First of all, are they fairly easy to clean after use or are they a big headache? How is the amount of paint delivered regulated, i.e. if you want a very thin, overlay type spray that doesn't completely hide what's underneath or thicker coverage that will?
Jarrell
I am by no means an expert on this but have owned several airbrushes and compressors or canned air delivery systems.
Cleaning is critical and should be done immediately upon finishing the spraying. Run the cleaner through the system and rinse the tip. This will take about 5 minutes. Not a hard process but it can be tedious.
I never try to do a "one coat does all" as it will lead to sagging and the runs. Read the paint directions and follow them or you will live to regret it. Spray painting is a process requiring great patience and can be something a kin to baking. I.e. if you don't do it properly you'll land up with a mess.
Using compatable paints is also another issue to be considered and... finally try using paints designed for spraying. Molecule size is important as some paints chemistry will not work in a spray gun and can result in a gun getting clogged.
One problem I encounter living in an Maritime climate is relative humidity. If using a compressor one with a filter and capable of removing water from the air is important.
Fergie
PS my wife just got me a new compressor and gun for Christmas (the same one as advertized in the modelexpo flyer we all got) so I'm hoping all previous issues and problems I've encountered will be a thing of the past.
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If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
I have a Paasche double action air brush. This is what I can tell you about it:
Cleaning - Generally, I have to run solvent through it, wipe out the cup and re-clean it a few times, and soak the tip. It takes some time to get it done right, but it is VERY important.
Paint regulation - on mine, you press down on the trigger to turn on air, and draw back on the trigger to control the paint flow (double action). There is a knob you can use to limit the maximum paint flow. Generally, it takes about 10 coats to get a fully opaque coat of paint with my setup (it puts it on VERY fine). I generally use Floquil paints, so I have to use organic solvents for thinning and cleaning.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
jacon12 First of all, are they fairly easy to clean after use or are they a big headache? How is the amount of paint delivered regulated, i.e. if you want a very thin, overlay type spray that doesn't completely hide what's underneath or thicker coverage that will? Jarrell
I have Paasche brush's 2 are brand new, well 3 years old, the VL comes with 3 tips and needles, the other is the VLSPRO, a bit more money but I can paint hair thin lines with it. Both are double action but have spray adjustment knobs from fine to heavier amounts of paint. I also have 2 Paasche's from the 50's that still work but are single action that I inherited from my father, he was a painter by trade. I do use acrylics that I buy from WalMart in the Crafts department. But must be thinned, I use distilled water for thinning. They too are finer pigment than say household paint, which is too heavy in pigment to use successfully in airbrush's. I clean them immediately after use, the long method, I take them apart and clean the nozzle with a mild soap and tap water and a round toothpick, but don't force anything. That way the whole brush gets cleaned. You would be surprised of the paint that gets in there. You can just flush it out with clear tap water without disassembly, but I choose to take it apart, besides by disassembling it you become familar with the inner parts and what they should look like. But be very careful with the tip, they are very fine and can be bent very easy, once they are bent, it needs replacement, these are fine instruments unlike a pair of pliers.
A line dryer is a must have somewhere between your compressor and the gun. It will sputter if you get water in the air hose and will definitely ruin your project.
Draining the tank is not an option, but should be part of routine maintenance.
If you have never used an airbrush it is advised you practice with it for a couple of hours to become familar with holding it close and further away and the amount of trigger pull for the amount or flow of paint. Keeping the brush moving and masking will prevent a ton of sins.
2 or 3 coats are far better than trying to paint one heavy coat, once familar with your brush, thinning paint and technique you will be able to cover in one coat, but it takes time to learn the applications.
OOPs it takes me 10 minutes to clean it using the long method of taking it comletely apart.
I used to use a double-action / internal mix airbrush with great results...until I switched to using acrylic paint. That very quickly gummed up the airbrush - acrylic paint dries very quickly!! I now use a (dare I say it) Testor's cheap-o single-action / external mix airbrush. It's not great but being external mix, it's easy to keep working.
On a single-action brush, you can't control the air too well, it's either on or off basically, but you can control the amount of paint by adjusting the tip. I usually spray water thru first and get that working right first, then switch over to paint.
BTW as much as possible, I use spray cans. The Tamiya paints spray very well, nice fine spray. Much lighter than the old Floquil or Testors spray paint cans (which are still around).
As far as cleaning goes, I run windex through mine after painting and it cleans great.
The amount of paint regulated depends on what type of brush you have. Double action brushes do it through the trigger. Pull back and more comes out. Single action brushes use the choke method.
As said before it's better to use several very light coats. There are plenty of airbrush lessons that can be found on google that will show this.
If you are going to paint indoors it's best to use a respirator. Home depot carries decent one's for about 40 bucks. Dust masks do not qualify. Also if indoors you should have a paint booth and if that's not possible use Acrylic paints.
Last but not least is the thinner. Use a thinner that works with the paint used. I use isopropyl alcohol and it works great and results in a fast paint dry time.
Good Luck
Springfield PA
No one has mentioned using pipe cleaners when cleaning their air brush. I own a paashe double action brush and once done, i'll take it apart and clean all the tip components and the needle. i'll then run a pipe cleaner thru those hard to reach places like the air jet holes, the tip cover, and even the bottle pick up tube. the pipe cleaner dripping with solvent is a great way to clean the brush and get the paint out of the nooks and crannies.
The other question you have about the thin overlays can be done but you'll have to be real good at pushing the paint trigger forward for those fine streams of paint. A piece of card stock held about an inch from the work while painting with an air brush can also hold the final paint pattern to extremely thin levels. Practice with it before you do it on the real model. I have had good luck using 25 - 30 #'s of pressure when using the air brush. Most oil based and water based paints are mixed 75% paint to 25% thinner. A good rule of thumb is to mix the paint until it's the consistancy of whole milk. ....chuck