What am I doing I dunno du know

[Guest]

Ok guys before I get into it I must warn you I am a total nube to painting so be gentle and type slowly yeah.

Ok I should say that im not a model enthusiast not that I dont fancy getting into it but I dont have the space just yet but you guys seen to be the best knowledge base for what I intend to do which is I decided to start decorating stuff ie PC case , xbox ,toolbox etc nothing fancy just simple patterns using templates and maybe the odd tag so people know who owns it so I bought of ebay an airbrush set by badger its a 200 like the ones in halfrauds (You can stop laughing now) I also bought some Polyvine Acylic enamel paint cost it attaches straight to the airbrush .

So I got it all out at work (the only place I have to do it) and started having a go I primed the plastic with a rattle can and sanded then started spraying but it either went on really thing or clogged up and spat yet I tried the tester paint that came with the kit and it was great so what is my problem I tried watering the paint but it went to thin and still clogged is it the wrong paint am I doing something wrong or is it just that the airbrush is cheap and nasty and I should throw it in which case what should I get within reason cos I dont wanna spend a fortune but I want a decent finish also am I using the right paint or is that crap a swell.

[Guest]

The brush is a suction feed SINGLE ACTION which should be fine depending on your intended use, more info is needed as to what precisely you're trying to do.

Are you trying to freehand airbrush art like tru flame / camo etc or are you just spraying generally through templates to get a pattern?

If you are trying to do fine lining freehand then you're wasting your time already, you need a Dual Action brush to regulate paint flow with the air in use

What are you using as an air source, do you have a compressor? if so what PSI and are there water trap filters inline? or are you useing compressed air canisters?

Are you spraying in a wind free environment?

What is the 'tester' paint that came with the brush, type, consistency, etc.

You say Polyvine Acylic, (Acrylic?) Enamel paint, which is it, assuming that is a typo then it's either acrylic or enamel, I haven't heard of the brand but if enamel you need enamel thinner to thin the paint, if acrylic then only some thin with water, for others you need a proprietary thinner or something like Isopropyl alcohol.

I'd recommend as well you watch a few youtube videos by EdHubbs and AirbrushTricks as you'll get some invaluable 'how to' info there.

[Guest]

Sound stuff from Mike, it does depend on a lot of factors. If the paint is clogging it could be too thick or it could be 'bitty' and need filtering to clean out any little lumps. If you don't have a constant air supply, i.e. a compressor then one of the problems with air cans is that they are OK for a few seconds and then the pressure drops as the can chills and there is not enough 'oomph' to push out the paint.

Acrylics and enamels are totally different. Most acrylics will thin with water, although alcohol based thinners are better. At least use a good quality car screen wash which works, the blue stuff. Enamels cannot be thinned with water and must be thinned with a turps type product or proper enamel thinners like the Humbrol one. In no circumstances can these be interchanged.

If this does not help, come back with more info and we may be able to help further.

[Guest]

No detailed stuff just spraying through templates air source is a propellant can and the tester stuff was unbranded and cam with the kit as for the paint im using yes that was a typo (sorry) but the pot say both mate here is a link to there web page its waterbased aparently so thinned with water I did try thinner but that didnt end well lol .

Oh and im in a workshop so no wind other then my workmates.

let me know if you need more details.

[Guest]

Odd one that, the website states it's a water based acrylic enamel, I think more marketing than actual content to TBH, and would say in reality it's an acrylic clearly intended as a potential replacement for Enamel paint and hobby use, it states water based and fast drying and low odour, all of which are characteristics of Acrylic paints.

Now looking at the pots i'm assuming that you got a pot with the same diameter screw thread as your AB?, if this is the case rather than you got a pot which specifically states it's ready to use AB paint then it's too thick, without question, as these are designed for brush painting.

In theory thinning with IPA or water and a good mixing to a milk thickness consistency should see them spraying cleanly, however you need to bear in mind also that paints for airbrush use are designed with that in mind and have finer pigmentation than most 'hobby' paints.

Model specific ones like Vallejo, Xtracrylics, HUmbrol, Tamiya or even airbrush art specific ones which come ready to use in squirty bottles like House of Kolor and Createx etc, ( I have a friend who art airbrushes, WWW.Pitstop-Paint.Co.uk), have fine pigmentation for this purpose, some cheaper acrylics do not, i've tried spraying with thinned tube acrylics from Tesco before with little success and lots of spatter.

Also as Graham states, using a can is not the best way to go for any length of spraying time, okay for a quick blast over but the pressure varies immensely, try holding the can whilst spraying and you'll feel your hand start to freeze in seconds.

As long as you're just spraying template stuff then a single action brush will be fine, seriously though, watch some of the videos, worth a thousand words, expecially the ones which cover airbrush setup / use / paint type.

[Guest]

It does specificaly state for use with Badger airbrushes hence the fit but I think the issue as you have said is it maybe down to the propellant cos I did notice after a minute or two of spraying it lost puff and got really cold I think the solution maybe to keep an eye on ebay for a used kit seen a couple already and upgrade but il check youtube out aswell.

Cheers for all the feedback guys and il update when I get a bit further.

[Guest]

Hey guys a little update basically ive had a word at work and been given a big compressor for my (work) workshop but it is a beast 10 bar so I was wondering if this would be any good and is it possible the get some form of a regulator cos the pressure it puts out would blow a little airbrush apart.