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Airbrushing fine Acrylic lines?

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  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: A Computer in Adrian, (SE) Michigan.
Airbrushing fine Acrylic lines?
Posted by Lucien Harpress on Friday, March 25, 2005 9:38 AM
I'm having a terrible time airbrushing acrylics. They're a heck of a lot easier to clean than enamels, but unfortunately there's no "stick" to 'em like enamels. (They like float around a puddle a lot.) This leads to a major headache when I try to airbrush even medium fine lines. I just wondered if any of you have either had this problem too, or had any tips to help. Thanks.

(I'm using a Paasche VL to airbrush Model Master Acrylics.)
That which does not kill you makes you stranger...
-The Joker
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Austin, Texas
Posted by Lt. Zogg on Friday, March 25, 2005 11:30 AM
Mike,

Try upping your thinner to paint ratio, say 75:25 thinner to paint, turn up your pressure to about 31-32lbs, and barely open your needle. When you paint, get the brush very close to your work surface, say 1/4 to 1/2 inch. The thinner to paint ratio also depends on what color you'll be painting. Generally you need more thinner for darker colors and less for brighter ones. Practice on some cardstock for a while and you should be able to get some good results. I just took a class on airbrushing a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at the results I can now get with my trusty old Paasche H. You should be able to get almost a pencil-like line with the VL. The best thing to do is practice, and play with different pressure settings, and different thinner:paint ratios until you get what you're looking for.

Good luck,

Jeff
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Bicester, England
Posted by KJ200 on Friday, March 25, 2005 11:46 AM
Mike, like jeff siad, it's a question of experimentation and practice.

I've been working on the fine line thing for the squiggle camo on my do217. It would look fine in 1/48, unfortunately the Do217 is 1/72.

Just got to keep practicing.

Karl

Currently on the bench: AZ Models 1/72 Mig 17PF

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 25, 2005 2:47 PM
Lots of people say you should increase thinner to the apint and then drop the pressure but I find it eaasier to have a higher PSI and just open the nozzle up very slightly keeping it close to the suface of the model
  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: USA
Posted by MusicCity on Sunday, March 27, 2005 8:27 AM
To each their own method. When I do fine lines I thin the paint about 1:1 and drop the pressure to the point that my gauge barely registers (probably somewhere around 7 or 8 psi).
Scott Craig -- Nashville, TN -- My Website -- My Models Page
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