First air brush

Fesan

Are regular acrylics viable to use once i learn a little more?

 

What are "regular acrylics" ?  I have several brands of craft paints going down well if that's what you mean. You're going to want to prime first with most any acrylic paint, I use Stynylrez primer personally.

oldermodelguy

 

 

Fesan

Are regular acrylics viable to use once i learn a little more?

 

 

 

 

What are "regular acrylics" ?  I have several brands of craft paints going down well if that's what you mean. You're going to want to prime first with most any acrylic paint, I use Stynylrez primer personally.

 

Fesan

 

Sorry should of clarified i mean like craft store brands arcylics loke michaels hobby lobby etc.

 

They all spray when mixed right, so the really really short answer is yes.

oldermodelguy

 

 

Fesan

 

Sorry should of clarified i mean like craft store brands arcylics loke michaels hobby lobby etc.

 

 

 

 

They all spray when mixed right, so the really really short answer is yes.

 

I have used Michaels craft acrylics when I couldn't find the exact color and shade I wanted.  Thinned it with rubbing alcohol (propyl) and it worked fine, so I concur.

Don Stauffer

 

 

 

I have used Michaels craft acrylics when I couldn't find the exact color and shade I wanted.  Thinned it with rubbing alcohol (propyl) and it worked fine, so I concur.

 

 

I limit my thinner blend's alcohol content to 30% actual true alcohol, because some paints go nuts if they get too much alcohol ( like some of the DecoArt offerings and also Valleo). Just take what ever ipa you use and add in filtered water till the alcohol content in the ipa is now 30% instead of what ever it said on the bottle label. It will spray fine and you skip the potential of blocking your airbrush up from the cup to the nozzle lol.

In my 18 months of testing acrylics and thinner blends I specifically took straight 91% ipa and thinned some paints with it. DecoArt was one that looked great in the mixing cup and as soon as I hit the trigger on the airbrush the whole thing turned to gel. Yet I had sprayed it already several times with just 30%. I was expecting the needle or nozzle clog but not the entire package of paint to gel up in the air brush. I was checking alcohol limits and started on the wrong end of the scale. So with that paint I can confidently say 30% is fine and 91% terrible. Don't know where the tipping point is because I don't care, 30% works for me.

Vallejo is pretty finicky for airbrushing. Never was a fan of them. I find them not very durable when dried and tend to have a vinyl-y look. Why not start with simple acrylics instead. Tamiya, Model Master, Humbrol, Mission Model acrylics to name a few.

I don't have any trouble spraying Vallejo Model Air, I think it goes down great ( can't speak for Model Color never tried airbrushing those). What happens with some people is they get dried crud in the dropper top and then shake the crap out of the bottle and mix that dried stuff right in. Better to remove the dropper top and stir the paint, give the top a bath and proceed from there. It does need to be well mixed though.

That said, I can't argue against any of the paints mentioned, they all spray nice if mixed right. I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for Model Master, it behaves itself, it's available locally. Just make sure the surface is primed.

That badger primer is acrylic is it not? Is it safe to put enamel over that? I know my tamiya is laquer so enamel goes over that fine. And i case of stacking enamel over acrylic do i need to put a protective clear coat between? Few recommendations on sprayable clears be great also please. 

update on badger. Just got an email it might take 3 weeks to ship and they will know more on monday.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Vallejo is pretty finicky for airbrushing. Never was a fan of them. I find them not very durable when dried and tend to have a vinyl-y look. Why not start with simple acrylics instead. Tamiya, Model Master, Humbrol, Mission Model acrylics to name a few.

 

Fesan

That badger primer is acrylic is it not? Is it safe to put enamel over that? I know my tamiya is laquer so enamel goes over that fine. And i case of stacking enamel over acrylic do i need to put a protective clear coat between? Few recommendations on sprayable clears be great also please. 

 

update on badger. Just got an email it might take 3 weeks to ship and they will know more on monday.

 

Ya know what ? I'd cancel Badger, shoot your Iwata when it gets here and decide then. But that's just me, since having both is rather redundant anyway. Once you know what you want get something else then. I wouldn't want two of the same style brushes really.

Enamel goes over Stynylrez fine. But I didn't know you had the Tamiya primer and last I knew you were going to spray Vallejo Paint which certainly needs some kind of primer under it. Just use what you have, the Tamiya primer is excellent. What enamel are you going to spray ?

Fesan

That badger primer is acrylic is it not?

You might want to check out Badger's own description here.

I don't really understand what water based acrylic polyurethane is, but I can say it has no offensive odor like the polyurethane you might use as a clear coat over wood, and it works great. I love the stuff.

I don't want to throw a wrench in your gear, but I've had bad luck with Vallejo primer, I've never heard of anyone reporting how well it works, and I say that as a die-hard Vallejo fan. They are my primary paints. I threw out all of my Vallejo primer, though.

I agree wiht everyone, you will not have any trouble shooting any of the acrylics mentioned in this thread through any of hte airbrushes you are looking at, so long as you don't try to invent your own thinners, do stick with the manufacturers own thinners, and go through the normal learning curve.

oldermodelguy

 

 

Fesan

That badger primer is acrylic is it not? Is it safe to put enamel over that? I know my tamiya is laquer so enamel goes over that fine. And i case of stacking enamel over acrylic do i need to put a protective clear coat between? Few recommendations on sprayable clears be great also please. 

 

update on badger. Just got an email it might take 3 weeks to ship and they will know more on monday.

