AB - hairline - I'm amazed... - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

AB - hairline - I'm amazed...

Posted by jhande on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 3:33 PM

I have the Eclipse HP-BCS bottom-feed with a 0.5-mm needle/nozzle.
I was looking into getting something that would be able to do hairline details. Maybe something like the Iwata Eclipse HP-CS with a 0.35-mm needle/nozzle or the Iwata High Performance HP-C Plus with a 0.2-mm needle/nozzle.

So I contacted Iwata along with my selections above and my needs below:

"I need a bit of guidance as I'm new to airbrushing.
A quick run down as what the family and I plan to do with it and the possible paint choices.
plastic scale models - enamel paints.
T-shirts, canvas, clayboard, etc... - Createx.
Automotive graphics - Auto Air Colors, enamels, lacquers.
Temporary Tattoos - Artool Body Paints
Finger Nail Art - Badger Air Opaque."

This was their reply to me:

"Hello Jim,

First, I want to thank you for your interest in our products, we are very proud of them.
Pretty much any of our airbrushes will do whatever you want it to do, at the end of the day its really how much you are wanting to spend and the features you are wanting on your airbrush. Both the HP-BCS and the HP-CS are great airbrushes, and the difference is how the paint is fed into it. The BCS is a bottom feed airbrush and the CS is a gravity feed airbrush. I always recommend the bottom feed airbrush if you are needing to use a larger amount paint at one time, and the CS if you are only need to use a small amount of paint at one time. With the .5 and .35 needle and nozzle, your not going to see that much difference in the spray pattern, but we recommend the larger needle and nozzle when your using a median a little bit thicker than milk. Please check out our new website www.iwata-medea.com for information on all our products as well as how to's and local dealers in your area. I hope this information is useful, if you have further questions, please contact us again."

Their website states that my BCS can do hairlines too. Confused [%-)]

So I headed to my friend at his bodyshop. He loaded up his BCS with super thinned enamel paint, turned down the regulator to 5 PSI, got real close to a scrap hood leaning against the wall and sprayed a bunch of cobwebs. Shock [:O]

He let me play around with it, I almost had to touch the hood to get such a thin line. But it was possible, well I got a few thin lines LOL. So I asked him - "If I can spray such fine details with this airbrush that only cost $80., why would I need a more expensive gravity-feed?" His reply - "I don't know, why? Well, so you can quickly switch from one coverage type to another while doing a project."

Humm...
Me thinks it's cheaper for now to turn down the air pressure. Approve [^]

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

Reply

MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Friday, March 3, 2006 2:36 AM

5 PSI with a siphon-feed airbrush?
I wouldn't go that low with my gravity-feeds!

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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plasticmod992

Member since
January 2003
From: The Hoosier State

Posted by plasticmod992 on Friday, March 3, 2006 1:52 PM

While I'll agree with MikeV, 5 psi with a gravity feed is a bit low when trying to shoot our thicker viscosity hobby enamels...but it is possible with really thinned paint like your friend demonstrated. I have to admit I was able to spray a freehand camoflage scheme with my BCS at only 10 psi, using thinned enamels, (1:1 ratio).

Italeri 1/72nd scale MiG-23 Flogger. Airbrushed freehand with my Iwata Hp-BCS.

Greg Williams Owner/ Manager Modern Hobbies LLC Indianapolis, IN. IPMS #44084

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Friday, March 3, 2006 2:48 PM

Well, I'm not saying it was the "best" way to spray heavy viscosity enamels. My friend did thin it so much it was more like water than milk and ran easily if I didn't keep the AB moving steadily. But it proved a point that it was possible.

He told me it would work better with a median such as Auto Air which is thinner than enamels, dries quicker like most acyrlics and get the 0.35-mm noozle instead of the 0.5-mm nozzle. But his real recommendation was to practice my technique and learn to work with one brand of paint. Work on larger details and save the fine details for later, a fat pencil line is good enough for now he said hehe. Then it would be best to buy a gravity-feed for doing the super fine detail work instead of struggling with the bottom-feed.

But to boil it all down...
If you know what you're doing and how to work with your tools and median, I quess almost anything is possible.

