Help please

[Guest]

Hi guys i have two questions i hope someone can answer the first is can i use enamel paint through an air brush if mixed with thinners? second if i want to use johnsons klear in an airbrush do i have to thin it. The reason iam asking is this, after viewing some superb plane kits here i have just bought a 1:24 scale spitfireVB from airfix and as the surface area is rather large i would like to use my airbrush. So if anyone can answer these two questions it would make my life easier.

thanks

scott

[stona]

Hi Scott,I sprayed enamel paints for years through an airbrush. I thinned with white spirit for Humbrol and latterly I used cellulose (laquer) thinner for White Ensign Colourcoats. You can spray Klear straight from the bottle but I brush it on with a broad soft brush. Both ways give good results so it's simply a matter of preference.The old airbrush I used for my enamel paints is still in service,though no longer my first choice!

Good luck with the Spitfire.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Hi Scott

I've used enamels through my airbrush no problem but of course thinned out. I also used Klear through my airbrush for my tropical Spit straight out the bottle.

Just a question of interest, i read somewhere on a thread ages ago that you can mix Vallejo varnish with Klear to get a matt or satin finish. Is that true? Anyone know of the ratios? I used Humbrol varnish with klear as en experiment on an old model and that just didn't work; airbrush clogged up and the varnish and klear seperated. I've got a jar of Tamiya matt cote which i can supposedly add to klear for a matt finish but haven't tried it yet.

Cheers

Paul

[stona]

Hi Paul, I mix Vallejo satin varnish with Klear on most of my finishes. I do about 50/50 to give ,as you'd expect, a slightly more glossy satin finish. I'm sure you could use matt varnish and play with the ratios to get the desired finish.

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks for the assist gents i appreciate it i feel better about doing the spitfire now.

scott

[Guest]

I have sprayed Klear straight from the bottle but to be honest, it was a one off as it brushes on so well as it is 'self levelling' and does not leave brush marks. Humbrol enamel thinners would, I expect, not work well as Klear is Acrylic based so if thinners were wanted (it isn't needed) it would have to be an acrylic thinner.

[Guest]

Actually Graham, when i applied a wash to my Tropical Spit i used enamel thinners with a tad of oil paint. Klear really protected my model and i was quite pleased with the result.

[stona]

There is really no need to thin Klear for spraying.I've never done it but I bet you could thin it with water if you really wanted to!

Paul is quite right to saythat Kleart will protect your paint from oil washes in turps/white spirit like solvents.I do it all the time.

Cheers

Steve