Spatter problem

I don't have a Paasche, but imagine it will come with a push or screw on tip guard / protector? My brush will simply not perform with this fitted, as paint builds up on it & causes spatter.

Also, if you have use a ratio which has not been thinned to your brushes preference, it could be causing paint build up at the tip of the needle, so possibly wise to give it a rinse through with water & wipe the tip with spirits / thinner before moving onto another mix.

Possibly nothing to do with your problem, just a couple of suggestions.

Does the spatter start immediately or gradually & does the amount of spatter increase the longer you spray for?

I had the same problem.   Aside from the Paasche VLs having to use slightly higher PSI rates (I usually use 20-25psi) I couldn't do very fine lines like I was prepping to do.

If you're problem is anything like mine...look at the tip where the needle comes out...when you press the button back (Like you're going make a heavy spray), is the needle centered in the hole?  Mine was to one side making it "spirt".  It's probably a bent needle...not at the tip, but bent in general.

Hope that helps.

sk3tch

If you're problem is anything like mine...look at the tip where the needle comes out...when you press the button back (Like you're going make a heavy spray), is the needle centered in the hole?  Mine was to one side making it "spirt".  It's probably a bent needle...not at the tip, but bent in general.

Hope that helps.

 

It is common for airbrush needles to not be centered perfectly in the cone of the tip.

It does not effect the performance of the airbrush if it is not centered.

More information please:

1: What are you thinning your paint with?
2: How thin is your paint?
3: Does the spatering occur right at the start and then stop each time you press the trigger or does it continue while you're spraying?

Phil_H

More information please:

1: What are you thinning your paint with?
2: How thin is your paint?
3: Does the spatering occur right at the start and then stop each time you press the trigger or does it continue while you're spraying?

 

1. Tamiyas paint thinner

2. It has been to about a 5 part thinner to 1 part paint but i took thinner out after everything settled to try to start over thinking I messed something up.

3. Its continuous, starts when i start spraying, goes while spraying.

At 5 parts Tamiya thinner to one part paint, I'd expect you to be getting beading and poor adhesion. I wouldn't push Tamiya thinner past about 2 parts thinner to 1  part paint. I do like my paint thin, but at those rates, I prefer using denatured (ethyl) alcohol, which is "wetter" than Tamiya thinner.

If you're getting continuous spattering, without seeing it, and assuming your needle is clean and you're using an appropriate air pressure (say about 22 PSI) I would be thinking you may have a build up of paint inside the bore of the nozzle. Remove the nozzle and give it a soak in lacquer thinner and then try it again.

Phil_H

At 5 parts Tamiya thinner to one part paint, I'd expect you to be getting beading and poor adhesion. I wouldn't push Tamiya thinner past about 2 parts thinner to 1  part paint. I do like my paint thin, but at those rates, I prefer using denatured (ethyl) alcohol, which is "wetter" than Tamiya thinner.

If you're getting continuous spattering, without seeing it, and assuming your needle is clean and you're using an appropriate air pressure (say about 22 PSI) I would be thinking you may have a build up of paint inside the bore of the nozzle. Remove the nozzle and give it a soak in lacquer thinner and then try it again.

Would it be ok to soak every part in lacquer thinner? I should probably clean every bit of it I can.

No, do not soak the body of your airbrush in lacquer thinner, as it will destroy the rubber o-rings and seals in the air valve.

It should be sufficient to start with the nozzle.

PS: If you have replaced the nozzle, is it matched to the needle? If I recall correctly, some VL sets come with fine, medium and coarse needle/nozzle sets. If the needle and nozzle are not matched, it might cause some problems due to the bore of the nozzle and the taper of the needle not being matched.

I helped someone with a Paasche VL years ago that was having problems and he was trying to paint with the protective cap on the end. Is that something you have checked?

Just asking as the protective cap has a hole in it and some people think you can paint with that cover on.

I had this problem last week with my airbrush.  It was clean and it was working fine.

The problem I had was with Vallejo paints.  It splattered even when it was heavily thinned down.

Solution:

Add about 8 or so drops of Future.  All of a sudden, paint was coming out smoothly even with a 50/50 paint/thinner ratio.

I have tried this with other brands as well and everything now airbrushes smoothly and evenly.

