Tips and tricks to help me improve

[Jdunn21]

Hi guys new here I have been airbrushing the last 2-3 months now I am currently using a bartsharp ab but going to upgrade soon to a H&S ultra 2in1. I am currently using ammo mig paints and primer with the odd vallejo paints.

 

1) How do I prevent overspray happening.

 

2) correct PSI to be on (atm 18psi)

 

3) How do I achieve finelines with either a 0.3 or 0.4 needle 

 

Thanks guys 

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Hi,

 

The easiest way to prevent 1) is fix 2) which in turn allows 3).

 

I don't use water dispersible acrylics so I don't know how thin you will be able to get them, but ideally you'd be able to spray at about 10-12psi rather than 18psi. The paint leaving the nozzle will have a lot less kinetic energy and will not travel so far beyond your immediate masking. It also allows you to get in closer for fine(r) lines. You need thin paint, low pressure and as small a needle/nozzle as you can get paint through for very fine lines. You have to have the nozzle really close to the work to do this and the paint needs to stay where it lands and not roll around in balls grouping together under their own surface tension.

[lasermonkey]

2 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Hi,

 

The easiest way to prevent 1) is fix 2) which in turn allows 3).

 

I don't use water dispersible acrylics so I don't know how thin you will be able to get them, but ideally you'd be able to spray at about 10-12psi rather than 18psi. The paint leaving the nozzle will have a lot less kinetic energy and will not travel so far beyond your immediate masking. It also allows you to get in closer for fine(r) lines. You need thin paint, low pressure and as small a needle/nozzle as you can get paint through for very fine lines. You have to have the nozzle really close to the work to do this and the paint needs to stay where it lands and not roll around in balls grouping together under their own surface tension.

My experience of Vallejo in a nutshell.

[Jdunn21]

4 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Hi,

 

The easiest way to prevent 1) is fix 2) which in turn allows 3).

 

I don't use water dispersible acrylics so I don't know how thin you will be able to get them, but ideally you'd be able to spray at about 10-12psi rather than 18psi. The paint leaving the nozzle will have a lot less kinetic energy and will not travel so far beyond your immediate masking. It also allows you to get in closer for fine(r) lines. You need thin paint, low pressure and as small a needle/nozzle as you can get paint through for very fine lines. You have to have the nozzle really close to the work to do this and the paint needs to stay where it lands and not roll around in balls grouping together under their own surface tension.

Thanks for the advice so far so a lower psi would that be across ab surface likes primer base etc I am still in the learning curve of it and want to perfect the ab skill 

[Pappy35]

9 hours ago, Jdunn21 said:

Hi guys new here I have been airbrushing the last 2-3 months now I am currently using a bartsharp ab but going to upgrade soon to a H&S ultra 2in1. I am currently using ammo mig paints and primer with the odd vallejo paints.

 

1) How do I prevent overspray happening.

 

2) correct PSI to be on (atm 18psi)

 

3) How do I achieve finelines with either a 0.3 or 0.4 needle 

 

Thanks guys 

 

1) You prevent overspray with masking.

2) Pressure is very highly variable. Some primers need lots and extremely fine work can happen at less than 10psi. There is no one pressure that's correct overall.

3) Low pressure and highly thinned. Again, this is highly variable and the best way is to experiment.

 

My experience is limited since I only got my first airbrush in Dec., but all my problems stopped the moment I gave up on Vallejo. A lot of water-based acrylics need flow improvers, retarders, surface tension breakers, thinners, etc. Ugh...I didn't want to have to study paint chemistry to learn how to airbrush a model. Go out and buy a couple of large, cheap models (like a couple of 1/32 Revell F-15's that have acres of bare plastic) and use them not to build, but to practice different thinner ratios and pressures. There really isn't any absolute value that we can give you to go by.

 

Airbrush brands are very subjective but to me H&S are overrated and overpriced. I initially bought an Amazon cheapo that I returned the next day (don't go cheap). I then bought an Iwata Revolution that I used to learn, it was/is fantastic. I wanted to move up so I bought an Infiniti and ended up returning it over how difficult it was to clean. Finally, bought a GSI Creos PS-771 and PS-289 and could not be happier. The 771 is for very fine, low pressure work. The Revolution, with it's 0.5mm nozzle, is great for primers and other thicker paints/larger area tasks, and the 289 with its 0.3mm nozzle for everything else. Having all these brushes, I would say get a 0.3mm, that'll work for 95% of anything you'll ever need. If you find you need to paint tiger strips on grain of rice, then 0.2 or smaller is in line.

 

I would very highly recommend  starting out with Tamiya acrylic lacquer thinned 50/50 with their X-20A @ ~15-18psi. Building up my meager experience, like pressure and other variables, started the moment I tried this through my Iwata Revolution. I have now moved on to Mr. Paint (a.k.a. MRP). These are pre-thinned lacquers that, for me, are utterly bulletproof and are just "load and shoot." You need to work on ventilation though but they're not really that bad. MRP are my primary, go-to paints, and Tamiya's are my backup for airbrush use or brush painting.

