Tips on airbrushing enamel

Hutch6390

Hi - I think the reference is to booths which use an extractor fan having an electric motor with conventional brushes (motor components, not brushes to paint with), which can cause sparks, potentially hazardous in the presence of paint/thinner fumes. I don't know how great the risk actually is - I suspect not very, but I claim no authority on this. Booths with brushless motors do not have this problem.

 

I use muffin fans (brushless) in my booths for that reason.

 I am a novice and just purchased an air brush for diecast car restorations. I need a small indoor paint booth. They all seem to have a disclaimer not to use flammable paints. Do you or anyone reading this have any recommendations. I have very limited space but have sliding window in my shop room.

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I use MM a lot and have found that if I thin it more, then it produces a super smooth finish. I also set the AB at about 10-12 PSI. As thinner I use Gum Turpentine from Home Depot (med. sized can)which also produces an excellent artist oil paint wash.

Seems to me the finish is a bit rougher with the higher psi and resulting greater distance of airbrush from model. The paint seems to go on a bit dryer, which seems to make it look flatter.  For gloss I like to get up close and really put on wet layers, which calls for a lower pressure and more needle.

Don, what's your reason for using a different PSI for flats as opposed to glos.

I use enamels- usually Testors- exclusively.  I used to use Testors thinner for airbrushing, mineral spirits for cleanup.  There was a period when the Testors thinner was not easily available, and I learned to use the hardware store mineral spirits for thinning too. I have to use a little more of it than with the Testors stuff.

I use 15 psi for gloss finish, 20 for flats.  I start thinning at 1:1, then add one or the other as I begin spraying if need be.  For the final coat of a gloss finish I do use more thinner, as much as 1 part paint to 2 parts thinner.

Gloss enamel takes a long time to dry. I finally built a dryer box, heated by a 60 W incandescent bulb.

That's good, as I said it can't hurt, another thing it's good for is when using Mr Muscle, that stuff burns if you inhale any.

Hey mick, I headed your comment in my safty thread. I will be getting a proper resperator before i spray enamel. I ordering both shortly after the holiday.

I completely agree with all the above, for MM enamel I start with about 1;3 thinner to paint ratio, then doctor it as I go to meet my specific needs. If required, it can take a LOT more thinning than that, like outlining camo or spot spraying. For reference I use mostly Badger and some Paasche AB's, primarily dual action internal mix, gravity and siphon feed. MM enamel seems very adaptable to any of my equipment.

Of course to each his own preference, but from my strictly personal feelings I most heartily agree with Snibs, about respiratory protection. I use not only an actual spray booth with filter and fan exhaust, but as well, an exterior discharge 4 inch hose that is positively sealed at vent port in window frame. My respirator has replaceable cartridges, available at about any auto body or safety supply store, quite inexpensive. I do wish everyone good health, exposure to paint product fumes over the years can actually pose a significant risk, to perhaps some more than others.

I'm not lecturing or criticizing, just suggesting, please take it as such. Best to all, good modeling.

Patrick  

Ditto on the above comments, practice with the paint you intend to use on a old model. Can't speak for MM thinner with there paints but I use Humbrol paints mainly and found there thinner is great for cleaning but gp thinner is better for spraying, all the MM paints I have used have been great. Just about any primer works with enamel as well when or if you need one, enamel will stick to plastic very well without a primer which is handy at times.

Dare I say at the risk of starting another mask debate, a $30 organic mask can't hurt, some live in the fumes without any problems and some get a sniff of spray and get warm fuzzy or thumping headaches, so ill just say can it hurt to wear one?

Mick.

The amount of PSI and the amount of trigger pull and paint reaction is different with different paints.Also paint behaves diffrently on paper then model plastic.So I don't know how much it will help.

The idea with using golden airbrush media is to help create mussle memory, shading solid color, dots, lines and other airbrush learning exercises on news print pads. When comfortable with those basics then I'll practice modeling spray paddern with mm enamel.

edit:

Is it worth using golden to learn the basic airbrush techniques? 

I'll echo Tojo, I use the eyeball method. But that ratio sounds about right. Same for the PSI as well. I might thin a little more for finer detail painting. And yes, practice with what you plan to use.

Modelmaster is good stuff,very easy to use,good coverage.I don't use an exact ratio,I just eyeball it to the consistancy of skim milk.If I had to guess,I probably use 7-3 paint to thinner,but it's not an exact science.I shoot at 15-20 psi.8-10 for detailed camo.

As far as practice,I say practice with what you plan to use,not something different.Every paint acts different.