To Air Brush or Not?

[afilter]

So who uses one and what do you recommend?

I own a real inexpensive Badger air brush(Less than $25). I have never used it for models and bought it solely to do model railroad scenery with cheap acrylics.

I thought it was not working, but last night was able to unplug it with one of my micro pin vice bits and it works great now.

I use mine to sparay scenery (mostly mountains and hills to blend earth tones.

I have looked at more expensive brushes before but due to price of brush and a compressor(currently use canned propellant) which I am told is recommended I stayed away.

Anyone have an opinion? Are they even a good idea for small scale models. I mostly would be doing AAM/WAS, Wings of War planes and N-Scale equipment.

TIA,

[Steve]

I have used air brushes similar, if not exactly the same, as the one(s) you own on gaming repaints with good results. I have not used it on Wings of War repaints as of yet, due to the small size of the models. It has typically been quicker to just brush paint them. That being said, I have considered repainting a balloon and if I do, i will definitely use the airbrush. I have used basic craft paint watered down a bit with a drop or two of Windex in the mix. Although the airbrushing on this is not the best example, this mech figure was done using the type airbrush in question:

[afilter]

Steve,

for some reason the image is not showing for me.

What does the windex do for you. I currently just water down the craft acrylics and test the mix so it is not to runny. I can get several bottles of paint from one $0.97 bottle of craft paint vs a $4 bottle of higher quality model paint.

[gregbond77]

I use can spray paint, and paint with a brush. The results have been ok. My main problem is what type of tape to use for masking. Have been using Taymia tape, but sometimes it pulls up paint or primer and it seems to stick to my fingers better than any other surface.

[Steve]

In some of the paints I have had heavier "droplets" form and the Windex seems to break down waters natural surface tension. It just ensures I have a better stream of paint with which to work and helps prevent clogging.

I'll add the image to my pictures on this site and edit the above link. Again I'm no airbrush master and these examples are not the greatest. They are just some images I of a couple of clix mechs I customized for some friends.

[Oberst Hajj]

I fixed the link so that it shows one of the three images that you were trying to link to.

I've owned and used an airbrush for about 20 years. I used it for plastic model kits. At 1/144 scale and smaller, the only use it would really be is to get a good base coat on the mini. And only then if the model is all the same base color. Other wise, I find it easier to hand paint them.

[Steve]

Thanks Col. Hajj,

I also agree that at 144 scale the airbrush is pretty limited. That's why I had to break out some alternative game pieces for airbrush examples. The airbrush I use is single action, thus I am using cardboard to shield areas where I don't want to paint. If I were to buy a new airbrush I would really consider a double action brush for the extra control. I have not used it on any plane repaints.

I was trying to setup a sub-folder in the Photos rather than a separate photo album. I know the mechs are not really the theme of the website. Thus if you wish to move them to a less conspicuous location, that would be fine by me. Since Wings of War is the main theme for the site, it may be better if they did not show up as random images like the planes. Currently the album with the mechs is here: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/album.php?albumid=163

Steve

[Oberst Hajj]

No worries Steve, I've got some of my 40k and other non WoW minis in one of my albums. I think we can all appreciate the offerings of other games.

[richard m schwab]

The first two natural states of an air brush are. 1) clean and unused. 2) Clogged and being cursed. They are a great tool and can give great results.I use my $30 single action for everything. I have found the Tamiya Surface primer gives good results. Despite cleaning the sprus before building and after some plastic does not like paint.

Rich

[kaufschtick]

I use can spray paint, and paint with a brush. The results have been ok. My main problem is what type of tape to use for masking. Have been using Taymia tape, but sometimes it pulls up paint or primer and it seems to stick to my fingers better than any other surface.

I have owned a Testors dual action airbrush from the moment they first made them. I've probably had mine for 15+ years, good quality. I had a Badger when I was about 13-14, not bad, but I like the testor better.

As far as masking goes, Testors used to offer this stuff called "Parafilm M". I've tried every kind of masking tape there is, and parafilm M blows them all out of the water. It's kinda tricky to get used to using though. It's kinda like a stretchy saran wrap. It has no glue or adheasive on it. What you do is stretch it out, it'll strech to like 5 times it's original size, then you apply it to where you want it. Saran wrap is kinda "plastic-y", and this stuff is more "rubber-y". So when you stretch it out, it sticks like crazy!

