Airbrushing what I use and how do I do it.

Here is a video of spraying a clear coat on a C32 pylon racer fuselage, the process is pretty much the same what ever material is being sprayed.

The fuselage was initially sprayed with automotive basecoat white and the trim colours, the script on the tailplane was done with Mr Decal Paper inkjet waterslide transfer paper. This clearcoat is for fuel proofing and finish.

Just prior to spraying the fuselage was wiped over with a 'tack cloth' to help remove dust etc.

Compressor was running at 30 psi pressure with the airbrush trigger depressed and spraying.

Ideally the fuselage should have been held on some kind of rotating fixture which would pick up on the engine mount, this fuselage is about as big as can be sprayed just holding by hand.

Anything else then just shout.



B.

Very interesting Barrie, thanks, my son does a bit of plastic modelling and uses a airbrush ( no idea of the make but it looks expensive!) he has built himself spray booth complete with extraction using a couple of pc fans, works a treat.

Paul

One day I am going to do some plastic models, Tamiya F1 cars most likely.

My extract fan is not quite big enough, I am going to build a mini spray booth in my garage and that will have better extraction.

B.

I've done a couple of models in Solarlac paints using a Badger external mix airbrush like the one above, and with a Hobbyking clone of the Badger. The hardest part that I found was getting the proportion of thinners right for the temperature on the day as Solarlac had a tendency to string. That and accidentally bumping an elbow against a wet painted cowl on the bench! I hung fuselages by the engine mount from the roof frames so I could spin them round to access all sides. I found the Badger unit was just about ok for 1.20 size models though a touch-up gun made life easier on large areas.
The last model I sprayed was a Warbirds Replicas kit Lavochkn La7 for which I used rattle cans. That served to remind me what an expensive way of painting that is

I never knew an airbrush could throw out so much paint, looking at the video the cloud of spray missing the model was quite an eye opener
Great thread

BB

Yes the missing spray is a real eye opener, paint transfer is very poor unless you are using HVLP guns and that brings a whole host of other problems.

That spray job had the best part of 50ml of thinned lacquer thrown at it, the fuz has just a 5 gram weight increase, like you say a lot going out of the extractor.

B.

I've seen the masking tape tip but always forget to do it!
Love the silicone tube pipette.

Barrie,
What size is the needle in your Badger 350?

STF

In the video I was using the Badger 200NH with the heavy needle, this airbrush combination gives nice atomisation but not quite as big a spray pattern as the crude 250's.

Having said that I can maintain a wet edge all of the time on that and bigger job's so that is all that matters IMO.

I do have a Badger 350 but I use that the least of all the Badger airbrushes, it is not quite as simple as the 250 and does not have the finesse of the 150 or 200.

Regards

Barrie

I have a couple of cheapo versions of the 200 and 250 made by 'Spraycraft' which are okay for block spraying so with Christmas coming up I was thinking about a 350, they have the option of light, medium and heavy needles but I don't know how they spray, YouTube has some vids but they don't say which needle they're using and the stuff they spray tends to be plastic or fantasy models

STF
I don't know those spraycraft airbrushes but I expect they work fine.

I am pretty sure I have all the needles/heads for the 350, what kind of demo do you want to see?

I will try and show the suitability for your application if you tell me something to spray .

Regards

B.

Pylonuk wrote: STF
I don't know those spraycraft airbrushes but I expect they work fine.

I am pretty sure I have all the needles/heads for the 350, what kind of demo do you want to see?

I will try and show the suitability for your application if you tell me something to spray .

Regards

B.

They're okay, they are made to a price so nothing to shout about.
I'm thinking which would be best for our use, medium or heavy like for laying down blocks of colour and finishing with a fuelproof clear such as Rustins and 2k autopaint?

For sure you want the heavy needle head on the 350.

First off I will do a strip down on the 350 and show the needles/heads, then I will spray something out as a demo.

Regards

Barrie

Barrie, have you had any experience of spraying and finishing with latex paint? I think that's an Americanism for emulsion paint but not 100% sure. I'm thinking of spraying the Firefly with it and putting a final satin varnish clear coat on it.

All the information I can find is American and keeps referring to latex paint. Internet search says latex paint is emulsion but i'm struggling to accept that emulsion will give good, stable, permanent results.

Great question this.
I understand latex and emulsion are the same and would also be interested in any experience of spraying them. Valspar seems to be a favourite in the UK.