Airbrushing MM enamels...

tcepilot

Ok first off, what is the best, most precise air brush for MM enamels? And could someone please post some airbrushing tips & techniques?

OMCUSNR

Go to Don Wheeler's web site!!

Second that.

Back to your first question. You do not need the "best, most precise" airbrush for modeling. A moderately priced, well made one will do. My favorite is the Iwata HP-CS. The Badger Krome and Harder & Steenbeck Evolution will work well too. The later two have preset handle if you need to do really fine line. You can find a lot of details about individual airbrushes at Don's site. Best yet, it is from a modeler's  perspective looking at this important tool.

At the end, the choice of an airbrush is a very personal one. The ones that I mentioned above are not necessarily the "best". I have them and know what they can do for a not too skillful modeler. That's it.

Go to Don Wheeler's web site!!

Don covered it!  The key is getting the paint thinned right and getting the right pressure/distance

I'll give a strong second to this post.  I know several folks who got into airbrushing by buying a new airbrush, then proceeding to paint a complicated, expensive model with it, with no practice first, and had a disaster on their hands.

I'd say, unless you are a very experienced airbrush user with experience on several different airbrushes, to follow TOJO72's advice.

Further, if you are just getting started in airbrushing, to put in at least an hour's practice on scrap material before trying it on a good kit.

practic,practice,practice       experiment with cardboard or old models,use different pressures,mixes,hand movements,distances until you get the feel of what each variation does.I use mineral spirits from the hardware store to thin MM,you don't have to use their thinner.

Well, I use Paasche VJR, and it's best for small, precise jobs, also works great for preshading. For enamels (also for Humbrols, Revells and similar) I usually put some paint in a tiny glass bottle and then start adding thinner and mixing. I check to see that the solution is thick enough to leave a layer of paint on the jar's side when I tilt it, but that layer is slightly transparent. Checking the transparency of that layer is a good way to judge the dilution of the paint. Then I pour it in the airbrush paint tank and start spraying. It's good to make a test shot and adjust the thinning accordingly - if the paint is too flat you add some thinner, if it's too runny, you can increase the distance at which you spray, or add some paint to the mixture. On a hot day you have to add thinner after some time anyway, to compensate for the stuff that already evaporated. With some paints (like metalizers) you have to stir the mix frequently, because the pigments tend to settle on the jar's bottom. Hope it helps, good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł