Bangs head in frustration

Hi Guys

New to the Forum and airbrushing so did a Google search and found you guys so here I am, I am a modeller of scale Aircraft and have recently started using an Airbrush to make my models really stand out or that was the theory. I have a Neo Iwata CN and a Veda Wd-180 airbrush both have produced variable results, yep I know they are budget brushes but being on a budget and doing major research these seemed to be the most recommended.

So here goes.... I have been air brushing about 8 months on and off depending when I am doing a model aircraft and fought all the way with spitting, air flow, clogging bent needles etc.. never once have I been able to just pour my thinned paint in and spray without a problem. I've watched tons of YouTube videos and I'm so jealous they just pour the paint in and boom endless hours of spraying with gleaming finishes.

I use Tamiya, Vallejo and have recently started experimenting with the 1$ - £1 brands, I have to say I have had better results with the cheaper paints, now on the YouTube videos and remember I'm working on a budget it says that you can thin the acrylic paints with window cleaner, window washer and water and its just a matter of getting the paint to a milky consistency. Well sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't, regardless I still fight with the brushes and end up really frustrated.

I was starting to think that maybe the brushes were at fault and so I replaced the needles and air nozzles and gave them a good clean but still I am getting poor paint flow, spitting and generally fighting with the brushes to get lets say a small rocket done that should take a couple of minutes but takes 15 minutes.

So with all this in mind I'm just about to give up and call it a bad day but thought I would ask for any tips or advice on here first. I have trawled though many YouTube videos and read through some of the posts on the Forum and they all suggest or advise what I have already tried.

I would really like to stick it out because on the few occasions I have after a fight managed to finish an aeroplane it looked really well but at the moment I seem to be chucking money and time away.

Any tips on the best acrylic paint (cheap if possible) technique anything I would be grateful.

I feel your pain as ive been airbrushing for a year and still have the problems youre having.
I dont have as many these days as it really does take time to dial in air, reducer and paints.
The main problems are associated with paints and reduction. Try and stick to one type of paint.
The thing is the different colours behave differently even though they may be of the same brand.
I use createx and i have wicked colours and illustration colours. I have trouble with white as i can never find the right ratio of reduction and air, its either spitting or is too thin and watery looking. Ive actually had better results without reducing. Whereas black seems to spray beautifully and silky, but i rarely use black .
I did the same as you when i started and thought there was a problem with my brush so i replaced 2 needles but nothing changed.
Try different ratios of reducer and keep a record so you can look back at results.
Im sure youre aware of the importance of having a clean brush so if your brush is clean it can only be the paint that is the problem.
Its quite disheartening but stick with it as once youve got it sussed youll be a happy man.
I also would stick with the same brand reducer as paint as water and different brand stuff may be reacting badly and turning the paint to goo. At least with the right reducer youve eliminated one possible cause.
When i started i was over reducing and had my air too high, but now i have a good consistency and can spray with low pressure.
Dont give up it really is a matter of trial and error.

yes, I remember those days without fondness .

The problems you are experiencing are almost certainly down to paint consistency, and thinning. I have the Veda, and a few more clones like it, and with a little prep work, they will produce quite good results. The drawback here is that they come with a small nozzle/needle combo, which means for modeling, your paint consistency really has to be spot on. I have only briefly played with a Neo, so can really give no advice on it...

With the Tamiya, they make a thinner that works well - I have used this paint for quite a long time, and have gotten good results, but think that the pigment size is going to make them hit or miss depending on color. Thin them more than you think you need to - more like water than thick milk .

The Vallejo is gonna hold more promise in my opinion, provided you use the correct thinner. I believe they have a proprietary flow enhancer that works very well.

Which ever you wind up going with, ditch the window cleaner and wash. If anything, use just water if you are not using the proprietary thinners for the brand of paint you are using. Instead of trying to get the paint worked out on a model, when you are stressed trying to pull of results with an unknown, just practice on either scrap, or paper. Anything to get a hang of thinning the paint and working the brush. It will come together in short order with a bit of practice.

Thanks guys

I have just watched a YouTube video I stumbled across by accident and you're both right its the paint consistency. What I didn't realise is that even though Tamiya and Vallejo are both acrylics they are two entirely different medias and require different thinning. For instance Tamiya requires an alcohol based thinner for best results although you can use water but it produces poor performance and Vallejo only requires water to thin the paint. Also you achieve best results when thinning the paint in the airbrush pot and he demonstrates this very well.

I have just tried what he suggested and hey presto it works, still need lots of practice and fine tuning but at least I'm one step further and now know that not all acrylics are thinned the same.

Thanks.