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Friday, March 3, 2006 4:46 PM

Also remember that when you thin paint that much you lose the paint's color fastness due to extreme thinning. I would never go lower than 20 psi with a siphon-feed airbrush regardless of the medium used if you want reliable paint atomization.
The thinner the line you want, the smaller the paint pigment has to be and the sharper the needle taper you will need.
You can thin model enamels as much as you want but you will NOT make the pigments any smaller.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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espins1

Member since
December 2002
From: Reno, NV

Posted by espins1 on Friday, March 3, 2006 6:00 PM

5 psi? sweet lord, anything below 25psi and no paint will come up from my siphon feed jar. Sad [:(]

Scott Espin - IPMS Reno High Rollers My Reviews

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Friday, March 3, 2006 6:24 PM

Oh oh Mike, don't try to confuse me anymore than I already am. Tongue [:P]

I do a good enough job of that on my own, plus I have the help of my wife and two kids. Black Eye [B)]

And to think... I thought I was somewhat on the right track after spraying everything in sight at the bodyshop that afternoon. Sad [:(]

LOL

NOTE:
Oh by the way, the guy at the bodyshop doesn't use enamels when doing custom mural work. He just let me play around with that type of paint since that's what I'm used to using on my models and spraying on 1:1 cars (besides lacquer, which he no longer likes using).

My BCS supposedly has a working pressure of 5 - 25 PSI.
My wife is into painting on canvas and has switched from oils to t-shirt paints (Createx).
Everything we read said you need to spray with a pressure near 60 PSI for doing t-shirts or fabrics. She has been doing great with 30 - 40 PSI on her canvas. Maybe because it's not important to her that the paint penetrates so deeply into the fabric, I don't know.

I do realize the consequences of over thinning paints. And also realize that different paints have different size pigments. It seemed that the Iwata atomized the paint fine. Granted, I wouldn't want to do a complete custom mural on someones vehicle using such highly thinned enamels. But to thin or use ready to spray paints such as the Createx or Auto Air and learn how to operate the airbrush at different pressures, can surely surprise one with the results. I certainly won't rely on the claims from Iwata or the experiment at my buddies bodyshop to stick with my BCS for fine hairline details if I was to do AB'ing for a living or on other peoples property. I would then look into the HP-CS or more than likely the HP-C Plus, but for now, I will work on practicing what I can with this AB and I am surprised at how fine of detail can be accomplished with it.

Gee, I hope I don't sound like a sales rep for Iwata.
I just meant to point out the fact that if you play around with your AB, paint and air pressure, that you can get surprising results. But I quess most of you guys already know that... DUH... Blush [:I]

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 1:32 AM

No problem Jim, I understand what you are saying my friend.

In regards to your wife and painting textiles, the reason T-shirt artists spray at 60-90 psi is to penetrate the fabric as you mentioned and to conserve strokes.
When the paint blasts out that fast it covers quickly and atomizes very well but it is not necessary and I would agree with your wife of using maybe 30-40 psi on canvas.
I would not rely on spraying Createx at that low of pressure though as it will clog faster as it is such a fast-drying acrylic. If your wife wants really beautiful textile paints she should try some Golden's Acrylics as they are pretty much unmatched. They are expensive compared to Createx but the color range is fantastic and the colors are brilliant from what I have seen and heard from those who use them.
No you don't sound like an Iwata rep, you just sound like a guy who likes the equipment he uses and there is nothing wrong with that. Smile [:)]

I sound like a Badger salesman myself many times but I just like to promote products I use and believe in.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Saturday, March 4, 2006 5:40 PM

Thanks Mike, glad I have an understanding friend here... Big Smile [:D]

I guess you can say I got a bit excited Blush [:I]

to find out that we could in fact spray a smaller pattern than what my wife has been spraying so far (3/8").

She only bought a few Createx colors to experiment with. She has never used an AB before and still doesn't know to what extend it will replace her brushes in projects. She does like it for large coverage areas and misting in clouds and such. She doesn't work with if for very long periods before she cleans it and changes colors, so far no noticeable signs of clogging. But thank you for the tip regarding Golden's Acrylics, we are open to trying anything that people like working with and will certainly give it a try.

