Any Tips For Airbrushing 1:25 Scale Deep Dish Wheels?

[crowe-t]

I'm having trouble airbrushing 1:25 scale deep dish wheels.  The inner rim area gets a lot of orange peel.  It's hard getting the airbrush in there.  

Any tips or tricks will be appreciated.

Edited August 3, 2022 by crowe-t

[deuces wild]

No answers yet????... Must be slow around here....?

[Bainford]

I would try thinner paint, dialing the pressure way back, and getting in close.

Making the paint thinner will help it flow at low air pressure. Low pressure helps to reduce paint output volume, allowing you to get in close and lay down small amounts of paint where you want it without air pushing around a puddle of paint. Focus on the deep parts of the wheel first until you have satisfactory coverage, then pull back and focus more on the rim portion of the wheel. I recommend a couple practice runs on scrap wheels to get the technique down.

Some airbrushes won't do this very well. One of my airbrushes is a Badger Patriot 105 that is miserable for stuff like this.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Bainford
Reason...? I don't need no stinking reason.

[NOBLNG]

Also, use the smallest needle and nozzle you have….030” or smaller may work.

[peteski]

I agree - thinner paint, lower air pressure, smaller distance. Nozzle might come into play too.

[crowe-t]

I'll test it using thinner paint and lower air pressure.  

[Ulf]

I’m just an ordinary builder who struggles with, among other things, old AMT kits, but this is how I do it to be able to paint deep rims. Flat colors are easier, thin the paint and paint a few thin coats with a brush and clear coat last. Mount the rim on a tothpick and rotate the rim against the brush. If you must use an airbrush, pant the rim in steps, roll an piece of paper lika a tube 2 mm smaler than the rim and spray, the tube may not touch the rim, a day later: cut a paper disk 2 mm smaler than the rim, put it om the center and spray, last spray the rim edge.

I some times paint the wheel bolts after the first layer by hand brush and then paint the rim colour around the bolts if it is an old not so sharp kit.

So, I hope that Google translator dis the job..

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Ulf

[Dpate]

I know i have issues sometimes painting deep rims.  If you aren't careful you'll get that pebbly look from the paint bouncing all around.  I think using shish kabob sticks or the like and spin the wheel around as your painting could help.

[DavidChampagne]

On 8/6/2022 at 5:27 PM, Dpate said:

I know i have issues sometimes painting deep rims.  If you aren't careful you'll get that pebbly look from the paint bouncing all around.  I think using shish kabob sticks or the like and spin the wheel around as your painting could help.

Absolutely. Hold the gun still and spin the wheel. Not too heavy at first.

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by DavidChampagne

[stavanzer]

I am going to be trying to paint some wheels with a Spray can. I'll try the spinning and distance tricks and see if they help.

[Dragonhawk1066]

I agree with both the thinner paint/lower pressure, and spin the wheel while painting ideas. I sprayed thinned Molotow at about 12-15 psi and kept the flow limited with a dual action airbrush, while rotating the cap of an empty spray can to try to keep the coat even all around. Spraying from a proper angle is also very helpful. This was a bit cruder of a method than individually on a skewer, but it did work for me. You guys come up with some great methods for such applications. These aren't really deep like pro street wheels, but I think they turned out ok.

Edited August 28, 2022 by Dragonhawk1066

[stitchdup]

I find it helps to tape them to the end of a plastic spoon on the convex side. It allows you to get the wheel to some angles that are hard to reach otherwise and using the convex side keeps space to paint the edges while being secure enough to move around. If you buy plastic silverware for paint tests in multi packs its a good way to use up the forks and knives too

[crowe-t]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:27 PM, Dpate said:

I know i have issues sometimes painting deep rims.  If you aren't careful you'll get that pebbly look from the paint bouncing all around.  I think using shish kabob sticks or the like and spin the wheel around as your painting could help.

 

On 8/15/2022 at 4:55 PM, DavidChampagne said:

Absolutely. Hold the gun still and spin the wheel. Not too heavy at first.

 

I tried this technique of holding the air brush still and spinning the wheels and it worked.  I glued some styrene rods to the back of the wheel so I could spin them.  They were sprayed with light gray primer and then Alclad Aqua Gloss with Alsa Easy Chrome on top.  The light gray primer helped give them more of a polished aluminum look.