Airbrushing

[Guest]

Hi guys 


I've bought a good quality airbrush & compressor! 


Watched the multitude of how to videos on YouTube!


Three  drops of paint should go along way!!!!


Not in my airbrush it don't!!!!


lasts about a minute!


Am I doing something wrong?!!

[Guest]

Hi Neil,


It's hard to advise with so little information I'm afraid. 


I'm guessing you're using a pre-thinned airbrush paint like Vallejo Model Air or something similar?


If so, 3 drops will only last as long as the pressure at which you're spraying. The greater the pressure, the sooner the paint is used up.


If all the variables are equal, such as needle size, thinning ratio, pressure output etc, then a certain amount of paint will achieve the same coverage in any airbrush.


However in practice, things are very rarely equal. Don't get too hung up on how many drops you're using or how long they last.


The quality of finish & amount of coverage is what matters. If you're happy with your results, the rest is immaterial.


Watching YouTube videos can be helpful, but they'll never make anyone an expert. Only practice & experience do that... oh and time... lots of time!

[Guest]

g'day Patrick , was all fired up to get the paasche talon tg3 set , and then I started reading some not so good report's , have you ever used one.


steve

[BarryW]

Patrick is spot on.  Steve - airbrushes can be a very personal taste.  Paasche is a major brand and having read reviews and if you think it will work for you then go ahead..  All airbrushes will have their detractors. 


Personally I like the Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes, particularly their Evolution range using a 0.4 needle for most work and a 0.2 for some detail work.  The H&S is known for being easy to clean and strip with a good availablity of spares.

[Guest]

g'day Patrick , was all fired up to get the paasche talon tg3 set , and then I started reading some not so good report's , have you ever used one.


steve

I've used a Paasche, years ago, and can confirm that it's a very good all rounder. I'm a big fan of single action brushes, having used Badger 200 s extensively over a period of about 4 years - and I mean all day, every day! My current airbrush is a Harder & Steenbeck ultra, which is pretty good for the money, but have been hankering to go back to the single action brushes, as there is no logical reason for a dual action for my needs, I use mine for primers, bases coats and varnishes, all of these processes are easier with a single action. To this end, I am trailing one of these - http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/airb...vity-feed.html


under £20 from John. It's a straight copy of the new Iwata M1/2. If you want to check out "Scale War Machines" or Phil Flory's review, you may well be tempted. I took a punt on the copy, just to see if I wasn't just wallowing in nostalgia, but I wasn't, it's pretty amazing for £20, and the Iwata one will be noticably better, due to much harder and better materials and QC, once I've primed my Saladin with it, I'll make a decision about keeping it or upgrading to the genuine iwata. But signs are good. The main advantage it'll have over the Paasche is a gravity fed cup, this alone will keep cleaning to a minimum, and waste less paint and thinners. Check out the reviews, see what you think.

[Guest]

Congratulations on you new acquisition! After a bit of practice you will really start to enjoy what an airbrush has to offer.


As said above, videos and such are good, but don't get caught up in what is "right" or "wrong," or what works and what doesn't work. Airbrushes definitely fall into my 10/10 Rule: Ask ten people a question and you will get ten different answers.


There are so many variables that situations will be vastly different from person to person. You could have two bottles of the same exact paint and they might behave differently. For some jobs, low pressure is called for. For others, thinner paint is necessary. Just practice a bunch, and have scrap material on hand to test on before you start on the model itself.


Also, don't get caught up in quantities. One person may be able to use "x" drops of paint "x" amount of thinner, but it won't work for others. One thing that drives me nuts, is unnecessary frugality. I have seen videos where people have bragged about only having to use two drops of airbrush cleaner to fully clean their airbrush. If I tried that, I would have a stuck-solid airbrush next time I used it. Cleaner is cheap compared to a new airbrush. I also try to use proprietary cleaners: Vallejo cleaner for Vallejo paints; Model Master cleaner for Model Master paint; etc. Is this necessary? Probably not, but its what I do.

[Steve Brodie]

Hi guys 


I've bought a good quality airbrush & compressor! 


Watched the multitude of how to videos on YouTube!


Three  drops of paint should go along way!!!!


Not in my airbrush it don't!!!!


lasts about a minute!


Am I doing something wrong?!!

LOL, same thing here when i first used my airbrush, that amount of paint on a hairy stick goes for miles, yet in the airbrush lucky to get a few centimetres, also don't forget as soon as it leaves the brush it has been atomised and you loose a bit in the air (can feel a genesis song coming on  :$ )