Anyone used airbrushes before?
Sure, although it's been a few years (back when Testors/Model Master, Floquil/Polly S, and Pactra paints were still made by different companies), and I don't feel like I mastered it.
Looking at the brush painting on the LM, I can see it is not going to be acceptable. I went and bought an Aztek A270 airbrush to learn with.... and now I have some questions:
- Thinners. Do I use the same for acrylics and enamels?Good lord, no. Many water-based acrylics can be thinned with distilled water (but read the directions on the bottle, just in case), but most enamel brands have their own airbrush thinner. In a pinch, you could try using lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to thin enamels and rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol for acrylics, but test it with a small amount of paint and a piece of scrap first! The wrong thinner might cause the paint to clump, separate, craze the plastic, or do something equally unpleasant.
Also, thin only as much paint as you'll use immediately, and throw away any unused thinned paint afterwards—once it starts to separate, it can't be used.
- The instructions seem to indicate I should clean the tip after use. What cleaner / solvent should I use?Water, isopropyl alcohol, or dilute ammonia (such as window cleaner) for most acrylic paints, lacquer thinner or acetone for enamels (they're cheaper than the 'recommended' cleaners). Lacquer thinner can also remove most dried paints, including acrylics, but check your airbrush manual before soaking airbrush parts in it—bad things happen to rubber O-rings in lacquer thinner.
- I bought some 10ml syringes. I can use one for the thinner and another to transfer the paint into the airbrush paint bowl. Do you wash out the syringe and use it for other paints, or do you keep one each for specific colours?I clean them out and reuse them. They do get a little paint-encrusted after a while (unless you soak them in lacquer thinner), but it hasn't been a problem so far.
Any other tips would be appreciated.You'll need to remove fingerprints and mold-release agents before painting, so clean your model in the sink like you were washing dishes, let it air dry, and don't touch it with bare skin between the drying rack and the paint booth.
When you paint, hold the airbrush about 10–20 cm from the model, and try to keep it moving. Don't start or stop the airflow while pointing directly at the model: it can spatter.
If the paint is gritty or dusty when it hits the surface, either the paint is too thick or the airbrush is too far from the model. If the paint splatters or runs, the opposite is true.
Don't try to apply the paint all at once; build up several thin coats instead of a single thick one. In tight corners, reduce the paint flow and apply many very thin coats.
If you need to paint several colors on a single part, paint the lightest color first, then mask the areas to remain light (after the paint dries, of course) and paint the darker colors. If the model is molded in a dark or odd-colored plastic, and you need to paint it a light color, you may want to spray on a primer coat first.
If you're mixing custom colors, don't mix different brands of paint. They each have a different composition and they don't play well together. You can usually apply different brands or types of paint over each other as long as you allow the undercoat to
completely cure before painting over it.
The best clear glosscoat (either as a glossy finish or for under decals) is Future floor polish (no, really). In Australia it's sold as Pledge One Go. Spray it without thinning, and clean the airbrush with an ammonia-based window cleaner. It's self-leveling, so you can spray on thick coats and use it to remove scratches and distortion from clear parts. It can also be tinted with food coloring, so it's a good substitute for transparent paints.
Practice the airbrush on an old junk model before you try it on the CSM. If you goof up and need to strip off the paint, look for a plastic-safe paint stripper at the hobby shop. Failing that, try automotive brake fluid. Test the stripper on a bit of sprue first, just to be sure.
Above all, have fun!