Some questions from person new to airbrushing.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Plumcrazy Preston said:

I already have money now invested in Testors enamels. I have already had experience with Testors enamels. I already have money invested in a Paasche H kit. I have a few more items to get before I start my Paasche H training sessions. I will most certainly do some practice on disposable plastic items before turning that airbrush loose on my $35+ model kits. I don't have a disposable income. 

If you don't have "disposable income", and you apparently are going to use straight Testors enamel, I don't know why you went through all of these contortions.

You should have just used Testors enamel spray bombs!

Would have saved you a boat load of time, money and aggravation!

 

Here, let's see if this sinks in.

 

Mix Testors flat enamel, (you can mix any color you want) about 50/50 with lacquer thinner. (should be the consistency of milk) 

Prime the body with one of Testors lacquer primers, (gray or white) (spray can)

Spray on the color in several light coats. (air brush)

Finish by clear coating with one of Testors clear lacquers. (spray can)

 

There!

It doesn't get any simpler than that, and you're using all Testors products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

[Cool Hand]

18 hours ago, Plumcrazy Preston said:

I just bought a new Paasche H airbrush kit and some airbrush accessories. I also have some Testors enamels. I saw the Andy X video on YouTube about using the "modified Don Yost" methods for airbrushing car bodies. It calls for 1/1 Testors enamel and lacquer thinner. My concern is lacquer thinner might harm the plastic in some plastic model kits. 

 

I have the following plastic model kits slated for painting and building:

 

1. AMT Kenworth W-925 truck tractor (in progress) and AMT Wilson cattle trailer

2. AMT Bell 205 rescue helicopter

3. Atlantis Boeing 727 jet plane

 

I plan to give all those above models (except for the truck trailer) a custom base color using Testors GRAPE enamel. The airplane and the chopper will look like private aircraft with custom paint. 

 

1. Am I better off to just use Testors Enamel Thinner in place of the lacquer thinner for the "modified Don Yost" method?

 

2. Will Testors enamel paint thinner level the paint as well as the lacquer thinner does in the Andy X video? 

 

3. Is lacquer thinner still best to clean up the airbrush well? 

 

4. Is the airbrush mix still 1/1 with the Testors enamels and Testors thinner? 

 

(207) Passche H Airbrush - The Scale Model workhorse ! - YouTube

 

 

After the base coat has cured, I plan to apply water slide decals and seal them in by airbrushing Testors Glosscoate or Dullcote over them, starting out with a couple of mist coats to protect the lacquer-hating decals.

 

5. Should lacquer thinner or enamel thinner be used to thin Glosscote or Dullcote for the airbrush?

6. Is the mix 1/1?

7. Can I create a semi-gloss/satin top coat by mixing equal parts of Glosscote and Dullcote? I want to seal the decals on my Wilson cow trailer to give it a semi-gloss finish over an aluminum-painted body. Not too flat and not too shiny. 

 

I have already purchased the Glosscote and Dullcote in glass bottles. 

 

Is this video still a good method for top coating over decals using the Testors "Cote" products in bottles?

 

(207) (HOW TO) use 2K clear on model cars/clear over decals - YouTube

Airbushing Model Cars DVD by Don Yost

[Fat Brian]

Painting is a lot more than a list of facts. It's knowing in the moment if you're too close or too far away based on how the paint looks and how to adjust that. It's knowing when another pass or two on a side or area will cause a run and how not to get yourself in that situation in the first place. Basically, all the "head knowledge" in the world will only get you so far. There is another layer of muscle memory and experience that can only be gained by doing the thing, often unsuccessfully in the beginning. Fortunately, Testor's paint is easy to strip. Invest in a mop bucket and a gallon of Catrol Super Clean.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

I had lox with cream cheese and a slab of red onion on an everything bagel for breakfast.

Mmmmmm. Are those capers I see hiding there too?

[SfanGoch]

Hugh betcha!

[Dave G.]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If you don't have "disposable income", and you apparently are going to use straight Testors enamel, I don't know why you went through all of these contortions.

You should have just used Testors enamel spray bombs!

