Pouring paint

I normally use xtracolour enamels which come in the same tins as humbrol. I transfer the paint with a brush. t can take a few loads of the brush, but i find i can control the amount of paint i put in better and once i have scrapped the brush out on the side of the cup, i haven't waisted much.

Bish, do you thin before or after. seems if the paint is thick out of the bottle you could get it in better and thin later?

thanks

Matt

Hi, I'm at work and a little bored and also not terribly great at explaining things, so I drew you a picture of what I do....

I use Tamiya acrylics exclusively for airbrushing. I generally open the bottle, then grab a coffee straw or coffee stirring stick. I put the end of the stick into the airbrush paint cup, and, ensuring the rim of the paint jar is in contact with the stick, pour the preferred amount of paint into the cup. The paint adheres to the stick, rather than dripping down the side of the jar. It also allows me to control to paint flow a little easier. Since there isn't a lot of surface area on the stick, I don't waste very much paint as you would using a pipette or something.

Hope that helps. Excuse the kindergarten-like drawing....

I typically stick to droppers. Sure you waste a little paint with what clings inside, but IMO you lose just as much pouring. 

I tend to reclaim some of the paint left in the dropper by using it to mix once I've added whatever thinner I'm using. Just draw the paint gently into the dropper, then gently squeeze it back out. Too hard and it'll go everywhere, but this grabs a lot of the paint back as long as you do it quick while the paint inside the dropper is still wet.

I've also started using these Dixie 1 oz cups for mixing. One of the local BBQ places uses them as salsa cups for their breakfast tacos, and I just rinse 'em out and go. They're a LOT easier to clean than MM mixing bottles, though since they're disposable I don't know how they'd stand up to something like laquer thinner. Work just fine with denatured alcohol, though.

I thin once its in the cup. If you thin in the tin/jar and you want it a bit thicker next time, your a bit stuck. Plus i recall reading that its not good to thin the whole jar or put unused paint back in. I have no idea why.

Bish

I thin once its in the cup. If you thin in the tin/jar and you want it a bit thicker next time, your a bit stuck. Plus i recall reading that its not good to thin the whole jar or put unused paint back in. I have no idea why.

I don't like thinning in the airbrush cup because, at least with my Iwata, the needle's right there at the bottom, and there's a small cavity beneath it that makes mixing a pain. With my rarely-used Paasche H, it might be a different story...but I only use that for spraying primers and clear coats, mostly.

I always take a very small amount out of the bottle and transfer it to a mixing bottle or cup. And never, ever put it back into the original bottle. The only paint I mix and keep in a jar for extended periods is something like a post-shading spray that's so thinned I don't have to worry about it caking anywhere.

I usually put thinner in the A/B cup then I use the tool I stir the pait with to add paint. I use a flat bladed putty applicator thing to stir with...it has a slight concave side and it holds paint really well. I find I can control the amount of paint this way even if it takes longer to do. (note: I do not do this if I need a lot of paint).

I stir in the cup, and then lossen the neddle cap and let it bubble to complete the mix. 

I have a badger 150, so it has a seperate cup that fits underneath. But i am planning on getting a badger 100 so might have to change the way i thin my paint. I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it.

Yeah, it caused me a nice headache the other day. I was spraying an engine crankcase...a tiny amount of paint...so I figured I'd go ahead and mix in the cup. Loaded in a bit of Future, then put a few drops of Vallejo Dark Grey into the cup...and they sank straight to the bottom, under the needle. Ended up having to strip it down, yank the needle and swab it out.

A drawback of gravity feed, I guess.

DoogsATX

Yeah, it caused me a nice headache the other day. I was spraying an engine crankcase...a tiny amount of paint...so I figured I'd go ahead and mix in the cup. Loaded in a bit of Future, then put a few drops of Vallejo Dark Grey into the cup...and they sank straight to the bottom, under the needle. Ended up having to strip it down, yank the needle and swab it out.

A drawback of gravity feed, I guess.

