Airbrush arrived, some advice needed!

[Guest]

just whent on the seller of that compressors website (who has another one up at the moment) and on his actualy online shop

(www.everythingairbrush.com) the compressor is £64.99 excluding p&p (which is again, £12.99) so it would be most worth it if you managed to pick one up off ebay!

http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/AS_Series.html

(first one)

[Guest]

I've bought a fair amount of Items from that Ebay seller, including a piston compressor with a 3ltr receiver. The items arrived very prompty and postage wasn't excessive either.



Regarding compressor choice, I'd favour a compressor with an airtank, it smooths out the pulses in the air flow, aids in trapping moisture and a pressure switch means the compressor turns it's self off once the maximum pressure is reached rather than just running continuously.

[Guest]

the only prob you may have is its bloody noisey!!! and the piston is so small that you need to make sure the tank is charges fully before using (that said for the price you got a real bargain!!!!!!!)

[wonwinglo]

That is a lot of commpressor for the price Alan ! regarding the noise do what we used to do at work with the real ones,make a large box and pad it out with accoustic foam,stick the box outside and somehow lead the feed into your workplace.

Combined with one of Nigels cooker hoods you have a very nice piece of kit there.

[Guest]

...but don't forget that the compressor needs to be cooled as well. They generate quite a bit of heat.

[Guest]

mate i have only been back into the modeling hobby since christmas and i have about £100 of paint alone!

Did you buy a 14ml tin of humbrol enamel? That stuff is expensive!

[Guest]

That is a lot of commpressor for the price Alan ! regarding the noise do what we used to do at work with the real ones,make a large box and pad it out with accoustic foam,stick the box outside and somehow lead the feed into your workplace.Combined with one of Nigels cooker hoods you have a very nice piece of kit there.

The compressor isn't as noisy as I'd expected.

When it's running in the kitchen, it isn't really noticeable over the TV in the next room so it's fine for domestic environments. Obviously a £600 quid BAMBI dental compressor would be quieter but ya pays your money and makes yer choice.

I've never managed to work out the whole decibel scale though. It's supposed to be 50 or so decibels at 1m, but on the same scale a ladybird on tiptoe walking on carpet is about 35, someone eating pringles is about 70 and a blackbird SR71 taking off is about 100...and mobile phone ringtones are about 150.

I was thinking of the MDF box with acoustic foam inside, wouldn't have to go outside though. I wondered about fitting some 80mm Fans on there for some through air. The 12 volt PC kind with some removeable dust filters for a nice neat looking job and should push a fair amount of air.

[wonwinglo]

Alan,if you make a successful box then lets see a picture here of it please,fan and MDF with cladding and plenty of breathing space sounds ideal.

[Guest]

It's worth remembering that the decibel scale is not a linear scale it is actually an exponential scale and the measurement of sound can be quite subjective as distances from the source can vary with individuals etc.

You are right it is confusing!!

[Guest]

Did you buy a 14ml tin of humbrol enamel? That stuff is expensive!

i have a mixture of 14ml humbrol tins and 10ml tamiya. humbrol being enamel and tamiya being acrylic. will hopefully be adding some laqueres to my collection soon. either alclad or model masters. (anyone know which is best?)

[Guest]

i have a mixture of 14ml humbrol tins and 10ml tamiya. humbrol being enamel and tamiya being acrylic. will hopefully be adding some laqueres to my collection soon. either alclad or model masters. (anyone know which is best?)

Richard, I would take care not to build up a collection just for the sake of having paint stocks. All paint has a shelf life beyond which it would not be of suitable quality so I would very much recommend that you buy paint for a specific purpose. You will obviously have a selection of small tins for detail work but you will find as the years move on that you will open an old tin that may have solidified so will no longer be usefull.

For a gloss finish on a model such as a car or motorcycle and before I ever could afford an airbrush, I would always buy a new tin of paint and a new brush to give me the best chance of that elusive perfect finish.

[Guest]

oh no richard you mis-understand what i ment. Yes i completely agree with you. All my paints are ones i have had to get to do models. and as so far i have done cars,motorbikes,planes,amrour,figures and some little dioramas i have got quite a selection.

I do not buy paints for the sake of it and like you if i am starting a new model i will usually get a new tin of paint. When i get a new model i have a look what paints they recomend, decide if i want to change of any of them...have a look what i already have and if i dont have one or i have one which is running low i will get a new tin of paint.

And i only ask about which are they best laquers as i will be using them on my F-16. So which are best? model masters of alclad?

[Guest]

Sorry Richard, I don't have experience with either.

What was the Humbrol one, Metalkote or something? You painted it on and then polished it to a metallic shine. I used that a few times and was very happy but now I guess I'll have to try something new as well.

[Guest]

yea... well...

http://www.alclad2.com/alclad-home.html

http://www.testors.com/tes_cds/color_charts/1400_ModelMaster_Metalizer.pdf

[wonwinglo]

Hot tip-Store paints inverted and place a dab of the colour on the base of the tin,this way air will not enter,tap the lid on firmly.

I managed to buy a few bankrupt lots over the years,but Richard is right paint formulae is consantly changing and needs careful storage.

I do like these Tamiya acrylics that Squiffy sells at rock bottom prices.