Airbrush noob is asking the pros for tips.

[Firefighter X]

I just helped my parents order a Badger 175 Crescendo Airbrush [ dual action, internal Mix, siphon feed ] and a TC-16 Mini Compressor [ The Elephant ] for my Christmas present from them.

 

I'm VERY excited to try this, but have no exprience using one.. I have some questions.. please help.

 

I'll be using GW paints and washes [ with the exception of P3 Khador Red and Brass Balls ] and GW foundation paints.

 

Here are my questions.

 

1. What's the ratio to thin them? paint/thinner/water? And how do I measure this out?

2. What do I use as a thinning agent for the above mentioned paints/washes?

3. What's the learning curve for good tabletop quality paint jobs? a month, a few weeks?

4. Is there a special cleaning agent I need to use?

5. Should I get a regualtor/moisture trap add on?

 

Any help you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

FFX

[Eltnot]

Start by reading a lot.

I recommend this as a starter, even though he hasn't finished writing all of it.

Airbrushing 101 by voyager on WAU

[DV8]

1. What's the ratio to thin them? paint/thinner/water? And how do I measure this out?

 

There is no set ratio, and it's down to the style or manner in which you airbrush, as well as the paint itself. I typically go 2/3rds paint to 1/3 thinner, but that's because I don't airbrush at full blast. With a dual action airbrush myself, I mostly spray air, and then gradually increase the paint flow to give me more control. Having paint that's a little more diluted thus isn't a problem because I'm not spraying a whole lot, so the paint still dries relatively quickly. The risk of heavily dilution is that if you spray too much paint, it gets runny right away, you'll end up with streaks, and it'll take a while longer to dry.

 

2. What do I use as a thinning agent for the above mentioned paints/washes?

 

My thinner is 1/2 Windex and 1/2 water.

 

3. What's the learning curve for good tabletop quality paint jobs? a month, a few weeks?

 

No set number really. It all just depends on your level of experience and experimentation, and how quickly you can pick up something. Some people can pick up an airbrush, having never used it before, and pump out great stuff right away. Others take longer.

 

4. Is there a special cleaning agent I need to use?

 

Warm water should be fine. I mix in a little Windex sometimes, but generally just water and patience. Make sure the first thing you learn is how to properly disassemble and re-assemble your airbrush, and that you clean your airbrush after every session by completely taking it apart and cleaning every component. I even clean my airbrush mid-sessions, if the sessions run over a few hours long.

 

Be careful that if you clean it in the sink, you put a stopper in the drain, otherwise you'll find parts of your airbrush draining away. I had that happen to the nozzle of mine once, and I had to take a wrench and tore apart the pipes for my sink to get it back. Cost me $100 to fix the damn pipes afterwards.

 

5. Should I get a regualtor/moisture trap add on?

 

Absolutely. Both of them give you more control over air flow (regulator) and moisture flow (moisture trap). What the regulator does is regulates the amount of air going from your compressor to your airbrush, and the moisture trap (as it's name suggests) "traps" moisture that results from compressing air. Working in tandem, the two keep extra moisture from travelling to your airbrush, and ensures that your airbrush is getting a consistent, constant flow of air so that when you are airbrushing, you have complete control over how much air and how much paint you're putting out.

 

 

DV8

[Full Metal Racket]

Good buy, very idea for painting models this scale I usually use an airbrush to undercoat using chaos black or skull white. Handy for mass painting.

1. Ideally the consistency of milk.

2. Just Water.

3. A few weeks (there is only one way to learn, practice, practice, practice)

4. I use white spirit if paint has dried inside and has started to clog it up, other that that just use water and do a final strip and clean when you finish using a small tub of water with a dash of windex, strip it and throw everything in there and clean one thing at a time then reassemble it.

5. Yes usually if it has an air storage tank, water in the line can easily ruin a good paint job. Air storage tanks will have a small tap on the bottom you can let open to clean any moisture out of the bottom of the tank before use. Regulator is a must because your only wanting to spray between 14psi and 28psi.

 

GW paints dry really quickly in an airbrush being acrylic so have everything set up first, cleaning tools/water tub/cotton tips at the ready, the quicker you clean after use the easier it will be.

Be careful when using metallic paint as this will clog really easy in the tip if it is not specifically made for an airbrush (airbrush metallic paint has much smaller particles)

Any more questions don't hesitate to ask. \m/

[averykess]

The others on here have posted some good advice. I'll add a bit...

 

1. What's the ratio to thin them? paint/thinner/water? And how do I measure this out?

 

Depends on the paint. With enamels, you best bet is to use an airbrush thinner (this will have a suggested ratio). Distilled water works fine with most acrylics. Les at AwesomePaintJob.com uses Windex at 1:1 ratio with most gaming paints (GW, Vallejo, etc).

 

2. What do I use as a thinning agent for the above mentioned paints/washes?

 

Use the standard thinner if a specific airbrush thinner is not available for the brand, although there may be alternatives (see comment about Les @APJ above). Paint sold for airbrushes may not even need to be thinned. Vallejo Model Air is good right out of the pot.

 

3. What's the learning curve for good tabletop quality paint jobs? a month, a few weeks?

 

Depends on your dexterity and how much you practice. You should be up to base-coating and large area shading highlighting fairly quick.

 

4. Is there a special cleaning agent I need to use?

 

Depends on the airbrush and the paint. Generally, the thinner you are using should be enough to clean the brush with. You should run a cleaner thru between colors and completely clean the unit after you are done for the day. The IWATA TABLE TOP AIRBUSH CLEANING STATION is very useful when cleaning between colors. There is also a technique called "back flushing" that will help. (Google that one)

 

5. Should I get a regualtor/moisture trap add on?

 

I'd suggest one if your compressor doesn't have a moisture mitigation feature.

[Firefighter X]

Top Notch info.. Thanks a ton fellas..

I can't wait to get the hang of it and start cranking out minis.

 

FFX