discussion Problems spraying

[Jack L]

sorted

Carried out some experiments

started using a bottle of blue vallejo (shaken to xmas and bacK) and for the first time thinned with water, started a lot better but after a few lines the problem returned, noticed a lot of blue paint on the tip, yes the dreaded tip dry, cleaned and it sprayed fine again then quickly tip dry returned. i added more and more vallejo flow improver but never really totally cured the tip dry.

Next i used modelair with much the same result, but sprayed better

finally lacquer, MRP pre-thinned, perfect no problems, sprayed lines, dots and signatures etc

then a strange thing happened, After spraying the vallejo i removed the needle, put some medea airbrush cleaner on some kitchen roll and run the needle through it, no problem a bit of blue paint left on the towel, after using lacquer did the same but used liquid reamer as a cleaner and to my surprise more blue paint was on the roll not red lacquer????

I may use liquid reamer to clean the needle in future as it seemed to have cleaned the nedel a lot better than airbursh cleaner

thanks all for the advcie and help

bob

I use reamer to clean the paint out after use, and then run some airbrush cleaner through after re-assembly...I believe it lubricates everything, and you can also check everything is working again so save a palaver the next time you come to use it with paint.

 

[Wookie2486]

What do you use as a reamer

 

[BattleshipBob]

I use Liquid reamer in a spray can but found out you can celloluse. So when ready will get a large can, cheaper than sprays,

I use reamer to clean the paint out after use, and then run some airbrush cleaner through after re-assembly...I believe it lubricates everything, and you can also check everything is working again so save a palaver the next time you come to use it with paint.

Only used for lacqure but will try on water based

 

[SteveH]

Fingers crossed Bob you have cracked the problem with a stronger cleaner

Steve H

 

[BattleshipBob]

Fingers crossed Bob you have cracked the problem with a stronger cleaner

Steve H

Thanks Steve, shocked by how quick tip dry built up, but yes will clean the needle with reamer from now on

 

[Guest]

Two of the best to clean your brush Bob.

Reamer for experience most awfully enginnered rubus.

Cost a bit but the best & H & S Reamer. Had mine 15 years. oergs I bougth hit the dump a long time ago. I is very fine,
https://www.everythingairbrush.com/product/nozzle-cleaning-needle/

I remove nozzle & cap & put in a shot glass with enough cleaner to cover the nozzle & cap.
I have this fellow which as many uses connected direct to the compressor giving 50PSI.
https://www.everythingairbrush.com/product/micro-air-blower-by-harder-steenbeck/

Place the blower nozzle in the airbrush nozzle & blast thro. air. Reverse through the front
end of the nozzle. never fails get rid of all junk

Put nozzle up against a white background & look at the nozzle aperture to ensuer all clean.

 

[BarryW]

You do not get tip drying problems at all with MRP and the pigment is so fine that it is more ink-like and can spray successfully through even 0.15 needles that block with Model Air. Being so reliable you can spray it with confidence for long sessions of fine detail work, something you cannot do with Model Air.

 

[BattleshipBob]

Two of the best to clean your brush Bob.

Reamer for experience most awfully enginnered rubus.

Cost a bit but the best & H & S Reamer. Had mine 15 years. oergs I bougth hit the dump a long time ago. I is very fine,
https:tongue-out3:/www.everythingairbrush.com/product/nozzle-cleaning-needle/

I remove nozzle & cap & put in a shot glass with enough cleaner to cover the nozzle & cap.
I have this fellow which as many uses connected direct to the compressor giving 50PSI.
https:tongue-out3:/www.everythingairbrush.com/product/micro-air-blower-by-harder-steenbeck/

Place the blower nozzle in the airbrush nozzle & blast thro. air. Reverse through the front
end of the nozzle. never fails get rid of all junk

Put nozzle up against a white background & look at the nozzle aperture to ensuer all clean.

Thanks Laurie, will have a look, will it work on iwata i wonder?

You do not get tip drying problems at all with MRP and the pigment is so fine that it is more ink-like and can spray successfully through even 0.15 needles that block with Model Air. Being so reliable you can spray it with confidence for long sessions of fine detail work, something you cannot do with Model Air.

Morning Barry

Recenty started using Lacquer, and of the three i have been trying MRP is the best, as you say used it yesterday for ages no tip dry, no splatter.

 

[Guest]

Hi all

I would consider myself a good airbrusher however recently i am having big problems with paint flown/ splatter. Never had this before.

I have even gone back to the basics but still problems.

For example spraying lines, starts off fine then no paint comes out, getting the same on a model. i have not moved the trigger at all. A slight movement of the trigger to let more paint through but no change, bit more a splatter.

I mix the paint in a cheap plastic shot glass and follow what i was shown on a course i did, adding thinner with a dropper. I am using vallejo and life colour thinner.