Try this and see if this helps.

Cheers,

Gabe

gkicsak

Solution:

Add about 8 or so drops of Future.  All of a sudden, paint was coming out smoothly even with a 50/50 paint/thinner ratio. 

...If that makes the finish any better, that's an excellent tip!

Protective cap isnt on. Do I have to match the needle with the tip? I have 4 needles and 3 tips. I think i've identified which needles are what. There was a diogram in a manual with 4 needles and it was showing them with different number of rings at the end to mark which one is which. I'm not sure if i matched one correctly becuase two of them look the same almost but one has a ring and the other doesnt. but both of the needles have a ring.

If this is my problem how do I match them? theres 3 tips but 4 needles?

I don't know about your splatter problem.  Your air pressure may be a little high.  I usually use around 15 PSI whth my VL airbrushes.

As for the size the nozzle you will have to identify by looking at the small opening, the smallest is a #1 the Medium is a #3 and the largest is a #5.  The air regulator is the part the nozzle fits into, they are labeled 1,3 and 5.  The needles have a ring(s) on the blunt end the #1 has 1 ring the #3 had 2 rings and #5 has 3 rings.

tyamada

I don't know about your splatter problem.  Your air pressure may be a little high.  I usually use around 15 PSI whth my VL airbrushes.

As for the size the nozzle you will have to identify by looking at the small opening, the smallest is a #1 the Medium is a #3 and the largest is a #5.  The air regulator is the part the nozzle fits into, they are labeled 1,3 and 5.  The needles have a ring(s) on the blunt end the #1 has 1 ring the #3 had 2 rings and #5 has 3 rings.

I have two needles with 1 ring another with 3 rings and one with 5 rings.

Paasche must have change the identity markings.  They seem to follow the #1, #3, and #5 rings for the proper ID.  Match the rings with the regulator numbers.  The tips go from the smallest to the largest.

If you have the regulator and tip paired up, don't break them up.

My VLs are old and Paasche changed the way they ID the needles.  I don't know why they didn't number their parts 1,2 and 3.  The new Talon airbrush is set up that way.

I read today that you should always get rid of paint when you're done airbrushing, why is this? could this be my problem? I save my paint to use another time.

Yes, that could be a factor. Paint, when thinned, has been altered from it's pristine state, and has started the chemical reaction that allows paint to cure. Like blood cells that clump together to form a scab as it coagulates on a wound, the particles in paint are forming bonds together.

One should always be careful to not thin too much paint, and never put thinned paint back into the original container.

ww2psycho

I read today that you should always get rid of paint when you're done airbrushing, why is this? could this be my problem? I save my paint to use another time.

If you thinned the paint and pour it back in the bottle, the thinner may cause the paint in the bottle to thicken.  It depends on the paint and the thinner.

Don

Bgrigg beat me to it.

I havent put thinned paint back into its origonal bottle. i always keep it in a seperate bottle for later use.

As Bill said, thinned paint becomes unstable pretty quickly.

I would always start with freshly thinned paint each time you paint something.

What is left over I throw out. I mix it in small batches and put it into the airbrush cup with an eye dropper.

If I need more I mix a little more using the eye droppers to measure it by the drops.

That is good, but if you are attempting to re-use thinned paints, be warned that the paint pigments are already clumping, and that is quite likely the source of the spatter.

Try using freshly thinned paints at around 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner (you ARE using the correct thinner for Tamiya Acrylics, right?) and set your air pressure at 20 psi and give it a try. Lower and raise the pressure by a couple of pounds and observe if there is any difference.

Thanks guys! I will try to get it right in the next few days.

I premix my paints and keep in old Tamiya/Gunze paint jars for the common colours.

Some of these are now several years old but still airbrush perfectly, even after tipping unused paint back in from the AB.

The key factor here is that the containers that the premixed paint is stored in are air tight to prevent the paint starting to cure.

Karl

Pre-mixing is fine, as long as you don't thin it at the same time. Making the container airtight would certainly help extend the life of thinned paint. I put a square of plastic wrap on my bottles before screwing down the lids, which seems to help with all paints.

Thanks for the input everyone! I tried everything today and i'm very pleased with the resaults. I have confidance in airbrushing again, thanks so much!

Great to know it worked out for you!