I have had it with dedicated primers!!!

[Guest]

It can't help either, that the acrylics I have (Vallejo) definitely vary in viscosity, the greys, pale colours and metallics are all thicker, to the point that I'm never putting the metallics through my airbrush again, we would never get to the bottom of this until we had a database of all the colours that folks use, and which ones are the most problematic! I've partially sorted it now by going through my nozzle cleaning ritual before even shaking the stuff, but my long term solution is to move to another manufacturer, and as I brush paint, for the most part, this won't be such a hardship - being an AFV modeller, I'd settle for the craft paints that Grumpa uses for most of the stuff. But any acrylic that goes into my airbrush is blown through a 0.4 nozzle now,


One has to laugh (or cry) at the prospect of having to put a ball bearing in a bottle of paint, and then some flow enhancer plus some extra thinners for some of the colours, before we know it Vallejo will be selling extra pigments, for those moments when we want the colour to be stronger...

[Guest]

P.s. Stainless Steel does rust, I've seen it, a lot. So think on before chucking a ball into your hard earned little pots of paint!

[Guest]

For acrylics I only use Tamiya , Vallejo model colour and model air and have never had an issue with either but I do add a few drops of Vallejo thinner to the model air , as for Vallejo primer only ever used it once and could not get on with it , now I stick to my old trusted method good old spray can - Halfords normal primer ( not even the plastic one ) and never had a problem .


I use Iwata revolution airbrushes and a Iwata smart jet pro compressor ( not sure compressor make maters though ) for psi 18-20 for Tamiya Vallejo and zero paints and 10-12 psi for alclads , works for me .


Hiroboy who make Zero paints ( sold worldwide ) always put a ball bearing in their paints , so if its good enough for them ! - make your own decision


Richy

[Guest]

Well your story sounds weird and may be a case of not properly cleaning the airbrush after spraying.
Please don't get offended, just check if you do clean it properly!


I'm using H&S Evolution for already over 3 years with mainly Tamiya and Mr. Hobby Colour paints, but also any other type I feel like including alclads and other metalizers, Valejo, Italeri, Revell etc. I also regularly spray primers like Mr. Surfacer (whole range from 500 to 1500 and in different colours), Tamiya and Alclad primers and microfillers. The only times when I have had similar issues were when I didn't cleaned the airbrush correctly after spraying! Here are few very important points that have to be considered:


1) get airbrush cleaning set of a kind with small brushes and very important - the needle-like metal thing that you clean the nozzle from dried paint. I rarely use this one, but when the airbrush start to act funky, I just clean the nozzle with it and voila.


2) Absolutely no backflushing! Let me say it again - NO BACKFLUSHING! This is the "put your finger in front of the nozzle and press the trigger to make bubles in order to clean it better" thing! Don't do it, never! It pushes the paint and thinner where it is not supposed to be going.


3) If possible, always pull/remove the needle to the front - only possible with some airbrushes that are designed to be like this. For example all H&S are like this, you rmove the nozzle and pull the needle out from the front. Pulling it from the back pulls paint with it, inside the airbrush and around the trigger, preventing proper airflow and clogging the airbrush.


4) When spraying acrylics use 95% alcohol (sold very cheap in the pharmacy. Here 1L is less than 2GBP), when spraying other types of paint (Alclads, Enamels, Lacquers) use more aggressive or dedicated cleaner. I mainly use Mr. Toolcleaner for those, but note that it may damage the o-rings and other rubber/plastic parts of the airbrush if soaked and left for prolonged periods.


How do I clean my airbrush - first I spray one or two cups with Alcohol (or Mr. tool cleaner), then disassemble it. All parts of the nozzle and the cup are soaked within alcohol. I soak a tissue and clean the needle, then I run the needle few times through the brush, every time cleaning with the soaked tissue. Always putting it from the back and pulling through the front, generally until it stops to leave marks of paint on the tissue. Next step is to use the cleaning kit, cleaning with the soaked in alcohol brushes in the airbrush, until there are no marks of paint anywhere. Next with the smallest brush I clean the nozzle, if needed use the needle like metal thing to rub off any dried paint, but don't push it too hard as it may actually damage the nozzle. Assemble the airbrush and spray 2 cups with alcohol, then it is ready. Please note that I use Mr. toolcleaner very sparingly, just the first clear and then if the paint have dried I use it with the small brushes, but if possible, don't soak any plastic/rubber parts in it. I continue to clean with alcohol after that. Never had issues like yours!


Use some one use pipettes (bought super cheap from the pharmacy) to put paint from the jar to the airbrush, don't pour it directly as some dried paint from the end of teh jar may get into the paint and clog the nozzle.


I hope this helps even though my quite bad English.


Best regards,


Sasho

If 95% alcohol is the best thinners for vallejo, how come their dedicated thinner is not this? I think a lot of folks buy the paint, buy the dedicated thinner etc? Tamiya thinner is ideal for their paint, are you saying vallejo's isn't?

[BBdave]

P.s. Stainless Steel does rust, I've seen it, a lot. So think on before chucking a ball into your hard earned little pots of paint!

It depends on the grade of SS.


