Noob airbrush questions

Exarkun77

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Feb 9, 2010
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Here's a pic of what my problem is right now:
http://s1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd440/ExarKun77/Slave%201%20model%20kit/?action=view&current=DSCN1744.jpg

Some spots appear, and even on the areas that look ok, when i pass my finger on, it's not smooth at all.
I am using Tamiya acrylics, thinned with alcohol (50/50 for the moment). And i'm kind of stuck on acrylics, it's the only thing i can find easily here.
Cheap airbrush and compressor, but i should at least be able to get an even layer on a surface.
When airbrushing, i do a first quick and light pass, then come back and do slow passes, avoiding the surface to get wet.

What am i doing wrong?
wrong mix?
need to do something after each layer to get them smooth?
or maybe need to slow my passes and get the surface wet as i airbrush?

edit: found a possible answer on SSM.
My mix ratio may cause the paint to dry even as i spray.
So i'll try spraying closer to the model, or switching to water as a thinner, and i'll see.
 
Your paint mixture is partially drying in the air before it hits the model.

I had that problem with Tamiya as well, always too cheap to spring for the Tamiya Thinner, until one day I bit the bullet and bought it. Instantly my airbrushing was nice and smooth, no more drying on the way to the model, or worse, in the airbrush.

I had tried all kinds of combinations of water, alcohol, windsheild washer fluid, and different mixtures of all 3, and nothing worked as well as Tamiya's thinner.

You could try some retarder with your alcohol (plain water for thinner never seems to really break the paint down right) If you have a Michael's (or similar place) close by, pick up a bottle of Liquidex retarder to put with your paint mixture....or just pick up a bottle of Tamiya Acrylic thinner and use it to thin your paint.
 
Thanks for the reply.
That's what i feared, then.

But i don't really want to enter the circle of buying tamiya thinner: i already find buying paints by bottles of 10mL only is lame, i don't even imagine buying thinner in 5 or 10mL bottles too.
Plus the budget sill be very limited in the coming weeks.

So i'll consider this when i'm more advanced on this kit (and richer), but for the hidden layers of paint, i'll do what i can with what i already have.
Again, thanks for the answer, Mr Helm city hobbies ^^
 
Just FYI, Tamiya's acrylic thinner is available in a 250ml bottle which is relatively reasonable.
 
I used to have a similar problem, til I switched to using 95% isopropyl alcohol, and a few drops of Liquitex Flow Aid. Problem solved immediately.
 
Yeah, 250ml Tamiya thinner runs about $10. I always thought it was alot of money for something I can get for relatively cheap in the alcohol or windshield washer fluid, but they didn't have the performance that the Tamiya thinner did, plus you really don't use that much of it, so it lasts quite awhile.

Splurge on it...and you will wonder why you didn't switch sooner!
 
Probably i'll use less paint and thinner later when i actualy know how to airbrush.
But i don't know yet, and to make things funnier, i don't have all the paints i need for this paint job (the store i'm going to didn't resupply in weeks).
Since i don't want to ruin the paint job, i have to:
-get my own colors right
-try the paint job on another model first.

That's why anyway i'm gonna eat a lot of thinner ;).

But thanks for the answers, i have a lot of things to try when the budget will allow it.
 
I had a similar problem where I was getting a grainy finish with my tamiya acrylics so i recently switched to tamiya thinner after using 90% iso and it really does make a difference it is a tad pricey so i only use it to thin my paint and i clean my airbrush with the 90% iso and i find that it does last a good while and a few extra dollars is worth the lowered frustration ;)
 
I've always achieved the results I was looking for when using 70% strength rubbing alcohol as a thinner for spraying Tamiya paints. Rubbing alcohol has just the right mix of denatured alcohol, water and isopropyl alcohol to thin Tamiya paint without causing it to dry too soon. As an added bonus it's pretty cheap. If you still get the "orange peel" effect when using rubbing alcohol, try using less thinnner and/or reducing your spraying pressure.
 
The other no cost option is you are spraying with your PSI too high. Cut back the PSI, and it will help.
 
I say bite the bullet.. That's what I did with artists thinner for my "Trusty Humbrols" :) It seems kind of nooby using Humbrols, but I like them more than the Tamiyas. I might pick up a RAF Vallejo Air set though, Just for those colours.
 

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