Squiggle Camo

I recently got a Badger 100 and it will give slightly finer lines than the Omni 4000. Here's a comparison photo:


A couple of things to keep in mind about the photo though:

1) I was spraying some dark gray (I think) on my A-10 from my 4000 and had received the 100 that day. Just to see how the two compared I sprayed a line with the 4000, dumped the paint in the 100, and sprayed another line with it. The paint was a bit on the thick side because I hadn't planned to do fine lines with it, so I had to spray at a bit higher pressure than normal. That accounts for a bit of the overspray.

2) I had been working all day, had about 100 cups of coffee and as many cigarettes. My nicotine level was probably sky-high which accounts for the fact that the lines are anything but straight.

I just basically wanted to see how the two compared using the same paint at the same time, not really how fine a line I could get out of either one. I know I can get better lines from the 4000 and now that I've used the 100 some I know I can get better lines from it as well.

Edit ... For you "Metric" guys the divisions on that scale are 1/16" or 1.6mm.

Another edit ... You might want to shoot Pixilator an email. I know he does a lot of squiggle camo.

Well Sean i have the Badger 175 Crescendo siphon feed and while i have never done a squiggle camo job i have been able to spray lines of about 1mm on a practice board useing the no2 needle and tip, i havn't used the finer no1 needle yet because the no 2 seems to me to be just fine......
I guess i've been hanging around you for too long and your taste for complex camo jobs is starting to rub off on me considering the scheme i'm planning on doing on my FW 190 D-9 which is kinda half squiggle half mottle which i'm pretty confident that i can get with the 175 but i will be getting another compressor before i attempt it, one with a regulator because while i can spray very fine lines i can't spray them for a long period of time and i think the thing that may be causing that is the changing air pressure going through the A/B..............

Music, the 100 is on my short list, matched with the fine tip setup.
But the Iwata Cm series is also on the short list, even if it means switching to enamels to avoid the acrylic 'chunky' pigment issue.

Jules, you have to love complex camo schemes mate! Anything but ordinary suits me to the ground
Your 190 should look great with half squiggle and mottle

QUOTE: Originally posted by tweety1 Jules, you have to love complex camo schemes mate! Anything but ordinary suits me to the ground Your 190 should look great with half squiggle and mottle

Yeah i'm starting to look at some more challenging camo schemes like the 109 D-9 and the He 219 Uhu with all it's little spots, i guess as we get more and more experienced it's only natural to challenge our ability with the A/B, either that or wer'e just getting more and more mental

QUOTE: Music, the 100 is on my short list, matched with the fine tip setup. But the Iwata Cm series is also on the short list, even if it means switching to enamels to avoid the acrylic 'chunky' pigment issue.

That picture was taken using the medium tip. I have the fine and large tips as well since the 100 and 200 use the same tips. I've use the fine tip on my 200 without any major problems, but haven't tried it on the 100 yet. I've only had the 100 about a month and really haven't used it that much; some, but not a whole lot. It is slightly more difficult to disassemble than the Omni 4000 is though. All in all I'm pleased with the 100, but still grab my 4000 for most jobs.

Jules, I'd go with mental mate.
Afetr all, we are Australians, and were known for taking the hard path first, and making it easier for others

Music, the 100 really seems decent bang for buck so to speak.
My only hold off on buying it is the fine tip, I cant really find any info as to whether acrylics will pass through it too well or not.

QUOTE: Jules, I'd go with mental mate. Afetr all, we are Australians, and were known for taking the hard path first, and making it easier for others

Don't forget all the years in the institution... and your rehab at Happy Acres rest facility... BTW: Kremps asked if you were taking your meds like you were supposed to...

Get a badger 100LG its amazing ,I can produce squggle lines easily to scale on small 1/72 aircraft.
But be weary that this is because I have had it for a long time and as always the more you practice the better you get so choose wisely if your are willing to buy another airbrush!!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900 QUOTE: Jules, I'd go with mental mate. Afetr all, we are Australians, and were known for taking the hard path first, and making it easier for others Don't forget all the years in the institution... and your rehab at Happy Acres rest facility... BTW: Kremps asked if you were taking your meds like you were supposed to...

You See Tweets, mention the word "Mental" and out pops Tom like a rabbit from Copperfields hat
BTW Tom i can't speak for Sean but yep i'm still taking my Meds

This Zero was done with the Badger 360, which doesn't even have a "fine" needle.


It's not quite as defined as German "squiggle", but I think a lot of the fuss over "fine" needles is overblown. I used to use a Paasche H and I gave up on it for the Badger. It came with three needle sizes and I was constantly tearing down my airbrush fiddling with all the se parts.

I think now I am sold on the "practice" school of thought. I don't think the equipment is the big issue, it will only take you so far. I mean, you can put earth shoes on Michael Jordan, and you can put Nike air on Tom Arnold, but you still know who would win a one on one game right?

I saw a video featuring Brent Green the other day, with his little Aztec cheapy airbrush, pushing the trigger wth his thumb and delivering a Luftwaffe camo scheme that was perfect. The whole time he was talking into the camera and barely concentrating on the work at hand-amazing. Practice and knowing your brush i.e.- what is the best paint, teh thinned mixture, the best pressure et. seems to be the real key to success, IMHO.

Good luck with your "squiggle"

Steve

Tweets Would this be for that Hs129?

I recently picked up a Badger 100 with a fine head, as I found I couldn't get a fine enough line with the Omni 4000, just for this sort of thing.

I can now get lines down to about 1mm, and can get a fairly consistent line to around 2mm with paint thinned 50/50 at about 10PSI on a model.

As you can tell I'm still learning, but I've only had the 100 a month, and things are steadily improving with practise.

Best of luck.

Just practise loads, and you'll be fine.

Karl

Steve -love that Zero, I would love to hear how you did the green... (i.e. did you spot it or was it squiggles etc..)

This is indeed for the 129.

Practice does help a hell of alot, but the thing wih 'general' needle setups is the overspray issue.
I despise overspray, or any hint of it on my models.

Yes there was overspray on the real thing, but to reproduce this in scale requires tight lines with soft feathered edges.
Personal preferance really, and I am not a rivet counter, but I do like a tidy paint job.

I may ge for the Badger 100, unless I can find an Iwata at a decent price.