airbrush fiasco or...help a girl out?

I got an Aztek if you want it...but, i must warn you...it's cursed..cursed to the depths of HELL!!!! Ahahahahahhhaaaaaahhahahah!

Whew, super glues a bitchin ride.

cursed from hell? are you trying to make me cry? i hear you and your evil laugh as you think of the poor beginner struggling with the demon airbrush. why is it from hell? and will i be looking for the quickest way to slash my wrists if i try to use it?

seriously, you don't want it. when i get my Paasche, i may just give it a viking burial, you know , set it on fire and put it out to sea. That might not kill it, however. the airbrush right now leaks paint, doesn't work all the time, and has an extremely strange spray pattern. If you want to find a cheap airbrush, try eBay. there are soem slightly used brushes for like 10 bucks.

Meridith, it sounds like your paint might not have been thinned enough.
It should be about the same consistancy as milk. Also, there could be
pressure issues. You didn't say what you were using as an air source.
I'd suggest you play around with it a little more but use a piece of artboard,
cardboard, or the back of a plastic FOR SALE sign to practice on. I'd bet
that most all of us on this forum have gone through just what you're going through with their first airbrush. I know I did.
Best of luck
Ray

Odd, as my Aztek has worked well for three years now - my first and so far only airbrush... I suspect operator error, Cader! Just kidding!!!!!

Meridith - look on the birght side, if you actually had put the paint in your mouth and gone ppffpfpftpttpthttpphh with it, you would have had a really hard time getting rid of that paint taste. Well, I mean I THINK you'd have a hard time - never having tasted model paint, I wouldn't really know..... ;-)

Okay, so based on y'all's feedback, I'm thinking maybe i just screwed something up...so any tips would help...first, it's worth noting, that my cheapo airbrush came with no instructions, so i'm hoping i have it all connected right (and to the propel can)...no idea what the little wrench and gasket it came with are for...also, tried with future, which i understand from these forums doesnt need to be thinned and it worked the same as the paint...would love any help you guys could give..

cader28...thanks for sparing me the heartbreak ;-)

kolja94...you're right...and my teeth would have had a very attractive silver tint...oooh sexy

Hi there Mer1122

What type of airbrush is it?

I have a badger 350 you can have if you really need it. Its single action, external mix.

I will be leaving shorty for the weekend but if you want to E-Mail me when I get back Monday I will certainly send it on to you.

aleitch@twcny.rr.com

Sgt Andy, you are my hero. Emailing you now.

You mentioned a propellant can. I would STRONGLY suggest a compressor of some sort. Nothing i have heard about propellant cans leads me to think they're a "quality" source of air. Furthermore, they don't last long (2 models to a can is what I believe one modeller mentioned) so before long, you're spending more money than if you had bought a compressor.

I know you mentioned the money thing being a bit of an issue and I can sure sympathize, slowly emerging from that same spot in life myself - but if you wind up doing a lot of modelling, a better air source really will pay for itself.

I still use a very simple compressor from Kopyake (sp???) that I found in the Mircromark catalog. It goes pretty cheap. Now I KNOW it's not the best and that it's probably the weak link in my airbrush set up, but it's been reliable and it gets the job done.

I've heard other people talking about using CO2 cylinders - the kind that you'd use at a soda fountain or whatever. I think folks find these by looking up beverage distributors. I'm not sure how that ranks price-wise.

One technique I use to provide a little "quality assurance" is to spray a "shot" of paint on a scrap piece of butcher paper or plastic (like "For Sale" signs). This lets me check the consistency of my paint, also helps clear the lines of any unwanted matter. If there's water in the line somewhere, i'd rather have it spurt out on a scrap piece of plastic than on my model!

i second the compressor motion. You can adjust pressure on it and it ends up being cheaper in the long run.

thanks for all the compressor tips guys...here's my resistance to it...aside from cost, of course, 1. i have a small apartment without much room for a compressor, 2. noise, 3. no place to rig up a good spray booth so end up hauling all my stuff outside to do my spraying...all these things considered, is there a way for me to feasibly use a compressor? i really appreciate everyone's input! y'all are great!

Actually, an Automist2000 might be just what the doctor ordered. It's extremely silent, 100% portable and on the lower end of the compressor price range. The only drawback is that it does not have a pressure regulator, but that hasn't kept mine from ruling my workbench!

at the risk of sounding really dumb...what's a pressure regulator for exactly (other than obviously regulating pressure)...also i keep reading about "moisture traps" what's that?

