Small parts finish after airbrush

[blazeryz]

Hi guys,

i just bought a new airbrush (iwata eclipse hp-cs).

i think i have a pretty solid technique and i can spray a pretty even nice looking coat on my parts.

i started with some small parts and i have a quiick question about their finish.

before i had an airbrush i painted the small parts with a brush (enamel paints) and even though i could see the brush strokes, the finish was pretty solid and shiny.

the finish with the airbrush seems a bit sadny and quite doll. the part is not as smooth to touch as i expected it to be.

i want to stress again, the coat is very thin, no splashes or anything - really nice looking coat, which simply misses the shine and the smooth touch.

do you guys have any tips on maybe what i should do between coats and what i should do in order to provide a smooth finish for my parts?

thanks in advance, yarin.

[my80malibu]

Sounds to me that need to open up the needle, a little more and raise the paint flow.

[jbwelda]

I agree on opening it up some and also maybe moving in closer to the work, so the paint hasn't dried before it hits the surface, which is probably what is causing your rough texture

jb

[DynoMight]

Spray around at 35 fps and keep the `airbrush from 6-9 inches away from the model. And let the paint pile up on the model, but give it time between coats, so the paint doesn't run. And make sure the paint is thin so it's not all speckly when you spray it.

Edited August 14, 2014 by DynoMight

[935k3]

Try lowering the pressure to about 25 psi and thin the paint some more.. The higher pressure makes the paint go on dryer. I have the same airbrush. For bigger parts the like body and chassis the standard .35mm setup can be harder to get a good wet coat. The parts are available to change to a .50mm setup which gives more paint flow. It's great airbrush, enjoy it. I love mine.

[jbwelda]

well there you have it, advice all over the spectrum. I personally think 6 to 9 inches is way too far away but I don't shoot with 35 psi either, so maybe that's the difference. I find I get a nice smooth flow coat at about 1 to 2 inches away from the object and usually 18 -20 psi. that's been mostly with Tamiya acrylics, also with some model master well thinned as well. but I really don't have that much experience with an airbrush so maybe I just get lucky.

jb

[blazeryz]

thank you all guys for the great tips!

i will try to implemet your recommendations today! :)

should i "do" something between coats? sandpaper, polish etc... ?

Edited August 15, 2014 by blazeryz

[my80malibu]

If your previous paint is Rough, or Grainy. You could knock that texture down, with some fine sandpaper.

[Art Anderson]

If your previous paint is Rough, or Grainy. You could knock that texture down, with some fine sandpaper.

Of course, the question was about small parts, which often defy sanding or polishing. I prefer to mount small parts, such as these taillights for the ICM Opel Admiral kit, on toothpicks (drill a small hole where it won't show) attached with a drop of CA glue:

I then thin my paint a good bit more (in this case, Tamiya Racing White, decanted from the spray can, thinned with approximately 25% more lacquer thinner--measured by eyball). I then reduce the air pressure until my airbrush just starts to spray (no pressure gauge here, again by "eyeball engineering" --which I have been doing for almost half a century now).

I tape the toothpicks to the sides of paint bottles, to give me a handle to hold the part with, and spray until I get the depth of color and finish I want. I think the results speak for themselves here.

Art

[sjordan2]

Can you show the parts you're talking about? Seems to me that there's a point where airbrushing is unsuitable and paintbrush or pen might work better.