fine lines

If you could provide some info, we could help a little better:

Canned air or Compressor?

What PSI are you spraying?

What medium are you using?

Is it thinned?

I would say try thinning the paint more, about 3:1 or even 2:1 and spray real close to the surface, about 2" away from the surface and maybe 20 PSI or less if possible.

Why did I say 2"

Get as close as possible which could be 1/2" or less.  

IYAAYAS wrote:

I'd start by lowering the psi

If it's a siphon-feed airbrush then 20 psi or so is about as low as you can go if you want to reliably draw paint from the cup.  

MikeV-

Could I ask a question here about fine lines?  I am not trying to hijack this thread, honest!

I use a Badger 100LG with a fine tip, a compressor, and mostly spray Gunze acrylics through it.  Would you be able to recommend an ideal pressure and paint consistency for doing VERY fine lines with it?  Say, highlighting panel lines or German "squiggle camo"?

MikeV wrote:

IYAAYAS wrote: I'd start by lowering the psi If it's a siphon-feed airbrush then 20 psi or so is about as low as you can go if you want to reliably draw paint from the cup.

Uhhh...Mike...he said he was using 25 psi...

Daywalker wrote:

MikeV- Could I ask a question here about fine lines?  I am not trying to hijack this thread, honest! I use a Badger 100LG with a fine tip, a compressor, and mostly spray Gunze acrylics through it.  Would you be able to recommend an ideal pressure and paint consistency for doing VERY fine lines with it?  Say, highlighting panel lines or German "squiggle camo"?

Get some scrap plastic and practice with pressures I would say.

Try 3:1 of paint to thinner and also 2:1 and see how they spray.

Set the compressor at about 15 psi and see how it does, you may need to adjust the pressure up or down to get the paint to flow well.

IYAAYAS wrote:

MikeV wrote:  IYAAYAS wrote: I'd start by lowering the psi If it's a siphon-feed airbrush then 20 psi or so is about as low as you can go if you want to reliably draw paint from the cup.   Uhhh...Mike...he said he was using 25 psi...

Yes, and I am saying that much less and that siphon-feed will have trouble picking up paint.  

What is absolutely hilarious and ironic about this post and the follow ups are that you are both absolutely right.  With the Aztek 320 airbrush, you can use it as either a siphon, side feed, or gravity feed brush.  With the Aztek system, fine lines depend upon paint viscosity, the selected nozzle, and paint feed type.  Some people use higher air pressure and greater distance with a siphon feed system and some use low pressure with a gravity feed system to achieve the same results.  With color cups and side feed systems (this gets kind of lost in translation with the Azteks since they are all technically side feeds) , you have to find a balance that works for your individual technique.

Big E - Owner of 20 airbrushes, each with it's own personality.  4- 100LG IL's, 1- 150 w/ 3 heads, 1- 155 w/ 2 heads, 1- 175 w/3 heads, 3- 200's w/ 3 heads, 1- 350, 1- 250, 1- Paasche H w/ 3 heads, Paasche VL, Iwata Eclipse BCS & CS, Iwata Revolution BCR & CR, and a Model Master ( Aztek ) 470.