Kev The Modeller

Thanks for sharing

Superb build

Glad you got it sorted

I've used Hull Tex by VMS easy to use great finish, not sure that the scale will be right for 1/72 though.

Another cracking build there John

Have a look here Here Paul has done a whole series of how to's and Here should set you on your way.

It's been many years, probably 40 odd....eek since I've used Humbrol Enamels. Back then I didn't have an airbrush they were way, way beyond my reach and I think it's fair to say most modellers at the time, well certainly young ones! I always used white spirit to clean and thin any of the tinlets that had thickened, I never had any issues with paint melting Tamiya or any plastic.

Be weary of Superlub, it goes on lovely but in my experience it drys and turns into a sort of slime, which stops the needle from free movement, its very odd. The Needle Juice works a treat and you need the smallest drop, a bottle will last years.

You've gone the right route in my opinion with Iso, all these other products either don't work, are messy, expensive and time consuming in my experience. The key with Iso is you have to put a fair bit on using a 1/2cm brush and leave it until it softens the paint to a point where you can start wiping off with the brush , it doesn't in my experience start melting everything instantly, but if left for extended time it will. I tackle one area at a time e.g. a wing, flooding the surface with a loaded brush, held over a tray/container, the surplus Iso can then be replied. This is a continuous process, for each area, once the area is stripped spray with water, to dilute/ wash away remaining Iso and move to the next area. You can then go back over stubborn areas using the same method. On the occasions I've done this, it taken approx 30mins to strip a 1/48 aircraft back to the surface, completely paint free. I will also certainly soften filler, possible remove thin areas of it.

I put the thinner into the colour cup first, then the paint and mix.

50/50 is really I starting point for Tamiya acrylics I find, depending on what you're doing. The paint will be thin, you need to build up the layers 2 or 3 is normally all you need. Take a look at This and This

Restraighten it look here at IMS done it myself quite a few times works a treat

Read these threads Here and Here you've got the same issue

Mate I had the same issues years ago now, it's part you and mostly you're choice of paint for what you're trying to do. Water based acrylic doesn't like on off trigger operation that you get with detail or delicate work especially with 0.2 needle, it will clog and in my experience it doesn't really matter what you add to it it will do it at some point. The bit you're doing wrong is expecting a water based acrylic to work like a alcohol based one like Tamiya Mr Hobby Aqueous, as you've discovered you can airbrush Tamiya, that's experience. I'd advise you to switch paint when you want to do delicate painting and once you've got more time with the airbrush and paint you could try again with the water based acrylics. If a smell/health is you're reason for sticking with water based acrylic, get a good mask and a booth, even just a good mask if your on budget, for all paint, masks and a booth you can't go far wrong looking Here he's not that far form you either and still trading.

Onward and upwards I use H &S airbrushes pretty much exclusively, I find them to be the easiest to strip, clean and change sizes not to mention the fabulous results they give, a quality tool. Their one Achilles heels (IMHO) is the nozzle is sensitive to paint build up especially 0.2 when changing form one colour to the next or painting over a few days. I found the most likely paint to cause blocking was water based acrylics (Mig Ammo, AK, Vallejo ect) when using a standard thinners/cleaners for them. I found I hardly ever got the problem with alcohol base acrylics like Tamiya, Mr Hobby Aqueous and using their cleaner/thinners, I've never had the issue at all with lacquer based paint Mr Hobby, Tamiya, Zero or AK extreme etc. What I believe is the lacquers based being solvent based are very resistant to tip dry and stay far more stable in the nozzle, the same with alcohol based although a little less then lacquer, where as water based is very prone to tip dry and is a lot less stable and dry much faster. The water based acrylics will always to some degree build up on the needle and in the nozzle. The basic cleaners wont shift this dried paint unless it's agitated physically, a back flushing and flushing isn't sufficient and with a 0.2 hole it's doesn't take much to restrict or block it. I switched to using Mr tool cleaner for all my paint and I rarely get any nozzle restriction or blocking and if I did it after using water based primer, I now only ever put these primers through 0.4 and nozzle block is the thing of the past. Try changing your cleaner.

