doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 21, 2017 13:28:08 GMT -6
I am finally prepared to start painting my army, and would like some initial instruction with my airbush. Having destroyed my previous two airbrushes I figure I should probably seek some kind of rudimentary training.
At his point all I am looking for is some help with basic operations and tips for basing and vehicle painting, and I am offering booze and food in exchange for the help.
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 21, 2017 13:30:13 GMT -6
If any other Air Brush novices want in on this as well, the more the merrier.
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cj
neophyte
Posts: 734
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Post by cj on Aug 21, 2017 14:39:40 GMT -6
What kind of airbrush do you have? What kind of compressor? What kind of airbrush paints?
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 21, 2017 14:52:52 GMT -6
All of these are excellent questions.....
My compressor is a Master Airbrush Compressor with Water Trap and Regulator, and my airbrush is a Paashe VL double action.
I have some Valejo and GW paints, as well as thinners
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cj
neophyte
Posts: 734
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Post by cj on Aug 22, 2017 7:00:55 GMT -6
That sounds like an excellent set up. If you're interested, I could walk you through what I do with mine, but I am also known to gunk up my airbrush to the point I have to give it to someone to professionally clean it. Hopefully I've learned enough to never do that again.
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Post by Nick P on Aug 22, 2017 7:08:31 GMT -6
Airbrush maintenance basically just comes down to frequent light cleanings in order to prevent having to do one off massive cleanings that could potentially damage the overall function of the set up.
After every 30 mins or so of airbrushing or there abouts, when I've emptied the cup of paint, I'll give it a complete flush with Iwata Airbrush Cleaner and brush out any dried paint from the cup, remove the nozzle and clean that, and remove the pin and clean that with a soft towel and some cleaner.
Takes maybe 2 mins to do, so its really not any big pain, and it keeps everything running smoothly and prevents any massive build up in the cup or the nozzle. Additionally, making sure the paint is thin enough to spray evenly is key, since non-air GW paints are hit or miss with regard to viscosity.
As far as use goes, if you can draw, you can airbrush - start out with a piece of paper or some card and just practice making lines and dots and circles with varying amounts of pressure and at varying distances, to get a feel for the spread and sensitivity of your set up. If we're getting a bunch of airbrushers together, I'm always down - though we got yelled at last time we were at the Dojo by the D&D crew, who said we were causing a health hazard and being selfish...
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 22, 2017 8:25:57 GMT -6
How about pressure settings? I basically have no idea how to use my compressor. Is there a recommended pressure setting for base coating?
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cj
neophyte
Posts: 734
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Post by cj on Aug 22, 2017 8:29:05 GMT -6
I personally use around 20 psi for base coating, but I think it varies from airbrush to airbrush. Definitely do as Nick recommends, and play around with using the brush on some flat surfaces to try it out. Ultimately it boils down to trial and error. A thick piece of cardboard, like the inside of a box, is a good place to experiment with your airbrush.
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Post by Asyrean on Aug 22, 2017 8:37:58 GMT -6
How about pressure settings? I basically have no idea how to use my compressor. Is there a recommended pressure setting for base coating? Definitely the lower the better, and then work your way up as needed. I'm with CJ in that I find the best results with my airbrush at around 15 to 20 PSI (call it around 17 on average). I'm also using a needle that's about .3 (I have a .6 needle which I tried to use for base coating. The bigger the better, right? I could never get it to work right without clogging up, or by spraying with so much pressure the paint splattered when it hit. Anyway, that's worked for me so far.) Anyway, if you get a novice Airbrusher get together going, I'll join if the date/time works out. I'm definitely interested to hear some tips from the folks who are actually good at this stuff.
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 22, 2017 8:42:25 GMT -6
So lower PSI, bigger needle? I don't know that I ever messed around with different needle sizes previously, so I need to confirm what sizes I even have. I will definitely take Nick's advice on cleaning it about every 30min, because that has been a major issue in the past (albeit with much cheaper guns)
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Post by Asyrean on Aug 22, 2017 8:55:39 GMT -6
So lower PSI, bigger needle? I don't know that I ever messed around with different needle sizes previously, so I need to confirm what sizes I even have. I will definitely take Nick's advice on cleaning it about every 30min, because that has been a major issue in the past (albeit with much cheaper guns) Well, the point is, just play with your set up as it is before you start changing things. Just start with a lower PSI and then work up. (Folks, correct me if I'm wrong!) But just try practice spraying and then turning up the PSI until you have a good, even flow. Also, you can vary the distance of the airbrush itself from the surface you're painting, that too will affect things. (Closer you are, the more paint will be pushed around by the pressure from the airbrush.) Anyway, and unfortunately, there are a lot of variables with the airbrush. And yes, Nick's advice with the cleaning every 30 min or so is dead on. Basically after you do a good run, or when you're changing colors or something, do as he suggested. In my case, I put an eye dropper's worth of water in the cup, spray that out, and then do the airbrush cleaner and spray it out. Then I'll do water again (just to make sure there's no residue of the airbrush cleaner since I assume you dont want that mixing with paint) and then I'm back in business. If you do that regularly, you'll stay in good shape for longer.
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 22, 2017 9:07:53 GMT -6
SO, I am guessing with a base coat I do not want to push a lot of paint around......just for future reference, in what situation would I want to push a lot of paint around? I have been watching some tutorials on YouTube but they tend to assume you already have reasonable knowledge of the subject.
Also, what ratio are you mixing paint, or are you just using valejo airbrush paints?
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Post by Nick P on Aug 22, 2017 9:17:40 GMT -6
I spray around 20psi, though I have gone up to almost 30psi for things like basecoating if I'm using a watered down GW Base paint in order to prevent clogging and getting enough pressure to get a smooth finish. Dave is right, just fiddle around with what works for your specific set up and paint style - you may find you like the 20psi to get paint out of the brush and onto the model quickly, you may find you like 15psi in order to have more of a slow burn and more control with regards to paint placement and things like fades/preshading, its all personal taste to a degree.
When I'm mixing paint, I'll normally do 15-20 drops of paint and 5-10 drops of thinner depending on the type of paint and consistency. I'll go almost 1:1 for base paints from GW, and closer to 3:1 for layer paints. The Vallejo air range is phenomenal though and usable right out of the bottle, 10/10 recommend.
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doubleback
novice
I rock harder than most, yet less hard than some.
Posts: 1,262
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Post by doubleback on Aug 22, 2017 9:20:39 GMT -6
I would love to use it, but they don't have a green primer (which for my arm is pretty much a requirement). I do intend to use their black primer for vehicles, however.
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Post by Nick P on Aug 22, 2017 9:48:27 GMT -6
I don't think any company makes a green primer, do they? Your best bet is to prime black with the vallejo black primer (its phenomenal, its what I use - as well as their grey primer) and then spray dark green over it as a base coat. With an airbrush it should take roughly as long to do BOTH coats as it does to primer with a spray can, so you're not spending any additional time and getting a WAY smoother finish.
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