Filtering paint, does anyone here do it?

[Roadrunner]

I've seen paint filters of various sizes available on Amazon. Does anyone here actually do that, and if so, any recommendation on filter size (in microns)?

Thanks a bunch.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I very rarely need them for model  work, unless the material has settled and clumped (though I ALWAYS use them for real-car work).

I usually have the 125-190 micron cone filters used by bodyshops in stock. They're cheap, available at any automotive paint store, 10 to 20 cents each.

Otherwise, a very fine nylon cooking strainer works very well, as does nylon stocking material.

There are several types of nylon cooking strainers, and they can be cleaned and re-used if you clean them before the paint dries.

No bull...I've used all the above and they all work great.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Dpate]

Yeah I filter my paint, but not every single time. Usually if it has crustys on the rim or been while since using it, and can’t get a perfect mix etc. I use to use the 90 micron filters the white paper ones with blue filter good for large mix, but mainly use the one in the pic by AK. Fits in brush cup, and can just pour paint straight into it enough to fill the cup. Easy to clean, and works great. 

[Roadrunner]

Thanks, Dusty, I appreciate the input.

[Oldriginal86]

I don’t filter. I do use new bottles of paint when doing bodies so there isn’t any dried residue. Those filters that drop into the airbrush look Iike the ticket though.

[Dpate]

1 hour ago, Oldriginal86 said:

I don’t filter. I do use new bottles of paint when doing bodies so there isn’t any dried residue. Those filters that drop into the airbrush look Iike the ticket though.

Yeah they’re little pricey for what they are, but worth the money. 

[chepp]

I use a bottom-feed airbrush for most painting and nearly always use an in-bottle filter:

http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Acessories_7.asp

It doesn't show the mesh size but it works fine for me with both enamel (thinned with lac thinner) and acrylic paint.

[Mike 1017]

I filter every time.

Mike

[peteski]

How do those filters work with metallic paints?  Do they block metallic particles from flowing through them?

[Roadrunner]

Excellent input. Thanks for the great ideas, fellas.

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

How do those filters work with metallic paints?  Do they block metallic particles from flowing through them?

I'm wondering about that myself. That's why I'm interested in the appropriate size micron filter to use.

[Dpate]

2 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

I'm wondering about that myself. That's why I'm interested in the appropriate size micron filter to use.

Never had issues with it using metallics. I’m not sure what micron it is, but it’s probably closer to 190 that most use with the paper filters. 

[Roadrunner]

33 minutes ago, Dpate said:

Never had issues with it using metallics. I’m not sure what micron it is, but it’s probably closer to 190 that most use with the paper filters. 

I'm going to have to experiment, I guess. I want to lay down a nice paint job on a '32 Ford sedan, and I don't think spray bombs will work well enough, so I'm going to try airbrushing it on. Just the idea of this makes me nervous.

[Dpate]

34 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

I'm going to have to experiment, I guess. I want to lay down a nice paint job on a '32 Ford sedan, and I don't think spray bombs will work well enough, so I'm going to try airbrushing it on. Just the idea of this makes me nervous.

Idea of what? Filtering won’t affect anything besides catching stuff you don’t want getting in your brush, and onto your model. I think you’re over thinking it a little bit lol. 

[Oldriginal86]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

I'm going to have to experiment, I guess. I want to lay down a nice paint job on a '32 Ford sedan, and I don't think spray bombs will work well enough, so I'm going to try airbrushing it on. Just the idea of this makes me nervous.

You may be able to put down a relatively smooth paint job with a spray bomb but the airbrush atomizes the paint much better. You’ll be surprised how much less work it needs after the paint is laid down. Less aggressive sanding and polishing. Practice on a few bodies or spoons. I bet you don’t go back to the bomb on bodies.

[Roadrunner]

3 hours ago, Dpate said:

Idea of what? Filtering won’t affect anything besides catching stuff you don’t want getting in your brush, and onto your model. I think you’re over thinking it a little bit lol. 

