What Have You Learned Lately?

I just started using an airbrush in the last few years and have been trying to use all the paints that I have been using to brush for years in the airbrush with varying results. After listening to fellow modelers at local shows and also a fellow club member, I tried a new acrylic paint, Vallejo Model Air, and it worked great. No problem with thinning or spraying and the finish is great. Sooooooo, what I learned is to keep my ears open (making sure to keep fresh batteries in my hearing aids) and pay attention. You're never too old to learn.

Jim 

I've just recently learned that I can use inexpensive Krylon rattle can primer.  ( TY Don Staufer ).  I primed my rather large HK-1  Spruce Goose with it and it came out beautifuly. No orange peel , nice and even and fast to spray due to the large fan spray nozzle.

Hey Jim, since you say you recently started airbrushing I was wondering if you could elaborate a bit on that.  As in; was it a difficult transition, is it an improvement over brushing, and if so, a huge improvement or just slight? and what type of airbrush did you start out on?

Also, I'll second that kudos to Don Staufer, I've learned quite a bit from reading his posts.

The other day I learned to stop taking the needle chuck nut completely off whilst cleaning my airbrush. Went bouncing off somewhere. Really no need to remove it completely, (now I realise).

Can't believe I can't find it, it's not that small.

i learned, at chili con 3 demos, the best way to clean an airbrush is using tightly twisted paper towels and dentist gum brushes. also when cleaning solution is in the cup, instead of just blasting it out in one shot work the trigger back and forth to flush out inside the chamber. and, when airbrushing push DOWN then BACK and release by FORWARD then UP.

sat in on a dinosaur painting demo and picked up some multi-color transparent layering to get interesting affects.

Spitfire - About 3 years ago, a fellow Forum member read something I wrote about someday wanting to try an airbrush after 64 years of hand brushing and using rattle cans. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. An Aztek A3408 set complete(only used a couple of times), in the box, with extra tips, 2 cans of propellant, and 15 jars of Tamiya paint for $50.00. After I got it, I was scared to death to try it out.

It wasn't a difficult transition, but it took me a while to get the hang of the double action airbrush. For about a year, I practiced on old donor models whose only purpose was to try things out on. As I got used to the airbrush, the finishes got better (IMO). Last year, I got up the courage to use the airbrush on some models that I was entering in shows. I have received 5 awards between last year and this year, which I think is due to the finish on the models. I repainted one model with the Aztek that I took to a few shows but failed to win and at the next show, it won a second place. Sooooooo, I'd say that it is an improvement over the rattle cans and brushes. How much of an improvement is hard to say because I'm still on the learning curve.

At a show last year, one of my raffle tickets number was called and the prize was an Iwata Revolution CR airbrush set. I hooked it up and tried it over the winter. There was a difference between the two brushes and I think that time will tell which airbrush I prefer. A couple of weeks ago, I set up a lot of things that  wanted to paint and being able to use my wife's compressor for the whole day was great. I set up both brushes with the same color and sprayed 1/2 of a donor with one and 1/2 with the other. I think I had better control with the Iwata and the finish was a little better.

As I said above,switching to Vallejo paints solved a lot of the problems that I had and makes the use of any airbrush easier. No thinning, no build-up on the needles and sooooooo easy to clean. Some like other airbrushes and other paints. So far, this is what is working for me.

Hope that this helps. Give me a shout if you need any other info.

Jim 

I have been doing a ton of "accidental learning" lately. One example is that a guy asked about the chaff dispenser on his A-6A, and in the course of looking that info up, I learned there were two different types used at different times on the A version, and that the KA-6D had them also, but in a different place. Then an Ordie popped into the convo and gave us a 168 page PDF on chaff, flares, and dispensers,,,,,going all the way back to the accidental discovery of Teflon in WW II. (Teflon  is a part of the Flare material/Freon information)

This accidental learning is why I go to my books to dig out answers for people,,,,I learn by re-reading my own books, get inspired to add models based on things catching my eye,,,,,and other people's responses give me more to study.

Rex

I learned that 1/24 or 1/25 isn't necessarily the most fun when it comes to autos.  I am building something in N scale and its been a blast.  Plus you can cast it in resin later for cheap!  

I also learned for regular one part putty, Tamiya's putty seems to work very well.  I seem to like it better than squadron's.  Its less grainy and rough when you sand it out.  

waynec

i learned, at chili con 3 demos, the best way to clean an airbrush is using tightly twisted paper towels and dentist gum brushes. also when cleaning solution is in the cup, instead of just blasting it out in one shot work the trigger back and forth to flush out inside the chamber. and, when airbrushing push DOWN then BACK and release by FORWARD then UP.

sat in on a dinosaur painting demo and picked up some multi-color transparent layering to get interesting affects.

Wayne, I like those tips, thanks for posting. I've been trying to train myself to push down, then back and vice-versa for a year. My muscle memory doesn't want to cooperate. I have trouble training myself to push forward , then up. Also like the one about working the trigger back and forth whist flushing.

Thanks!

This is a good thread so far.

Well today I learned Trumpeter's 1/16 King Tiger is WAAAAY bigger than I thought! LOL  The box is like 3' wide!!!

Cody, The end kit is almost 20 inches long. Was curious to see what it was so Googled it here in Australia for the prices. $400 at one shop, $370 at another and $1,459 at another (but they did give free shipping), so I learnt make sure you shop around first!!!!