Switching colors - cleaning required between colors? - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Switching colors - cleaning required between colors?

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 12:50 PM

I looked but didn't see this particular subject. Sorry if it's duplicated...

Not sure how to switch between colors during the same painting session. I have nightmares about switching and having a glob of one color come out in another.

I can assume that you use different jars with their own feed tubes, and that should minimize it. Should you run some thinner through it before switching, though? Even at that, I've done this and noted that sometimes it takes a bit for the thinner to work it's way out, as well ("thinning" as I paint, then it becomes more consistent). Angry [:(!]

Does acetone work well for this? Standard mineral spirits? For acrylics, windex/amonia?

Thanks...

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ABARNE

Member since
February 2003
From: Southern California, USA

Posted by ABARNE on Thursday, January 27, 2005 2:19 PM

I always give a quickie cleaning in between color changes. For enamels I use regular thinner, for acrylics I use alcohol, although ammonia is just as good. After the cleaner is spent, let the AB run for for several seconds to insure that any remaining thinner or alcohol is gone.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 3:12 PM

I too always give the airbursh a quick cleaning between colors to ensure I do not get strange shades of color or small "clumps" of paint of the previous color. It also helps keep the airbrush a little cleaner.

For acrylics I use a mixture of Windex and distilled water. I blow through a half a cup full or so (I have a gravity feed airbrush). If any paint has dried onto the paint cup, I use a small brush to loosen and remove it. I use regular paint thinner for enamels.

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Bismark

Member since
July 2004

Posted by Bismark on Thursday, January 27, 2005 4:29 PM

ditto to what the guys above say. Usually cleans up pretty quick and easily.

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qmiester

Member since
May 2003
From: Central USA

Posted by qmiester on Thursday, January 27, 2005 6:56 PM

I'm like most of the guys here, do a quickie blow thru with a quick back flush (some guys swear by this, others swear at it - figure out for yourself about it) with enamel reducer (I paint with enamels). At the end of each painting session, I take the brush down and clean all the internal parts with laquer thinner and reassemble it and put it away.

Quincy

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LemonJello

Member since
February 2004
From: Green Lantern Corps HQ on Oa

Posted by LemonJello on Thursday, January 27, 2005 8:07 PM

Huh, I just painted the weapons for my Cobra and I didn't clean between colors. Everything turned out okay, I just shot against my plastic drop cloth until the next color started to show. Now, I'll say that I was using similar colors, OD, black-green and black, so that makes a difference.

That said, it worked for me this time, but lighter colors I don't think I'd have tried it.

A day in the Corps is like a day on the farm; every meal is a banquet, every paycheck a fortune, every formation a parade... The Marine Corps is a department of the Navy? Yeah...The Men's Department.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 8:27 PM

When I change colours(i use acrylics only), i just have a metal colour cup of water standing by, and when i take off the colour jar, i take the water cup and spray all of it against a cardboard, and "back flush" a few times along the way(btw you can get water blown up like a fountain if you're not careful Dead [xx(]

). and then you're set for a colour change! and don't worry about it getting clogged: after a few colour changes like this, i just give the parts a quick soak in alcohol and they're as good as new.

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Switching colors - cleaning required between colors?