Paints

[Aaron1883]

I have been using Tamiya paints mainly because that is what my local hobby store carries and I just haven't liked testor's. I prefer acrylics for cleanup mostly and thinner range.

My questions are: What do people use for getting the paint into airbrush? I have used a tooth pick, and those clear droppers but then the dropper is dirtied with the paint.

I have two air brushes, one a bottom feeder and the other a top. I have seen people like modelmedic and some others put just a few drops of Vallejo in the top loader and spray a whole tank while it seems to take me bottom loader a whole lot more. (my problem is, is that i can't use my top loader because the fittings to connect the hose to the compressor are too small and I'm not sure where to find an adapter)

I like the Vallejo bottles because it's a dropper in itself and the Vallejo Air but there isn't anywhere around me that sells it to my knowledge. I don't want to spend the dough on something I won't like ya know?

Any ideas and info. is much appreciated.

 

[MrNatural]

I started learning how to airbrush with a bottom feed airbrush and tamiya acrylics, because much like you that is all I can buy locally. I basically just learned to love them so that i wouldnt have to mail order my paint.

As far as loading up the airbrush with paint I have always simply poured the paint into the jar or color cup. I tip the jar against the tooth pick so the paint doesnt run down . And I use pipettes to portion out the thinner, that way the pipette is always clean. Other than telepathy I honestly cant think of a simpler way of doing it. I always pour leftover paint right back into the original jar.

my advice concerning the vallejo paints would be to just send off for a couple colors to try out if you like them, radical, if not, ehh not a huge loss

hope this helps

josh

 

[FW190A-8]

Hey there Aaron. Before I managed to get onto a supply of a couple of thousand pipettes, I used to use a straw. Yep....just a plain old drinking straw. Pop it into the paint then put ya finger over the top end then transfer it to the color cup. And don't forget that you can cut the straw into many shorter pieces if you are tight like me...hehehe
cheers,
FW190
[size=10pt]EDIT (9/10)... I have just started using Vallejo Model Air and Model Color and now I don't require anything to transfer the paint. Those dropper bottles are FANTASTIC![/size]

 

[spud]

I use both tamiya and Vallejo and find tamiya easier to mix, it seems to take less to get it to shoot, and I use a mixer to get it in the cup, if I'm mixing a color I'll mix it in a plastic shot glass and then put it In my cup.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I use almost exclusively Vallejo for military models (car paints are a different animal), and use a top feed and usually mix mine right in the color cup.

Put the thinner in first, then add your paint, mix in cup and spray. If it is too thin....add more paint, too thick, add more thinner.

If you are using pipettes....keep a separate bottle of thinner just to clean the paint out of the pipettes, just suck up the thinner and blow it out back into the bottle, couple of runs and it is clean, and you can use the thinner mixture in the bottle over and over, what little color from the paint in it won't effect the cleaning action (much) that it would effect the next color you use the pipette for.

Scale Model Medic, (don't recall the airbrush he uses) airbrush atomizes the paint so finely, that it actually takes less paint to cover an area than say a less expensive, or syphon feed airbrush would. Need less air to push the paint, and thus use less paint to cover a surface.

 

[Aaron1883]

Ok. thanks everyone for your input. Any idea where I can find fittings for compressors to airbrush hoses?

 

[KeiserSoze]

Local hardware store for basic fittings on your compressor. Ebay or other online store for the step down to airbrush sizes. (Some hardware stores may have 1/8" stuff, most do not. LHS maybe?) Some people prefer the fittings that have the built in O rings, but they are more expensive and can be harder to find. I say, "Teflon tape is your friend." ;D

I use standard 1/4" coming from my compressor feeding into a regulator/water trap. Then step down to my 1/8" airbrush line with quick release fittings on both the regulator and airbrush. Got all my 1/8" stuff on Ebay. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v640/Beaveranger/airlinereducer.jpg

Hard to see, but this is my rig mounted on the side of my paint booth. Only pic I have of it :-[ http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v640/Beaveranger/2011-03-14_09-40-11_502.jpg

EDIT: Couldn't resist. Here's an up close http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v640/Beaveranger/2011-09-06_23-42-12_550.jpg

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Ok. thanks everyone for your input. Any idea where I can find fittings for compressors to airbrush hoses?

What are the 2 airbrushes you have? I deal with Harder & Steenbeck, and they make about every connection needed out there.

Shouldn't be too hard to find the right parts, but would need to know what 2 airbrushed you have and which one is currently hooked up.

 

[Aaron1883]

I have the same Airbrush and line as Kieser Soze.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I have the same Airbrush and line as Kieser Soze.

Which doesn't tell me a whole lot, since I have no idea what he as either.

 

[RocketSilo]

depends on what I'm painting
when I'm laying down base colors , on larger models or cars I will sometimes use the bottles themselves ,, or if I mix a custom color I store it in a jar or squeeze bottle pre-thinned ,capped and ready to spray.
(see pic)

I also have a variety of different small squeeze bottles, to premix in
I got a dozen of each 1/2oz and 1oz bottles with caps from ebay. (search for Squeeze Bottles, Yorker Spouts with Caps)
I also use those squeeze bulb thingy's for small amounts.
after a while you will naturally accumulate these things..lol

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