As for me, I'm still not sure come summer time what I'll be experimenting with on 1:1 auto's. I know enamels are out, lacquers are a pain, urethanes are definitely out and I don't want to setup a spray booth. I need to find something a bit safer to work with than I have worked with in the past - hazards of spray painting. I'm looking into products such as Auto Air or similar products. But for my 1:24th model cars, it will be enamels in a small spray booth.

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 5:43 PM

Why are urethanes "definitely out?"
They are the absolute best for automotive airbrushing and are used by 95% of the painters out there.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Saturday, March 4, 2006 6:01 PM

Years ago when one of the shops I worked at started using them... I believe when they first came out or became popular... We still had to spray in a paint booth and we were told that our respirators had to be upgraded and urethanes were more toxic to work with than our old enamels and lacquers.

Were we mis-informed?

That shop was a quick turn around, insurance paid, collision repair shop.

Spray lacquer, rub out 2 days latter, next day customer drives away.
Spray enamel, preferably on Friday, leave in booth over weekend with heat lamps and exhaust running, customer drives away on Monday or Tuesday.

The bosses cars or custom work was a different story. Whistling [:-^]

- Edit -

Any links or info pertaining to urethanes / airbrushing / custom auto work would be greatly appreciated. Big Smile [:D]

I was thinking about picking up some books on it, "Automotive Cheap Tricks & Special F/X" being one.

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 6:21 PM

Jim,

This forum at this link is your best bet.
http://www.airbrush.com/forums/

Many of these people do this for a living.

Mike

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 4, 2006 6:31 PM

Being an Iwata "Honk" and an artist of some sort I can tell you the rep is correct. The BCS will do hairlines...So will most iwata brushes. If you want a brush for detail specific work bust out your wallet and pick up the Micron. Its all a matter of ease of use and consistancy. The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Saturday, March 4, 2006 6:41 PM

Thanks guys

Now to buy my next color by the gallon...

"Honey, what color pinstripes did you want on your car?" Tongue [:P]

Practice, practice, practice... I've heard that somewhere before... Humm... ?

Wonder what color stripes would look good on the cat, black with a white stripe?

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

Reply

MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 8:00 PM

Unknownpharoah wrote:
The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

And the proper paints!
Using model enamels in a Micron is a waste of time. Laugh [(-D]

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 4, 2006 8:24 PM

MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

And the proper paints!
Using model enamels in a Micron is a waste of time.

yeah.. umm.. that would be an adventure to be sure. I wouldnt mind being a fly on the wall when somebody was giving that a try however!

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 4, 2006 9:30 PM

Mike, what's your thoughts about enamels in an Iwata HP-C and the .3mm needle?

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 10:50 PM

H3nav wrote:
Mike, what's your thoughts about enamels in an Iwata HP-C and the .3mm needle?

I am not an HP-C user so I couldn't really speak to that specifically but I would imagine it would work fine as that is the size of the needle/nozzle in the HP-CS that I have and it works fine for modleing paints.
I would get the HP-CS for less money if you wanted to go with an Iwata as I think it would produce just as well of results.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Saturday, March 4, 2006 10:51 PM

Unknownpharoah wrote:
MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

And the proper paints!
Using model enamels in a Micron is a waste of time.

yeah.. umm.. that would be an adventure to be sure. I wouldnt mind being a fly on the wall when somebody was giving that a try however!

There are some who have tried it and some who I have heard say it works good but I find that very hard to believe. Getting modeling paints to reliably feed through a tip that size and a needle taper that fast would be a nightmare! Wink [;)]

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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jhande

Member since
November 2005
From: White Mountains, NH

Posted by jhande on Sunday, March 5, 2006 1:59 AM

H3nav wrote:
Mike, what's your thoughts about enamels in an Iwata HP-C and the .3mm needle?

Great combo.
That is one of my choices I'm thinking about when I get ready for upgrading to an AB for finer detail. It is designed for spraying the heavier/thicker paints.

But yes, the Eclipse HP-CS would be a less expensive alternative, still a good quality AB, and save you money especially if using it just for modeling.

My 2 cents [2c]

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

Reply

plasticmod992

Member since
January 2003
From: The Hoosier State

Posted by plasticmod992 on Monday, March 6, 2006 2:50 AM

MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

And the proper paints!
Using model enamels in a Micron is a waste of time.

yeah.. umm.. that would be an adventure to be sure. I wouldnt mind being a fly on the wall when somebody was giving that a try however!

