Help with Tamiya Metallic paints

Badger 200NH with a medium tip and needle.  I don't even own a fine tip right now as all I shoot are acrylics, and I am rarely doing any lines that fine.

 That's why I was baffled by the result.  I would have thought that combo would have the paint flowing nicely!  I will take the advice so far, try a thinner batch, and shoot it, probably at lower PSI than my normal.

What needle/tip combo are you using?

I tried AB'ing Tamiya's Flat Aluminium through my 100 with a fine tip assembly, same results as you had.

Same mix through my medium head assembly, sprays perfectly.

Karl 

 

 

 

Ok, well thanks again, I'll mix up a batch or two tonight and shoot some tests.

Chris

I tend to thin with methylated spirits, which is essentially ethyl alcohol. This seems to stretch it a bit further while maintaining adhesion, but it does knock the gloss off the paint (not usually a problem as I mostly use flat paints). When a glossy finish is required, I'll use Tamiya thinner, but it doesn't seem to stretch as far before it starts to run and separate.

Thanks Phil, I'll try it!  I usually don't thin anywhere nearly that much!  Are you thinning with alcohol or with Tamiya's thinner?

Chris

Tamiya metallics can be difficult to airbrush. The metallic particles settle out very quickly and can clog your airbrush in no time at all. It can be worse with a fine nozzle gravity feed brush.

You need to thin it some more, say 60% thinner (or more), and make sure that it's well stirred. Work quickly, so it has less time to settle in your airbrush, and apply in thin layers and build it up.

If you're spraying and nothing's coming out and then you get a splatter/rush when you release the trigger, that's the needle going back to the closed position and forcing backed up pigment particles through the nozzle. Clear your airbrush and add more thinner to the mix until it flows freely. As mentioned above, you will need to make several passes to build up the colour depth.