Ahhhh...good question. Actually, not all pressure regulators include moisture traps, so, you could actually consider them different gizmos. The pressure regulator itself does nothing more than giving you the option to increase or lower the air pressure going into your airbrush. The moisture trap actually prevents the water that condensates when air is compressed to reach your airbrush and create 'spiders' or splutter.

Regulator: An air compressor can easily develope 120+ PSI for airbrushing you want to regulate it down to about 30 PSI. This is done for several reasons one being that if you use 120 PSI on a hobby type air brush you'll probably empty the jar in one blast.
Moisture Trap: When air is compressed it gets hot, when you spray with your airbrush the air decompresses and cools rapidly. This can cause condensation in the air line which will get in your paint job. Not pretty.

You can go to www.grainger.com for more info. This is an industrial supply house and the prices are kind of high but you can get an idea of what's avaliable.

excellent. thanks, you guys, for the great info!

Also try
www.wilkersoncorp.com
Go to tech support and look through the FAQs.

Azteks aren't that bad. Cader just has a case of Paasche envy......(sorry cader, it was there, I had to take it. Nothing but love man.) Ya know Thayer and Chandler used to make an Atomizer, (the great ganddaddy of airbrushes) that was human powered. It had a little pipe that you would have to blow through to get it to work. I used to work with a guy that used one and could just about match anything we did with the big money brushes.

Anyway, hit the Home Depot (or Harbor Freight) they have a small, plug in your wall, 2 gallon holding tank $69 compressor that you can get up to 120psi out of.
Mount it on the wall, side of your work bench, back of your chair, and its realtively quiet, put some close cell foam under it and you could live on the 2nd floor and your downstairs neighbor wouldn't know you had one. The tank and pressure capacity will allow you to run a small nail gun or air tool as well as inflate a tire if you came out in the morning and found yours low. The other thing we used to do in the art department was buy up old dive tanks. A couple of fittings and you got yourself and air holding tank that will last you a few models worth of airbrushing plus some as well as be absolutely silent. Take it to a dive shop and for $5 you can get it refilled. We used to keep one under each drawing table. The air is absolutley dry and clean so moisture in the line is not a problem.

Try and hook up with an IPMS chapter near you. It will give you an opportunity to try out different brushes as well as get some hands on experience with some guys that have been airbrushing models for a while. This way you can make an informed decsion rather than roll the dice. Frankly if you don't know how to use it, all the money in the world isn't going to buy you a good airbrush. Check out art supply places like Pearls, Koenigs, Blicks, or what ever chain is near you. They will usually carry a line of brushes that you can try.

When you decide on a brush, rather than jump in with both feet, paint up a piece of plastic or even illustration board with some primer. Try out all the settings etc. on it. This will also give you an idea of what the paint will do when it hits primer or no primer, over gloss, over flat (you get it...). Acrylic pushes different than enamel, different than laquer. How far to work the brush to get what effect. What happens when you pause, arc your hand, tilt the brush, start and stop your stroke etc.

Hit the search function of this forum. There are loads of posts regarding technique, troubleshooting, reviews, performance etc. Many of them the same questions or problems rehashed every few months but in their entirety pretty helpful.

Good luck,
Regards
Mike

You could also check out www.scaleautomag.com in the tips section. I found a link in the auto forums. It talks about cheap spray booths. Also, you could try to get a cardboard box that is not torn or wet from the trash and use that as the start of a booth. My first booth was a cardboard box with an old furnace filter and a salvaged box fan that needed a new plug. One plug, some duct tape and a little work later, I had an okay booth for about $5. You might still need a respirator to avoid the fumes, but at least you could paint inside the apartment.

I have found some good deals... airbrushes don't tend to wear out -- except some of their seals...

Paasche and Badger are good, and not too expensive. The differences are mostly a mater of personal preference.

I have some notes on air-brushing here... http://www.naplak.com/modeling/tips/air-brushing.htm

You might sind something useful there.

Hey,
If you don't have a place to do this go rent one of those storage places & get a workbench . Most have a electrical outlet & you can have ventilation. There you won't be bothering anyone with your hobby.

Meredith-
I spent the last 3 1/2 years modelling in a condo so had similar space/noise constraints. The simple compressor I used is pretty small, maybe 6"x9" and 5" or so tall. It's not TOTALLY sient but the vast majority of the racket comes from having it on the floor or next to a wall, so sitting it on a piece of foam made it quiet enough not to bother the neighbors. It DOES lack a regulator but that hasn't bit me.... yet ;-) As I mentioned before, not exactly top of the line but it works for what I need and it's economical!

