keiron99

I have a cheapish (Timbertek or something) airbrush. I've only used it on 7 or 8 models and so far it's been OK for the money. However, recently, the spray is fanning too wide. Even with a 0.2mm needle / nozzle. I got some new (cheapo) needles from Amazon and the problem persists. This is even when I get in really close. The additional problem when I get in close is that even on a low pressure (say 12 PSI), the air pressure blows the paint across the surface of the model. Is it something I'm doing wrong or do I need a replacement airbrush?

Thanks, Colin. Much appreciated. So I can just use bog standard white spirit like I get from Screwfix?

I have some bog standard cheapo artist oil paints and a bottle of "Standard Cellulose Solvent Paint Thinner" i bought from Amazon. Could I mix them to make panel washes? Is it the right type of thinner? And would it be ok to use over models that have been varnished and NMF models painted with AK metal finish?

I'm building a Lightning and, after a lot of pain, have got something resembling a Natural Metal Finish using AK paints from my airbrush. But I'm unsure now how to apply decals. I've read a few posts saying there's no need to apply a gloss varnish before applying the decals. That seems to make sense. But should I also avoid using the Micro Set and Micro Sol which I usually use when applying decals? I'm conscious that they often leave their own residue when I use them. Any advice would be welcomed, thanks!

Wish I'd known that before! (I guess I could squirt some into a small bottle.)

That does look interesting.

I'm building a 1/72 Airfix Electric Lightning and the fuselage mouldings are not great, to say the least. They leave a horrendous gap. (Searching online and on Youtube, everyone has this problem with the kit.) Now I'm usually OK at disguising seams. I have a selection of fillers, putties etc and sometimes use superglue. But these gaps are so long and wide, that when I sand down, it's not "uniformly flat", if that makes sense? I normally use spongey sanding sticks but all they seem to do is follow the contours of the filler: so while it does sand down the filler, it's still following the contours of the putty that I applied. When I spray on the primer, you can see all the undulations. I've filled and sanded and primed about 4 times now and it's not really getting any better. Is it my technique? Should I perhaps do it with a solid metal file so it doesn't follow the contours of the filler?

OK thanks, sounds like a good idea, I assume it doesn't just evaporate then?

It's amazing that I never knew there was such a thing as "accelerator" for superglue until a few weeks back. Anyway, I got some. And it's an enormous spray can. How am I suppose to use it? I have tested it (not on a model) and it works great, curing the glue instantly (I always thought superglue was meant to stick instantly and always been disappointed it doesn't) but the can sends out an enormous cloud of whatever-it-is. It would completely soak an entire model, rather than just zap the bit I'm trying to glue. Did I buy the wrong thing? I was rather hoping it would have a straw/tube type thing to direct the fluid, like WD40 cans do.

Does anyone have any recommendations for so-called "weathering stencils" for airbrushes? I'm not sure how commonly used they are but I fancy giving them ago to try to improve the effects I'm achieving on my 1/72 aircraft; notably some "depth" and realism to the paint finish. I've only seen them from a couple of suppliers: AK and a Chinese company called "Liang" (on ebay and Ali Express). They're surprisingly expensive (about £8) for a piece of card with some random holes in! Just wondering if anyone had any experience of them?

After a couple of disappointing efforts at getting a natural metal finish, I’m determined to make a better job of my Electric Lightning. I have a few basic questions which I'd be grateful for some help with: - What sort of paint is the AK Extreme Metal that I bought? Is it a lacquer, enamel or acrylic? - What do I use to thin AK extreme metal? (I have some Vallejo airbrush thinner - but maybe that’s just for acrylics?) - What varnish should I use, if any? I’ve seen varnishes used for preventing damage when applying/removing masking tape but I’m unsure what to use, if any. Thanks for your help!

Thank you @Ray_W that looks fantastic, in fact it was your original posts that I saw with this model that made me realise just how crappy my effort was and that better could be achieved!

Right. I've added some plastic spoons to the Tesco order and I'm going to practise, practise, practise!

You know, that might be a big part of the problem. It's Vallejo gloss black surface primer. Having just tested it again, it is not glossy and it is certainly not smooth. Any recommendations for alternatives? It's too late to save this Mig, but I also have a P51 in the stash for which I'd like to perfect my technique before I start!

I'm building a MIG and trying to get a natural finish. I have tried airbrushing with Vallejo Metal Color, but in truth, it's really not much better than the bog standard aluminium or even just silver. So I got some AK Extreme Metal Aluminium. But I can't even tell it apart from the Vallejo. I don't understand this because some of the finishes I've seen on this forum and on Youtube genuinely look like metal. This is spraying over gloss black, so I can't really understand what else I can do - maybe just lower my expectations? One thing I was thinking is maybe I am spraying at the wrong pressure because I'm getting a rough, textured finish. What pressure should I be spraying at?