Hi and welcome to the forum from the UK.

So, yes starting out is very frustrating, but be reassured you are already doing better than me. When I started I didn't even know you should reduce the paint .

Apologies if I'm stating the obvious but... the paint you have tried is airbrush specific right? AB paint has a much finer pigment, normal paints will always be a bit of a struggle.

Usually the reason you aren't getting the results you want is that parts are worn or damaged, air/paint/ratio is not dialled in, nozzle is blocked or damaged.

Assuming parts are good (a magnifying glass/loupe will show cracks, bends etc, although maybe not nozzle flaring from aggressive handling or cleaning, and damaged o rings may not be obvious) the its likely the other two that are the issue.

This can be a bit of a catch 22 at first. Incorrect paint ratio is likely to cause blockages, and a blocked or dirty nozzle makes it impossible to dial in the paint etc.

So make sure your nozzle is clean. Because paint is coming out doesn't mean it is, and because you just cleaned it, doesn't mean it is. Most of us have been here, and I believe 90% of issues starting out are because of dirty nozzles. Its amazing what can hide in that small space. Even the smallest amount of paint will stop the needle seating properly, and affect performance. As well as not working properly, you can sometimes tell by undoing the needle chuck and gently moving the needle in and out by hand. Any stickiness or sponginess is a dirty nozzle.

If parts are good, and nozzle spankingly clean, then you can focus on paint. It will become second nature, but at first its best to be methodical . Start with one drop of paint and add reducer drop by drop until it flows properly - remembering the rule of thumb: the thinner the paint the lower the pressure. If paint is grainy looking, reduce more, or turn up the pressure, and vice versa if paint spiders or blows through. The thinner the paint, the more layers you need for the coverage you want, and the higher the pressure the less control and more overspray you have. So you need to experiment to find what works for you - and that is why there is no universal recipe as there are too many variables.

Make a note of what works. This becomes your base mixture. You can the make slight adjustments from there depending on colour or weather conditions etc.

It seems daunting but once you have it you are good to go, the testing and experimenting will be worth it.

EDIT typing at the same time . Seems like you found the problem, but I'll leave the info for anyone else who may be having similar issues.

Welcome!

Get the vallejo Flow improver not thinner, add this first to the cup the paint top off with a little water, mix and spray
Check out Next Level Painting on you tube - he has Donna y decent videos regarding airbrushing models and all the different paints! His method which I have told you above works with P3 Scale Model citedal Vallejo paints, should work with tamiya but never seen him use it!
Welcome don't give up

Thanks for the welcome, advise and tips @musicmacd I'll try the flow improver and check out his videos @Squishy @MeeshellMP very nice work on you FB pages

As a fellow modeler, welcome!

I'd second what others have said about using the correct thinner. Tamiya and Vallejo are both formulated for airbrushing, and should perform well if thinned correctly. Avoid using cheap-o third party or home brew thinners unless you're really knowledgeable about the chemistry. Use the thinners made by those companies for their paints, as they well be specifically designed for them. I don't use Vallejo (not sold near me), but I'm a fan of Tamiya, and can vouch for he fact that their thinner works best for their paint.

With cheaper paints that aren't formulated specifically for airbrushing, you'll also want to strain/filter them after thinning. Their pigment particle size is gonna be all over the place, and larger particles can cause clogging at the nozzle. Most people I think use nylon pantyhose as a filter material for this, though if you have an actual contractor-oriented paint store in your area, they will have actual paint filters for cheaper.

DON"T use window cleaner either as a thinner or brush cleaner! This is an old piece of bad advice that has survived for way too long in modeling circles. window cleaners tend to be ammonia based, and you don't want to be putting ammonia through your brush on any regular basis, as it will eat the plating over time.

coleys0 said:

Thanks for the welcome, advise and tips @musicmacd I'll try the flow improver and check out his videos @Squishy @MeeshellMP very nice work on you FB pages

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Thank you!

Thanks coleysO

@Ricktarsprayer75 I have the same problem with white and yellow but black sprays like a dream, thanks everyone for your advice and I can now say that I have a better understanding of airbrushing in particular that it is normal for acrylic to block as it dry's very quickly and I have also learned how to deal with this and that I don't have to disassemble the brush but just make sure to keep wiping the needle.

easy when you know how

I could have not said it better !! I feel the same way and have done the same

Never thin paints with window cleaner, use water and airbrush flow improver from Vallejo, for what it’s worth, every one struggles with it, videos don’t generally show all the tip dry that happens.
Check out Next level painting - Kenny, he’s amazing and a really good guy too. I think he will set you on a good path with model paint