What pressure for airbrush spraying?

[Dindrenzi]

Hi Folks,

 

Still trying to get the hang of this airbrushing lark, think a course is definitely required!

 

But as I'm just practicing on some cheap models to start, I have an issue with spraying.

 

• I find I need around 40-50psi, through a 0.4mm needle, for the vallejo surface primers.
• I used the vallejo metal colour straight from the pot at 20psi and had great coverage. Then cup ran dry, added more paint and it wouldn't spray at all....
• Tried using the FW Eidolon Purple (Clear) straight from the pot at 20psi and it wouldn't even spray (guessing now that although it says use straight from the bottle, thinning may be appropriate...?)

Should I thin the VMA, VGA, and the FW air paints further? And what sort of PSI should I aim to be spraying at?

 

Cheers

[Bung]

I always add a few drops of Vallejo Airbrush thinner for any paint (except for Tamiya, there i use their own primer). Better do some thin layers for good coverage.

 

For normal colors like GW Layer and VMC i thin them 1:1 and start with 1.5 bar (sry, i am german and dont know how much it is in PSI) then i start to adjust pressure and maybe add some thinner or paint.

 

Its a matter of experience and preference so i doubt i could give you better advice.

[Dindrenzi]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll try them 1:1 and go from there, like you say, multiple layers can achieve the same result

[Bloody Legionnaire]

I have a Iwata HP-CS with a .35mm needle and I try to stay at around 20-30 PSI for most of my airbrushing. Even when shooting Vallejo game and model air paints I find that adding just a bit more thinner (up to 50% thinnier for certain paints like white for example) really helps the flow and end product I achieve. Even with Vallejo Surface Primer I tend to not go above 30 PSI. 

I'm not familiar with FW paints at all is the Eidolon Purple like a candy paint? Something that is transparent and supposed to go over metallics? If so I have been using Tamiya's clear read paint to airbrush FWs recipe for Legion Word Bearers and I haven't really had any issues with shooting that through my HP-CS. They say shoot from the bottle as well but I do thin it at about 3:1 (paint to thinner). The only paints I've had an issue with have been whites (dusting and erratic spraying) and some of GWs paints. For whites it seems like they dry very quickly once they mix air so extra thinning was my solution to the problem. With paints that are more thin you really want to turn the pressure down a little bit and give very light passes until you achieve the color you want. For GW paints I just had to figure out the right paint to thinner ratio for me (anywhere from 3:1 paint to thinner or 2:1 paint to thinner). My issue with GW paints was that they dried really quick and would definitely begin to clog a lot faster than say the Vallejo paints would.

 

What kind of Airbrush air you using? 

I don't know if you need to go through an airbrush course... You could if you wanted to as I'm sure you'd get a bunch of great tips and understanding, however, there is a wealth of resources available for free on google and youtube that you could learn almost as much from. I've been using airbrushes since I was a kid but nothing as involved as I am doing now for my Warhammer models and I feel I've gotten quite good with what I've been able to produce now. The best piece of advice I found was on the internet (I think fine scale modeler forum) and that was thinner paint is usually better. So now I try to keep my paints a little thinner (not all the way to a wash in consistency though) and build up the color fairly slow and lightly. With paint being so thin it's easy to pool if you aren't careful where you're shooting. 

 

This is a long video but there is a lot of excellent information within it. As will be stated, Ken Schlotfeldt is the president of Badger Airbrush industry and is definitely an expert on airbrushes. 

 

 

Good luck, don't get intimidated, using an airbrush is an art in and of itself and once you get the hang of it you'll not believe that you ever painted without it before. 

 

edited for grammer.

[Dindrenzi]

I have a Iwata HP-CS with a .35mm needle and I try to stay at around 20-30 PSI for most of my airbrushing. Even when shooting Vallejo game and model air paints I find that adding just a bit more thinner (up to 50% thinnier for certain paints like white for example) really helps the flow and end product I achieve. Even with Vallejo Surface Primer I tend to not go above 30 PSI. 

 

I'm not familiar with FW paints at all is the Eidolon Purple like a candy paint? Something that is transparent and supposed to go over metallics? If so I have been using Tamiya's clear read paint to airbrush FWs recipe for Legion Word Bearers and I haven't really had any issues with shooting that through my HP-CS. They say shoot from the bottle as well but I do thin it at about 3:1 (paint to thinner). The only paints I've had an issue with have been whites (dusting and erratic spraying) and some of GWs paints. For whites it seems like they dry very quickly once they mix air so extra thinning was my solution to the problem. With paints that are more thin you really want to turn the pressure down a little bit and give very light passes until you achieve the color you want. For GW paints I just had to figure out the right paint to thinner ratio for me (anywhere from 3:1 paint to thinner or 2:1 paint to thinner). My issue with GW paints was that they dried really quick and would definitely begin to clog a lot faster than say the Vallejo paints would.

 

What kind of Airbrush air you using? 

 

I don't know if you need to go through an airbrush course... You could if you wanted to as I'm sure you'd get a bunch of great tips and understanding, however, there is a wealth of resources available for free on google and youtube that you could learn almost as much from. I've been using airbrushes since I was a kid but nothing as involved as I am doing now for my Warhammer models and I feel I've gotten quite good with what I've been able to produce now. The best piece of advice I found was on the internet (I think fine scale modeler forum) and that was thinner paint is usually better. So now I try to keep my paints a little thinner (not all the way to a wash in consistency though) and build up the color fairly slow and lightly. With paint being so thin it's easy to pool if you aren't careful where you're shooting. 

