How do I spray these details?

[SfanGoch]

For the same amount you spend on 7-10 spray cans, you can get this:

Airbrush Air Compressor w/ 3L Tank & 6' Hose

with free shipping.

I have one and it's an excellent compressor.

I recommend the G233 Pro Set Master Gravity Airbrush Kit 3 Fluid Tips Air Hose, Hobby Auto Art

 

It's a great airbrush for the price. Also with free shipping.

[peteski]

Sure, but probably (like most airbrush-phobes) he would be afraid of the cleanup after spraying.  In my experience, that seems to be the most frequent excuse for sticking with the spray-bombs.

[SfanGoch]

Yeah, you got that right.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Give Duplicolor primer a try.

They can also go on a little thin and transparent to begin with, but I find that the “fan spray nozzles” do a fabulous job of atomizing the paint and getting into those little recesses.

I know everyone seems to rave about the Tamiya spray nozzles, but I have never been particularly enamored with them.

In my opinion, you’ll get better overall control, and more even coverage with the Duplicolor nozzles, and they don’t have the tendency to hose on the paint so localized and heavy.

You’ll still need to do a few light coats rather than trying to do it in one heavy one, but that’s best practice anyway.

In my personal opinion, even if you’re doing a light color, I would start with a couple of light coats of light gray Duplicolor primer to get some coverage over the blue plastic.

It will give you something for the white primer to adhere to, to help keep it from drawing away from the high points and pooling in the low points as in your photos.

A couple of light coats of white primer, followed by a medium coat or two, and you’ll be golden.

Don’t worry about spraying a number of coats of primer.

The Duplicolor primers dry extremely thin and won’t exhibit any detail hide, even with 5 or 6 light coats.

In the end, depending on what type of paint you’re using, more primer is much better than less to protect the plastic from a potentially hotter paint anyway.

In conclusion, never expect to be able to get great primer, paint or clear coat coverages in one coat.

My opinion is that this is one of the greatest mistakes that many new modelers make.

The idea that you can take short cuts and do it fast and cheap is almost always a loosing strategy in my view.

 

 

Steve

[NOBLNG]

14 hours ago, peteski said:

Sure, but probably (like most airbrush-phobes) he would be afraid of the cleanup after spraying.  In my experience, that seems to be the most frequent excuse for sticking with the spray-bombs.

For ease of cleanup, you can’t beat an external mix airbrush like the Paasche H or Badger 250/350. They are plenty capable for all but the most intricate graphics type paint jobs, and probably even those could be done by a talented builder. JMO.🙂

[peteski]

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

For ease of cleanup, you can’t beat an external mix airbrush like the Paasche H or Badger 250/350. They are plenty capable for all but the most intricate graphics type paint jobs, and probably even those could be done by a talented builder. JMO.🙂

Even internal mix airbrushes are really easy to clean, as long as you clean them using lacquer thinner right after the painting session. No disassembly needed.  Just blast some lacquer thinner through the airbrush. I do a thorough cleaning (which does require some disassembly) maybe once a year.  But the spray-can jockeys are still for some reason afraid of that dreaded cleaning after spraying.

[Muncie]

My learning experience with fogging and polishing came a long, very long time ago. Painting outside late in the fall, in the evening. Not what the paint manufacturer recommended, and I knew better. Looked great until things cooled down, the humidity came in and the paint on the top surfaces fogged as it dried.  The attempts that I made to polish it had no effect.  However, it was one color again, so I drove it that way.  Your mileage may vary and It may be different for other paints, but I have avoided painting in damp conditions when paint may fog or blush since then.

 

Edited January 6 by Muncie

[Can-Con]

Badger 350 here too.

Simple , low parts count and easy to use and clean. A lot easier to use when your just learning then a dual action brush

It's pretty well the only airbrush I use.

You can usually get a set like shown for under 50 bucks. You can get a knock-off copy set like that for about 20 bucks.

Edited January 6 by Can-Con

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

But the spray-can jockeys are still for some reason afraid of that dreaded cleaning after spraying.

If you start with a simple airbrush, it will make it that much easier to clean as well.

I have an old Badger 200-NH single action that I've had for many years, and it's my go-to for virtually everything.

I break it down and clean it after nearly every use just to ensure that it remains squeaky clean, but it's just a matter of removing the tip and needle.

I dip one of those little between the teeth flossing brushes in some lacquer thinner and run it through the tip, wipe the needle with lacquer thinner on a Q-tip, and then dip a pipe cleaner in lacquer thinner and run it through the paint passages in the body.

From start to finish, including disassembly and reassembly, it takes me no more than 3 or 4 minutes to clean the brush.

 

You can usually find these simple single action, siphon feed badgers for somewhere around $60.00 or $70.00.

They're extremely easy to operate and maintain, and they'll basically last forever.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, if it's really cheap that you're looking for, you can buy a  set such as this, complete with 3 airbrushes, cleaning brushes, a compressor and a color mixing wheel for $130.00! 

Of course I'm not going to vouch for them at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited January 6 by StevenGuthmiller

[Oldriginal86]

I’ve had the same issue with the paint running off the high spots. The cause was not an air brush or paint too thin or primer. Issue was I was in a hurry and tried to get color on in one very heavy coat. Wound up just spraying the parts again the next day in light multiple coats. 

[peteski]

On 1/6/2024 at 1:32 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

I have an old Badger 200-NH single action that I've had for many years, and it's my go-to for virtually everything.

Yes, that is the airbrush I have been using for the last 30 years (and still my go-to airbrush).  Works for me.  Few years ago Michaels had a Badger airbrush sale and I picked up one of the more advanced dual-action airbrush, but it is still sitting in its box.  I will try it when I have a need to do some weathering.