There are some who have tried it and some who I have heard say it works good but I find that very hard to believe. Getting modeling paints to reliably feed through a tip that size and a needle taper that fast would be a nightmare!

Believe it MikeV! I've used an HP-C on several 1/72nd scale models, painting their camo freehand. I'll admit, it took a bit of practice, experimentation with thining ratios, and pressure setting. My current method derives from a technique developed by Hyperscale contributor Lee Rouse. Here is the formula for fine lines with the HP-C and MM enamels. Thin the paint at a 1:1 ratio with mineral spirits and add 4 to 5 drops of Winsor and Newton Artist' Paint Medium. Look for it at art stores. The paint medium improves the flow of paint through the small nozzle, and slows the drying of the paint. Whats more, is that the medium will give the sprayed paint film a slight gloss sheen, even with flat colors. Adjust your compressor to approx 10 psi. I support the model on a Tamiya paint stand while I spray so as to have maximum control of the airbrush. I've used this formula/ method for finelines for over 6 years now, and it works great! The HP-C is the finest tipped airbrush I'll ever need for painting intricate freehand camo on my 1/72nd scale jets.

1/72nd scale F-5E Tiger II "Snipers" (VMFT-401) USMC, MICS, Yuma AZ. 1996

Airbrushed freedhand with the Iwata HP-C.

Greg Williams Owner/ Manager Modern Hobbies LLC Indianapolis, IN. IPMS #44084

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Monday, March 6, 2006 3:19 AM

plasticmod992 wrote:
MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
MikeV wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
The true secret to hairline details and quality airbrushing is practice, practice, practice.. and .. oh.. practice some more.

And the proper paints!
Using model enamels in a Micron is a waste of time.

yeah.. umm.. that would be an adventure to be sure. I wouldnt mind being a fly on the wall when somebody was giving that a try however!

There are some who have tried it and some who I have heard say it works good but I find that very hard to believe. Getting modeling paints to reliably feed through a tip that size and a needle taper that fast would be a nightmare!

Believe it MikeV! I've used an HP-C on several 1/72nd scale models, painting their camo freehand. I'll admit, it took a bit of practice, experimentation with thining ratios, and pressure setting. My current method derives from a technique developed by Hyperscale contributor Lee Rouse. Here is the formula for fine lines with the HP-C and MM enamels. Thin the paint at a 1:1 ratio with mineral spirits and add 4 to 5 drops of Winsor and Newton Artist' Paint Medium. Look for it at art stores. The paint medium improves the flow of paint through the small nozzle, and slows the drying of the paint. Whats more, is that the medium will give the sprayed paint film a slight gloss sheen, even with flat colors. Adjust your compressor to approx 10 psi. I support the model on a Tamiya paint stand while I spray so as to have maximum control of the airbrush. I've used this formula/ method for finelines for over 6 years now, and it works great! The HP-C is the finest tipped airbrush I'll ever need for painting intricate freehand camo on my 1/72nd scale jets.

1/72nd scale F-5E Tiger II "Snipers" (VMFT-401) USMC, MICS, Yuma AZ. 1996

Airbrushed freedhand with the Iwata HP-C.

Greg,

I was talking about the Micron not the HP-C. Huge difference! Wink [;)]

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 6, 2006 8:15 AM

IMHO the HP-C is more than enough for model building. The micron is in a different leauge and well......lets be honest...think of all the kits you could buy for that hefty 350.00 price tag!

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archangel571

Member since
June 2005
From: NJ 07073

Posted by archangel571 on Monday, March 6, 2006 11:58 AM

Unknownpharoah wrote:
IMHO the HP-C is more than enough for model building. The micron is in a different leauge and well......lets be honest...think of all the kits you could buy for that hefty 350.00 price tag!

I personally know of two guys from college that uses microns to spray acrylics for their warhammer stuff. When people buy 100 dollars worth of AM parts for an aircraft project that can be built within a month a half or even 1 year, it's justifiable to get a tool for 350 bucks that will last through a life time worth of projects, IF it does the job right. A micron with enamel paints is an overkill, i'd agree with that. With well thinned acrylics and a ton of retarders though, if I didn't blow 700 bucks on those 6 abs of mine/or someone take two or three off of my hand, I'd be willing to give it a shot for my 54mm miniatures and those 1/35 german WWII uniforms. I have yet to find an airbrush that can beat my 20/0 paint brush.