The idea of airbrushing vs using the rattle cans. One of the colors I'll be using is a clear color, and I know that consistency in coverage is paramount. Sorry I wasn't more clear about that.

[Roadrunner]

2 hours ago, Oldriginal86 said:

You may be able to put down a relatively smooth paint job with a spray bomb but the airbrush atomizes the paint much better. You’ll be surprised how much less work it needs after the paint is laid down. Less aggressive sanding and polishing. Practice on a few bodies or spoons. I bet you don’t go back to the bomb on bodies.

Good thoughts, and I appreciate it.

[Mike 1017]

17 hours ago, peteski said:

How do those filters work with metallic paints?  Do they block metallic particles from flowing through them?

In my Dads shop back in the 70's we used paper filters. If you hold one up in the light you could barely see the filter. No problems with any paint. I have a Micro Mark set that I use also no problems. The whole automotive industry would be in a whole lot of trouble if they could not filter metallics.

Mike

[Roadrunner]

8 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

In my Dads shop back in the 70's we used paper filters. If you hold one up in the light you could barely see the filter. No problems with any paint. I have a Micro Mark set that I use also no problems. The whole automotive industry would be in a whole lot of trouble if they could not filter metallics.

Mike

I see videos a lot where the painter (on real cars), filters the paint, even though as frequently as not, they're using fresh paint, though I'm not sure why they do that. I'm also strongly considering the purchase of an Iwata detail gun, specifically for my model car finishes.

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

I see videos a lot where the painter (on real cars), filters the paint, even though as frequently as not, they're using fresh paint, though I'm not sure why they do that. I'm also strongly considering the purchase of an Iwata detail gun, specifically for my model car finishes.

Because there's always the possibility there's an unmixed clump from one of the constituent colors used to mix real-car colors (paint today is very rarely "factory-pack", where the color is pre-mixed in a sealed can), and is almost always mixed in-shop from "mixing bases", and anywhere along the line, grit or lint or something else can easily be introduced.

Paint on a real car can cost in the thousands of dollars these days as well. When material is that expensive, you don't want to risk getting a flaw on one panel, where the labor and material to fix it can cost hundreds of dollars.

Repainting only one panel on a real car because there's a piece of fod in it can also result in a mis-match between panels.

Careful cleaning of the spray gun prior to use, and careful handling of the materials, including filtering just prior to application, is simply intelligent insurance against money wasted in material, labor, time, and unhappy customers.

Edited September 15, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Roadrunner]

Here's what I have in mind for the sedan.. Tamiya clear blue over Testors diamond dust (spoon "A"). I really don't want to mess this up, so I'm thinking airbrushing the colors may be the way to go here.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Roadrunner

[peteski]

Is the Tamiya clear blue a lacquer from  the TS series spray can, or it is the alcohol-based paint from the small glass jars?

If it was decanted TS spray I would worry that it will attach the Testors paint. But looks like your spoon test doesn't show any compatibility issues.

 

I assume (by your post count) that you have built and painted bunch of models in the past.  If that is the case I'm wondering why are you suddenly worried about filtering the paint?  Usually schmutz in paint jobs comes from stuff from the ambient air falling on wet paint on the model (not from the paint itself).

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Is the Tamiya clear blue a lacquer from  the TS series spray can, or it is the alcohol-based paint from the small glass jars?

If it was decanted TS spray I would worry that it will attach the Testors paint. But looks like your spoon test doesn't show any compatibility issues.

 

I assume (by your post count) that you have built and painted bunch of models in the past.  If that is the case I'm wondering why are you suddenly worried about filtering the paint?  Usually schmutz in paint jobs comes from stuff from the ambient air falling on wet paint on the model (not from the paint itself).

The blue is straight from the TS can (lacquer), and yes, it had no adverse effect on the Testors paint, thank goodness. While I have painted a lot of aircraft and armor kits, car models are sort of new to me, at least a more adult approach anyway. I built lots of car models when I was just a lad, but most of those really looked pretty horrible. Filtering the paint, at least to me, is a secondary issue. I'm mostly concerned with not messing up the clear blue, as the color density needs to be really consistent.