I have thinned the paint to super thin, played around with pressures but nothing. I am not getting spiders webs.

Its driving me nuts, help!!

What airbrush you using

 

[BattleshipBob]

Iwata eclipse and recently bought a Sparmax with small needle

 

[BarryW]

Morning Barry

Recenty started using Lacquer, and of the three i have been trying MRP is the best, as you say used it yesterday for ages no tip dry, no splatter.

Great, glad to hear that. The good thing is that their colour range is so large that you should never have to mix paint or use any other through the airbrush.

A couple of tips.

Try the MLT trick. Once you have finished a session spray a mist coat of Mr Levelling Thinner over the model. This can be part of your airbrush cleaning routine so no thinner is wasted. You will find it re-activates the paint and levels it out to a perfect surface. Even though MRP sprays beautifully, if you spray too far from the model it can be slightly matted (when it should not be) this is because the pigment can dry before it hits the surface. You also get vortexes while spraying caused by the shape of the model. hence why sometimes you get a rougher surface, say, on the inner sections of a wing behind the engines. The MLT mist coat evens it all out - easier to do than sanding the surface. Whatever you do though, do not flood the model, better to do a few light coats than one heavy one.

You can touch-up using MRP with a hairy brush if needed, but you should not brush it on the model. Make sure the paint is fully cured and put a drop of MRP into a pallet and leave it to evaporate off and thicken the paint for a short time. Then dab a spot of the paint where you need to touch up and leave it. It may need more than one application. This is best done in those hard to reach nooks and crannies rather than a high viz part of the model where it is best to touch up with the airbrush and with localised masking. It is not perfect but it is a useful trick every now and then.

Also - you will have details to paint that you cannot spray. For that use water based acyilics. I have a smallish collection of mainly primary colours for this purpose.

One final thing. The MRP varnishes are brilliant and spray just as well as the paint. But, they can reactivate the underlying paint and cause the primer colour to 'bleed through' spoiling the paint job. So, whatever you do, spray the varnish with care in very light coats. I am about to try spraying a water based acrylic varnish instead, just as a barrier, before decalling and before the second gloss varnish coat which will be MRP.

 

[BattleshipBob]

Many thanks Barry

Appreciate the time and advice, will certainly try these out!!

Bob

 

[David Lovell]

Glad to hear your sorted Bob ,what I'm saying next is my opinion please no one take offence, Vallejo paint the minuet they sell you flow improver they've admitted their paint has a major issue i thought model air was supposed to spray straight from the bottle? Ninty percent of airbrush problems on websites are velajho related chuck it in the bin people ,sorry Barry W but MPR products don't sound any better dont do this but you can touch it up with a brush mind the varnish it could wreck your whole model. I'm thinking of setting up a little business selling dragon spit, witch's milk ,toads p ,and leprechaun sweat as these are all well known remedies to all your airbrush and paint problems. Dave

 

[Guest]

Glad to hear your sorted Bob ,what I'm saying next is my opinion please no one take offence, Vallejo paint the minuet they sell you flow improver they've admitted their paint has a major issue i thought model air was supposed to spray straight from the bottle? Ninty percent of airbrush problems on websites are velajho related chuck it in the bin people ,sorry Barry W but MPR products don't sound any better dont do this but you can touch it up with a brush mind the varnish it could wreck your whole model. I'm thinking of setting up a little business selling dragon spit, witch's milk ,toads p ,and leprechaun sweat as these are all well known remedies to all your airbrush and paint problems. Dave

Interesting. My story I started with Humbrol stuff & virtually gave up. Stumbled on Vallejo Air & my enthusiasm became overwhelmed. It is a first class starter paint.

It is also mostly not know that every one of air is non toxic. It has individual certificates on each colour paint. No other manufacturer can boast that. So if you have a respiratory problems then Vallejo is a good one to latch onto.

I used to blow it thro. a 0.4 H&S with out problems & with out flow improver. A little thinner if on a difficult low PSI. Stiil use Vallejo on effects at 10PSI with flow improver about 40% 60% paint. great medium. Greatest asset Vallejo Air has is the largest array of paint colours of any manufacturer. Their Acrylic/Polyurethene matt varnish is second to none.

The disadvantages of Vallejo Air. here I am contrasting it with Tamiya (which is highly toxic). It can take along time to dry. However if it is mist coated that does alleviate that problem. Plus wet & dry the plastic before priming with---- Styrenlerez----- not Vallejo primer. Pile on Air to thickly & it will tear with sanding ( always wet & dry not dry) and with Tamiya type paper tape masking. Use Plastic car lining tape (very easy release & also gives a better edge) & you will have very little problem.

Very popular paint. Easy to use yes with some draw backs. However Tamiya which I now use, a good paint, but equally with many drawbacks.