You can work it down into all the nooks and crannys, and there is no "run-under" along the edges, or peel-up when you take it off. I had a 1/72 scale P-40M that I was doing in British Desert colors about a year ago, and I sprayed on the main upper color of Middlestone, then applied the parafilm M to the fusalage and wing tops that I was going to apply a darker brown camoflage over. I got tied up with other things, and that kit sat for about 7 months before I got back around to it. I took an exacto, gently cut in the camoflage pattern, sprayed on the darker brown, and peeled off the parafilm M without the slightest problem! That kit came out fantastic, BTW!

Anyways, I probably had the parafilm M for a couple years before I started getting good at using it, now I wouldn't do a kit without it.

About 6-7 years ago, Testors quit offering the parafilm M for sale, so I went looking online for it. Testors used to sell it in like 10-15 foot rolls, and I wound up ordering a 250 foot roll from a construction company in, like Alabama or somewhere down south (I'm in Ohio). That roll may very well last me the rest of my life! It was dirt cheap too.

You have to work it like silly putty though, and it's not hard at all once you realize how it works. It's actually quite quick and easy. Once you stretch it, you just press it on and pull it tight over your surface the same way you pull saran wrap tight over a plate.

You can also use it in dioramas too, to make tents and tarps with. I have a Squadron book that shows some Australian P-40s lined up on a Pacific Island airfield, and they had some tarps layed out over the open cockpits to keep the sun off. This stuff would work good to make up tarps, you can paint it.

Parafilm M, good stuff IMHO.

[kaufschtick]

The first two natural states of an air brush are. 1) clean and unused. 2) Clogged and being cursed. They are a great tool and can give great results.I use my $30 single action for everything. I have found the Tamiya Surface primer gives good results. Despite cleaning the sprus before building and after some plastic does not like paint.

Rich

I started out way back when using PolyScale Acrylic paints, they spray fantastic right out of the bottle when new. Testors "aquired" the PolyScale formula, so now I use theirs.

I used to use Tamiya paints way back when, but the PolyScale, and now the Testors paints provide a far supior airbrush/brush paint ability, IMHO. I have about 110 bottles of PolyScale/Testors paints (most of them different shades of green, brown, gray and blue!), and I think they are great to brush paint or airbrush. I have a big, $8.99 bottle of PolyScale thinner, and if I want to airbrush a color, just a few drops of thinner, and away I go!

I recently tried the latest formula for Tamiya, and they still don't spray as well, and IMHO they don't brush paint good at all. I used to swear by Tamiya paints way back when, too.

I switched to acrylics a long time ago when the thinner and clean up was just too much with my old Badger airbrush. My Dad, who has about 800 1/72 scale aircraft, 10-12 PT boats (including a German U-Boat & he is currently working on a US Gato Class sub) and about 250 AFVs (all 1/72 scale), he uses enamal paints, and brush paints everything. He's been painting them for like 45+ years, and can do stuff with a brush that will just make you drool.

[afilter]

kaufschtick, so basically you recmmend using parafim M....

I agree keeping the brush clean is the key. I ran water through mine after every use, but could not get an even spray and I assumed it was just becuse it was inexpensive air brush. Now that I discovered my pin vice bit will bore out the nozel it works like a champ. It really made painting the model railroad scenery super easy this time and I used a fraction of the paint I normally would go through on a larger project. In fact I bet I used less than $1 worth of paint.

[richard m schwab]

Here are some shots of a Lancaster i did last year. It is in the masking stage
i use both the Tamiya masking tape and Silly Putty to accomplish this. In doing irregular shapes the silly putty is great, it goes on easy and comes off clean. The only thing to watch for is smoothing it out flat, it there is an under cut it makes a ridge in the paint. It took several coats of gloss and the flat to reduce that effect from the Lancaster. I also included some shots of my current projects HE -111`s and Hurricanes. The He was done using Tamiya and the Hurricanes using silly putty.
As for paint i went to Polly S/ Polly Scale back in the early 70`s Now i use Testors acrylics and enamels they give the best results.
Rich

[Steve]

Very nice work.

[gregbond77]

Rob and richard,
thanks for the ideas and info.
greg

[richard m schwab]

Thank you Steve. I had not done any model aircraft in years. I have been doing N-Scale model railroading. But DOW started me building some 144 scale kits i had collected! Look at my photos to see others have built.


Rich

[richard m schwab]

You are welcome Greg. We are here to help each other! That is why i like this site!


Rich