15 year break, back in and need lots of advice!!

The Pollyscale acrylics can be thinned and cleaned
up with water. Sodium free distilled water works great
and it's cheap. Great for decals too. Rubbing alcohol
can be used with pollyscale also.
Straining Polly scale will keep lumps of paint from
clogging the airbrush or ruining your finish.
Hope this helps,
Fuzzy

Glad to hear it. I live in East Central Florida so Model Expo is pretty convenient.

I run a window of 20-30 psi through the Aztek, depending on the paint mix I'm trying to push through it. Inks and dyes only take about 15 psi. Its a constant fiddeling to adjust for the best performance. I rigged an inline valve so I don't have to go back to the compressor to adjust. (I use my larger shop compressor).

Worse case you can pull the tips apart for thorough cleaning. But not for the faint of heart. (I'm used to pulling technical pens apart and cleaning them so the Aztek tips are sort of the same). Pick up a bottle of acrylic thinner to use as a flush between colors and a squeeze bottle of airbrush cleaner. Once your in the habit of cleaning it it will become second nature and you won't lose much time. THe best advice I can give y ou is get some cardstock and practice playing with the airbrush. Find a cheap paint or watercolor to run through it and practice shooting distances, settings, trigger control etc. Its easier and cheaper to that than to do a spatter job on your f-16.

Mike

Well, being an engineer I am fascinated by little moving thingies! :)

Model Expo did me right. Good group. They are also only like 100 miles from me, so UPS is only 2 days which is nice.

Great Models is a joke. I will never buy from them again.

Squadron did me right also. All 3 times. I just got in my 16th package today.. I have had a bit of experience, :)

I've enjoyed my Aztek for years and I use it for other applications.

So I have to ask, how did Model Expo treat you?

Squadron did me right on my order.

Mike

I got the Aztek in yesterday.

first impression:.... it looks cheap, lol. I guess I am just used to the all metal of the Paasches that I have. The Aztek is all plastic.

I sprayed around with it a little bit. I am really impressed with how it performs. The double action lever has ALOT of play in it. I mean, it has twice the pull back of my VL. It is really nice and lets you explore even more control with line thickness. It comes with 6 nozzles, and is a really neat idea. Each nozzle contains the needle and everything for each kind of paint. So if you want to do a .30 thickness line, you slap on the white nozzle and get down.

To clean up, you just take the nozzle off of the brush and soak it in water or thinner or whatever. You can also rinse the front end of the brush if you want, and thats it. VERY easy clean up. I think I will really like this.

QUOTE: Originally posted by marine1 I want the Paasche graphics airbrush. I just like the little turbine wheel that wizzes around! :)

That is the Paasche model AB and it is very difficult to use from what I am told. Leave it to the illustration artists as us modelers don't need it.

Mike

For airbrushes I prefer the Badger ones. The Anthem and its derivitives. I still have a 100 (150) can't remember now side feed that I do for fine line work and small areas such as camo patches. I want the Paasche graphics airbrush. I just like the little turbine wheel that wizzes around! :)

As for buying tools, I like to buy them as I need them, then get the best I can afford.

I am up to about 75 unbuilt kits and about 4 in work kits. Plus a vaacuum former that I am building (almost done)

And now with graduate school starting I am gonna be pressed for an hour a week, but it will be a relaxing hour.

Semper Fi

QUOTE: Originally posted by RonUSMC Yeah, I was talking about the Mikron. The others just aren't enough of an upgrade.. atleast with the Aztek I get a different sort of grip, lol.

Don't buy a Micron unless you have money. I don't think hobby paints would flow very well through them anyhow.

You can't just buy a new needle or tip for a Micron. They are a machined fluid head system for precision and a replacement head unit is $112! [:0] Ouch!

Let us know how you like that Aztec when you get it and try it out.

Mike

Yeah, I was talking about the Mikron.

The others just aren't enough of an upgrade.. atleast with the Aztek I get a different sort of grip, lol.

QUOTE: Originally posted by RonUSMC I have looked around a bunch. This time I am looking for a Gravity Feed with some nice accessories for under $100. The only real choice with those two things in mind is the Aztek 470. If money was not a problem, I would probably get a Iwata or whatever they are called, but they run about $225 and that just isn't in the cards for now.

Ron,

$225 for an Iwata? Where are you shopping?

You could buy two Iwata HP-C's for $240.

That is almost in the price range of an Iwata Micron which is WAY beyond what a modeler needs.

Both of the two gravity feed Iwata Eclipses in this picture are $89 from Dixie Art:



The T&C Omni 5000 is another great gravity fed airbrush for $66.50.

I am not knocking that Aztec. There are a lot of people who like them, but I would rather opt for a standard airbrush that I know how to take apart and clean.

Mike

I have looked around a bunch.

The problem is.. I already have a Paasche that is almost identical to the Badger Anthem. I looked at the parts diagram, its almost identical. This time I am looking for a Gravity Feed with some nice accessories for under $100. The only real choice with those two things in mind is the Aztek 470. If money was not a problem, I would probably get a Iwata or whatever they are called, but they run about $225 and that just isn't in the cards for now.

I have heard alot of great things about the top of the line Aztek and also that it is easy to clean, so I am hopeful.

