Basics - Pressure, Distance, needle & clean up?

Milairjunkie wrote:

I have been using the UK version of Windex (windolene?) for clean up, but it seems to be little better than water. I have used enamels before (Although not via airbrush) & would like something which will "melt" the acrylic paint away in the same way enamel thinner does it to enamels?

For cleaning up Tamiya Acrylics, plain old Methylated Spirits  is more than adequate. It will strip 20 year old Tamiya acrylics off an old model faster you can blink. If I find that I need something a little stronger when cleaning my airbrush, just a couple of drops of lacquer thinner down the well, let it sit for a few seconds and blow it out.  

Milairjunkie wrote:

I have used enamels before (Although not via airbrush) & would like something which will "melt" the acrylic paint away in the same way enamel thinner does it to enamels?

For something even stronger than ammonia which you might need if you're cleaning your airbrush and find some cured acrylic paint in it, try Lacquer Thinner.  According to our resident chemist, the term lacquer thinner, does not imply a specific chemical formulation, and as such particularly in the UK you lacquer thinner may be entirely different than what I buy in the States.  That disclaimer aside, every comtainer of lacquer thinner that I have ever bought, was an extremely aggressive solvent, not only for enamels but acrylics as well.

Andy

Air pressure doesn't relate to scale, it's the brush's ability to pickup the paint. I use a Badger 100LG, which is analagous to the Infinity, and I use between 12 to 15 psi.

My normal working distance is anywhere from 1/4" to 4" and it all depends on the area I'm painting. Average will be 1 1/2" - 2".

The differences between the needles is a matter of line thickness, the thinner the needle the thinner the line and it all depends on the operator more than the needle! I rarely think about using anything other than the medium needle in my Badger.

I don't think UK version has Ammonia, which is the vital and important ingredient. See if you can find a brand (I use one called ZEP) that has Ammonia. Failing that you can probably buy some and add it into your existing brand, about 5% will do.