Decanting Paint - Why do you ...

[Len Woodruff]

When decanting paint I have read several articles that spray a light base coat of the color with the airbrush over the primer then come back with the Spray Can to finish up. I am not sure I understand what the goal is?

Edited June 19, 2010 by Len Woodruff

[LDO]

I have never read this. I can't imagine who would give this advice or why. I like Tamiya spray paint. I've laid down several nice paint jobs with it. The car I'm painting now has sharp high spots, bad news for a spray can candy paint job, which is why I'm airbrushing. I'll airbrush the clear, too. I want precise control in the small areas that have those high spots.

[Chuck Most]

I can't say I've ever heard that advice- it would seem to me that finishing off with the rattle can would offset anything you accomplished with the airbrush.

[Zoom Zoom]

I do it all the time these days; but I spend far more time w/the airbrush and then just top off either the final color coat (if no clear is to be used) or the final clearcoat.

Why? Because even though Tamiya cans nozzles are far better than Testors, the paint being lacquer has a tendency to affect the layers below; a wet coat of color often causes the lower coats to pull away from edges, especially true of colors that are sometimes weak in overall pigmentation (Testors lacquers are much more pigment-dense, unlike their enamels). I can lightly spray extra color in the problem areas as I build up the color layer. Too much clear all at once can negatively affect a color coat underneath, especially a metallic; it can pull color away from edges and it can excite the metallic particles so they look mottled. I get a lot more control from the airbrush on the base coats of color and clear, and am able to use less paint. I start with lighter coats, and then heavier coats. Then one or two wet, final coats from the spray can instead of the airbrush. I am getting the best, most consistently good results with this setup. The spray can throws more paint than my airbrush. So it works for that final wet coat, but I feel it's quite wasteful and like spraying a model with a firehose when putting on the primary layers of paint. Tamiya cans cannot give a mist coat anything like a good airbrush. That said, I also like the fact I can so quickly apply those final wet coats with the spray can; if I only used my airbrush it would take longer, and the longer the paint is wet, especially at the end...the more chance of something getting into it.

It works for me, that is why I do it. It definitely saves paint (cans that feel nearly empty can offer a lot of decanted paint for airbrushed coats). I get a better finish, I spend a lot less time buffing the model because the final finish is so smooth I hardly have to use Micromesh anymore, except on primer and mid-coats, sanding out any texture or dust nibs from those layers as I go along and the parts are dried in the dehydrator.

Even when I was shooting old-school enamel clear mixed w/lacquer thinner I had to be careful for it not to affect the layers below; especially metallics.

That reminds me...when I'm shooting a metallic/pearl color, before I graduate to clear I airbrush a few mid-coats of Tamiya clear mixed with what is left of the decanted color. This also is a good way to get a good, rich color that is safe from the clearcoat (I do the same when I shoot bottled enamels or automotive colors, taking what is left of the color and mixing it with clear). I paint very quickly. I don't let paint dry for days/weeks, I usually like to have finished color and clear sometimes within hours after I start. This is yet another reason why the steps I use work well for me.

[whale392]

well Bob; considering you are one of the recognized leaders in this area of model building, I can honestly say I will have to give it a try. Thank you for your input and reasoning behind why you do it. It is always nice to know either why or how something is done/works.........and you taking the time to explain did just that.

[Steve Keck]

Zoom Zoom covered this very well.

I can only add that the airbrush allows you the ability to paint the A,B,C etc. pillars and wheel well edges without paint build up on unwanted surfaces.

The easiest way to decant Tamiya is to force a two inch section of 1/8 aquarium aerator hose over the blue nipple and shoot it carefully right into the airbrush cup. I don't wait but 15 -30 seconds for it to gas out before spraying.

Steve

[MikeMc]

I do it Bobs way...and it does make my paint jobs much better...I'm gonna let Bob experiment and then use his proven technique!!

[MonoPed]

I like using the airbrush to hit the panel lines and high spots prior to the full color coats. Seems to work well keeping the paint from pulling away from the edges using cans or airbrushing all the way through.

[Len Woodruff]

Thanks Bob for filling in the blanks on this.