Skip spraycans for an airbrush?

[Guest]

I've not really built models "properly" before but have one that I want to build on the way, as I was looking around I found several more I'd like to do and have ordered 2 of those. All of these are car kits.

Originally I was just going to use spraycans, but given I've got multiple kits and possibly more to follow am I best off just getting an airbrush?

I have seen some AS186 kits with the cheapy airbrushes that have a 0.3mm needle, is that going to be ok for acrylics (vallejo model air for example) ? will that do clear coat too ?

Also, if I wanted a custom metallic colour do I just grab some silver and use a colour to tint it ? or is there a better way? (Possibly just decant car aerosol and thin it ?)

Thanks

[peterairfix]

As a one time user of rattle cans I decided to try an airbrush and a year on I have never looked back I did buy a one with a 3mm needle and It works perfectly with acrylic paint I use tamiya thined a little and as for decanting spray paint people say It doesn't need thinning as it's already thinned for spraying.
When I did a metallic blue for a dalek I put down a silver coat and then a clear blue coat and it looks much better than a straight metallic blue.
It's most visible on the dome section[ATTACH]297295[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

Thanks for the help, I hadn't realised there were coloured clear coats available, I'll have to investigate.
That looks quite different to the daleks I remember being on the tv when I was a kid!

[Guest]

See my post just put up in this thread. I found the Tamiya TS spray cans gave a superb glossy finish as required with car models. I used it a lot. I applied three coats (over a primer). The first a very light dusting, the second heavier and the third very thickly just to the point of causing runs. The tiny globules coming out of the AB need to be numerous enough to join together into a continuous surface, otherwise you get an orange peel effect. This needs practice on practice pieces. During drying of the third coat I kept the part moving, hand held, round and round in several directions for ten minutes to stop runs. It can be safely handled after about 18 hours. However, I am not sure that two undercoats of the gloss are necessary. I was following instructions. Perhaps one undercoat would do. Try it.

Model Air paints are designed to be airbrushed and I find they do an excellent job. An AB is so much gentler and allows paint to be selectively sprayed on surfaces at different angles etc. They are matt of course, so a spray of gloss would be needed to get a shiny finish. I use about 18 th 20 PSI pressure and hold the tip abut 5inches from the part, 0.4 mm needle size. Once you have bought one, AB spraying is cheaper than Tamiya spray paints - more coverage.

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

I went ahead and got an AS186 kit that arrived today. I've just sprayed some test pieces, left them to dry. I used revel aqua thinned with warm water as thats the paint I currently have.

I will have to practice quite a bit more before I attack a model.

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

I went ahead and got an AS186 kit that arrived today. I've just sprayed some test pieces, left them to dry. I used revel aqua thinned with warm water as thats the paint I currently have.

I will have to practice quite a bit more before I attack a model.

One tip to find the right amount of spray to put on (not too thick and not too thin), is to spray some paint of one colour on to some test piece (when testing you need to let it dry for only a few minutes with water-based paints) then spray another coat of a different colour and judge that. Actually, I sometimes spray too thickly either by accident or on some parts with hollows or other similar changes in surface. This can look very wet indeed but in this case after 40 minutes it has dried without blemish. I guess that the water in the paint takes up a large proportion of the bulk of a sprayed coat, which would make it shrink a lot as the water evaporated.