Chuck1945 Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 For small amounts of paint, disposable plastic tattoo ink cups can also be used and just thrown away. https://www.amazon.com/1000-Tattoo-Ink-Cups-Large/dp/B07L9SPWT3/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Tattoo+ink+cups&qid=1615825569&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNjNMNkFVNVJPQ0cxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzQ1NDY3MjNIQkVRR0dWMDlMWSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDgzMjE5MzkyUDgxWVNXSExLTyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= If that appears wasteful to you, the wax melting spoons are perhaps the best alternative. I use both types for mixing depending how environmentally concerned I am at painting time Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 16 hours ago, FalconFan24 said: Hi Dimi First off, welcome to the forums. As far as your situation: for 1/72 kits, I recommend using the mixture I shared and thinning the paint to about 60/40 or 50/50 (paint/thinner) at about 15 psi. Use the back flush technique to see get everything mixed and see how it flows. It should look like blowing bubbles in chocolate milk. Normally for airbrushing something like 1/72, you will need to get closer to the model than 1/48. To get really good precise control you might even need to remove the needle protector on your airbrush. I am working on a video on how to airbrush vallejo paints, please stand by for that and hopefully it will help. Thanks for the reply. In fact, i made your mix last night and waiting for two new models to arrive to test it. So far i was practicing on three cheap ($3 each) 1/72 planes just to simulate the situation. Only thing i am not sure i did correct was the retarder proportion which i wasn't able to measure in drops since it was a gel and was dropping out in a consecutive thin line. A video would be very very very helpful so i cant wait for it ! Make sure you ping newbies like me when it becomes available. So far with a ratio of: 7-3-1 (colour, thinner, improver), 12 psi and 0.3 needle i noticed that my paint ends up on the surface like desert sand. Tiny little spots. I have uploaded a video where i test this on a paper just in case you guys can observe something wrong and let me know if this is what i am supposed to expect. Many people proposed to me to ditch Vallejo Air and head for Lacquer / Enamels or Gunze/Tamiya acrylics but my room is very small and i would need a mask and a spray booth (which i cant afford right now) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 30 minutes ago, dimi said: 7-3-1 (colour, thinner, improver), 12 psi and 0.3 needle i noticed that my paint ends up on the surface like desert sand. Try bumping your psi up to 15. I just made a short video myself right after seeing your video: Vallejo Model Air Test I don't have a tripod, so I held the camera with one hand while spraying with the other hand. The Model Air was airbrushed straight from the bottle at 15 psi with a 0.2 needle. The finish is as smooth as silk. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 11 minutes ago, RichardL said: Try bumping your psi up to 15. I just made a short video myself right after seeing your video: Vallejo Model Air Test I don't have a tripod, so I held the camera with one hand while spraying with the other hand. The Model Air was airbrushed straight from the bottle at 15 psi with a 0.2 needle. The finish is as smooth as silk. For some reason the video is not loading. You mean you used the VMA without any thinners or anything? Just straight out of the bottle with a 0.2 needle? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 Yes, I used the VMA without any thinners or anything else added. Just straight out of the bottle. Can your computer play mp4 videos? What if you right-click on my video link and save it locally to your computer? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 7 minutes ago, RichardL said: Yes, I used the VMA without any thinners or anything else added. Just straight out of the bottle. Can your computer play mp4 videos? What if you right-click on my video link and save it locally to your computer? I opened the link with a different browser and it worked. Thats nowhere near with what i get and funny thing is that you are using even more thin needle compare to mine. Will try again with colour straight out of the bottle and see if i can get same results as yours. p.s is that a common white paper you are spraying on? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 It's glossy inkjet photo paper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FalconFan24 Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 Dimi Based what I see, it is not spraying well because it is not thinned enough. Thin the paint more try 50/50 paint to your thinner mixture. When you airbrush at low air pressure your paint needs to be thinned much more. It should go on wet, when you airbrush. And unless you are doing molting camo, you don't need to go that low air pressure. Stay around the 18psi range. Also, don't spray on cloth (it looks some sort of light cloth like material). Use either scrap plastic kit or white sheet of paper to test. Cloth like material absorbs the paint and might hide how grainy it really looks. As far as the drop size for the retarder, just guesstimate the drop size. It's not an exact science on that one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 8 hours ago, FalconFan24 said: Dimi Based what I see, it is not spraying well because it is not thinned enough. Thin the paint more try 50/50 paint to your thinner mixture. When you airbrush at low air pressure your paint needs to be thinned much more. It should go on wet, when you airbrush. And unless you are doing molting camo, you don't need to go that low air pressure. Stay around the 18psi range. Also, don't spray on cloth (it looks some sort of light cloth like material). Use either scrap plastic kit or white sheet of paper to test. Cloth like material absorbs the paint and might hide how grainy it really looks. As far as the drop size for the retarder, just guesstimate the drop size. It's not an exact science on that one. Your feedback is much appreciated. These tips ("it should go on wet") for a beginner are very helpful since you have a point of reference. The surface on the video is not a cloth; its actually a common A4 paper page for printers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 You should be using a substrate that more closely resembles what you will be painting. Even paper soaks in the paint. You can use paper but you would need to add an undercoat layer of paint to the surface Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dogsbody Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 (edited) I've been mixing my paints in the little glass. I found it in some stuff that my wife and/or daughter wanted to throw away. I saved it, as it looked useful. It's real easy to clean out. Chris Edited March 17, 2021 by dogsbody Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 20 hours ago, dogsbody said: I've been mixing my paints in the little glass. I found it in some stuff that my wife and/or daughter wanted to throw away. I saved it, as it looked useful. It's real easy to clean out. Chris I just use this kind of thing RS PRO Borosilicate Glass 50ml Beaker | RS Components (rs-online.com) When Im trying to mix up paint to do a trailer or truck I really dont want to be messing about with thimble sized cups and bowls of any kind. They just dont hold enough