DrewCfromSC Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 im a new to airbrusher. Ive got a set of 2 Paasche talons on order now. Ive got some experience using real paint guns on real cars but having trouble with models so far. Cant seem to get it thinned properly yet. Where is a good place to buy paints and supplies from? Any charts to help with reducing correctly? Thanks in advance for your advice! Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatkidd Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Drew, If you have experience with using a spray gun, why not use automotive paints for your models? I use House of Kolor primarily and thin it 1:1 (most manufacturers suggest mixing it 2:1 but I find that 1:1 works a little better, for me, for airbrushing. You can purchase HOK paints, in small, ready to spray amounts, from www.coastairbrush.com I use Tamiya paints for the remainder of the small parts and I usually reduce it with a little bit of either Tamiya thinner or 91% alcohol. I spray with a little more pressure than a lot of people do, but I have found that it works for me...I spray around 30-35 psi. I have not used a Talon yet, I use Iwatas, but I hear that the Talon is a nice airbrush. If you haven't used an airbrush before, or you haven't used one in a while, I would suggest that you "practice" the motion of using it (press down for air and back for paint) while watching tv, stuck in traffic, etc. This will help you get used to how that operation works and gives your fingers a chance to develop muscle memory. Then, once you get the hang of the operation, do a little practice on some inexpensive paper (paper towels, butcher paper, junk mail, etc). I, along with several other folks, like to use spoons to see how the color will look, or to check color combinations. Above all, take your time with the learning curve and have fun. Don't let it stress you out or you might end up like a lot of people...with an expensive paper weight on your workbench. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroracer Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Buy a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH load of nail polish... I use it almost exclusively now! Mixes the same as the old laquer and there are some INCREDIBLE colors out there! One bottle will cover a car with three or four coats. I get this stuff cheap at Big Lots and the big box stores. Mix it with your choice of laquer thinner. Sprays about the same as laquer also. Get some plastic spoons to practice on, they are cheap also. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Mark, are you serious? Uh ohh! How much do you, or what percent do you thin with for airbrushing? Oh my, this sounds good. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroracer Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Yes, totally serious. This stuff sprays just like laquer. Buy a few bottles (at least three) if you are planning to do total repaints with translucents. Mix the bottles into one container to get the color consistant. Spraying opaques can be done with one or two bottles for a complete model. I use Dupont or Plasti-Kote gray primer under it just like automotive laquer. Go crazy! The colors that are available will blow your mind. Right down to flip-flops and camelions! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrewCfromSC Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 great advice from you all! Got my first of 2 paasche airbrushes today. 1 is on backorder for 2 weeks so im going to use the time to learn on one until the gravity feed airbrush gets here. Got a box of junker bodies and a trip to big lots for nail polish as well as the paint store. Alos got my sata mini hvlp rebuilt in case! Ok its for clear coating. Anyone else? Thanks again! Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Thinning paint is a black art! Well not really, it just takes time to get it right. For airbrushes, you want the paint much thinner than you would for a full sized gun. There is an old saw out there that says you should get your paint to the consistency of milk. That is really what it amounts to, but that is really hard to judge that with the old Mark I eyeball.What I did is bought a bunch of cheap plastic bottles from Coast Airbrush and made a ruler our of spare plastic. I marked the depth on the ruler of amount of thinner that I would have to put in the bottle to get everything from 2:1 to 6:1. Then I started to experiment. I use DuPont automotive lacquers and they are very thick straight from the jobber. I generally thin them starting at about 4:1. Yes more thinner than paint. I fill the bottle to the level that I need with thinner and then add the paint. Because the paint is so thick, it is easier to get accurate measurement with thinner in the bottle first. When adding the paint if the thinner is already there, all I have to do is add the paint to the filler neck and I am done.Next thing I suggest is get a notebook and take notes. Include temperature, humidity, and thinning rate and air pressure. All of these impact how the paint goes down. If something isn't working only adjust one of the variables at a time until you get a better result. Keeping a notebook will prevent future mistakes.Mistakes are not failures, they are lessons. The lessons will continue until they are learned.Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.