Airbrushing problems….

[Siko]

Hi folks, I recently got back into modelling again after 35 years and invested in a basic Amazon airbrush (Timbertech kit) which I was really impressed with. I even made my first tank and sprayed a basic camo scheme onto a Tamiya Panther which came out pretty well for a first go. I did mask it up pretty well and had the odd splatter/run but managed to correct it with respray.

I started a more ambitious model next and tried to do the same again, but after getting the base coat down ok any attempt to spray camo stripes with/without masking just resulted in loads of runs, splatters and clogs. Total nightmare! I do clean the airbrush out before/after use and thought I was thinning/mixing the paint well, but maybe I wasn’t. I gather I need to thin my acrylics roughly 50/50 with thinners to a skimmed milk consistency, but I seemed to get my best results spraying neat 100% Tamiya acrylics without any thinning at all.

However the hataka paint I wanted to put on top of the Tamiya base just constantly either clogged/spluttered/jammed up or was way too thin and just ran everywhere. A mate told me not to bother with hataka paints in airbrushes, but the Tamiya was only marginally better so I’m assuming it was just me, he also said my airbrush was not worth the time of day and suggested I replace it with a decent branded one - I have an iwata Neo coming tomorrow.

Long post I know but there are some really talented modellers on here, does anyone have any idiots guides you can suggest to help a modelling buffoon?! I have mainly Tamiya paint/thinners now and will shortly have my iwata partnered to my Timbertech compressor, so hopefully I will have a potentially decent setup to use in future.

[Baldyboy]

First thing to ask what pressure is your compressor set at?

[Siko]

Baldyboy said:

First thing to ask what pressure is your compressor set at?

No idea! I didn’t know that you could change it but had a go this afternoon, I tried turning it down and it shows 50-60psi on the dial and is noticeably weaker but that can’t be right…. I have a horrible feeling I’ll have to buy a bloody new compressor too at this rate, but I’ll soldier on for now if I can.

Edit: was showing 40psi before I turned it down.

[Baldyboy]

First thing to ask what pressure is your compressor set at?

[Baldyboy]

No idea why that’s double posted. Ok it generally needs to run between 15-20 psi depending on the paint, that’s what I run for metal paints and for thinned paints. If it’s that high it’s far to high.

[MBBlat]

Get Mr Levelling Thinner to use with the Tamiya paint and thin about 50/50. Be prepared to spend as much time cleaning the airbrush as using it, still beats brush painting though and cheaper than spray cans.

[Siko]

Thanks guys I found a video on YouTube showing how to adjust the pressure so will give that a go. I suspect I’m doing everything wrong as opposed to just one thing….funny how it worked first time though

Cheers for the help

[r159]

You could a few drops of Vallejo Airbrush flow improver (which works fine with Tamiya acrylics) , it helped me with the splatters. As said the air pressure is far too high though.

[Siko]

Thanks for all the help. I was airbrushing at 40-50psi with a crappy noname airbrush and badly mixed paint

I managed to work out how to change the pressure and reset it to 18psi approx, I also bought a new Iwata Neo airbrush. I tried it all together today with Tamiya thinner approx 50/50 and I am a happy man again - managed some really good results earlier with masking (no splats or clogs etc) and might even try freehand camo stripes tomorrow too….it’s that confidence inspiring. The much lower air pressure obviously just makes it so easy and the Iwata is vastly more controllable than my previous example. Pretty sound investment tbh

Edited by Siko on Sunday 25th September 22:30

[Squirrelofwoe]

The other thing I would check is just how thoroughly you are cleaning the airbrush- I have found that anything less than an almost complete strip down and component clean after spraying would leave bits of paint residue to dry on the needle or in the nozzle, which would play havoc with the next spraying attempt.

The comment above about spending as long cleaning the airbrush as actually painting is a valid point!

I managed almost 2 years with a cheap no-name branded airbrush and managed to get some half decent results (by my standard anyway) after sorting out a proper cleaning process and getting the pressure set correctly (I too was spraying at much too high a pressure to start with). All done with Tamiya acrylics thinned down with Mr Levelling thinner.

[Siko]

Thanks I’m pretty happy now - it was 80% way too high pressure and 20% crap paint/mixing. Tamiya acrylics just go on without any trouble - living them! Hataka maybe not do much….

[Yertis]

Siko said:

Thanks for all the help. I was airbrushing at 40-50psi with a crappy noname airbrush and badly mixed paint

I managed to work out how to change the pressure and reset it to 18psi approx, I also bought a new Iwata Neo airbrush. I tried it all together today with Tamiya thinner approx 50/50 and I am a happy man again - managed some really good results earlier with masking (no splats or clogs etc) and might even try freehand camo stripes tomorrow too….it’s that confidence inspiring. The much lower air pressure obviously just makes it so easy and the Iwata is vastly more controllable than my previous example. Pretty sound investment tbh

Edited by Siko on Sunday 25th September 22:30

I'm pretty sure that, back in the '70s, 40psi was the recommended pressure for airbrushing. Maybe that was for spraying Humbrol enamel thinned with white spirit.

[Siko]

yesterjay said:

I'm hearing results, but I'm not seeing results...

Sideskirts look sh*t in the picture but ok in the flesh and the other side is spot on (honest ). Ready for weathering next….