QUOTE: I begin spraying off model and try to move in smooth motions, but seem to not be too consistent with the thickness of the coat....and get some spots with paint running off the model in drops. I seem to be getting a little better- but could use some help with my gracefullness |
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I am probably NOT the person to be answering this because nobody in their right mind would every say I'm proficient with an airbrush. But I have found a couple of things that seem to be helping.
1) Practice. Practice a lot. Then practice some more. Shoot paint until you are sick or smelling it. There is no substitute for practice.
2) Airbrush even the small parts. This relates to #1 and gives you yet some more practice. It also makes your model look better!
3) If your paint is running then it is either too thin, you are painting too close or with too much air pressure or too much paint volume, or you stopped moving your hand. I paint at about 15 psi from about 3" away and the paint volume is set so low that it's hard to see what's coming out unless there is good contrast between the color of the paint and the parts. My hand movements aren't that graceful either, and I have found that keeping the quantity of paint low keeps me from making as many mistakes.
QUOTE: 2. I need something to sit my model on so I can paint it-- I know some people use wire hangers, but is there any reference sites or pictures that someone might have of a "paint stand" or a way to bend the wire to make an effective stand?? As it is, I am trying to paint both top and bottom sides to get the paint on and then don't know where or how to set the model down for drying-- should I just paint one side at a time?? |
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I do mostly airplane models, and I have a couple of styrofoam blocks I use for a paint stand. I san sit the plane on just one of them, or put one under each wnig tip. Also, I only paint one side at a time. When that side is dry I paint the other side.
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I actually did get a new airbrush for Christmas- a Badger 360- but am afraid to use it, I am ashamed to say. For a couple reasons... mainly because I am so awkward with the cheap Testors brush, I am hesitant to try to start using the double action brush until I become more proficient with the Testors brush....and then the main reason-- I don't want to get the airbrush dirty and ruin it by not doing a good job cleaning it....mainly-- if I take the brush apart, will I be able to put it back together again.... is there any sites available with a good tutorial for cleaning the Badger 360??
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If you haven't become proficient with the single action brush, now is probably the best time to start learning the double action. You won't have to change your technique as much and it will give you a lot more control over what you are doing. After all, when you learned to drive you don't just start with the gas and learn the steering part later
Badger's documentation is not that great, admittedly. The first time I took my Omni apart it was more trial and error than anything else. I'm not familiar with the 360, but I'm sure someone will chime in who is. There aren't a lot of parts in them, so I'd recommend laying the parts ona piece of cardboard as you remove them. Start on the left, and as you take each part off lay it next to the last one. To reassemble, just go backwards.