I use Vallejo and don't have many problems apart from my technique and cleaning regime but I can't for the life of me get Tamiya paints to work in the airbrush I have to thin it so much it takes dozens of coats to get any decent coverage. i generally use Halfords primer where I can.


Dave

[Guest]

Weird isn't it how some work for some but not others. I think the answer is that there isn't an answer o_O

[stona]

Weird isn't it how some work for some but not others. I think the answer is that there isn't an answer o_O

I reckon that's true. I think the oft repeated advice to find what works best for you is also the best advice.


When I switched to acrylics for a couple of years I managed to get Xtracrylix to work quite well but never got on with Vallejo, for most the opposite seemed to be the case


In the end I just got hacked off with having to add retarders, flow enhancers etc to paints to get them to work even vaguely properly and gave up!


Cheers


Steve

[Guest]

Spot on gents , horses for courses .


Richy

[Guest]

I had terrible AB blocking about 1 year ago. Every single session, within a few seconds. Circumstances changed and I did not need to airbrush, until a few weeks ago. Following the discussion here about two weeks ago, the conclusion being that the problem is the paint not the AB, I did a small amount of test AB spraying by first thoroughly shaking a Vallejo bottle (with nut rattler) and poured it out on to a gutter (made from plastic card) before letting it enter the cup, and lo: a lump of paint appeared which I could remove from the gutter. Spraying occurred without trouble.


I always shake the paint. I always wipe the nozzle before returning the top. I always make a fettish of thoroughly cleaning the AB after every use (including a final bath in an ultrasonic cleaner). I always thin. Yet I got lumps EDIT: blockages. In fact, once, when cleaning a near empty bottle of Vallejo acrylic (to use again for some purpose), I used a bottle brush inside the bottle and in and asround the nozzle, a nail brush on the rim. Used hot water, soapy water as well as fresh. I then looked inside and found a strand of dried paint about 7 mm long!!! So, for me, its the damn paint. Variability in viscosity (for some reason), coagulation forming the lumps. The only way for me now is to watch the paint flowing in the gutter and catch any lumps. (That additive ("Flow Improver"?) has, I think, helped.)

[BarryW]

P.s. Stainless Steel does rust, I've seen it, a lot. So think on before chucking a ball into your hard earned little pots of paint!

MIG and AKI produce steel balls specifically to add to pots as agitators. I got some from John.

[Guest]

If 95% alcohol is the best thinners for vallejo, how come their dedicated thinner is not this? I think a lot of folks buy the paint, buy the dedicated thinner etc? Tamiya thinner is ideal for their paint, are you saying vallejo's isn't?

I have never said that 95% alcohol is best for Valejo. I never thin with alcohol anything, I just clean the airbrush with it! What I am saying is that Valejo is not compatible at all with Tamiya/Mr Color thinners and for Valejo and similar paints, water should be used or the dedicated thinner! Sorry if my far from perfect English caused this misunderstanding.

[Guest]

I have found something about my H&S Ultra that is not the cause of this issue but does not help. I was watching a video of someone using it and I could clearly hear the air coming through on the video. Now, I know that some sounds do appear louder when on video but I remember when I got mine thinking how quiet it was.


Compared to the 'fire extinguisher' sound of the new budget airbrush, my Ultra is like a baby sleeping. So, I had a bit of a play about with it last night and I don't think there is enough air getting through. I have adjusted the valve under the trigger a bit which has made a distinct difference but I think there may be paint blockage inside the brush so the body is having an IPA bath tonight and I think a full seal set needs ordering.


The small white seal in the air valve is 'crimped' but that one does not affect air in, it is the seal just below the trigger to stop air going into the rear body which it doesn't.


This could explain why it won't spray anything thicker than water lol.

[Guest]

I have never said that 95% alcohol is best for Valejo. I never thin with alcohol anything, I just clean the airbrush with it! What I am saying is that Valejo is not compatible at all with Tamiya/Mr Color thinners and for Valejo and similar paints, water should be used or the dedicated thinner! Sorry if my far from perfect English caused this misunderstanding.

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood you!

[Guest]

I had terrible AB blocking about 1 year ago. Every single session, within a few seconds. Circumstances changed and I did not need to airbrush, until a few weeks ago. Following ......

I forgot to mention that now I use a spray can whenever possible: Halford's spray primer, Tamiya spray gloss lacquer, etc. Apart from avoiding possible remaining AB problems, there is no cleaning involved.

[yak face]

All this is fascinating graham and everyone seems to be having the same problems with the eye dropper type acrylics. I must admit that i too used to almost exclusively use tamiya acrylics and never had a single problem spraying them. Brushing them was a different matter though so i started to use games workshop and the newly available vallejo for this. I was amazed at the range of colours vallejo did , compared to the fairly small range tamiya do so gradually built up a big stock of vallejo and started spraying thrse too . I experienced ( still do) the blocking , splattering , varying viscosity problems most other people have mentioned and must agree its likely a paint problem rather than a thinning or airbrush problem . Im grateful to you graham for making me re appraise tamiyas paints , they have always worked beautifully for me and maybe its time i started using them more again , cheers tony