Not So Often Discussed Airbrush Issue

MonsterZero

Member since
July 2003
From: Chicago, USA

Not So Often Discussed Airbrush Issue

Posted by MonsterZero on Monday, April 12, 2004 9:45 PM

Paint consumption!

Paint is expensive and different airbrushes have different consumption rates while providing the same coverage. Actually, not the same coverage at the microscopic level, but I'm talking about what human eye can actually see when examining the model.

My Badger Anthem sucks expensive Tamiya acrylics like a vampire (and produces a terrific plume of aerosol) while my Aztek seems to use up half that Badger's paint (or even less) while providing the same beautiful coverage. Also, the Badger oversprays a lot wasting a lot of paint that ends up on the sides and bottom of my airbrushing booth. This may not be a big deal when painting something huge, but when doing a standalone 1/35 tank turrent it's really shame how much paint has to be wasted with the Badger to cover this small item. With the Aztek-no problem.

Your comments?

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saltydog

Member since
July 2003
From: Lower Alabama

Posted by saltydog on Monday, April 12, 2004 9:49 PM

all of mine are about the same i guess but ill have to start paying more attention. i can put a drop or 2 of thinned paint in my gravity feeds and just paint for what seems to be an eternity. i spay at 10 to 18 psi. what psi are you using? later.

Chris

The Origins of Murphy's Law: "In the begginning there was nothing, and it exploded."!!! _________ chris

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Monday, April 12, 2004 11:36 PM

Don't pull the trigger back so far and you will use less paint. Big Smile [:D]

The Anthem will put out a lot of paint if you pull that trigger way back, so feather it softly and get in a little closer and you won't waste as much.
As Chris said, what pressure are you spraying at?

Mike

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 5:25 AM

Yep, control, pressure and thinning are the keys. If you are getting a lot of overspray you may be using way too much pressure. You should be able to paint a 1/35 tank turret with about 1ml of paint.

I have two Badger brushes, and although I don't have anything to compare the paint consumption to, I don't have any complaints in that regard.

Scott Craig -- Nashville, TN -- My Website -- My Models Page

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J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Posted by J-Hulk on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 5:30 AM

Yeah, I'm no AB expert by any means, but I thought you can control all that as mentioned above. Perhaps these adjustments depend on the AB.

~Brian

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 6:04 PM

iwata's have so little paint consumption... 3/4 the cup on the hp-b can do secondary colors on a tiger II (missing lynx)

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:29 PM

An Iwata doesn't use any less paint than other models of similar design.
Air pressure and amount of trigger throw are the main factors in paint consumption.

Mike

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 8:14 PM

I use an Aztek (sadly, but just got my Iwata hp-cs yesterday Big Smile [:D]

!) And it used to eat up the tam acryls like CRAZY! Then I realized my psi was way to high for it (about 30-35-yep the acryl globs dried horribly on the tip) and I was also pulling back all the way on the paint (had huge overspray too). I felt (well, lets say jipped Angry [:(!]

) and then I finally relaxed the psi and trigger and it took up less. I don't think paint consumption is from brand to brand, and if it is it isn't that big a difference. It just depends on how diluted the paint is and psi. Luckly I figured this out a little bit after I got the AB, so I wasn't wasting money along time.

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KJ200

Member since
July 2003
From: Bicester, England

Posted by KJ200 on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 2:49 AM

I can't say I have noticed any difference in paint consupmtion between my little Badger 200, or my new Omni4000, but then I only spray at between 15 - 20 PSI.

Karl

Currently on the bench: AZ Models 1/72 Mig 17PF