Decanting spray cans for airbrush

[Evil Eye]

Suppose you have a big priming job to do; those Termagants need a good white undercoat, but like me you're cursed with spray cans, or you just want the added control of an airbrush but with the relative economy and properties of a spray primer. The solution, my friend, is to decant your spray primer!

 

Now, this is actually quite a simple process, and much less tricky than you might think. It is, however, messy, so be sure to do it somewhere you aren't going to get paint on anything that needs to stay clean.

 

First, get your primer. I used Citadel White Scar but any spray can will do. Shake it as if you were going to just use it. Then, take a receptacle (a plastic cup is ideal for this) and a rag, old T-shirt, plastic bag or other thing you don't care about getting messy. Aim the can into the cup, as close as you can get it, and cover both cup and can with the rag.

Spray away for a few seconds; the aim is to get a small amount of liquid paint at the bottom of the cup. You won't get a massive amount at once, but this is OK- you'll get more than enough for an airbrush cup-load. Some paint will splatter out the cup, just be careful.

 

Next, let it de-gas for a bit. The paint will have propellant gas trapped in it; give it a minute or so to let the bubbles escape. Once it's stopped fizzing, you can pour the paint into your airbrush cup and use it like you would any other paint. No thinner should be required either, as it's already at a spraying consistency!

 

That's it!

 

This is IMO a great way of making your money go further; if you're using an airbrush your application of paint will be much more precise and less heavy (and thus wasteful) than if you painted straight from the can. Even accounting for mess, you're wasting less paint with this method than with a conventional can priming session. You're also getting more paint out of a can for your money than if you use dedicated airbrush primer. Also, if you're after a specific colour or effect that's only available in a can, you can use this method to spray it through your airbrush!

 

Below is a video by Gunpla Youtuber Barbatos Rex showing this method- whilst he's in a different field of modelling, the principle is exactly the same.

 

Now I've only tried it with White Scar, and it worked very well. My only caution is that with White Scar, it dries VERY fast, which does have the potential for orange peel if you spray from too far away. Also, as mentioned it is messy and as you're dealing with spray paint it's a good idea to make sure your workspace is well ventilated. Also, I haven't tested to see if it dissolves styrofoam the way it does if used from a can; I hear it's actually the propellant that does that so maybe not?

 

Anyway, hopefully someone finds this helpful!