can use thinner dampened qtip from above).
-Leave disassembled until next painting session.

Easy. It takes maybe two minutes. I really don't understand when people go on about how much hassle it is to clean an airbrush. :dunno: I use a Badger 100/150, and this method completely works for me.

The only thing I have trouble with is cleaning up after metallics. Metallic flecks are likley to show in solid colors after metallics are used, and they're nearly impossible to completely clean. Best solution is treat metallic paints as a contaminent, and get a separate airbrush- one for clears and solids, one for metallics. (I also use my metallics airbrush for spraying primer.)

/\ that is GOOD advice. Not only that, but if you are pleased with the performance of the Paasche' h-series, you can find them all day long, brand new for $20 or so on ebay.

I think I might just buy another, since my tips are getting a bit hammered (I'm clumsy too, and have dropped my a/b a couple times :banghead: :disappoin )

When pouring paint from from one jar to another, i use toothpicks for control.

Just touch the toothpick to the rim of the jar you are pouring from. The flow will be much easier to control.

I use the same toothpick to stir / mix the paint.
When you're done, just throw it away. No mess :)

Just touch the toothpick to the rim of the jar you are pouring from. The flow will be much easier to control.

Cool. Let me see if I have it right. Before you pour, you touch the pick to the pouring point? And that prevents dribbling down the side of the jar?

Diddy

Personally, I use a Badger 100G (gravity feed with the paint cup permanently mounted to top of brush). For me, this is what I do for transferring paint.

- I have a nice soft/fluffy paintbrush I use to transfer paint from the jar to the air-brush. About 3/4" long and relatively thick. I dip it into the paint, and then just transfer it to the color cup by dragging along the edge of the color cup.
- then, I add a bit of thinner (usually lacquer thinner) to the color cup. I use the same brush to stir the thinned paint right in the color cup. This gets most of the remaining paint out of the brush as well...
- After it's mixed, I just drag the edge of the brush along the top of the color cup again to drain as much as I can back into the color cup. By the time I'm done, there is really very little paint still in the brush itself. A quick swirl in a jar of thinner and the a wipe on some paper towel, and the paint-brush is ready for the next color/use.

That's it. Works very well for me, and really makes stirring the whole mix really easy and thorough.

As for cleaning, I think you just have to find a method that works for you.

Personally, I use that very same paintbrush for cleaning the airbrush between color changes.
- I put fresh lacquer thinner into the color cup and swirl it around with the paint brush to clean the edges and bottom of the color cup.
- I also gently drag the paint brush accross/around the airbrush tip/needle to clean any paint off of there as well. Be very careful here...
- a qtip is often handy as well for cleaning paint that might have dried on a bit.
- generally that gets it pretty clean, but usually I dump/spray the thinner out of the airbrush, and do it one more time for good measure. Usually gets it pretty clean. Wipe the whole thing off with a paper towel, and you're done. Almost no thinner/paint on my hands....
- I only completely disassemble my airbrush for cleaning when I'm ready to put it away. Silver/metallic paint might be an exception. That stuff seems to get into every little nook/cranny possible, and if you don't clean it out thoroughly, you will notice the contamination in the next color that you spray. For other colors, a throrough cleaning with the brush and spray-through of fresh thinners has never failed me.

Murray

Cool. Let me see if I have it right. Before you pour, you touch the pick to the pouring point? And that prevents dribbling down the side of the jar?

Diddy

That's right.
Hold the pick at one end and touch the middle part of the pick to your pouring point. This will break the surface tension of the paint, making it flow down along the pick into your other container.

When you're done pouring, kinda run the pick along the rim in a "wiping" motion and if done slowly, will prevent the last drops from flowing down the sides.
You may still get bit of paint where you don't want it, but I'll bet that it'll be less of a mess than if you didn't use the pick :)

Your suggestions set me to thinking.

I tried this mixing/cleaning method and it seemed to save time, get everything clean in a jiffy (keeping in mind that back-pressuring the 500H doesn't work very well), and resulted in a good mix of paint and thinner:

1. Attach a clean color cup to a clean nozzle assembly. Fill the cup with more thinner than necessary. Aim the brush outside and spray out the excess, making sure the nozzle is clear and set correctly.

2. Using a swizzle stick of some sort, mix color with the thinner remaining in the cup. Mix in color or thinner until testing produces a thin but non-runny mixture. When the spray density is "perfect," spray the model.

3. When done, pour out any remaining paint. Detach the cup and toss it into a "soak bottle" of lacquer thinner.

4. Connect a large, siphon-fitted jar of clean lacquer thinner and spray a generous amount through the nozzle assembly.

Don't do this in proximity to the model or anything else that can be damaged by lacquer thinner. My setup is next to an exterior door, so I go outside. I don't know how it could be done indoors without a ventilated booth with an exhaust fan.

Detach the jar of clean thinner. (Keep it filled for future sessions.)

5. Clean the cup using pipe cleaners and a rag.

Now I'm ready for another session, starting with #1. (It should all take place in a well-ventilated area while wearing a painter's respirator, of course.)

Your thoughts?

Diddy

P.S. I tried using the toothpick to control dripping, and it really works great! Thanks, Simechua.

model.
Now I'm ready for another session, starting with #1. (It should all take place in a well-ventilated area while wearing a painter's respirator, of course.)
Your thoughts?
Diddy

P.S. I tried using the toothpick to control dripping, and it really works great! Thanks, Simechua.

I do much the same steps with regards to airbrush cleaning. I only differ in that I'll take out the needle and give it a good wipe between colors. I find that if my needle is even a little bit dirty, it interferes with the trigger action. A full strip is only done when that nagging voice in my head gets too loud.:screwy:

I'm glad you find the tip useful. This forum is all about sharing isn't it? I've leant more from this forum than I ever could thru personal experience.
Many thanks to the other members. :)