Dust instead of paint!

pathvet9 wrote:

Ross - tell us again about acrylic retarders. What are they and what do they do? Thanks.

A retarder is an additive put into paint to slow drying and/or curing. The acrylic retarders made by Golden, Liquitex, Createx, etc. are widely available at artist's supply outlets.

Always mix a small amount (usually one small drop for airbrushing) of retarder with the reducing solvent, then add that to the paint.

pathvet9 wrote:

NAMREDNEF - YOU had the right idea. I think my paint was drying before even hitting the surface. Would have never guessed that. I now go to 2-3" and lower pressures.

I learned by listening to others here at FSM......some whom have posted on this thread!

It's a sharing thing!

NAMREDNEF - YOU had the right idea. I think my paint was drying before even hitting the surface. Would have never guessed that.

I now go to 2-3" and lower pressures.

MaxPower - even before your post, I bought Tamiya thinner and tried a layer closer and it works!! Guess the learning curve is a lot longer than I thought.

I guess I got lucky with my earlier attempts with RR model walls and some of the small parts but this doing a whole model and not getting paint lines, etc. is a whole new skill. I WILL get better, thanks for the support to ALL.

Also, Windex is the key!

Ross - tell us again about acrylic retarders. What are they and what do they do?

Thanks. 

Yep, too far away.   been there done that. sometimes you can find yourself painting real close, and sometimes a few  inches or 3 away.  put some cheap thinned paint, like craft store acrylics in the Airbrush, and just paint up some paper or cardboard boxes, to get a feel for the coverage.

I use Tamiya thinners only with their paint. It sounds like you are too far away. I spray from about 2 inches or so with low pressure (about 12ish PSI or a little closer to 20 if I'm using my siphon feed brush. I'm still learning too but I'm finding after a light coat I spray it untill it looks wet. Almsot to the point of running.

I've had problems too were my paint is almost pouris [sp] and seems like it will actually absorb my future coat. Sometimes I'll rub my model down with 2000 grit sand paper or even a coffee filter to knock that first layer off and get a smooth surface.

I've been airbrushing for about a year and a bit (through 5 models) and I'm just know starting to really figure it out. You can read tips and tricks all day but what counts is practice. :)

Oh and as for cleaning your brush I suggest Windex. It dissolves Tamiya acrylics like crazy and it's dirt cheap. 

Drop your pressure to 10-15 psi and get closer.

Using an acrylic retarder will also help a great deal with Tamiya acrylics. 

Well, I hope you folks come up with the right answer for me as I have now tried a coat of paint thinned with 90% isopropyl alcohol and the same result. Maybe it is dry as it hits as it looks that way and the surface is IMMEDIATELY dry?? 

I am spraying at 22# and try to keep about 6-8" away. Is that too far?

More help needed as I had to buy more paint and also bought Tamiya 20A thinner. Better? We shall see!

Don't forget....you paint spray may be drying before it hits the surface.....effected by the AB distance from the subject or the air pressure being excessive. 

There's a real bummer and I thought I was doing things right to use a thinner at all. I will try alcohol, as the Polyscale smells like alcohol but must also have something else in it?? 

I will search for those old threads and use the Polyscale only to clean up........ or is Windex better?? Did you throw away your Polyscale? What IS it compatible with?

pathvet9 wrote:

INow I mixed 50:50 paint and Polyscale airbrush thinner

There's the problem.  I have Polyscale Airbrush Thinner, and it wont work with MM, and I wont even try it on the few Tamiya Paints that I have, as I am 99% sure it's not compatible. Several threads on the forums about Polyscale Thinner.

My first thought would be paint incompatibility. I use Tamiya acrylics nearly exclusively, and I only thin them with 91% alcohol of Tamiya thinner.

Another thought is a pressure/distance/thickness combonation. How much pressure are you spraying with and from what distance? Also when I spray Tamiya Acrylics, I thin them untilthey are about the consistency of milk. Any thicker and it doesn't flow well and can dry quicker, any thinner and it can spider really bad.

It could be a mixture of all the variables, but I would start with a different thinner.