Paint mixing
- Thread starter banjer
- Start date
I buy takeaway sauce pots from Amazon. £5 for 100 or something. Sealable lids so the mix lasts if spraying over time.
TIJAR® Sauce Containers with Lid... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BPMKCWZ2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Something similar to jack but I normally only mix enough for the job at hand.... Takes a while to get used to judging what you need though
For just mixing, any clean, small plastic cup or pot will do but for saving mixes it will need a lid. I've used plenty of plastic pots with pop on lids for short term use but the paint mixes dry out over a short time. Tamiya sell empty jars which they brand as mixing jars which can be cleaned and used over and over. Pretty expensive compared to plastic alternatives but buying them in packs of six works out a little cheaper. As they are the same jars the paints come in they are great for keeping mixes long term.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272917046247
https://www.models2u.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p7479_paint-mixing-jar-acrylic-mini-multi-pack-deal.html
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272917046247
https://www.models2u.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p7479_paint-mixing-jar-acrylic-mini-multi-pack-deal.html
I've only ever mixed in the airbrush cup two reasons (my thoughts)I dont risk contamination pouring from this pot to that pot before it even gets to the airbrush and its how I was shown to use the airbrush.
Plus I'm tighter than a crabs so I've always got little or no waste. Dave
Plus I'm tighter than a crabs so I've always got little or no waste. Dave
New paint I tend to mix in the AB. Thinner if needed gets mixed in with a throw away pipette. suck it up and squirt it out kind of thing.
Older paint (read chance of crud) get mixed in plastic shot glasses. Cheap as chips (and I still re use them David).
We have a brand of jam here in DK that sells packs of "portions" jars with different jams. I buy them once in a while just for the jars. The jams a bonus. Also small jars that have Pesto and the like in very rarely get to the recycle bin. Paint keeps viable in them for months!
Older paint (read chance of crud) get mixed in plastic shot glasses. Cheap as chips (and I still re use them David).
We have a brand of jam here in DK that sells packs of "portions" jars with different jams. I buy them once in a while just for the jars. The jams a bonus. Also small jars that have Pesto and the like in very rarely get to the recycle bin. Paint keeps viable in them for months!
Morning
I use plastic shot glasses from cheapy shops
I use plastic shot glasses from cheapy shops
Airbrushing takes a lot of practise and there are a lot of variables such as needle size, psi, how thin the paint is, what type of paint you use. Indeed with many brands there is even inconsistency across their colour range.
There is just no right solution.
Personally I would recommend using lacquers through the airbrush. These have a lot of advantages over other types and are certainly much more user friendly that water based acrylics. There is one disadvantage of them, smell. So if that’s a problem you would be better off using something like Vallejo Model Air or deal with the smell by getting a good extracting spray booth, ideally not one of the cheaper ones but one that has a good pull.
I have a small flat and spray only lacquers and, using a Benchvent booth, keeping a window open and throwing the extraction tube out of it, I have no issues with odour getting into the rest of the flat.
I specifically use MRP’s range of lacquers and spray them at 10-15 psi, I have never had to thin them, even for fine lines. I use three airbrushes with my workhorse having a .35 needle, another with a spreader cap to spray primer with a .30 needle and another for detail work using a .2 needle. MRP works faultlessly with all these at the same settings.
With water based acrylics you need a needle size larger then .2 (my MRP have particularly fine particles). You will also, almost certainly, have to spray at a higher psi. You will need to use flow improver to reduce the risk of tip-dry and prevent clogging. Thinning ratios will also vary based on set up and the paint. An added complication can be humidity, the performance of these paints will be affected by that both in spraying and curing times. The latter is why these type of paints and the leading brand, Vallejo, are like Marmite, love it or hate it, with everyone reporting different experiences using them.
There are other types of paint, enamels and those with an alcohol carrier. I don’t believe that these have any advantages over lacquers.
The best thing to do is experiment with your set up and practise, a lot.
I mix in the airbrush. Thinner first, then use a pipette to add paint. I suck the paint & thinner in and out of the cup a couple of times with the pipette to mix it.
G
You can also clean out an empty paint jar of theirs (or similar). Best to do that before the paint in it dries out, as at that point you’re looking at a lot of scrubbing and scraping to get it all out but on the positive side, the label comes off fairly easily as long as you can make a clean start without it tearing (now how would he know all that?
).
One thing to be aware of Bob, not all plastic is impervious to paint thinners. If you are using water based acrylics you have nothing to worry about. If you are using enamel paint, lacquer paints, or lacquer thinner with Tamiya or Mr Color paint, then test the container first. If the thinner melts through the bottom of the container it will make a hell of a mess on your bench….
If in doubt, polythene is better than polystyrene, and metal or ceramic is better again….
If in doubt, polythene is better than polystyrene, and metal or ceramic is better again….
Speak with your local friendly B&B etc that serves jam in small, screw-topped, glass jars - they're happy to give the used jars away and they're perfect for that and many other purposes!
Steve
Steve
Luckily i work for a Scientific equipment supply company, and was given a 'tray' containing 500 20ml glass vials with plastic caps...(they were old stock and destined for glass recycling)..these are perfect for mixing small (20ml) amounts of paint and thinner ready for airbrushing in, and the 'bonus' is that the caps make a airtight seal so the paint stays good for a few weeks afterwards, just a quick shake and I'm good to go again..
likkle vials
likkle vials
Radiometer pH buffer pots are good if you can source them Chris. Polythene, graduated, and virtually bulletproof!
G
Like Bob, plastic shot container, after use wash out and reuse !
Bill this is the biggest minefield your likely to walk in to I hope you like cans with worms in. I could reply to a few of the thoughts here but would be seen as argumentative. Some of the simplest advice I can give you is to search about see if there's a modeling club near you ,it opened up my world over night to be able to talk with people face to face all of them willing to share ,some of the lads at the club make a round trip of around a hundred miles once a month for a three and a half hour meeting. Rare things now but have you got a local hobby shop great places to meet other modelers and ask questions ,all the lads here are great and do all they can via the keyboard but its not the same as one to one. The only other thing dont compare your own work to what you see in books and magazines these bloke's are at the top of this game ive learnt not to try and be as good but take inspiration from their work as long as my next build is as good or better than the last then job done.
Air brushing isn't the mystical beast its made out to be ,get a old cupboard queen and practice on it it doesn't matter what goes wrong, once you've mastered correct thinning and air pressure your off you've solved it.
I use a 02 needle for all my work a 03 for varnish and primer I only use acrylic paints ive got 0.2 sub twenty five quid airbrushes I use as much as my hundred pound plus ones ,now I'll be argumentative there's only one brand I won't entertain and thats because (in my opinion) its that bad you need to buy there flow improver retarder surely that's flagged up a warning ,but before they go on the war path its a popular product and has many happy deciples.
Bill lock your self away for a few hours experiment and practice your be surprised how quickly things will drop in to place honest. Dave
Air brushing isn't the mystical beast its made out to be ,get a old cupboard queen and practice on it it doesn't matter what goes wrong, once you've mastered correct thinning and air pressure your off you've solved it.
I use a 02 needle for all my work a 03 for varnish and primer I only use acrylic paints ive got 0.2 sub twenty five quid airbrushes I use as much as my hundred pound plus ones ,now I'll be argumentative there's only one brand I won't entertain and thats because (in my opinion) its that bad you need to buy there flow improver retarder surely that's flagged up a warning ,but before they go on the war path its a popular product and has many happy deciples.
Bill lock your self away for a few hours experiment and practice your be surprised how quickly things will drop in to place honest. Dave
Legal Notice
scalemodelling.co.uk is a privately operated online discussion forum. All content posted by members reflects their own views and opinions and does not necessarily represent those of the forum owners or administrators. While reasonable efforts are made to moderate content, no responsibility is accepted for user-generated material. By using this site, you agree to comply with UK law and the forum rules.