Never had any issues, contact whoever you go them from and the should replace them. AK have sent me things before when I've raised questions.

I was sort if in the same position as you about 4 yrs ago when I returned to the hobby after a 30 odd year break. I'd never used a modelling airbrush well very briefly one of those first Humbrol ones it wasn't pretty as O didn't realise I had the thin the paint. All my teenage/previous experience was brushing Humbrol enamels, I did start using Tamiya acrylics (brush painting) not long before I stopped and at the time they were new on the market. On returning I opted for an airbrush and water based acrylic (Ammo Mig) mainly as I liked the dropper bottle, easy to get hold of and they have almost no smell. Like many and because I could afford it I went in fairly big, buying all the colours from the Ammo range I'd need to paint the armour builds I was doing at the time. I'd watched countless Utube tutorials got everything airbrush, basic booth, tools etc to start, at first it went very well, but as I started using different colours and wanting to do more detailed work things started to get very difficult. Airbrushing cammo patterns, or other smaller paint work was a nightmare, tip dry, splattering, surface drying you name it I had it, I tried all manner of things, retarder, flow improver, the issues effected different colours in different ways, some not effected at all. Long story short, the issues were mostly me and trying to do something the product can't really do in the way I was trying to do it. As mentioned above, time on the tool is paramount, also understanding the product, it's strengths, weaknesses and limitations. Due to the above frustration (I just wanted to airbrush my models) and advice I turned to Tamiya and Mr Hobby both Aqueous and lacquer paints, I've not looked back, they're just so consistent and easy to use. Yes they smell, over come by buying a decent booth, of course that's more money, only really needed for the lacquer paints, if you want to use them at home without wearing a mask. By switching to these I've now mastered the airbrush (time on the tool) and now I can also airbrush Ammo Mig a lot more consistently, but my go to paint will always be Tamiya and Mr Hobby and they now both have lacquer paints.

As mentioned above, either the needle/nozzle aren't matched, or more likely there's dried paint in the nozzle have a look Here

I returned to the hobby 4 yrs ago after a good 30 odd year break. After a recent house move and on clearing the loft, I found my old modelling kit which I used as a teenager. In it are 4 Tamiya acrylic paint jars these are the 23ml size, which back in the 70's that was the only size you could buy in the UK these are about 40 yrs old. To my amazement I opened them and they're as good as the 10ml paints I've bought only last week Some were laying down in the box, the box hasn't been moved for 12 years, the last time I move and at least periods of 3 - 10 yrs before previous moves. I think providing the lid is sealed correctly how they stored doesn't matter, sunlight will have an effect on some colour pigments I've know doubt. I personally always wipe the neck of the jar as soon as I open it, I find this helps limit the build up of paint and I guess has ensured mine have remained air tight.

Got the same combination myself, only Evo is set at 0.2 does just about everything, and the Inf CRplus set with 0.4 for priming, clear and large coverage. Superb brushes, easy to strip, clean, maintain and switch sizes, as mentioned V2 needles need to come out backwards and a little care with the nozzle when cleaning. I only strip and clean them after building an entire kit, the secret is I believe in the cleaner, I use Mr Tool takes about 10 drops, yes 10 drops spread over a few flushes for each clean. It removes all traces of paint, allows me to switch from black to white knowing there'll be no contamination. I'm a firm believer in the more your strip an AB the faster it wears the seals. Go H&S is my recommendation and these can be obtained from Aircraft like Gunze.

Welcome back and you're off to a good start

Very interesting build, not an aircraft you often see as it's overlooked/shadowed by the later D.I & B.III quite how the D.II was first I don't know. I'll be following along, with interest

Superb WW Thud

Oh yes I do like a Thud, superb builds

Stunning build