 

This is a long video but there is a lot of excellent information within it. As will be stated, Ken Schlotfeldt is the president of Badger Airbrush industry and is definitely an expert on airbrushes. 

 

 

Good luck, don't get intimidated, using an airbrush is an art in and of itself and once you get the hang of it you'll not believe that you ever painted without it before. 

 

edited for grammer.

Fantastic reply, much appreciated.

 

I use a H&S Infinity CRPlus with a Sparmax compressor.

 

It's a big learning curve, I know that once I manage to get the paint consistency right, I should have no issues with it. It's just trial and error lol.

 

It's just a little bit frustrating when I don't have a lot of hobby time due to work etc, and when things don't go to plan it makes you feel like you've wasted an hour. But it's all learning, I know when it all comes together it will be worth it!

 

The FW paint is a clear coat to go over metallic, similar to the clear red you use.

 

Thanks for the video, I'll watch it tonight.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

 

^{_{I have a Iwata HP-CS with a .35mm needle and I try to stay at around 20-30 PSI for most of my airbrushing. Even when shooting Vallejo game and model air paints I find that adding just a bit more thinner (up to 50% thinnier for certain paints like white for example) really helps the flow and end product I achieve. Even with Vallejo Surface Primer I tend to not go above 30 PSI.}} 

 

I'm not familiar with FW paints at all is the Eidolon Purple like a candy paint? Something that is transparent and supposed to go over metallics? If so I have been using Tamiya's clear read paint to airbrush FWs recipe for Legion Word Bearers and I haven't really had any issues with shooting that through my HP-CS. They say shoot from the bottle as well but I do thin it at about 3:1 (paint to thinner). The only paints I've had an issue with have been whites (dusting and erratic spraying) and some of GWs paints. For whites it seems like they dry very quickly once they mix air so extra thinning was my solution to the problem. With paints that are more thin you really want to turn the pressure down a little bit and give very light passes until you achieve the color you want. For GW paints I just had to figure out the right paint to thinner ratio for me (anywhere from 3:1 paint to thinner or 2:1 paint to thinner). My issue with GW paints was that they dried really quick and would definitely begin to clog a lot faster than say the Vallejo paints would.

 

^{What kind of Airbrush air you using?} 

 

I don't know if you need to go through an airbrush course... You could if you wanted to as I'm sure you'd get a bunch of great tips and understanding, however, there is a wealth of resources available for free on google and youtube that you could learn almost as much from. I've been using airbrushes since I was a kid but nothing as involved as I am doing now for my Warhammer models and I feel I've gotten quite good with what I've been able to produce now. The best piece of advice I found was on the internet (I think fine scale modeler forum) and that was thinner paint is usually better. So now I try to keep my paints a little thinner (not all the way to a wash in consistency though) and build up the color fairly slow and lightly. With paint being so thin it's easy to pool if you aren't careful where you're shooting. 

 

^{This is a long video but there is a lot of excellent information within it. As will be stated, Ken Schlotfeldt is the president of Badger Airbrush industry and is definitely an expert on airbrushes.} 

 

 

^{Good luck, don't get intimidated, using an airbrush is an art in and of itself and once you get the hang of it you'll not believe that you ever painted without it before.} 

 

^{edited for grammer.}

^{Fantastic reply, much appreciated.}

 

^{I use a H&S Infinity CRPlus with a Sparmax compressor.}

 

^{It's a big learning curve, I know that once I manage to get the paint consistency right, I should have no issues with it. It's just trial and error lol.}

 

^{It's just a little bit frustrating when I don't have a lot of hobby time due to work etc, and when things don't go to plan it makes you feel like you've wasted an hour. But it's all learning, I know when it all comes together it will be worth it!}

 

^{The FW paint is a clear coat to go over metallic, similar to the clear red you use.}

 

^{Thanks for the video, I'll watch it tonight.}

 

 

Honestly, paint mixture and ration will be the easiest of your trials in learning the airbrush. Trigger control was the biggest learning curve for me. Once you get your trigger control down you have really "graduated" and are ready to start producing fantastic models.. in my humble opinion =P

 

Okay, well.. for you clear paints definitely try the 3:1 and make sure you try to go really light for your spray passes and just slowly build up that color. 20 PSI should be pretty good for a clear especially with a needle that large. When I start noticing dry tip or clogs I normally just pull back on the needle church of my HP-CS a few times and then push down on the trigger for air and that'll blow residual paint off the tip. Your airbrush should be able to start flowing paint again after pulling back on the chuck and getting wet paint back into the nozzle to aid blowing out anything that is dry. 

[Dindrenzi]

I can see me getting a bit lazy with trigger control. The infinity has a configurable 'stop' built into the back, that can be set so the trigger only pulls back so far for paint :)

[Bung]

I can see me getting a bit lazy with trigger control. The infinity has a configurable 'stop' built into the back, that can be set so the trigger only pulls back so far for paint

I use an Infintiy too, and that stop is super usefull and most airbrushes have one, but you will still need to learn trigger control

Especially when you start mixing paint in your airbrush like me.

Only advice i can give you is to get yourself one of this for your Infinity

https://www.pk-pro.de/H-S-Ventil-fPc-komplett-CR-plus

Its a small thing to regulate the air flow directly at your airbrush, so you can do small adjustments without changing the pressure at your compressor, i think its very usefull.

[Dindrenzi]

Thanks Bung, I'll take a look at one.

 

That video is really informative, I watched it all last night. Thanks prey