Whats wrong with my airbrush!

   Looks like your to far away from the surface and the paint is drying before it hits the model.

      What type of airbrush are you using? Some of the expensive double actions have fine to very fine needles which work great at close range however large area coverage is more diffucult.

        Try lowering or increasing your air pressure if you have the capabilities, to low of pressure won't "move" alot of paint, but high pressure may cause the paint to "bounce" on the surface.

         Make sure your paint is thinned correctly, this is a point of discussion among many, the beginners rule is the consistency of 2% milk. When you drag a drop of paint up the side of your mixing cup it should run down but leave pigment behind. Also try to use the recommended thinner for the brand and type of paint your using.

          Most IMPORTANTLY practice, practice, practice. Experiment with different settings of above mentioned variables and it will work out. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

    Good luck, let us know your progress and HAPPY MODELLING.

if you're new to airbrushing, then I recommend you watch phil flory's series on youtube on airbrushing basics (his channel is flory models).  It's a great series and covers in detail when paint is too thin or too thick, if air pressure is too high or too low, or distance from the model is too far, or all of the other variables that can play a role into getting a great looking paint job.  It's nothing wrong with your airbrush, probably, but instead the paint mixture, air pressure (or both).  It's also key to be able to clean and break down your airbrush in case there's buildup of paint which happens inevitably as we paint.  

I love airbrushing, but it's pretty complicated at the beginning, but once you get the hang of these few variables and practice a bunch (with thicker and thinner paint, higher and lower air pressures, etc.) you get great results.  I still struggle with airbrushing but it gets easier every day as I learn more and more from my "mistakes."  

HTH!

Without any other information, it looks like your paint is not thinned sufficiently and/or your air pressure is too low.

If you are using Tamiya acrylics, it's counter-intuitive, but you can thin the paint a lot more than conventional wisdom suggests. For flat colours, i usually run Tamiya acrylics at 2 parts or more thinner to one part paint @ about 20psi.

Tamiya's metallics require a bit of experimentation to find what works best with your airbrush setup, as the metallic pigments can settle out very quickly if you run them too thin. When this happens, your airbrush either clog or will spit out irregular clumps of metallic pigment with little carrier, giving you a rough, gritty finish.

I agree with the comments above, most likely your thinning/pressure/techique.

Still, I'm curious what airbrush you are using. Your off to a good start using a paint known for good airbrushing quality (Tamiya) and Tamiya's own thinner. Those are both smart choices.

Oops I geuss I should have said a bit more. My airbrush is the Iwata neo. One problem I have with it is that when I'm spraying its making this small sound orginating from the tip. I can't find any dried paint on it but maybe its just the paint. I mainly have this problem with X-2. 

Fuzzytrexy

One problem I have with it is that when I'm spraying its making this small sound orginating from the tip.

Sound coming from the tip is normal as you spray. It will change slightly depending on the paint flow.

How much thinner are you using and what is your air pressure setting?

When I can't figure out what an airbrush is doing, first thing I do is strip and thoroughly clean.

But that doesn't really solve your issue.

I wonder if it's being starved for air.  That looks like stippling to me.  The Neo has a very small space for air around the nozzle, and the nozzle is delicate.  If the nozzle has been formed into a trumpet shape by pressing the needle too hard, it would make this space even smaller.  That might even explain your noise.  Compare your nozzle with the photos on my review page.

Also, make sure the rubber o-ring on the nozzle goes fully inside the brush when installed.  You shouldn't see any of it.

Stippling can also be caused by paint that is too thick.

Don

Don,

I for one truly appreciate it when you chime in on these threads. I almost always learn something from your comments.

Thank you for being here.

Put some water in the cup ( no paint just plain water), turn your pressure up to 15-20psi and see how that sprays, it should come out awesome into a nice pattern. No spitting, sputtering or funny sounds. If it still spits it's something more than thinning correctly alone will fix. If it sprays nice, then further thinning probably will too. I'm guessing your paint is too thick, a .35 needle is about where things get to be more fussy on correct thinning.

Don Wheeler

...Also, make sure the rubber o-ring on the nozzle goes fully inside the brush when installed.  You shouldn't see any of it.

...

Yo,

sorry to break in on this thread but I have the exact same problem.

Don, could you expand on the above please?

Svenne Duva

Yo, sorry to break in on this thread but I have the exact same problem. Don, could you expand on the above please?

I'm not Don, but I think I can answer this one.

The O-ring sits in a small recess in the back of the nozzle. The mating surface on the front of the airbrush body is flat.

When you screw the nozzle in, it should compress the o-ring into the recess, but none of it should be visible protruding between the nozzle and the airbrush body.  When properly seated, nozzle itself should be flush with the body.

If there is part of the o-ring stuck between the nozzle and the body, this means the nozzle isn't fully seated and the tip of the nozzle is potentially blocking or restricting the airflow between the nozzle tip and the air outlet in the tip of the air cap. 

Thanks Phil,

Got it. Need a new o-ring but I guess that will be a new nozzle.
Anyway, thank you fr your quick reply!

Svenne

I  don't know about Iwata parts, but my LHS does carry the teflon washers for Badger brushes.  They should be considered a supply item that needs periodic replacement.  I have also found them on Amazon.

Svenne Duva

Got it. Need a new o-ring but I guess that will be a new nozzle.

If your o-ring is toast but the nozzle itself is undamaged, you might be able to seal the threads with beeswax or similar. 

Most Hobby Lobby's stock common Iwata parts, fwiw.

Phil_H

 

 

Svenne Duva

Got it. Need a new o-ring but I guess that will be a new nozzle.

 

 

If your o-ring is toast but the nozzle itself is undamaged, you might be able to seal the threads with beeswax or similar. 

 

 

XLNT!

The supply of spare parts at the LHS here in Gothenburg is...limitted.

He is a good guy, but his local market is like 25 regular customers, with his WEB service you could add a 0 to that.

The local hardware store is not much better, I grabbed a guy and asked him if he could show me their o-ring section and he went O?

Wax or similar will do, I am OK :)

I own a Neo and that pattern looks like the paint is too thick.

If, like me, you have difficulty getting the wax to seal well, what works for me is to use liquid mask. I use Mr Hobby’s Mr Masking Sol. Brush on a little around the thread, screw the nozzle back on and let it dry.

Seals well, seems unaffected by thinners, and importantly can be removed when you want to. 

On my Badger 200 and medium needle set I get bubbles between the air cap and nozzle body. I also tie flies and in fly tying we have what is called dubbing wax. Dubbing wax is a product made to be real sticky, it has bees wax and some other soft waxes in it. I use that to seal those threads on my Badger. In the past I also sealed the nozzle threads with it when I had a bad sealing washer in there and the airbrush was cutting out and pulsing because of it. I now keep a supply of the teflon washers on hand. But it sprayed fine just using wax too.