Petie Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Think I am going to go to using an airbrush for painting model rocket parts. I need to be able to spray wider than most would use an airbrush for at times. Rattle cans are not practical inside a house. I am in a basement room that I can ventilate out doors through a window with fan and will use a pop-up spray booth that I will try to attach a fan, duct and filter to so can vent fumes out the window. My hope is to spray gloss paints - probably solvent based as not finding colors in acrylic but will start a different thread on that. Looking at an HandS Evolution or Colani airbrush with a Sparmax TC-620X compressor. Yea lots of money so want to get this right. Thinking of getting a couple different sized needle kits like .2 .4 and .6mm. So I see some airbrushes are available with several different sized needles. Some like the HandS Colani can use from .2 to 1.2mm while the Evolution is .2 to .6mm. Most commonly I see .2 to .4mm sold. When do you use the really wide tips say .8 and up and what issues are there to using them? I rarely would need a super fine line ability and thinking a wider needle might be the way to go? I don’t find any posts on the web of people using the really wide needles. I know I can just hold the gun back further to get a wider pattern but that can affect the surface finish. Probably a .4 or .6 would suffice but there must be some benefits and uses for the really wide needles. Thanks!! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck1945 Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 You don’t indicate the size of your subjects, that can be quite a variable. I build 1/72, mostly WWII subjects and have a couple of H&S brushes. For larger kits like 4-engine bombers I sometimes use a 0.4mm needle/nozzle combination, 90% of the time I’m using either 0.15 or 0.2mm tips (single engine models). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petie Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 These are primarily standard model rocket sizes from Estes. Tube sizes are 3/4” diameter up to maybe 2.5”. The more complex models have lots of smaller parts like fins and capsules. I realize I am stretching what an airbrush can cover efficiently but think it might work with the appropriate needle setup. That is why I ask about the larger needle set options. I have been searching the web for info on using the bigger needles but found nothing. Quite possible that my usage is totally wrong. Rattle cans and regular HPLV guns are not practical used indoors. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chuck1945 Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 The H&S Colani looks like a big airbrush or small spray gun. From what you described about the rockets, my guess would be 0.4mm is about as small as you want to go, and perhaps 0.8mm for general purpose. Again, my suggestion is really nothing more than a guess based on what I paint and attempting to scale up Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petie Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 Thanks Chuck. The Colani can handle from .2 to 1.2 supposedly. If I am going to spend a chunk of money I want it to work! 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Beary Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 This depends a lot more in HOW you paint than the size of the project. I have an Iwata HP-CS with a 0.35 needle and I could paint that rocket with NO problems. There are many videos of modelers airbrushing 1/32 scale planes with MUCH more surface area than your rocket....and using a 0.2 needle. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 going by what you said about sizes, ranging from 3/4" to 2.5" I wouldnt say the subjects are particularly large however I presume they are long and that is why you want the coverage. There are options you can consider A regular airbrush such as an Iwata HP-CS can be used for this without a problem as they lay the paint down so thinly you can control it no problem. The only real problem there is the time it takes you in your own mind. The other option would be an airbrush like an Iwata HP-TH (or there is a cheap copy by Procon Boy called the PS-290). It has a fan pattern nozzle that sends the paint spray out in a fan shape rather than a circle to cover a larger area. Its needle is 0.5mm so it moves a lot of air. I have a PS-290 and it works really well, Ive used a HP-TH several times which is why I call the PS-290 a cheap copy of it. Having said that it works well for me on what I would call large subjects, which are things like 50cm long 1:24 scale shipping containers and semi truck trailers. It is single action so pulling back the trigger opens the air valve moves the needle to the same amount each time but from what Ive seen of how most people use an airbrush that shouldnt be a problem as its rare for people, especially modellers, to use a double action as it can be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petie Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 Thanks all! Have been watching videos and from that and posts here it seems like a huge needle set is not needed. Research has led me to Revell Aqua paints as they offer gloss and satin acrylics. Just want to be sure the gloss comes out glossy out of an airbrush but doesn’t seem to be an issue. Think I will be fine with a .4 for majority of use and maybe a .6 in the future. interesting about the fan nozzles. Will have to look in to that further. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Nozzle size does effect the work you can do but not as much as what people think. Having said that you would find it harder to use a .5mm nozzle to do some of the German camo patterns, it would be much easier to use a .3mm nozzle but thats more due to the amount of air it moves and the paint thickness that can go through the nozzle. The smaller the nozzle the thinner the paint has to be, the thinner the paint the more constraints you can put on the air going through the airbrush and the "tighter" you can make your work because you can use a lower pressure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petie Posted February 1, 2022 Author Share Posted February 1, 2022 Really appreciate your detailed response! Lots to learn. 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_enforcer Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 Hope it ain't too late but this chaps youtube video tutorials are super helpful. https://paulbudzik.com/scale-model-workshop-videos/scale-model-workshop-videos.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Petie Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 Never to late to help a dummy! 😄 I have been watching a few videos and will definitely look at his as I have not come across them on the web. Greatly appreciated! And I am in the club I guess. Waiting on my compressor but have my gun and some supplies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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