Spraying Vallejo... Loads of problems! Help appreciated!

[JJJ]

Hey fellow modellers!

Hope you've had a fine day!

I would really appreciate your help as I am very, very, very stuck and frustrated.

I can't seem to be able to spray Vallejo MC and Air correctly, no matter what I do.

I tried various PSIs, thinning ratios, even retarders. I've made a video to show my problems.

Is it my technique? My airbrush (the same happens with my other one, so don't think it is this)?

I really want to find out what I am doing wrong...

I even shot a video to demonstrate my problems.

In the video I use a H&S Infinity .2 needle and Model Color Light Grey. Model Air line behaves in a similiar way. The airbrush has been thoroughly cleaned before use.

Surely it must have something do do with my technique as so many people love those paints! But seems like I can't find out what it is.

Even tested mixing in retarders and flow aids to no help.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Have a great week!

[banzaiduke]

What are using as a thinner? To get clogged like that normally involves a hot thinners i.e IPA or Gunze. Have you got a larger needle set aswell? Model Air can be sprayed by itself aswell ,if it still clogs up maybe something left over in the brush from your cleaner?

Edited October 27, 2015 by banzaiduke

[Benson]

Hi JJJ,

I had the same issue recently, the airbrush would "spit" when the trigger is first pulled back, but immediately stop.

Tried a different brush, same issue.

I was using Tamiya X-20A thinner, so tried thinning with just water, and it sprays fine now.

Hope this helps,

Si.

[JJJ]

Hey guys, I'm thinning with water in the video, but as far as I can tell, thinning with Vallejo's own thinners yields the same results.

Spraying with my Badger Patriot .5 needle doesn't feel very different. Still the same issues.

Edited October 27, 2015 by JJJ

[cruiserguy]

Hi JJJ,

I finished painting a1200 scale model of HMS Iron Duke last week using Vallejo ModelColor Light Grey, a Badger 200 with a medium needle. I started with a 50/50 mix of paint and Vallejo thinner, and adjusted it slightly by adding a drop or two more thinner at a time as I like spraying two or more thinner coats rather than thick one. I use a mixing cup, and never mix in the airbrush cup as I don't think this gives thorough enough mixing of paint and thinner. When it's right the mixture should be thin enough to run down the side of the mixing cup.

Next I sprayed at 15 psi, a couple of fine "dusting coats, and them the finishing coats. I painted on top of a coat of Vallejo grey polyurethane primer.

In addition, I stick to Vallejo's own thinner or Ultimate Thinners as I have used both and they work. In addition, I noted your 30:70 paint to thinner mix where you said you got a nice thin line for the first time. This is the ratio Ultimate Thinners recommend for Vallejo ModelColor, my mixes usually work out at around 40:60 paint to thinner.

Best Wishes,

Will.

PS Noting the comments below, I use the new thinner, not the old milky white stuff which was as near as dammit useless, and I have had no problems with Vallejo since switching. Added 14.00 27 October).

[Dads203]

Hey guys, I'm thinning with water in the video, but as far as I can tell, thinning with Vallejo's own thinners yields the same results.

Spraying with my Badger Patriot .5 needle doesn't feel very different. Still the same issues.

I changed to the new formula of thinners , the clear liquid and not the milky stuff and I have no issues at all with

Vallejo paints. So do not use IPA (Tamiya Thinners) as it turns the paint into its latex component and really gums up your airbrush.

I found the old formula of thinners did not behave well at all. water was the same.

Dan

[JJJ]

I changed to the new formula of thinners , the clear liquid and not the milky stuff and I have no issues at all with

Vallejo paints. So do not use IPA (Tamiya Thinners) as it turns the paint into its latex component and really gums up your airbrush.

I found the old formula of thinners did not behave well at all. water was the same.

Dan

Hey Dan, I have the new thinners as far as I can tell. It isn't the old milky thinner they used to make.

I'll try the same tests with the thinner alone instead of water.

Edited October 27, 2015 by JJJ

[Dads203]

Hey Dan, I have the new thinners as far as I can tell. It isn't the old milky thinner they used to make.

I'll try the same tests with the thinner alone instead of water.

Fingers crossed for you fella, I almost gave up on Vallejo paint because of spraying issues, it wouldn't go through anything.

Tried my Badger 200, badger 150 and my Iwata TR2, until they changed the thinners it didn't want to know. I usually put a drop

of drying retarder in just to make sure.

Dan

[JJJ]

Thanks Dan! I don't want to give up on them as they have an amazing selection of colours and I bought quite a big batch recently.

[Tomjw]

I actually use Vallejo airbrush cleaner to thin the model color range. It seems to act as a retarder...

Hope this helps.

Tom.

[JJJ]

I actually use Vallejo airbrush cleaner to thin the model color range. It seems to act as a retarder...

Hope this helps.

Tom.

Hi Tom, this isn't the first time I've read about this, maybe I should give it a try tonight as well!

