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Acrylics, Enamels, and Airbrushes

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  • Member since
    August 2009
Acrylics, Enamels, and Airbrushes
Posted by cvsusn on Friday, April 13, 2012 5:07 PM

I use acrylics exclusively in my Badger 360 airbrush, however the Model Master Acryl line does not have non-spectral sea blue.  Model Master enamel does.  Can I use it in the same air brush without damage?

Thanks!

Carl

  • Member since
    December 2002
Posted by Delbert on Friday, April 13, 2012 7:03 PM

Hi there Carl,  

 

I have a badger 360 and a couple of others.   I spray mostly Model Master enamels and Humbrol enamels,  but I also use Tamiya acrylics and polyscale water based paints.  

 

The main thing is to start with a clean airbrush..  and when you are done using either enamels or acrylics clean the brush completely using the proper solvent.

 

Delbert



  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Saturday, April 14, 2012 2:52 PM

I actually prefer enamels in my airbrush, as clogs of enamel clean up easier than acrylic clogs.  Since enamel dries slower, you can wait a few more minutes before you clean, with less worry of it drying in brush.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    August 2009
Posted by cvsusn on Saturday, April 14, 2012 4:55 PM

Thanks, folks!

Based on what you're saying, enamel and acrylic will be going through the brush.  Don, your comment about clogs with acrylics was surprising, but then, I clean my airbrush pretty thoroughly after every color.

Carl

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Saturday, April 14, 2012 4:58 PM

Yes you can,just clean it thoroughly 

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by GreenThumb on Saturday, April 14, 2012 6:09 PM

cvsusn

Thanks, folks!

Based on what you're saying, enamel and acrylic will be going through the brush.  Don, your comment about clogs with acrylics was surprising, but then, I clean my airbrush pretty thoroughly after every color.

Carl

The problem is not really whether the airbrush is clean enough or not, the problem is that some people leave the paint in the color cup for too long of a period of time before spraying out. If your airbrush is going to sit for more than 15 minutes then pour out the paint, spray out with some water or thinner and then put paint back in the airbrush when you resume painting. With a good spray out and back flushing of the airbrush it is not necessary to disassemble the airbrush every time and I have never had a problem only tearing the airbrush down every 4th or 5th painting session.

Mike

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2009
Posted by cvsusn on Sunday, April 15, 2012 7:59 PM

Mike,

My style is probably inefficient.  Spraying normally lasts at most five minutes and then cleaning begins. 

Re backflushing.  I don't believe backflushing is recommended for the Badger 360 . . . at any rate I haven't done it using pipe cleaners in its stead.

Thanks for the input!

Carl

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by GreenThumb on Sunday, April 15, 2012 11:24 PM

cvsusn

Re backflushing.  I don't believe backflushing is recommended for the Badger 360 . . . at any rate I haven't done it using pipe cleaners in its stead.

 

You would have to back flush it in siphon-feed mode as the cup is too small to do a back flush in gravity-feed mode. Of course you could just submerge the front of the airbrush in a small bucket of water and do it that was as well. I use mine a lot for small jobs where it's easier to clean the 360 than any of my other arsenal of airbrushes. Smile

Mike

 

 

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