Hey Meredith
I too live in an apartment on the top floor. When I was looking for a compressor I first checked the price of a hobby compressor and found that they were in the range of $250 Canadian (no regulator or moisture trap). I then went to one of the local hardware stores and purchased a small commercial compressor with a tank and regulator for $139, for another $10 added a moisture trap. As far as noise level goes, I placed a piece of carpet underneath the unit to reduce vibration and noise. Because it has a tank on it, it takes a minute to charge the tank and then I have approximately 10 minutes of spray time before it cycles to fill again. I do all my spraying in the afternoon and early evening to ensure that I don't bother anyone. But to truly honest, my vacuum is louder and my landlord has stood outside my door with the compressor running and never heard a thing.

Ok, first thing first...

QUOTE: Originally posted by mer1122 I bought a cheap, no-name "hobby" airbrush...

What do you mean "cheap"? Cost-wise? Quality-wise? What? For, you see, "cheap" does not necessarily mean "bad" or "inferior". Same goes to "no-name", albeit buying a well-known brand airbrush is usually associated with better quality and tech support. Ok, ok, I'm aware of that good ole "bying-cheap-can-be-expensive" proverb but it just doesn't always apply, does it?

QUOTE: ...and cranked it up looking forward to experimenting with it on my first P-38...

I see you've failed to comply with a major rule of thumb here: Never, ever, perform tests on a model. What styrene sheets are for?

QUOTE: ...It was all I could afford...

Well, then, try to think positive. After all, you did get the best that your money could buy. So, why not try to get the best out of it as well?

QUOTE: ...But what did i get? Crap. Yes. Crap...

Ooops... Not so fast... I think that you should go easier on that poor old airbrush you have... What I mean is that there are so many factors that should be taken into consideration before an airbrush is declared as being crappy: Defective regulators, inferior quality air can, clogged air outlets, insufficient airbrush cleaning, low pressure in the can, improperly adjusted output pressure, bad paints, inadequate thinning, incompatible thinners, lack of experience, doing things in a hurry, just to name a few... Do you want an example? What if you bought a "cheap no-name" car (instead of a Rolls) and filled it up with crude oil instead of gasoline? Should you blame the car if it didn't move a bit? Not to mention that a Rolls would have had the same "luck" with crude oil as well... Need I say more?

QUOTE: ...I might as well have put paint in my mouth and gone pppffpfpftpttpthttpphh all over the plane...

LOL Meredith, that bad, uh?

QUOTE: ...I'm a rockin graphic designer and web designer...

Odds are that you're gonna be a fine scale modeler as well. Provided that you're gonna stick with it passionately, patiently and methodically. Experience is always hard to obtain but it sure goes a long way and pays back in the end. Just remember the first time that you got your hand on that little Photoshop virtual airbrush. It sure wasn't that easy back then, was it? Nevertheless, I bet you didn't blame it on Photoshop, did you?

Conclusion: Don't give up on your airbrush. Try to get the best out of it instead. Keep on experimenting and feel free to ask your way around anytime you feel that you have to. After all, what we forum friends are here for?

Best of luck,

I would tak in all of the above, some really good advice there, but if you want a cheap place to get quality airbrushes, ebay is the way to go.

One more comment from the bench...

If you're at all 'handy' and willing to experiment, check the web for articles on building a compressor from an old refridgerator compressor. I got mine from an appliance repair shop for pretty cheap ($10). Hook it up to a tank of some sort and you're off running. (of course, I highly recommend a regulator, filter, and pressure switch, but that's why I asked if you were 'handy'...)

I built mine purely for the 'silence' factor and am very happy with it. The bonus for me was that it ended up being very cheap (ie. affordable) as well.

M.

I've got an Aztec and it gave me fits at first. some times it wouldn't draw any paint at all. Then I learned to ignore the instructions and only hand-tighten the nozzles just until they were snug. Now it's reliable, easy to use and works beautifully. As a rule, I clean it with laquer thinner after every use.

Meredith,
MKish has a great idea just make sure the tank you use can handle
high pressure. If not it could lead to a very nasty suprise or worse. Don't give
up and keep practicing.
Fuzzy

I don't know what i'm doing, but now my aztek bit me. Somewhere along the line the thing developed a sharp edge, and now my finger is gashed. Filed the edge off, contemplated throwing the damn thing against a wall, finished the camo on my M1A1, and left the thing soaking in thinner.

Why do the modelling gods hate me?