Would have saved you a boat load of time, money and aggravation!

 

Here, let's see if this sinks in.

 

Mix Testors flat enamel, (you can mix any color you want) about 50/50 with lacquer thinner. (should be the consistency of milk) 

Prime the body with one of Testors lacquer primers, (gray or white) (spray can)

Spray on the color in several light coats. (air brush)

Finish by clear coating with one of Testors clear lacquers. (spray can)

 

There!

It doesn't get any simpler than that, and you're using all Testors products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

Nice Ford !! But it does get simpler than that, use gloss and skip the clear coat.

[SfanGoch]

Son of Regular Guy.

[tbill]

9 minutes ago, SfanGoch said:

Son of Regular Guy.

Funniest thing I’ve read all day, thank you sir .

[StevenGuthmiller]

30 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Nice Ford !! But it does get simpler than that, use gloss and skip the clear coat.

The only reason that I suggest flat paint is because it lays down nicer with virtually no chance of orange peel.

It's basically like spraying colored primer.

The Testors clear lacquer will also lay down flat.

 

Just trying to insure success for a novice........if he's interested at all.

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I remember, (a hundred years ago) that one of my biggest problems with Testors gloss enamel was orange peel.

Of course back when I still used Testors gloss enamel, I don't think the airbrush had been invented yet!

 

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

I had lox with cream cheese and a slab of red onion on an everything bagel for breakfast.

 

I'm smokin' ribs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[bobthehobbyguy]

1 hour ago, Fat Brian said:

Painting is a lot more than a list of facts. It's knowing in the moment if you're too close or too far away based on how the paint looks and how to adjust that. It's knowing when another pass or two on a side or area will cause a run and how not to get yourself in that situation in the first place. Basically, all the "head knowledge" in the world will only get you so far. There is another layer of muscle memory and experience that can only be gained by doing the thing, often unsuccessfully in the beginning. Fortunately, Testor's paint is easy to strip. Invest in a mop bucket and a gallon of Catrol Super Clean.

Consider shooting a rifle long distances. There mare many factors to consider what influences a shot. You simply aren't going to do that just reading about it.

[Plumcrazy Preston]

7 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

Consider shooting a rifle long distances. There mare many factors to consider what influences a shot. You simply aren't going to do that just reading about it.

In the army, I was an expert rifleman. I would say painting is like shooting guns and reloading ammunition. A lot of test-firing is needed to perfect things at the range and at the hunting field. One has to work up loads at the bench. I wish model painters had some kind of manual with mixing tables in it like ammo hand-loaders have. Many serious reloaders for guns keep accurate logs with information. 

Is it a good idea to keep a log for painting experiments? Document one's trial-and-error findings? Painting seems to have many factors involved, many complex variables. 

 

date

time

humidity

temperature

products used

mix ratios

materials test-painted

compressor settings

airbrush needle sizes

aircup selection

etc. 

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Plumcrazy Preston

[bobthehobbyguy]

Definitely a log would help. 

[Rick L]

11 hours ago, Plumcrazy Preston said:

In the army, I was an expert rifleman. I would say painting is like shooting guns and reloading ammunition. A lot of test-firing is needed to perfect things at the range and at the hunting field. One has to work up loads at the bench. I wish model painters had some kind of manual with mixing tables in it like ammo hand-loaders have. Many serious reloaders for guns keep accurate logs with information. 

Is it a good idea to keep a log for painting experiments? Document one's trial-and-error findings? Painting seems to have many factors involved, many complex variables. 

 

date

time

humidity

temperature

products used

mix ratios

materials test-painted

compressor settings

airbrush needle sizes

aircup selection

etc. 

 

Really!!!

Just keep experimenting on your model. If you don’t like the paint job, soak it in lacquer thinner for a couple of days and your problem will disappear.

[Dave G.]

50 minutes ago, Rick L said:

Really!!!

Just keep experimenting on your model. If you don’t like the paint job, soak it in lacquer thinner for a couple of days and your problem will disappear.

If you keep soaking in LT for two or three days eventually you will run into a plastic where more than the paint goes away lol !

[Rick L]

Exactly.