Am I getting the paint too thin?

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11 replies

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Am I getting the paint too thin?

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 2, 2005 10:16 AM

I've started spraying the bottom of my F4U and I'm getting some real wet spots when I spray that streak with the airflow. I've used the AB before with Zinc Chromate and a Light Grey with no similar problem. I'm using MM Acrylics Flat White with a little less than a 1:1 ratio of thinner. The wet spots appear to be unmixed thinner. Could this be? I don't have a lot of little mixing jars lying around, I usually mix in the color cup with a toothpik. Maybe I'm NOT getting it mixed well enough. Any thoughts? Sigh [sigh]

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rjkplasticmod

Member since
February 2003
From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State

Posted by rjkplasticmod on Saturday, July 2, 2005 10:31 AM

White is probably the hardest color to use, but it sounds as though you have already answered your question. Needs to be thoroughly mixed & that's hard to do in the AB cup.

Regards, Rick

RICK

At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 2, 2005 12:15 PM

I have tops for my AB jars. so I store the paint in the jars; and just screw it onto the pickup top. but I can just shake that stuff in there with the top; swirl it a bit. I hear that can cause airbubbles, but if its atomized that shouldnt matter. hope Im not horribly wrong lol.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 2, 2005 1:01 PM

ares, the only problem with that is that I have an attached color cup! Thanks anyway.

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Saturday, July 2, 2005 5:17 PM

QUOTE: Am I getting the paint too thin?

Probably. As Rick said, white is difficult to paint to start with. and that is awful thin for white.

Do you even need to thin it at all? Many MM paints spray just fine right from the bottle at about 12 psi, so if you don't need to thin it then don't. 1:1 is VERY thin in my opinion. The only time I use a ratio that thin is when I'm doing fine lines for camouflage. Any other time it's more like 3:1.

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

ipms40049

Member since
December 2002
From: BOONEVILLE, MISSISSIPPI

Posted by ipms40049 on Monday, July 4, 2005 3:23 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by TJ ace

I've started spraying the bottom of my F4U and I'm getting some real wet spots when I spray that streak with the airflow. I've used the AB before with Zinc Chromate and a Light Grey with no similar problem. I'm using MM Acrylics Flat White with a little less than a 1:1 ratio of thinner. The wet spots appear to be unmixed thinner. Could this be? I don't have a lot of little mixing jars lying around, I usually mix in the color cup with a toothpik. Maybe I'm NOT getting it mixed well enough. Any thoughts?

i USE floquil Refeer white, thats the best white to use.

Pat Hensley Booneville, Ms "Thank you for being here and playing nice"...please do not drag sand outside the box ! CURRENT BUILD(s) Revell 1/72 U Boat VII C Tamiya Willys Jeep - for 2010 Nats Bronco's Staghound -for 2010 Nats Dragons M16 Multi gun carriage - for the 2020 Nats. LOL

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 4, 2005 4:07 PM

I used to use Reefer White and it is quiet good. But, now I use Walmart Color Place White in the spray can. It comes in gloss and flat. It cost about a dollar a can and last a long time. I decant it to my airbrush. Give it a try.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 6:39 AM

If you have a pet or can pester friends family or workmates that do to save the small aluminium trays that the gourmet type pet foods come in they make wonderful single use mixing palates. I run them through the dish washer with the rest of the household dishes and then they are ready for use. I also use them to hold thinners whilst brush painting and parts/small assemblies on the bench.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 9:28 AM

Thanks MusicCity for your comments. I usually don't thin MM paints that much either, but the white looked very thick compared to the other colors I've used recently. I'm thinking I might need to turn up my pressure just a little more, I've got it about as low as it will go. I noticed just the opposite affect also. Pulled back trigger and got NO paint. Shot at some paper with the AB fully open to clear it.

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 10:36 AM

[quoteI usually don't thin MM paints that much either, but the white looked very thick compared to the other colors I've used recently. I'm thinking I might need to turn up my pressure just a little more, I've got it about as low as it will go. I noticed just the opposite affect also. Pulled back trigger and got NO paint. Shot at some paper with the AB fully open to clear it.

I recently had the same problem with another brand of white (I think it was PollyScale but I'm not sure). Tried thin and thick; tried high pressure and low pressure. Never did get it to spray worth a hoot. Sometimes, with heavy-pigment paint, it will spray better at lower pressures. Low pressure forces you to pull the needle back further to get the paint to flow, which in turn opens up more of the nozzle to allow the larger pigment through. Even that didn't work with this paint. I don't know what the problem was, but I never got it to spray right.

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

ajlafleche

Member since
December 2002
From: Massachusetts

Posted by ajlafleche on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 1:18 PM

Actually, the initial problem sounds like your getting water into the system and with an addy of "Gulf Coast", this being summer, you're drawing in a lot of H2O rich air into the compressor, and ulless you have a water trap, that water has to go somewhere. That somewhere is out the nozzle and onto your model.

Remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 6, 2005 11:37 PM

I thought about the humidity too. My apartment isn't all that humid and my compressor has a trap. I haven't noticed any moisture in it though. I guess it's just one of those things. Confused [%-)]

That, and the AB is still a new toy for me. I'm still working through the learning curve. Thanks for all the comments. I suppose there isn't an easy answer to this question, sorry.

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Am I getting the paint too thin?