I use an Iwata too and if you lossen the whole cap assy and pull back gently on the trigger it will mix the paint pretty well.  I was heistant to do this at first but I always do it now...especially when I am using a small amount of paint like you describe.

I use Tamiya acrylics, primarily.  I've kept a few of the bottles after using all the paint in them.  Now, when I need to either thin a color or mix up a 'custom' job, I'll transfer the paint into the old Tamiya jar, either by pouring it directly or using an eyedropper or needle syringe.  Then I'll add the thinner and pour from that bottle into the paint cup.  Like Bish, I've got a Badger 150, which I love.

One thing that I do, which some of you have mentioned as a no no (and I've heard before), is I'll pour my unused paint back into the jar that it started in.  That is one of those things that I have always been told is bad to do, but could never figure out why.  Anyone have any idea what cardinal law of painting I am breaking by returning the thinned paint to its 'home'?  (Other than thinning any paint that remains in the original bottle, I mean).

DoogATX Thanks for the warning, i will be that in mind if i get around to a gravity feed.

bbrowniii I have had i 150 for years. The only thing i don't like is that if i need to get the airbrush close up the cup gets in the way. And i have had the odd spillage when moving it around a model and getting it to vertical. Thats the only reason i am thinking of a 100. Same airbrush but gravity feed.

I use an eyedropper to remove the paint from the jar, mix/thin in one of those little plastic medicine cups, then strain it by pouring into a mini funnel with a fine mesh screen in it into the AB cup. A bit tedious but it's a system that works for me.

Bish

bbrowniii I have had i 150 for years. The only thing i don't like is that if i need to get the airbrush close up the cup gets in the way. And i have had the odd spillage when moving it around a model and getting it to vertical. Thats the only reason i am thinking of a 100. Same airbrush but gravity feed.

I hear ya, Bish.  I love my 150.  I can get pretty close, but you are right, but cup can be a bit of a PITA.  I usually don't spill, but that is more luck that anything else...

I've been toying with the idea of the Patriot 105.... but who knows...

I actually probably should send my 150 back to Badger for an overhaul....

bbrowniii

One thing that I do, which some of you have mentioned as a no no (and I've heard before), is I'll pour my unused paint back into the jar that it started in.  That is one of those things that I have always been told is bad to do, but could never figure out why.  Anyone have any idea what cardinal law of painting I am breaking by returning the thinned paint to its 'home'?  (Other than thinning any paint that remains in the original bottle, I mean).

I use Tamiya exclusively, and have switched to a 100 from a 150 with no regrets (all the parts are interchangeable).

The reason I don't return thinned paint to the original jar is every time you do, you alter the original mix. How can one assure they are getting consistent results with inconsistent supplies? Painting and airbrushing is difficult enough as it is without introducing a wildcard when it comes to thinning.

Personally i have the fortune of having an aunt who is a nurse so everytime she drops by she brings me a handful of syringes without needle. It's clean in use and on top of that you can be very accurate and consistent in your paint mixing as they have markings on em. Some modelling stores and/ or pharmaceutical stores will sell em too.

Usually i keep the thinned paint in it's jar for the duration of a given build in case i need to respray something. Once i am done or i don't need the colour nomore i simply clean out the jar for a next project.

Richard

I use Tamiya acrylics almost exclusively.  After stirring the paint in the jar with an electric paint mixer, I remove paint using an eye dropper.  I mix by dropper full of paint/thinner in plastic "buddy" cups w/ lids (which I get from a local arts and crafts store) and shake gently to mix.  I pour from the buddy cup to the airbrush cup and reseal the buddy cup for use later if I need it.  I never mix in the airbrush cup.  Pretty clean, wastes a little, but I like being able to retain my paint mixture in the buddy cup for awhile in case I need to use it some more.

Tom   

I often use very small quantities of paint (as little as one or two drops) and if I  was to try mixing this in the airbrush, well, it woiuld just disappear into the workings. I extract paint from the jat using one of those little Tamiya stirrers with the "spoon" end and mix in a small "dollar store" steel measuring spoon then pour into the airbrush cup.