I agree with the Aztec comment above. Pay the money to get a nice Badger Anthem. I love the airbrush... very easy to use IMHO.

QUOTE: Originally posted by RonUSMC It took a team of horses to keep me away from buying that Aztec Airbrush kit that is on sale at bearair.com. Half off is a good price, but I already have two airbrushes... I still might end up getting it, haven't quite decided. I figured I should atleast _try_ mine before I decide to get a new one. lol.

I personally wouldn't waste my money on an Aztec. No offense to those of you who have them, but to me they are a gimmick.

Mike

Yeah renarts, I just did a $110 order with them, so lets see how they treat me, :)

I will try the other sites also when I see what people have and what I have on the way. Right now it looks like 2 weeks will be the absolute soonest I get another kit. These people drive me insane.

Check out www.missionmodels.com Great selection of kits and aftermarket sets. Fastest shipping from any online shop. I'm a very satisfied customer.

Ron,
Check out : http://www.modelexpoinc.com

They list a running inventory of what stock qty they're holding of items.

Good luck
Mike

You can try these folks Ron. I've ordered from them a couple of times and have recieved great service. This is the Canadian link but they also have a U.S. one.
http://www.militaryhobbies.ca/

Actually... getting the kits is the problem.

I want to order a few kits, but everyone is out of stock on them. Im looking for the Trumpeter Abrams with Plow kit.. Squadron didn't have it, now Im waiting forever from GreatModels... Its insane. Everywhere I order kits from either waits forever or doesn't have them.

So I just ordered 7 Kits from Squadron.. hopefully they will have atleast 4 of them.

I have an order for 6 kits from Greatmodels, they found 1 and have a searching/order for the other 5.

I need to find an online shop that shows exactly what they have in stock, and that I can order and they will send me right away instead of this 2-3 week turn around. My problem right now is.. I have built my first two kits and now I have nothing to work on this weekend.

Paul's right about the stockpile Ron. But I think the legal number is up to 36 kits gathering dust on the shelf before you're considered to be a modeller and of course you must have at least 6 sitting around on the work bench in various states of completion.
Only then grasshopper are you a true modeller.
LOL

And Ron, now that you've got all the tools, now you've gotta start stockpiling kits! No other modelers will take you seriously if you don't have at least a couple of dozen kits waiting to be built

Bring me more toys! Seriously, you'll keep finding neat stuff for your bench, so pace yourself. The Aztek setup is a good choice. More goodies out there, so keep buying those lottery tickets-one of them will set you up for life! :) Have fun, guy. -Ed

Yeah, very true. But I can't blame it ALL on the hobby.

I have noticed something very strange about my behavior this time around. I am prissy! I demand the best in everything, even if I have something so so.. I order the best.

Seriously... the equipment that I have bought is all top notch. For example... I have 2 airbrushes.. but I just bought the Aztek 4709 kit. Supposed to be the best airbrush you can buy within reason. So now I will have 3 of them. I bought a Dremel... and I just bought a special chuck, and super small drill bits.

Its all in good fun though. Its a hobby.. and I am enjoying it immensely.

But I am really stoked that I have all the tools I could ever want, with more on the way. I mean, I even bought Parafilm, lol.

Renarts is right. Many of the items you're buying will last for years, if not a lifetime. There's going to be some initial expense, but it will be worth it.
Remember, it's about the journey, not the destination!

Ron! Buddy! Your gonna make yourself insane! It's like counting fish on the boat before you're done for the day. You'll only jinx it. You're going to spend more time doing the books than building the models. Junkies don't account for the hit, just the trip.

Build the model have fun, where else are you going to get that much bang for your buck? (o.k., besides range fire control officer)

BTW... 120 to squadron today

Regards,
Mike

Lets keep up this cost thing!

88 - Sam's Club
148 - Squadron
112 - Model Expo


!!!!!!!

I just got my Dremel today, this thing is insane. I will post a new topic for advice on it.. it tears through plastic like no tomorrow.

Still very eager to receive the rest of my packages,

I'm the same way. I like the ability to be able to do it when I want, how I want and not lack for anything when I do it. That means doing the same thing with buying paint. I used to have complete or extensive sets of Humbrol, Pactra, Floquil and Testors. Now I've started collecting it again starting with the Tamiya colors. Get the thinner or use isopropyl alcohol. It will save you lots of aggravation when painting and blending. Liquitex makes some products that I've used on their acrylics like inhibitors, and airbrush solutions. THese thin as well slow dry time. Try em. The dremel is a jewel. I have two. One is 25 years old and is still a workhorse. I've used it for jewelry making, and furniture detail work (The other money hole is my garage woodworking shop), modelmaking and any one of a million jobs where a full size power tool is just too big. They are routers, buffers, drills, tool and dye accesories, etchers, finishers, you name it. Get one and guard it with your life. ( I had to buy one for my wife).

Paulnchamp is right. It's only money and life's to short. Enjoy it.

My other suggestion is find a chapter of IPMS near you. The group near me are a great bunch of guys and are very helpful for sourcing, techniques, ideas and the model shows they put on will both inspire you and make you cry. The talent out there!

Mike

Hey, Ron, don't feel bad. It's only money - and you can't take it with you.
"You don't see no hearses with luggage racks."