im addicted

to airbrushing. i love having infinite propellant (compressor) and a wack load of paint. ive painted everything from my model car, to my motorcycle helmet and had to have a friend pull me away. i suggest EVERYONE buys an airbrush, best investment you can have

I'm impatient and I hate cleaning it and having extra paint that is already thinned but not used. I wish I had the money for a compressor though.

How time consuming is it to clean it? Is it a 5 minute job? 10 minute job? I'm getting an airbrush freom a good friend and I can't wait 'till I start mixing the colors Tamiya does'nt offer :D

Originally posted by integra818
How time consuming is it to clean it? Is it a 5 minute job? 10 minute job? I'm getting an airbrush freom a good friend and I can't wait 'till I start mixing the colors Tamiya does'nt offer :D

im a neat freak and this airbrush is expensive, i meticulously clean it everytime. It took me 30 minutes both times because I soaked many parts in varsol and took it apart and cleaned it with small pipe cleaner tools. It should only take you 5-10 minutes if you don't care bout getting every single piece clean.

Yeah I think it takes around 20 -30 minutes, and you have to do that between every color.

Originally posted by DanSmith
Yeah I think it takes around 20 -30 minutes, and you have to do that between every color.

i keep having a prob at the tip of my AB though. The paint gunks up and splatters, I have to keep cleaning it and its annoying when it spurts out gunk of paint out of nowhere.

Originally posted by mentel


im a neat freak and this airbrush is expensive, i meticulously clean it everytime. It took me 30 minutes both times because I soaked many parts in varsol and took it apart and cleaned it with small pipe cleaner tools. It should only take you 5-10 minutes if you don't care bout getting every single piece clean.

I'll probabl;t take about 15-20 minutes cleaning it, I'm a neat-freak too but not as hard-core as you:)

i wish i could get a airbrush, but it starts to turn into like a 200$ thing and i don't want to spend that much..... also, I think that spray cans r almost as good, TAKE pmans models for reference :D

I have a Badger Spray Gun Kit #250 and it was less than $30. It is not one of those fancy dual action guns, but I am new to the hobby so I haven't purchased one of those yet. I haven't used the Badger much, but I haven't had any problems such as paint blobs. The only problems I've had were related to getting used to using it, mainly just figuring out how thin to make the paint and how far to hold the gun back from the piece being painted.

I clean my Badger 155 during color changes in less than 5 mins. Simply run it under the tap until water comes out clear and follow up by spraying and backblowing a whole color cup of alcohol/windex. Rinse once more and your done. This is for acrylics though.

Some tips:

Keep the tip clean with a solvent soaked toothbrush making sure not to damage the needle.

Backblow your airbrush to clean by covering the nozzle with a finger/rag and spray.

Get a tank for your compressor to regulate the pulsations.

all I can think of now.

Your truck is lookin' sick! Except I'm kinda mad, cuz I am building the same kit with the same rims, but you're hella farther along than me. Only difference is I shaved EVERYTHING off mine: door handles, taillights, tailgate, 3rd brake light, body molding, bodyline. Also, I molded in a custom rollpan. I'm also workin on a custom interior, and suspension- gonna look like it is bagged. I don't have a digital camera or scanner tho so I can't post pics now, but when I get them up I'll show you if you're interested. Good Job on your truck!! :)

Originally posted by B16EF
Your truck is lookin' sick! Except I'm kinda mad, cuz I am building the same kit with the same rims, but you're hella farther along than me. Only difference is I shaved EVERYTHING off mine: door handles, taillights, tailgate, 3rd brake light, body molding, bodyline. Also, I molded in a custom rollpan. I'm also workin on a custom interior, and suspension- gonna look like it is bagged. I don't have a digital camera or scanner tho so I can't post pics now, but when I get them up I'll show you if you're interested. Good Job on your truck!! :)

talking to me? if yes, then i would liket o see yours!
right now i have the chrome rubbed off and am painting bumpers same color. I thought it would look tasteful with silver door handles and emblem. something unique

only trouble with airbrush is the thiner ! washing the airbrush is a pain ! here why I use only acrylic paint for my airbrush (water washable)

One technique to save time, is to prepare as many parts as possible for airbrushing at one time.

Then:

Start with the lightest color and work your way to the darkest. Between each color do as freelunch suggested. The leftover paint from the color before is minimal, and masked by the heavier paint you would be using next.

Keep metallics and solid colors separate - do the solid colors first, then metallic, this is to keep metallic flakes out of your solid color.

Then you can do whatever thorough deep cleaning method you want.

I generally give my airbrush a good deep cleaning between projects, and during projects I just make sure the needle/cup is clean before I put it away.

Originally posted by mentel
i suggest EVERYONE buys an airbrush, best investment you can have

Could not agree more!;)

If you want to avoid spending too much time on cleaning, then get an Aztec. They are very easy to clean, you only need to spray thinner through them until it runs clear and that's pretty much it.

I also must agree! I LOVE my airbrush!!!! I'm also a neat freak when it comes to cleaning my airbrush, but its worth it. If your sceptical about getting an air brush, dont be! There are so many advantages to an airbrush over spraypaint: less orange peel, more control over the spray, infinite amout of color choices, etc... :D