Just to note, I've seen some of those Japanese modelling videos where the guy will put paint and thinner straight into the airbrush cup and mix by covering the nozzle and blowing air back through the brush (as you would do when backflushing) - never tried it but it seems to work (remember to turn your pressure down toavoid painting yourself).

bbrowniii

I use Tamiya acrylics, primarily.  I've kept a few of the bottles after using all the paint in them.  Now, when I need to either thin a color or mix up a 'custom' job, I'll transfer the paint into the old Tamiya jar, either by pouring it directly or using an eyedropper or needle syringe.  Then I'll add the thinner and pour from that bottle into the paint cup.  Like Bish, I've got a Badger 150, which I love.

One thing that I do, which some of you have mentioned as a no no (and I've heard before), is I'll pour my unused paint back into the jar that it started in.  That is one of those things that I have always been told is bad to do, but could never figure out why.  Anyone have any idea what cardinal law of painting I am breaking by returning the thinned paint to its 'home'?  (Other than thinning any paint that remains in the original bottle, I mean).

I keep already-thinned paint separate from the original jar. If I have mutliple jars of the same color, I'll pour it back into the jar and mark it as already thinned for AB use. I sure as hell don't like to waste paint just because I miscalculated how much I need for a particluar job (which I do all the time, my eye isn't that good)...paint's expensive. Maybe one of the resident paint experts will chime in on why adding thinned paint to the original unthinned paint is bad.

Cannot relate to the airbrushing as my paint sprays OOC (Out of Can) without transferring or decanting.

When brush painting I tend to waste a lot transferring the paint to a piece of glass with a SS pin.

Bgrigg

The reason I don't return thinned paint to the original jar is every time you do, you alter the original mix. How can one assure they are getting consistent results with inconsistent supplies? Painting and airbrushing is difficult enough as it is without introducing a wildcard when it comes to thinning.

That is a good point, Bill.  I guess I've just never found it to be a serious problem.  The amounts I am returning are usually pretty small and, if I am airbrushing it, I'm going to end up thinning the paint in the 'original' bottle anyways, so to me it has not proven to be a concern or issue.

That's due to Tamiya's forgiving nature, more than anything else. I prefer not to take chances, but then you know how conservative I am .

I keep empty bottles to store thinned paint, and have had much success with that. I put a piece of masking tape on the lid to keep track of which bottle is full strength, and which is thinned.

Hello,

 I personaly have always used a pipette to transfer Tamiya paints and thinner directly to the airbrush. I then use the pipette to pull the mixture back and forth from the pipette a few times to blend the mixture until I get the consistancy that I am looking for. When using Vallejo acrylics, I will blend colors right in the airbrush using a Tamiya metal stir stick. I will say that it sometimes takes me a minute to get the correct mix, but, I find that I do not waiste as much paint as I have when exparimenting with mixing in a seperate jar and then transfering to the airbrush.

 I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know.

OH YEA oddman, you have WAY too much time on  your hands!

Nice drawing, I used it today with MM and Alclad, it works pretty good. Dejavu maybe, it looks familiar but thanks!

matt

I use Tamiya acrylics & have plenty of old jars. I use a 1ml oral syringes, which have an open tip & no needle to put paint & thinners into an empty jar, mix in the jar & pour into my airbrush.

I use the syringe to mix the paint in the jar & do a couple of draws on the syringe to get the majority of the paint out of said syringe. I don't really thin visually with the "consistency of milk" theorem, I use the syringes to work the ratio out, which is dead easy with the 1ml - X full syringes of paint to X full syringes of thinners. For some larger jobs I will use 5ml syringes, but not very often.

I use the same syringes for Alclad paints - you no doubt know what happens when you try to pour Alclad straight from the bottle?

I have also found that certain brands of syringes do not appreciate Tamiya acrylic thinners & that their plungers seals swell up.

I always mix paints in old jars or spare ones.

Never do i mix or thin paints in the cup.

For pouring I use thin class-rods from a chemical supply store. Easy to clean.