-=Ryan=- Too many kits... so little free time. MadDocWorks

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Monday, March 6, 2006 2:15 PM

Unknownpharoah wrote:
IMHO the HP-C is more than enough for model building. The micron is in a different leauge and well......lets be honest...think of all the kits you could buy for that hefty 350.00 price tag!

Not to mention replacment parts! Shock [:O]

Drop it once and replace the head assembly for about the price of two HP-C's Laugh [(-D]

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

Reply

MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Monday, March 6, 2006 2:18 PM

archangel571 wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
IMHO the HP-C is more than enough for model building. The micron is in a different leauge and well......lets be honest...think of all the kits you could buy for that hefty 350.00 price tag!

I personally know of two guys from college that uses microns to spray acrylics for their warhammer stuff. When people buy 100 dollars worth of AM parts for an aircraft project that can be built within a month a half or even 1 year, it's justifiable to get a tool for 350 bucks that will last through a life time worth of projects, IF it does the job right. A micron with enamel paints is an overkill, i'd agree with that. With well thinned acrylics and a ton of retarders though, if I didn't blow 700 bucks on those 6 abs of mine/or someone take two or three off of my hand, I'd be willing to give it a shot for my 54mm miniatures and those 1/35 german WWII uniforms. I have yet to find an airbrush that can beat my 20/0 paint brush.

That is understandable although I have yet to see acrylics than can spray smoothly through the small Micron tip. What acrylics are you using?
The only paints that I know of that spray well through a Micron are urethanes and inks which have extremely fine pigments.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 6, 2006 3:00 PM

MikeV wrote:
archangel571 wrote:
Unknownpharoah wrote:
IMHO the HP-C is more than enough for model building. The micron is in a different leauge and well......lets be honest...think of all the kits you could buy for that hefty 350.00 price tag!

I personally know of two guys from college that uses microns to spray acrylics for their warhammer stuff. When people buy 100 dollars worth of AM parts for an aircraft project that can be built within a month a half or even 1 year, it's justifiable to get a tool for 350 bucks that will last through a life time worth of projects, IF it does the job right. A micron with enamel paints is an overkill, i'd agree with that. With well thinned acrylics and a ton of retarders though, if I didn't blow 700 bucks on those 6 abs of mine/or someone take two or three off of my hand, I'd be willing to give it a shot for my 54mm miniatures and those 1/35 german WWII uniforms. I have yet to find an airbrush that can beat my 20/0 paint brush.

The micron will spray just about anything if set up properly. I use mine for autopaints on a regular basis. It works great for auto graphics and mural detail. It is tempermental and the parts as you said are spendy. If I didnt feel it made fine line spraying a little less tedious I would not have paid for it. You can't go wrong with a high quality tool. A properly maintained AB will last you a lifetime. Neglect it once.. and it will spit at you until you replace every part in her! Believe me... I know.

That is understandable although I have yet to see acrylics than can spray smoothly through the small Micron tip. What acrylics are you using?
The only paints that I know of that spray well through a Micron are urethanes and inks which have extremely fine pigments.

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archangel571

Member since
June 2005
From: NJ 07073

Posted by archangel571 on Monday, March 6, 2006 7:49 PM

They both have the micron C and if I remembered correctly, one has Gunze and the other has Tamiya acrylics on their shelves. Warhammer figures are 54mm and equivalent to 1/48 in scale. I played against them back then for a year at their dorms. I will email them if you want to know what the thinner paint ratio they used. I'd assume it's at least 3:2 or 2:1 thinner to paint since I need 1:1 to do well on the Tamiya Superfine with Tamiya acrylics (HP-B equivalent in parts).

*edit:

Just got the info back on the thinning ratio, a whooping 3:1 to 4:1 thinner to paint ratio for Tamiya acrylics sprayed at lower than 5-10psi pressure for general areas and adjusted accordingly for thinner lines near the edges.

-=Ryan=- Too many kits... so little free time. MadDocWorks

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AB - hairline - I'm amazed...

Scott Espin - IPMS Reno High Rollers My Reviews