How much paint?

I usually just mix up quite a bit. You'll get a feel for how much is necessary pretty quickly. I use a 3cc syringe for measuring paint and normally use a paint to thinner ratio of 3:1. I keep some old paint bottles around, and mix up about 4cc at a time (3cc paint + 1cc thinner). It will keep fine in a sealed bottle.

Like Music, I usually mix up batches of paint, and then store them.

A syringe is definitely the best way to measure as it is extremely accurate and controllable.

Karl

music city: what kind of paint do u use?
and is there a foolproof way to see if the paint is the right consistency?

Thanks for the info. I guess, like everything else connected with this hobby, practice counts for a lot.

QUOTE: music city: what kind of paint do u use? and is there a foolproof way to see if the paint is the right consistency?

I use Tamiya and Model Master acrylics most of the time but I'm starting to lean in favor of PolyScale acrylics. I think I like them better, but I haven't used them very much either.

Yes, there is a method to see if the paint is the right consistency that is pretty much foolproof: If it sprays at the pressure you want to use it's fine. Pick a reasonable pressure that you want to spray at, say 15 psi, thin the paint enough so that it will spray properly at that pressure, and don't worry about it. I thin virtually everything except PolyScale acrylics at 3:1 and spray at 15 psi.

The ONLY reason you need to thin paint is so it will flow through the airbrush and atomize properly at a given pressure. If it sprays properly then it's fine. If the paint won't spray or dries rough I add a little more thinner. If it's too thin and won't cover properly I add a little more paint. I have a piece of cardboard on my bench, and just make a test pass across it to see what the paint is doing.

cool thanks for that scott.... i still havent got my compressor and the can of air has run out so there's no ab'ing for me for a while, but ill keep that in mind...
i was a little confused with the wholethinning process and thats cleared it up for me

cheers!!

Yeah, canned air is a rough thing to deal with. Been there, won't go back.

People tend to get real fixated on thinning paint, and think it's the secret formula to airbrushing. In reality, it don't mean nothin'. Pressure is more important because it is literally the driving force is behind the paint. Thinning the paint is simply a means to get it to flow and atomize at a given pressure. Manufacturers usually sell it thicker than necessary because it's 1) Easier to hand brush than thin paint, and 2) Easier to make paint thinner than it is to make it thicker. PolyScale comes out of the bottle about the consistency of water, and it sprays beautifully out of my airbrush down to about 7 psi right from the bottle.

I have seen some paint that I just plain could never get to spray properly. Badger ModelFlex was one of them, and Tamiya Gloss Black was another. I thinned them every way I could think of, and tried pressures from 10 psi to 40 psi. The Tamiya finally blew OK at around 40 psi, but needless to say it went everywere.