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Need help with moving to a finer needle and tip...paint issues

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  • Member since
    December 2021
  • From: Northern Michigan
Posted by Monogram Madness on Saturday, January 15, 2022 11:03 PM

I hate to say it...Vallejo is the only paint ive ever sprayed having just goeten back into airbrushing (used to use testors as a kid).  I havnt had any issues until now making it work well.  adhesion and durability are not great...but future has taken care of that for me.  That stuff is as tough as nails and the no odor is fantastic...cleanup is easy too with the acrylics. 

 

Thanks for the help anyone...ive got some experimenting to do!

Perfection is having fun and relaxing...not building the perfect model.  

 

On the bench:  Revell 1:48 Spitfire MKII and Monogram 1:48 P-40B

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Saturday, January 15, 2022 11:42 AM

BrandonK

When I use my Sotar 20/20 (it has a .2 tip) with Vallejo I use super low pressure and get in very close. Close enough you have to be cautious not to let the needle hit the model and I don't have issues. Super low pressure, super thin paint.

BK

 

Ive tried BK and just can't get the results I want as I do with solvent paints. Some guys love Vallejo, I'm not there yet on that learning curve. 

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    June 2014
Posted by BrandonK on Saturday, January 15, 2022 10:44 AM

When I use my Sotar 20/20 (it has a .2 tip) with Vallejo I use super low pressure and get in very close. Close enough you have to be cautious not to let the needle hit the model and I don't have issues. Super low pressure, super thin paint.

BK

On the bench:

A lot !! And I mean A LOT!!

2024 Kits on deck / in process / completed   

                         14 / 5 / 2  

                              Tongue Tied

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Saturday, January 15, 2022 12:12 AM

That's why I love enamels and lacquers, no tip dry, no spitting. Just fantastic performance using my Sotar. I thin the paint about 50/50, set the pressure to 7-10 psi and cant shoot hair thin lines all day long. Can‘t say the same about any water based acrylic specially Vallejo. 

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    November 2018
Posted by oldermodelguy on Friday, January 14, 2022 11:47 AM

I waited to reply to this thread till I could get to Hobby Lobby and pick up a few supplies I was after, mostly craft paints. But the point is I also picked up a bottle of leather brown Model Color knowing already that I can shoot Model Air through the .25 on my Badger with 0 issues. I wanted the brown anyway and have been wanting to try this airbrush experiment for probably two years now.

So I just shot the Model Color ( maybe half an hour ago) with the .25 on my Badger and it came out like silk, even the sheen I would expect on leather seating. I thinned it not over cautiously with one of my home brew thinners and shot it at around 26 psi working pressure ( that's after the drop when hitting the go button lol). Test complete for me. Anyone can do as they wish with the info but the finish is very nice, the mixing took me all of a minute. It took longer to get out the Badger and confirm I indeed had the fine tip on it, which I did ( I've been using my Paasche H lately, actually for most of the last year). And I cleaned up with Windex and really hot water. Nice paint IMO. And I have no doubt I could cut the pressure back a bit for very close in work, it was very freely flowing and spraying out. It reminded me very much of Model Air actually.

Edited: I said I just shot MA but I meant MC so corrected that.

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 11:33 AM

In my experience, Vallejo does not spray well with a tip less than .3 or .35mm.

Phil's advice would be spot on except that Vallejo doesn't perform well at anything much less than 25 psi. You could try it, though. Maybe your experience might be different.

I've always suspected pigment size as the reason, but that's really just a guess.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 2:52 AM

I don't have a Talon, nor do I have an airbrush with a .25 tip, but an educated guess would be that 20-25 PSI is too much air for that tip.

Try dropping it to about 12-15 PSI and get closer to your subject. Work the pressure up and down a little to find the sweet spot. 

  • Member since
    December 2021
  • From: Northern Michigan
Need help with moving to a finer needle and tip...paint issues
Posted by Monogram Madness on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 1:36 AM

This is probaly a pretty obvous thing to you more experienced guys but I could use some help.  I paint with a Paasche Talon airbrush and have had nothing but great luck with it...using the .35 needle.  I spray between 20-25 PSI generaly and run vallejo model color and model air...both thinned to my liking.  

Fast forward and I picked up the .25 needle and tip and decided it to give it a go.  WOW...talk about dry tip issues.  I thinned it some more and added more flow improver...nothing.  I added water...nothing.  Other than cleaning my tip every .5 seconds what am I doing wrong here.  Why such tip dry issues with the finer needle and tip?

Second question...with 48 scale aircraft is the .25 tip even needed?  Durring the brief seconds i could get it to work it really didnt seem that much finer in its detail.  

 

As always...Thanks for the help everyone.  

Perfection is having fun and relaxing...not building the perfect model.  

 

On the bench:  Revell 1:48 Spitfire MKII and Monogram 1:48 P-40B

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