[Tomjw]

Hi Tom, this isn't the first time I've read about this, maybe I should give it a try tonight as well!

Go for it JJJ. The Model Color range is quite nice to use, but needs lots of practice. It brush paints nicely too.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

Tom.

[oggy4624]

When using model colour I always clean the brush with isopropanol and make sure the the needle is wiped down and flushed through with water.

Then i thin the paint 2 water to 1 paint - that usually works.

Edited October 27, 2015 by oggy4624

[JJJ]

I always clean it thoroughly with IPA after spraying. I just can't let it sit there with paint all over it, so I'm sure the airbrush is in pristine condition.

[Nigel Heath]

It looks like there are bits in the paint to me. You could try filtering the paint through some nylon stocking material. Model Air should be thin enough to spray straight from the bottle although I usually add a small amount of tap water to thin. A 0.2mm nozzle is pretty fine, I would use a 0.4mm for general airbrushing - I also use a H & S Infinity. Its a fantastic brush and unlikely to be the cause of your problems.

[cmatthewbacon]

In my experience, Vallejo paints can "sediment" very badly if they sit around for a while, either in the shop or on your bench. The tubes are a bit rubbish for stirring in, but you can use a couple of ball bearings or shot to improve the effectiveness of shaking, or make a wire paddle that you can spin with your drill and fit in through the top. You'll still need to filter the result, though, as Nigel says...

Good luck!

Bestest,

M.

[JJJ]

I'll try all you've suggested tonight (or at least however much I can cram into the night session!). I've been really down because of not being able to paint properly.

[Gremlin56]

No problems using Vallejo here. Try the new formula thinner instead of the old stuff. Maybe a 0.4 nozzle/needle would be a better idea while you are at it.

I use the Vallejo acrylic with a Bader Krome, Badger Renegade Velocity, H & S Evolution and a Paasche Talon. All work fine.

[JJJ]

Well guys, I tried almost all of the suggestions, but no progress... I didn't try filtering it, but it can't be that as it happens with every bottle (and they are from different shops).

I am not sure what I should be doing next... I guess the problem must lie somewhere within my technique.

Edited October 27, 2015 by JJJ

[CedB]

I like Model Air and don't have problems spraying out of the bottle with a drop of flow improver. I do have ball bearings in the bottles and always shake well. Perhaps you have a bad batch?

[JJJ]

Perhaps you have a bad batch?

Unlikely as I bought them in 2 different countries...

[Mike]

I don't use Vallejo for spraying (yet), but I'm wondering whether there's some residual IPA in the works that's causing some gumming up? I would have said that perhaps the pigment grind of Vallejo might not be suitable for a 0.2mm needle, but then when you mentioned your 0.5mm brush was doing it too, I wondered whether it might be something in your routine.

Ball-bearings in Vallejo bottles is a good idea, as they're quite hard to shake up properly otherwise. I use the same brush, so might have a play with one of the bottles I have

[Mike]

I've just completed a bit of a test using a dry but not very well-cleaned airbrush with Vallejo Feldblau 70964. Dropped a few drips of paint into the cup & sloshed in some Ultimate Thinners, mixed with a cocktail stick and started to spray. Nothing turned to gunge, and the paint was coming out nicely, but a little slowly due to the aforementioned mucky airbrush. H&S Infinity 2-in-1 with a 0.2mm needle, so in theory it is possible.

I also did a quick test of some of the same colour in a pot with some IPA, and it went all gritty and gunky as the IPA reacted with the latex, leaving pigment and latex separate in a sea of IPA. If you're going to clean your airbrush with IPA in future, I'd run some acrylic friendly liquid through to flush out any remaining IPA. I use either Ultimate Airbrush cleaner, or Premi-Air foaming airbrush cleaner when I do something like that.

[John Laidlaw]

I actually use Vallejo airbrush cleaner to thin the model color range. It seems to act as a retarder...

Hope this helps.

Tom.

+1

[JJJ]

I've just completed a bit of a test using a dry but not very well-cleaned airbrush with Vallejo Feldblau 70964. Dropped a few drips of paint into the cup & sloshed in some Ultimate Thinners, mixed with a cocktail stick and started to spray. Nothing turned to gunge, and the paint was coming out nicely, but a little slowly due to the aforementioned mucky airbrush. H&S Infinity 2-in-1 with a 0.2mm needle, so in theory it is possible.

I also did a quick test of some of the same colour in a pot with some IPA, and it went all gritty and gunky as the IPA reacted with the latex, leaving pigment and latex separate in a sea of IPA. If you're going to clean your airbrush with IPA in future, I'd run some acrylic friendly liquid through to flush out any remaining IPA. I use either Ultimate Airbrush cleaner, or Premi-Air foaming airbrush cleaner when I do something like that.

Thanks for running a test Mike! Now I'm really stuck as to what is happening and why I can't spray properly. I usually run some Vallejo cleaner before spray sessions so I think I got that covered. Back to the drawing table.