paint Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) @dimi, I just found a great beginner video -- The Most Important Airbrush Beginner Tip I just learned why I'm creating those splatters everytime I start a stroke : ) And yes, you guys are right -- you need to press down fully on the trigger at all times on double action airbrushes. Edit: I just watched the Flory Models video and I take that back. He mentions about some airbrushes where airflow can be controlled by how much you press down on the trigger. Edited March 20, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) @crackerjazz Yes i also saw that video a couple of days ago and it did help however the best instructional which really was an "eye opener" was the 3 part videos (2 hours each) by florymodels. I was amazed by the guy and the way he explained things and shows tips and ways to understand whats wrong. The best thing i managed to get from his videos is "you should NOT care at what PSI number you are spraying". You should just listen to your airbrush and look at how your paint looks and then adjust accordingly. He just uses the valve of the "hot-swap" plug on his airbrush to set the right pressure. I learned a lot but still need at least +20 hours airbrushing to get the basics. This is my second time i am going through those videos Videos i am referring: ps. I am so jealous of his Infiity AB Edited March 20, 2021 by dimi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) The H&S Infinity is a very nice airbrush. However, I don't see the need to use the rear quick-fix/trigger lock because I can always control the paint flow with the trigger itself. Thus that feature is one more extra thing to worry about. The new H&S Evolution CRplus is just as nice and doesn't cost as much. Some points the Flory video posted above: (18:40) Yup, Iwata air control valve is either full on or full off as stated in my previous post above (19:30) I can also change the air flow on my H&S Evolution CRplus by how much I press down on the trigger (41:38) Model Air can be sprayed straight from the bottle without thinning as stated above unless you are spraying very close to the surface of the model (1:09:50) and (1:23:50) I guess he didn't know about Tamiya extra small triangular cotton swabs, which fit inside the H&S nozzle perfectly for cleaning: Edited March 21, 2021 by RichardL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, RichardL said: (19:30) I can also change the air flow on my H&S Evolution CRplus by how much I press down on the trigger Does the trigger have a longer downward travel? And is it really easier to make fine lines on your Evolution CRplus? Edited March 21, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 3 hours ago, crackerjazz said: Does the trigger have a longer downward travel? And is it really easier to make fine lines on your Evolution CRplus? Yes, the trigger has a slightly longer downward travel. It is easy to make fine lines on my Evolution CRplus. I posted a link to my video doing it in a post above using Model Air straight out of the bottle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Nice, thanks! My ever growing list of modeling tools to buy just got longer by one line. They should make this feature standard on all double-action airbrushes : ) One other feature that I think should be common to all airbrushes but which I've found only on Mr Hobby ones so far is where you unscrew the nozzle crown by a millimeter or so and it creates bubbles inside the body and cup when you press down on the trigger for a really thorough cleaning after use. And you can control the strength of air by how much you unscrew. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 4 hours ago, crackerjazz said: One other feature that I think should be common to all airbrushes but which I've found only on Mr Hobby ones so far is where you unscrew the nozzle crown by a millimeter or so and it creates bubbles inside the body and cup when you press down on the trigger for a really thorough cleaning after use. The Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes have this same feature. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 On 3/20/2021 at 12:58 AM, dimi said: @crackerjazz The best thing i managed to get from his videos is "you should NOT care at what PSI number you are spraying". You should just listen to your airbrush and look at how your paint looks and then adjust accordingly. He just uses the valve of the "hot-swap" plug on his airbrush to set the right pressure. That is exactly what you should do. The actual number, say 15psi means nothing. Your regulator might not be properly calibrated for a start, and even if the 15psi indication is exactly the same all other variables might not be the same either. As to the MAC valve Phil uses. At the time he made the video he didnt actually know what it is and what it really does. He tells you to use it as a regulator, which it isnt. A MAC valve will lower the pressure but it will also speed up the paint, which is what a regulator doesnt do, it will lower the speed of the paint and the pressure drops. Might not be important for 99% of people but it is a difference that is worth remembering as you learn more about your airbrush and how to use it. Dont forget the most complicated use modellers have for airbrush is mottle effects, which is a basic idea in other disciplines of use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 10 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said: ... A MAC valve will lower the pressure but it will also speed up the paint, ... Ironically this is the same principle that creates lift and allows airplanes to fly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli's_principle Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Specter1075 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 (edited) And isn't it ironic, don't ya think? It's like paaaaiiiiiiint Through your airbrush, And who would've thought, it figures. Edited March 25, 2021 by Specter1075 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 6 hours ago, habu2 said: Ironically this is the same principle that creates lift and allows airplanes to fly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli's_principle Venturi effect - Wikipedia Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dimi Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 Hi guys i need your help once again. So i am building this F-15 just to train my self and get familiar with Airbrushing and i noticed today a very weird texture when i sprayed the model (photos bellow). Is this caused from the paint or there was dirt/dust/e.t.c on the model. Anyone seen this effect before? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Napalmakita Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 1 minute ago, dimi said: Hi guys i need your help once again. So i am building this F-15 just to train my self and get familiar with Airbrushing and i noticed today a very weird texture when i sprayed the model (photos bellow). Is this caused from the paint or there was dirt/dust/e.t.c on the model. Anyone seen this effect before? First question is when did it happen? While brushing would be a huge clue. Could be paint drying before it hits the surface but looks like dust/lint too. I always use a fan brush or heavy, soft 1 inch brush to dust off my models between coats and ive started making dust covers out of the plastic sprue bags. Still have the occasional dust bunny but not as much. Also, wiping with coffee filters instead of paper towels helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.