scrufts Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I last posted here in January regarding Airbrushes and I'm still having problems. My set up is a "baby elephant" compressor and a 0.3mm airbrush in the shed ("daddy's hidey hole") Before painting my models I prime them first with a spray on primer. I have been using Humbrol Acrylics thinned initially with water and then using Humbrol's own acrylic thinners and tried various ratios and then went for the "milk consistency" theory. Airbrush kept clogging and appearance was terrible so I've given up with Humbrol. I then tried Vallejo Air - gave it a bl**dy good shake before using it and the Black sprayed on like a dream, but most of the other colours clogged up within seconds. My airbrush still sprays thinners beautifully! Now going on the enamels route or the whole lot will be binned out of frustration -is the compressor/airbrush cr*p or is it just humbrol anamels and acrylics in general. If I do go down the enamels route can I get away with white spirit or do I need something more specialist. Any help would be appreciated as I am now building my models to a nice standard only to have them ruined with cr*ppy paint spraying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I use Tamiya and Mr Hobby acrylics thinned with Mr Thinners, I prime with Halfords orTamiya out of a rattle can . So far this has worked for me, I stopped using Vallejo Air because it clogged up my airbrush even when used with Vallejo thinners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmahal Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I have moved to H&S infinity CR plus with 0.2 needle which has made a world of difference. I'm not scared about thinning paint more and using a higher. I'm mainly using Tamiya acrylics and Vallejo model air. Also I'm getting in the habit of using a little paint retarder and flow aid in addition to using a thinner lie X20a. For larger areas or priming with Vallejo's acrylic polyurethane primer i swap to a Paasche VL with a 0.3 needle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley420 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 General rule with Vallejo is, if it clogs thin it more. I use Vallejo and tamiya acrylics and this warm weather has played havoc with thinner/paint ratios. I'm converting over to ultimate thinner for Vallejo and a good slug off w&n retarder, and mr levelling thinners for tamiya I brought a hundred 4mm steel ball earrings and have put one in each Vallejo bottle as agitators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrufts Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 Interesting replies -I thought the idea of using vallejo air was that it was already premixed and you didn't have to thin it. I'm going to have a go with Humbrol enamels mainly because I build airfix and that it is readily available near me. I'm not overly sure about the baby elephant compressor as there is no way of adjusting the pressure, but I had to start on a budget. I'm going to get some humbrol enamel thinners and see how I get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foghorn Leghorn Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Interesting replies -I thought the idea of using vallejo air was that it was already premixed and you didn't have to thin it. A common misconception, me included Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 General rule with Vallejo is, if it clogs thin it more. I use Vallejo and tamiya acrylics and this warm weather has played havoc with thinner/paint ratios. I'm converting over to ultimate thinner for Vallejo and a good slug off w&n retarder, and mr levelling thinners for tamiya I brought a hundred 4mm steel ball earrings and have put one in each Vallejo bottle as agitators. You may find they rust! HTH Andy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 If you are spraying with Acrylics, its best to put a few drops of retarder (Windsor and Newton) in the cup with the paint and mix in, this will stop the paint drying on the tip of the airbrush, which acrylics can cause as they dry faster than enamels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley420 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 You may find they rust! HTH Andy Not stainless ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abacus Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Not familiar with your compressor but often there is an escape valve that may double as a crude pressure adjuster. If you are stirring your paint well and thinning with an appropriate thinner then the problem is likely to be mechanical. An airbrush will work at it's best when clean and all paint channels are smooth. So a couple of tips:. 1) Make sure your paint is mixed thoroughly then stir it some more 2) Too much thinner is better than too much paint. It's easier to add paint than to clean an airbrush 3) Clean you brush thoroughly. Keep us updated, Aidan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyB Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I thought the idea of using vallejo air was that it was already premixed and you didn't have to thin it. A common misconception, me included Me too! I've found you NEED a bit of retarder in with vallejo air to stop it from drying on the tip and getting the ratio right can be tricky but I normally stick to 50:50 and always with their own thinner. For tamiya acrylics I use IPA and it even makes spraying white an absolute dream! Revell aqua-color works best with distilled water but then it's really too thick for spraying but brushes lovely. But like Aiden ^ says if you've tried several different brands of paint and now your changing from acrylic to enamel and your still having issues I'd check your setup. Have you got a moisture trap? If you haven't, get one and that might be your answer! Also, do the mini-elephant compressors have a pressure gauge on them? Even a crude one will give you some idea at what pressure your spraying at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrufts Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share Posted July 13, 2014 I'm going to get some retarder and start from there, If I'm still having problems I'll switch over to enamels and also look into my airbrush set up (thanks for the advice about moisture traps etc) We'll see how things get on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infofrog Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 If you are spraying with Acrylics, its best to put a few drops of retarder (Windsor and Newton) in the cup with the paint and mix in, this will stop the paint drying on the tip of the airbrush, which acrylics can cause as they dry faster than enamels I second that .Super Great stuff .I never spray with out any more. Also flow Improver is great Flow Improver Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrufts Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Getting confused now ! I've found flow improver on ebay, but what is retarder? which should I use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 They do the same job stopping the paint drying to quickly. The W&N one is a liquid in a bottle, the Vallejo is a thicker mix. Use whichever you want. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infofrog Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I second that .Super Great stuff .I never spray with out any more. Also flow Improver is great Flow Improver Rick Flow Improver is not a thinner ,,, I only put 1 drop flow improver per airbrush fill It help slow drying time while airbrushing . Also helps smooth out the paint Rick Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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