Why wont my airbrush spray flat white!!!!

rebelreenactor

Member since
October 2003
From: Clovis, Calif

Why wont my airbrush spray flat white!!!!

Posted by rebelreenactor on Sunday, December 5, 2004 5:35 PM

Hi all,

I am having some real difficulties here. I am trying to spray an interior flat white but the paint keeps coming out in specks. Its like its not even being srayed out, it just flys out into random spots. I have tried 3 different paints, Testors,& MM enamles, and Tamiya Acrylic. they all have given me the same results.
I have tried 50/50 ratios, and 1/3 ratios both with no luck. So can you guys help?
I have seen this before, last year around January when I was using old paint, so do you think it could be the pigiments?

please help!!!

John

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 5:40 PM

Could be old paint or maybe atmospheric conditions?

Most of the times I don't even try to spray white paint but go straight for Mr. Base White(and maybe a 2nd coat of white paint).

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Sunday, December 5, 2004 5:46 PM

If three different paints are doing the same thing with different thinning ratios my guess is that you have some dried paint somewhere in your airbrush that is blocking the paint or air flow. I'd try soaking it overnight in thinner (I prefer laquer thinner for that) and then blowing it out with compressed air. Make sure that the parts you soak are solvent resistant.

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

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rebelreenactor

Member since
October 2003
From: Clovis, Calif

Posted by rebelreenactor on Sunday, December 5, 2004 5:52 PM

ok, i'll give it a try.

John

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mm23t

Member since
September 2004
From: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Posted by mm23t on Sunday, December 5, 2004 5:53 PM

I'd think about taking the ab apart for a good cleaning, and also make sure that the paint nozzle and needle are not damaged.

Medals are not "Won", they are "Earned".

Mike..

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Tankmaster7

Member since
August 2004
From: Nowhere. (Long Island)

Posted by Tankmaster7 on Sunday, December 5, 2004 6:18 PM

Taking it apart is probably a good idea. if iot still wont work, send it back for a replacement. if that doesn't happen... well its BAD indeed GER

-Tanky

Welcome to the United States of America, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, in partnership with Halliburton. Security for your constitutional rights provided by Blackwater International.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 8:13 PM

what brush are you using ?

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rebelreenactor

Member since
October 2003
From: Clovis, Calif

Posted by rebelreenactor on Monday, December 6, 2004 12:26 AM

well as it soaks, just in case this doesnt do it,
further info:
Airbrush is a single action Paasche H.
climate, 30 degrees F at night, about 55 degrees F in the day. Frost, but no snow or rain. My airbrush station is in a garage. My compressor has a watercatcher (if that helps) and I have tried spraying from 30 PSI to 10 PSI, same result

John

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 12:31 AM

You got probs only with the "flat white" or other colors too?

Do you bring your paints up to room-temperature prior to thinning and airbrushing them?

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Foster7155

Member since
July 2003
From: Pensacola, FL

Posted by Foster7155 on Monday, December 6, 2004 4:19 AM

Yes, if you're storing it there, get the paint out of the garage. Acrylics - or enamels for that matter - do not survive freezing temperatures for long at all. Also agree with above, paint should be sprayed at, or as close to, room temperature (68 - 72 F) as you can get. That's how the paints were formulated by the manufacturer. You can probably get away with spraying down to 60 and maybe, just maybe, 55. If you are trying to spray acrylics at temperatures lower than this, I'm not surprised there are problems.

Robert Foster

Pensacola Modeleers

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 6, 2004 4:30 AM

One thing I forgot:

I found that in winter I need to add more retarder/extender to acrylic paints as humidity tends to drop quiet often. Especially true of you use heaters/air-con a lot.

FYI, I often build models in batches according to weather conditions, e.g. rainy cold/wet season = assembly, parts cleanup, etc. warmer/dryer weather = priming and plenty of airbrushing.

HTH.

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Monday, December 6, 2004 7:26 AM

55 degrees is pretty cold to expect paint to flow well.
Try warming the paint and the airbrush under a 100 watt bulb for a few minutes before spraying and see if you get better results.

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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rebelreenactor

Member since
October 2003
From: Clovis, Calif

Posted by rebelreenactor on Monday, December 6, 2004 6:58 PM

Ok thanks. Looks like if I dont do something, I could be down for the whole winter!
Guess I will have to move inside. Thaks alot for the info.

John

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ABARNE

Member since
February 2003
From: Southern California, USA

Posted by ABARNE on Tuesday, December 7, 2004 2:40 PM

If the cold is indeed the issue, you might try one of those radiant heaters that Home Depot sells. They 're electric and look kind of like a satellite dish. The heat is transmitted via radiation rather than convection, so there is no dust being blown around. I too have a garage setup, not quite as cold as your area, but when it gets down into 40s of fifties, I'll break out the heaters.

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