how to....

Waow, lots of questions here. I'm just going to deal with the 'varnishing/sealing' part here. I'm sure other will give you plenty on the other subjects.

When I build a car, I will paint the finish then varnish it as couple of times (usually with Future), polish it with Turtle Wax to remove any bumps or 'orange peel' finish, then use the decals, then re-varnish with several (5, 6, 7,..) coats of Future, to 'flood' the decals into the paint finish, then re-wax the whole thing to get a very shiny finish.

Time consuming, but really worthwhile!

I agree...lots of questions, and good ones to!

I'm no expert with the airbrush, but I know this, you should clean it after every use...otherwise you'll get buildup which can clog, or worse flake off and end up on your model. I have a Paashe airbrush and I use Tamiya acrylics. I'm a student and have no money so when I clean I start by rinsing my color cup with water, then spraying the water (warm is better) through my brush. I do this until the water is clear and most of the paint has been flushed. I then pour a small amount of thinner into my color cup, take apart my airbrush and soak the small parts in the thinner...I then get pipe cleaner, dip it in the color cup w/ thinner and clean out the inside of the brush. I then inspect with a light to make sure all the paint has been removed off all the inner surfaces. I then "carefully" clean the needle (the tip is very delicate!) Then I turn my attention to the small bits which have been soaking in thinner. I use the cloth or pipe cleaner to remove any paint that did not soak off. Last but not least I take the leftover thinner in the color cup and clean all the paint from the cup (remember the siphon tube and nipple where it attaches to the brush....these are common places for buildup and are out of sight!) Then reasemble the brush! This might sound like a lot of work, but it gets fast (I can clean my brush in under 5 minutes and I have never had any problems with this method!

scotch and masking tape are high tack (sticky) and will pull off some paints...(though I have read that scotch tape in the blue plaid packaging is less tacky) I have used masking tape to mask before and I was lucky enough that it never happened to me...However I because I can't afford other alternatives I have come up with cheap mediocre solutions:

a) I sometimes use scotch tape, but to reduce tack put the piece of tape on my forehead and then apply it to the model (don't let your friends see you do this) the oils from your forehead help loosen the grip on your tape...the tape still has enough tack to conform to compound curves, but shouldn't peel off your paint! (at least it hasn't happened to me)
b) I have also cut apart 3M sticky notes (the little yellow square reminder notes) they have a low tack adhesive that doesn't leave residue on your model. The can be used to!
c) for glass I don't mess around....I cough up the bucks for BARE METAL FOIL which is not only good for detailing cars (bumpers, door handles etc.) but great for masking! it doesn't peel off lower paint. holds well to compound curves and goes where you want it to. Use a sharp knife to cut the size you need from the backing and use a Q-tip to burnish it down to the surface you're masking!

Hope these (low budget student) tips help!

James

Oh yeah...I forgot to mention thinning your paint!

When you use the airbrush most paints need to be thinned. I use TAMIYA paints and usually thin 1:1 or 2:1 depending on the consitancy! (I have heard that the consistancy should resemble that of milk)

Find a piece of old model and start by mixing a 1:1 (1 part thinner per 1 part paint) for thinner use the same brand of thinnner as paint (ie...I use TAMIYA paints so I use Tamiya thinner)

I find that experimentation is best. I don't really have any secret formula that makes it right everytime...but look at how your paint is behaving when you're painting.

look for the following:

if your paint comes out flaky (large particles are being spattered on the surface) it needs to be thinned more. (add thinner)

if it is runny and not sticking to the surface than add more paint to the mix

Airbrushes are quite complex at first, but they will soon be your best friend!

enjoy....hope this helps!

James

Hey James Mark, I know how you feel about the price of things try this for thinning your Tamiya Paint, 70% Isopropyl Alcohol also known as Rubbing Alcohol. Use it with the flat colours as it tends to flatten the gloss paints.

Alot cheaper than the Tamiya thinner does a great job to, as you can use it to clean the plastic before painting to.

Hope this helps some.

Andy (SGT US Army)