Airbrushing disaster

Get a pressure regulator

Tojo72

Get a pressure regulator

- Definitely get a regulator. There's no better way of controlling the pressure.

X3 or whatever on the regulator.  I don't know about  your compressor, but mine cycles ON when tank pressure hits 75psi, and turns OFF when internal tank pressure is at 100psi.  That's way too high.  You need to be in the ballpark of 10-20 psi depending on what you're spraying. 

Tojo72

Get a pressure regulator

Way too much pressure. Too close.

One more thing-once you get down to an appropriate pressure, you may want to thin your paint with a little something to make it flow better.  You mention using acrylics-I use Model Master Acryls and I thin them with a bit of distilled water before I shoot them.  Helps keep them from drying out before they hit the surface you are painting, or from drying and clogging the nozzle also.

--Chris

So a regulator is needed. What pressure would you set it for? Where would you buy one?

John

I bought from here,

http://www.bearair.com/Compressor-Moisture-Trap-Regulator/productinfo/110262/

But any local hobby shop,art supply store,online retailer carries them

You need the regulator to dial it down to 15-20 psi. You need to experiment with the pressure settings until you get the right setting but 15-20 is a starting point. I bought one at Harbor Freight a while back when my old regulator went kaput after 20+ years.   I use a product made by Windsor& Newton called Flow Improver in acrylics. It helps the  paint flow out more smoothly out of the airbrush and keeps it from drying out too quickly. try it, it really improves the paint flow..

D4379

I cannot seem to get the aluminum acrylic paint on the plane and I am about to throw the model in the trash at this point. It is still leaving a very rough texture. I am using a double action brush but I cannot seem to slow down how fast it is coming out. A lot of vapor in the air. I am using the compressor hooked right to the airbrush no regulator.

 

Badger 180-22 Compressor

Iwata Double action brush

Testors Acryl Aluminum paint thinned 50% with the testors thinner. Holding it about four inches from the surface. Cannot seem to control the air out of it  very difficult. Any ideas?

John

Is this the Badger compressor you work with? What happened to its original regulator?

If it is still in good condition, the pressure may be too high without a regulator. If you decide to get one, get a good quality one with a true diaphram design. The choices at Chicago Airbrush Supply are some good examples.

I recently got a cheap "no brand, made-in-China" one off Ebay (<$20) and found it totally useless.

Yes that is it in blue. I bought it used from a friend. His wife thought she was going to do finger nails with it. No regulator. I bought the Badger Regulator and it should be coming in the next few days. I  need to know what the pressure should be for airbrush. New to this and did not know frankly that it needed a regulator. As I said just spraying stuff all over.

pressure for airbrushing is all about experimenting,get a piece of cardboard,and pratice with different paints and consistencies,how close and how far away,all of these are factors.Generally I shoot between 10-20 psi but all the other factors I mention come into play.

practice and experiment !!!