Mixing/Thinning Paint

[parbo1]

How many here mix and thin paint directly in thier gravity fed AB paint cups? Any issues to be aware of? I saw a video of a kid who mixed it with the air of his double action. Made it look pretty painless and simple.

Edited May 18, 2011 by parbo1

[Netz]

That's the only place I mix mine.

I usually put the thinner in 1st then the paint/s, mix test shot on paper then start painting.

The only thing I can say is to shoot a bit of paint out, as the thinner in the head will come out 1st, not really noticeable but I would not go straight to the subject.

Curt

[tempestwulf]

That's the only place I mix mine.

I usually put the thinner in 1st then the paint/s, mix test shot on paper then start painting.

The only thing I can say is to shoot a bit of paint out, as the thinner in the head will come out 1st, not really noticeable but I would not go straight to the subject.

Curt

Same here on that one. If I only need a bit I'll mix it in the cup with the thinner first and paint after. Mix it in the cup but if you block the nozzle end and feed air into the cup, that'll help mix it with the bubbles. Don't have the pressure to high when you do the latter though. Try watching video's on Youtube from Plamoo. Good examples.

[toadwbg]

3X for me. Most efficient way to go. Easy clean up with acrylics too.

[Hawkeye's Hobbies]

99.9% of the time that's what I do. Just remember to start with a squirt of solvent first. This acts as a barrier to prevent the paint from seeking the lowest recesses of the airbrush before it is completely mixed.

Using this method I tint the thinner to the consistency I want versus thinning the paint. Been doing it this way for decades.

Edited May 19, 2011 by Hawkeye's Hobbies

[wdw]

For thinning paint and for one-off small paint jobs, what has been said above is fine and I do it all the time too. But when it comes to mixing colour, the problem is that, if you ever need to re-mix the same colour to fix a mistake later or paint that extra part you forgot the first time, it is virtually impossible to match the colour precisely. So for any major painting, I mix the colours in a spare bottle and I mix enough to keep some spare for touch-ups and emergencies.

Warwick

[toadwbg]

. But when it comes to mixing colour, the problem is that, if you ever need to re-mix the same colour to fix a mistake later or paint that extra part you forgot the first time, it is virtually impossible to match the colour precisely.

You are not incorrect, however I find this a great way of adding some much needed variation!

[wdw]

Fair comment. However even when wanting varied shades, I still like to mix my base colour in a separate jar and then draw on that mix to shade and vary the final paint job. That way I always have the correct base to work from.

Warwick

[randypandy831]

i thin/mix in the brush. no problems. i'll normally tilt the brush to the side so the thinner gets all in there then stir it. i feel if you put the paint in first then add thinner N stir without tilting it doesn't thin it all the way to the bottom of the cup.

[tempestwulf]

I'm painting a F4U-5 ATM and, as it's one color, I just mix it up in the cup. Okay I have a Tamiya HG AB with like a 20ml cup so I've painted half the plane and filled the cup 10x already. But heck, I was too lazy to clean my little dish and mix a large amount in since it was 8.30pm when I started.

I found one full squirt from a large pippet and 6 drops of Mr Colour paint is the right ratio for this too btw. But that's for lacquers only.

Edited May 24, 2011 by tempestwulf