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Which airbrush for one nozzle to start and finish camo pattern aircraft in enamels ?


Merlin

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Hi,

The classic advice to do camo pattern is spray the wavy edge then fill inwards from it.

H&S do a 0.2 and a 0.4 nozzle

Iwata a 0.2 and a 0.3

Which airbrush and nozzle (and needle obviously to suit nozzle) is best for using enamels to do this ?

I have 1/72 as well as 1/48 and 1/32 to do and want to be able to do Luft Mottle at 1/72 with enamels. Acrylics will bung up with the finesse required to slowly lay down a mottle over a few secs the size of a pinhead.

H&S evolution silverline M has a side fitting cup, I prefer side fit, can switch cups from paint to thinner and back to paint to clear clogs, also better vision.

However all but the CRplus airbrushes will react to solvents I am told. PTFE seals throughout which is what is required for enamels are only on the CRplus. The evolution page doesnt mention the mix of seal types and drawbacks thereof, I wonder why...so beware !

Unfortunately the side cup H&S hasn't PTFE seals.

Iwatas dont have the enamels issue I am told. They do have a side cup variant. I can't seem to get it to spray acrylics though as it bungs up in no time.

I have used retardant and flow enhancer and the result is sticky and hasnt cured, and I adhered to the percentage required of this extra stuff we need to mix in that is alien to enamel users.

For spraying Acrylics as fine mottle and pencil thin lines, is the secret in nozzle or airbrush make or psi or what ? Heard it said to use a low pressure to avoid clogging, high psi dries paint on needle quicker, I thought it would keep it going disabling any chance of a clog up !

reminder of my quest...Which airbrush for one nozzle to start and finish camo pattern aircraft in enamels ?

Merlin

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All H&S Models has solvent resistant PTFE seal in the areas directly in the paint flow, from the Ultra right up to the Infinity CRplus. In common with virtually all airbrushes, seals not directly in the paint path (such as air valve or handle seals) are not solvent proof.

The Evolution Silverline M does differ slightly in that synthetic rubber seals are used at the paint cup/bottle union, but this seal is present primarily to prevent air being drawn into the airbrush rather than to prevent paint leaking out.

Iwata have the Eclipse HP-SBS or High Performance Plus HP-SB+ in side feed, the Eclipse is a quite a high flow brush though & possibly not ideal for smaller stuff.

Most acrylic issues require quite a bit of perseverance with thinning, air pressure adjustments & will occasionally require some help from flow-aid, retarder or the likes.

For my money the H&S 0.2mm set up will be fine for 1/72 & 1/48th work, but may take a little time to do a large 1/32 kit.

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Hi,

Having had an air seal miles away from the paint flow at the foot of the air on/off lever for a badger 200 react to cellulose fumes and double in size (not direct contact with thinners but just spraying cellulose paint) and cause major headaches on airflow, phut phut phut, I am scared away from risking such ever again.

I can clean my Iwata out and no problems. H&S dealers warned me away from enamels and their range other than CRplus.

0.2 sounds the way to go then, with a 0.4 for larger work, though it would propbably be the 0.2 for the camo edges then clean up and use 0.4 to fill in.

Surprised they jump from 0.2 to 0.4 when Iwata have 0.2 and 0.3

I just cant be messing with trying to find the sweet spot for acrylics, enamels are self flowing, sort of self cleaning as they spray, and self adhering. thinning with distilled water a paint then expecting a good bond as one sprays it is odd for me., and others I have spoken to. Spirit based acrylics though like Aeromaster I have seen nice finishes. Some acrylics take longer to bung up than others but they will bung up much sooner, before I have even finbished spraying one item. I find then that unlike enamels and a tickle with a brush in thinners, I have to strip the airbrush down. Just getting it off the needle is hell compared to enamels. Hate the stuff !

Merlin

Edited by Merlin
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I would say that almost all modern airbrushes are fine with enamels. Even my old rubber o-ring Olympos 100C works just fine with cellulose thinners now and then. They aren't as delicate as people think. And a new o-ring costs £5 or less. No big concern, IMHO.

All modern H&S or Iwata airbrushes, except for a couple of the Iwata Custom Micron models come with PTFE needle seals.

None of the H&S models will have problems with either enamels or acrylics. Some airbrushes, including earlier H&S models can have problems with ammonia based cleaners, since they it may damage the internal nickel plating. On the CR models, they use chrome instead, which are more resistant to ammonia. But it only matters if you intend to use ammonia in your airbrush.

I would say that 99% of painting in modeling can be done with a 0.3mm airbrush, but if you plan to do a lot of small detail camouflage, a 0.2mm airbrush wouldn't hurt to have as well.:)

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Hi,

I gather that 0.2mm will do a fine line. Can anyone tell me how fine ?

0.4mm nozzle 1mm thick as minimum which is 3x too thick for a 1/72 camo edge.

H&S dont have a 0.3mm so it would be two airbrushes in use as you suggest.

What minimum line thickness will a 0.3 nozzle produce ?

My experience of a brand new badger 200 air flow seal expanding when spraying cellulose, not in contact with the liquid but just being there has put me off rubber seals.

H&S have vitton rubber which shrink I was told, have I got that right ?

I also am troubled by pulsating paint flow in an Iwata but will post as a separate thread on this.

The cause of such and what I read about H&S durability v Iwata, the latter seemingly better made, may make my mind up.

Would 0.4mm be a better nozzle for work with acrylics than 0.3mm or is it in the brand and thinners used ?

Comment elsewhere says Mr Hobby self levelling thinners and GS paint is the combination to use, I used GS gloss varnish, and their thinners, my first time with GS and it was still tacky after a week.

Merlin

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The H&S 0.2mm will do as fine as most people require while offering reasonable coverage, but the bottom line is that if you want something that will do precise detail in 1/72nd & lay down primer / colour or clear coats on large 1/32nd kits you are going to have to compromise at one end of the spectrum, or get two nozzle sets / two airbrushes.......

There isn't an airbrush on the market that uses PTFE throughout, so care is always going to have to be taken with regards to where/how strong thinners or cleaning agents are used.

Durability between the two brands are dealt with in a different manner, Iwata's tend to use harder components (primarily nozzles & needle seals), which can last longer than those fitted to H&S, but they are generally more expensive & not as friendly to replace, conversely H&S's parts are slightly softer, but are cheaper & easier to replace - just different school's of though. The "main" components of either brand are both robust.

Using a larger nozzle can overcome some of the problems associated with acrylics, but with a little bit of initial perseverance in getting everything dialled in & getting accustomed to the change, acrylics will happily perform well through an 0.2mm nozzle & even an 0.15mm.

* Iwata's rely on a sealant being present on the nozzle cap threads to create an airtight seal & if the sealant has been washed away they will draw air. Beeswax, chapstick or non permanent liquid thread sealant will all do the job

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