As Sandwyrm and Farmpunk like to joke about, I play marines with the Blood angel codex. I've scratch built my entire army combining chaos and loyalist bits. Why? Because I like the greaves of old armor better, and the horns, and generally chaos looks cooler, though I don't like all the spikes. When I started my marines, I told myself I would paint them blue and silver, my two favorite colors. So this bastard child of my two dreams has been the fact that I own two Baal predators... and they are blue..sigh.
So a month or so ago I posted that I had invested in a paint air spray gun thingy. Well I had finally gotten around to using it. Lets just say it wasn't the cleanest experience I've had painting. For starters when I was thinning the paint.... seems it wasn't sealed all the way. ya, all over my hand. Second, when attached to the sprayer,... also not air tight seal, Tip #1, keep spray some what level, or it may leak out on your hand.
Once I got started, and messed with the nozzle, I got something I was happy with and managed to get two drop pods mostly covered.
What I did learn? Windex really is streak free. I was getting frustrated and cold (in my garage), so I just took a large brush and put the rest of my thinned paint on the tanks by hand. On my past rhinos, I've had to do multiple layers of watered down blue paint to make it an even flat paint job. One layer of windex thinned paint had the same result!
I'll probably soak the tip of the spray in some solvent, and try using again in the spring. For now it is too temperamental and frustrating (and cold).
Have you got two air canisters? I find its a good idea to stick them in your pockets to help keep them slightly warmer, as when they are cold you lose pressure. Having two means you can swap them around when one is too cold.
ReplyDeleteTake that air brush apart and clean it. It's a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI have a crappy airbrush that also likes to clog on me way too often. 50:50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water morks wonders. About the cold cans, keep a warm water bath handy to warm the can as it cools. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteOnce I got some practice with it, I'll never go back to basecoating by hand. I did 5 rhinos in about 10 minutes max, with better looking results too.
How much do those cans of propellant cost each?
ReplyDeleteI seem to have the same cruddy single action kit that I bought from Hobby Lobby. Came with both the adapter for the cans and for a compressor.
I hooked it up to my el cheapo 1/3hp 3 gallon compressor with a regulator on it and never looked back. $60 for unlimited air or $8 a can?
I never tried windex, I went straight for the 70
% or higher Isopropyl.
My armies went from Grey to basecoated quick.
Compressors are definitely the way to go if you're going to stick with the airbrush. If you're going to go with cans, then stick the one you're using in a bowl of water to keep from freezing. Also, thin your paints waaaaay down. As in, near the consistency of milk.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I got tired of having to clean mine, so I'm all-brush, all the time.
Yes, you will want to take that airbrush apart and clean it, see if you can find some cleaning kits, like some brushes to cleaning airbrushes. Like you with Windex, I use Simple Green, I run that stuff through the brush after each use, and when I clean the parts, I soak them in the simple green for a bit. The stuff is very gentle and does no damage, it also works for stripping paint off of models too (After an overnight soak of course).
ReplyDeleteI've found anything other than the Vallejo Model Air range of paints clogs up my airbrush with painty residue before too long. There's no way around it. Sadly I'm too stingy to buy all my paint again in Model Air flavours so unclogging is par for the course.
ReplyDeleteDegreaser like Simple Green is good for soaking but it's not so great if you need instant results. I run it through with a few drops of nail polish remover when my cheap paint has caused clogging. It keeps everything moving reasonably smoothly.
Still, I mass-highlighted over 100 infantry that way. It was awesome-fast.
Thanks everyone! great suggestions, I'll keep them in mind. Good to see I'm not the only one with problems.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm working on infantry and doing it by hand. I'm hoping to get a good working system for the tanks for the spring with my airbrush.
Definitely go get a compressor. As others have said, you need to take your airbrush apart and clean it. Then you need to make sure your paint is thinned down the next time you use it. The paint needs to be the consistency of milk, which is much thinner than it needs to be for hand brushing.
ReplyDelete