[Jdunn21]

3 minutes ago, Pappy35 said:

 

1) You prevent overspray with masking.

2) Pressure is very highly variable. Some primers need lots and extremely fine work can happen at less than 10psi. There is no one pressure that's correct overall.

3) Low pressure and highly thinned. Again, this is highly variable and the best way is to experiment.

 

My experience is limited since I only got my first airbrush in Dec., but all my problems stopped the moment I gave up on Vallejo. A lot of water-based acrylics need flow improvers, retarders, surface tension breakers, thinners, etc. Ugh...I didn't want to have to study paint chemistry to learn how to airbrush a model. Go out and buy a couple of large, cheap models (like a couple of 1/32 Revell F-15's that have acres of bare plastic) and use them not to build, but to practice different thinner ratios and pressures. There really isn't any absolute value that we can give you to go by.

 

Airbrush brands are very subjective but to me H&S are overrated and overpriced. I initially bought an Amazon cheapo that I returned the next day (don't go cheap). I then bought an Iwata Revolution that I used to learn, it was/is fantastic. I wanted to move up so I bought an Infiniti and ended up returning it over how difficult it was to clean. Finally, bought a GSI Creos PS-771 and PS-289 and could not be happier. The 771 is for very fine, low pressure work. The Revolution, with it's 0.5mm nozzle, is great for primers and other thicker paints/larger area tasks, and the 289 with its 0.3mm nozzle for everything else. Having all these brushes, I would say get a 0.3mm, that'll work for 95% of anything you'll ever need. If you find you need to paint tiger strips on grain of rice, then 0.2 or smaller is in line.

 

I would very highly recommend  starting out with Tamiya acrylic lacquer thinned 50/50 with their X-20A @ ~15-18psi. Building up my meager experience, like pressure and other variables, started the moment I tried this through my Iwata Revolution. I have now moved on to Mr. Paint (a.k.a. MRP). These are pre-thinned lacquers that, for me, are utterly bulletproof and are just "load and shoot." You need to work on ventilation though but they're not really that bad. MRP are my primary, go-to paints, and Tamiya's are my backup for airbrush use or brush painting.

Very helpful I had to stop using tamiya due to the intensity of the funes for a 1 bed flat and a newborn switched over to ammo mig paints can use them out the bottle which I find for most 1/35 is ideal for most one coloured scemes want to do camos. As for airbrush I have a bartsharp 130 nozzle snapped tonight 3rf cheap airbrush that isn't upto much thinned paint right to water lowered pressure pulled trigger back like clutch bite for paint to come nothing further back nothing till halfway then boom to much paint at once. I have been told the procon boy are the boys to go for for airbrushing only thing that puts me off is incase the nozzle snaps when I put it back on after cleaning I have the choice of the procon or H&S ultra at the same price range procon that bit more expensive but can afford 

[Pappy35]

15 hours ago, Jdunn21 said:

<snip>only thing that puts me off is incase the nozzle snaps when I put it back on after cleaning<snip>

 

I haven't broken one yet. This isn't really a possibility if one is even remotely careful about "tightening" it back up. I put that in quotes because you don't tighten it at all, you stop the moment you fell it snug up to the mount. If there's any resistance at all then you've cross-threaded it. Stop, remove, start over. 

 

If you get the GSI/Creos (highly recommended), then get this tool. Mr. Hobby and Iwata should not include that silly wrench because it just encourages people to apply wayyyy too much torque. 

[Jdunn21]

1 minute ago, Pappy35 said:

 

I haven't broken one yet. This isn't really a possibility if one is even remotely careful about "tightening" it back up. I put that in quotes because you don't tighten it at all, you stop the moment you fell it snug up to the mount. If there's any resistance at all then you've cross-threaded it. Stop, remove, start over. 

 

If you get the GSI/Creos (highly recommended), then get this tool. Mr. Hobby and Iwata should not include that silly wrench because it just encourages people to apply wayyyy too much torque. 

Thanks the gsi I can afford atm is the 274 if that's worth it then will go for that how else can I clean the nozzle with out having to take it off and have the fear of it snapping when I put it back on 

[Pappy35]

22 minutes ago, Jdunn21 said:

Thanks the gsi I can afford atm is the 274 if that's worth it then will go for that how else can I clean the nozzle with out having to take it off and have the fear of it snapping when I put it back on 

 

Fear in this case is unwarranted. Seriously, just don't put any torque on it.

[Jdunn21]

Just now, Pappy35 said:

 

Fear in this case is unwarranted. Seriously, just don't put any torque on it.

Thanks pappy35 will bear this mind will head for the procon boy 274 as procon boy is recommended everywhere 👍