Frustrated with AB

Harvezter wrote:

I went out and bought some lacquer thinner today. I filled the cup, sprayed it through the brush and then took the brush apart and cleaned everything with the paasche cleaning brushes I bought when I bought the AB. I also soaked the tips in a little cup of the thinner too. I didnt think this would hurt them as they are all metal. If I am wrong about this please let me know so I dont do it again :) I reassembled the brush and ran some more thinner through it. One question: when I put the needle back in, I pushed it in as far as it would go before locking it down. Is this correct? I watched a video on youtube about cleaning an airbrush (it was an Iwata) and the guy did it like that so I just did what he did. Thanks all, Jared aka Harv

 Jared - a couple of things.  Lacquer thinner is a key thing for airbrush cleaning and maintenance, but it can also destroy some components in an airbrush (any rubber gaskets, airbrush lubricants, etc.).  So I would suggest using it sparingly.  I'll usually run some through the brush when I finish a session, and much of the time this is strong enough so that I don't have to disassemble it each time for cleaning.  Then, every few sessions (or more/less frequenly if I'm been spraying more/less), I'll pull the needle out and make sure that it doesn't have any paint buildup and clean it will lacquer thinner too.

I don't soak anything in the thinner, however, as gaskets, etc., can be destroyed by this.  So I'd go a bit easy.  If working with enamels, you can work with mineral thinner more liberally as a cleaner, and if with acrylics, you can work with windex as a good thinner.  Then hit it with lacquer thinner at the end of each session.

HTH - Jon

P.S.  Also, when reinserting the needle, don't push it too hard or too far in as this can deform the relatively-delicate housing in some instances.  Instead, push the needle in just far enough until the angled portion of the needle is fully visible, but not past that. 

I'm still learning with my airbrush (had one as a kid, but that was a long time ago and I wasn't that good anyway).

 However, I'm finding that it is much easier to get the hang of fine lines if you start playing with it on a porous surface, like paper or cardboard. Thin the paint way, way down. Like 60% thinner/40% paint or even thinner. Turn the air pressure way down to like 10 or 15psi.

 Now open the nozzle a little bit, and get some paint flowing. (look at it from the side, against a dark surface, with a bright light behind you) If it won't flow, open a little more or add air pressure until it does. Just very little changes in each. Play with the variations of those adjustments. Play with distances to the work.

It should be easy to do thin lines with the paint that thin and a porous surface. Once you get the hang of that, you need to try doing a non-porous surface. You will likely need to thin less and add more pressure, but now you have some practice and a better idea of what you and the brush are capable of.

 Use old soda bottles for practice (A trick I learned here). It helps if you prime them first, makes the paint stick better and easier to see.

bspeed wrote:

MikeV wrote:  bspeed wrote: that looked like a pattern from too far away... like a foot or more.   No way! A foot away and that pattern would be 6-8" wide!  Is this your first time using an airbrush Harvezter?  haha, yes perhaps so, but it would probaly be pretty splattery looking :) probably every dot of paint dry before it hits too :)

Probably so at 22 psi.

It takes some time and lots of practice Harvezter. 

We all had to pay our dues to get proficient with the airbrush and we all still have difficulties at times but it does get easier and more enjoyable, trust me.

MikeV wrote:

bspeed wrote: that looked like a pattern from too far away... like a foot or more.   No way! A foot away and that pattern would be 6-8" wide!  Is this your first time using an airbrush Harvezter?

haha, yes perhaps so, but it would probaly be pretty splattery looking :) probably every dot of paint dry before it hits too :)

and nope, no protective end cap.

I went out and bought some lacquer thinner today. I filled the cup, sprayed it through the brush and then took the brush apart and cleaned everything with the paasche cleaning brushes I bought when I bought the AB. I also soaked the tips in a little cup of the thinner too. I didnt think this would hurt them as they are all metal. If I am wrong about this please let me know so I dont do it again :)

I reassembled the brush and ran some more thinner through it. One question: when I put the needle back in, I pushed it in as far as it would go before locking it down. Is this correct? I watched a video on youtube about cleaning an airbrush (it was an Iwata) and the guy did it like that so I just did what he did.