 

 

 

 

Ya know what ? I'd cancel Badger, shoot your Iwata when it gets here and decide then. But that's just me, since having both is rather redundant anyway. Once you know what you want get something else then. I wouldn't want two of the same style brushes really.

Enamel goes over Stynylrez fine. But I didn't know you had the Tamiya primer and last I knew you were going to spray Vallejo Paint which certainly needs some kind of primer under it. Just use what you have, the Tamiya primer is excellent. What enamel are you going to spray ?

 

Fesan

 

all my enamel is model masters or testors its all i can find near me. The lhb has a baby collection of tamiya vallejo and i think citadel as their acrylics. I keep forgetting to order the badger primer to give it a shot see if i like it. The tamiya primer i been pleased with for what i used brushing and have a rattle can of it also. waiting till monday on badger see what they say and will decide then. I couldnt pass all 3 needles kits and the badger for 90 bucks shipped only reason it got ordered also.

 

A site called SprayGunner has the same Badger set, last I knew on sale as well ($88 I think) and they have what looks like live chat....

Nothing wrong with Testors and MM enamels.

oldermodelguy

 

A site called SprayGunner has the same Badger set, last I knew on sale as well ($88 I think) and they have what looks like live chat....

Nothing wrong with Testors and MM enamels.

 

Fesan

 the order i have is with USA airbrush supply. Went with them over recommendations. Might check SprayGunners see if its in stock after monday. Just sucks USA took the payment already so would have to try to get the refund if i switch places.

 

That's why I like dealing with Amazon Prime as much as I can, things ship in two days, never a problem on changing your mind or returns. Course I can't always get what I want on prime but pretty much I do, that or other free shipping offers. Plus I have Smile set up and a portion goes to the b reast cancer foundation, which is what my mother died from.

That badger primer is it prethinned or needs to be thinned? And what do you thin it with if needed? Hovering over ordering it on prime as we speak lol

It will spray out of the bottle with a .5 needle combo. But I prefer to thin it just a bit just to loosen it up a little and get a bit thinner film. Clean your airbrush really well after using that stuff, once it's dry it's a bear to get out. I thin it with a blend of ipa and water. And I only cut the primer about 10-15% with that.

As I said it will spray without thinning, let it dry before judging it, it self levels...

think ill order a grey bottle and give it a shot if i like it the 27 dollar 6 different primer colors is calling my name lol. going to need more models i can see with all the paint i will have flowing around  

Fesan

think ill order a grey bottle and give it a shot if i like it the 27 dollar 6 different primer colors is calling my name lol. going to need more models i can see with all the paint i will have flowing around  

 

They each have their place.   If you're intending to put enamel over it let it dry at least overnight, 24 hours would be better. I heat set mine, so I won't tell you my dry times lol !

My busy work schedule since i went back i usually paint something and it will sit for 48+ hours atm wish i had more room to start multiple models. Been having an itch to add armor and planes to the to-do list

Fesan

My busy work schedule since i went back i usually paint something and it will sit for 48+ hours atm wish i had more room to start multiple models. Been having an itch to add armor and planes to the to-do list

 

48 is all the better.

Me too on armor, actually I'd like to do a WWII truck and tank ( American) at some point. I haven't done those since about 1960. But I have a bunch of cars to do already.

I got a body of a 67 mustang waiting for its filler and paint. Sub assemblies should start this weekend since i finally have time to think. 

Don't drop it in the sand lol !

Lol promise i will not be first i shoot after i play around with the brush for a while

I have a 1 gal plastic freezer bag full of empty prescription bottles, the standard size and wide mouth sized ones. In fact it's stuffed full to the point I need to start a second one. Those are my practice pieces where I test different thinners and ratios, even paint schemes. I do the whole thing, scuff sand, wash, prime, color coats and clear coat. Then in a few days polish.

Some folks buy a bag of plasitc spoons and do the same thing on those. Just saying it's much easier to ruin something like these items than an expensive model. Once you know your magic formula then paint the body. Over time you come to know certain steps as second nature. And really, I find it fun to do but then I love airbrushing just about anything ! Once painted they have uses as small containers, like I put various fly fishing flies in them for instance.. Color coded.

Lol i got a few pieces of poster board i plan to play with first just getting use to the gun itself today. Once i feel a little comfortable there was going to play around with spoons and maybe a coloring book some to learn control. Whats decent clears to shoot from the gun? All i have is a speay can of model masters gloss atm.

oldermodelguy

Don't drop it in the sand lol !

 

Fesan

Lol i got a few pieces of poster board i plan to play with first just getting use to the gun itself today. Once i feel a little comfortable there was going to play around with spoons and maybe a coloring book some to learn control. Whats decent clears to shoot from the gun? All i have is a speay can of model masters gloss atm.

 

I find I don't really need to clear coat enamels unless there are decals. The Model Master can be bought in jars in gloss, satin and I believe flat or mat. I'm not a huge fan of clear enamel, in my experience they tend to yellow. Lately I've been using Pledge Floor Care straight from the bottle for clear gloss. Satin and flats are another matter.

You can decant your current can of MM but it was already formulated to spray out of the can so might as well use it up that way. Least that's my thought on the matter.

Experimenting on paper products is basically useless when you go to apply that process to hard plastic fwiw. Everything sprays great onto paper, even your worst looking potential mess on plastic. Just sayin.

I just realized I kind of wish I was taking delivery of a new airbrush today lol !! Let us know how you make out.

oldermodelguy

I just realized I kind of wish I was taking delivery of a new airbrush today lol !! Let us know how you make out.