Thanks all, Jared aka Harv

MikeV wrote:

Is this your first time using an airbrush Harvezter?

pretty much so :)

bspeed wrote:

did you talon come with a protective cap on the end, and if so........did ya take it off :) I did that once on my VL ...... hehe

I remember helping someone on here a few years back that was doing that with his Paasche VL.

He was so embarrassed when I asked him if he removed the protective cap before using it.

Hey, we all make mistakes but we learn from them and never repeat them. That is a good thing!

bspeed wrote:

that looked like a pattern from too far away... like a foot or more.

No way! A foot away and that pattern would be 6-8" wide! 

Is this your first time using an airbrush Harvezter? 

did you talon come with a protective cap on the end, and if so........did ya take it off :)

I did that once on my VL ...... hehe

Harvezter wrote:

bspeed wrote: how far away, from the surface was the airbrush when you painted this test piece? and how far back did you pull the button. I was a couple inches back and i had the trigger pulled completely back.

your AB must be clogged up somewhere.  that looked like a pattern from too far away... like a foot or more.

it is not atomizing the paint.  for a few inches and full back button, it should have dumped a solid pattern for sure. it did look better at the end or start of the pattern you have shown

Harvezter wrote:

I thinned the paint more once but it seemed to be blown off the object i was painting easily. I am guessing my air pressure was too high?

Yep. If you're talking about "spidering" (blotch of paint with runs radiating out from the centre) - either the air pressure is too high or you're too close or you're just pumping too much paint (pulling the trigger too far back).

I was a couple inches back and i had the trigger pulled completely back.

Too much paint at too close a distance. That's equivalent to using a fire hose to water seedlings.

Practice on some scrap or a "hulk" kit. Start your air and then pull back slowly until paint just begins to flow. Learn the "range" of your trigger and how it controls the spray pattern at different distances from your subject. Once you get a feel for your airbrush, you will learn how much to pull back, how far to spray from the subject and so-on.

hkshooter wrote:

Does paint come out without you pulling back the trigger?? Looks like the needle may not be in all the way , the tip could be loose.

no.. no paint comes out till I pull trigger. I checked the needle but its pushed in as far as it will go.

bspeed wrote:

how far away, from the surface was the airbrush when you painted this test piece? and how far back did you pull the button.

I was a couple inches back and i had the trigger pulled completely back.

Phil_H wrote:

When my Sparmax does that it usually means the brush is partially clogged. Run a few drops of lacquer thinner through it and wipe down the tip. I'd also suggest adding more thinner. I thin my Tamiya acrylics a lot more, at least 2:1, sometimes up to 4:1 thinner:paint.

Thank you. I need to pick up some lacquer thinner it seems.

I thinned the paint more once but it seemed to be blown off the object i was painting easily. I am guessing my air pressure was too high?

Don Wheeler wrote:

The Talon is supposed to be a very good brush.  Look at page 3 of the manual.  You can get one here if you don't have a copy.  See if the troubleshooting info on skipping or spitting helps.  You might want to try a different paint in case you got a bad bottle.  Don

Im very pleased to hear that because thats the impression I was under when I bought it. I am more than positive it is just my ineptness with AB ;)

 I will definite explore the manuals trouble shooting section. Thank you Don :)

When my Sparmax does that it usually means the brush is partially clogged.

Run a few drops of lacquer thinner through it and wipe down the tip.

I'd also suggest adding more thinner. I thin my Tamiya acrylics a lot more, at least 2:1, sometimes up to 4:1 thinner:paint.  

The Talon is supposed to be a very good brush.  Look at page 3 of the manual.  You can get one here if you don't have a copy.  See if the troubleshooting info on skipping or spitting helps.  You might want to try a different paint in case you got a bad bottle.

 Don 

Does paint come out without you pulling back the trigger?? Looks like the needle may not be in all the way , the tip could be loose.

how far away, from the surface was the airbrush when you painted this test piece?

and how far back did you pull the button.