Air brushing

[Jaws]

Is there anyone else out there who uses an air brush ?
I am having real probs using Humbrol enamel in mine.. If I have it thin enough to spray properly it either runs or has to go on so thin it would take several dozen coats to cover..
I have ended up hand painting my model and it looks paints to be honest :B
Any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated !!

 

[Bird Info guy]

Use.....

....water based Tamiya paints. No probs.

 

[Jaws]

Clive, do you mean the Acrylic paint mate ? ( Such as the X11, and X23 colours ? )

 

[petrosc]

And mine Jaws

Same technique

 

[Jaws]

Yes, but did you use the acrylic paints ??

 

[Bird Info guy]

Yeah Jaws....

...the acrylic range, as you quote the examples; X22, etc. Dead easy to use, like mixing, etc. Also dead easy to clean everything afterwards and the drying time is just a matter or minutes not hours.

Highly recommended. However, I'm told that they're not as robust as the enamel, and the shine has to be enhanced using a varnish if you want a really high-gloss finish. For most uses though, they're excellent as they come.

Compare and contrast:

 

[Bird Info guy]

BTW, for those without an airbrush....

...you can get the acrylic paints in aerosol cans. A bit expensive, but if you only have the one colour that demands airbrushing (like fairing painting) then it's cheaper than buying an airbrush kit.

 

[Jaws]

Excellent !
I have the colour I wanna use, and have the air brush .. As long as the tap delivers water tomorrow I will be away !
BTW, seeing that picture I realised I had made a mistake.. picked out the key flap on the pet cap in mat black same as a lot of older Honda's.. have to go over it with the silver now :blush:

 

[Bird Info guy]

You're such a perfectionist Jaws.

Make sure that you paint in the matt black for the kep flap surround, and I assume you'll be drilling the disks and end-can holes?!?!?!

Good luck with it all mate. I really enjoyed doing mine, so hope you get the same pleasure. Let's have some photos when it's completed.

 

[_TC_]

Question for Clive

"...you can get the acrylic paints in aerosol cans..."


Can you tell us where Clive? Any URLs? :h

Cheers :beer:

TC

 

[Steve Walker]

Nice work Clive.

My Daughter baught me a Badger air brush kit for Christmas. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet though. I have the colours I need for the GPZ400 kit I have been building. But they are all enamel. Should I junk them in preference for acrylic paint. The GPZ is a test run for the next project ( Blackbird ). I was going to hand paint the larger parts but now I don't need to. Got any advice M8. Steve.

 

[Bird Info guy]

Answers/Opinions:

_TC_: Yes, you can get the acrylic paints in aerosol cans.

Steve: Don't know personally, mate, as I've only ever used the one tin of enamel paint, and that was brushed on - it was clear orange for the indicators.

I'm assuming, from what Jaws was saying, that the enamel paints weren't working properly through the air-brush for him. But then, I've not tried it myself, and there may be a way of getting enamels to spray well through an air-brush, maybe using thinners or something. I would certainly recomment using acrylic if for nothing else but the fact that it dries so damn quickly. No waiting around with parts hanging from wires drying overnight. Just paint the parts a few steps ahead and they're ready for assembly when you need them without waiting. Makes the whole task quicker.

As for any URLs; just stick Tamiya into a search engine and you'll find tons of sites.

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

Don't get me started !!!!!

I could write for hour on the subject of model making and all the extras that go with it- was a real model anorak in my younger days:h

Have had models entered in the Wembely Model Engeneering Exhibition and once got a bronze medal for a Half track & diorama - How sad:}
Yup-I was the sort of geek that would paint the eyeballs on soldiers and give 'em stubble and wounds.

Enamels have a beutiful lustre but are a real c%nt to get flowing through an airbrush compared to acrylics.

There are so many diferent ways to spray but the two main ways are

1) spray parts before removing from the sprue (and mask off the bits ya don't want covered in paint) when dry ,carefully cut from the sprue and then touch up cut marks with a brush.

2) assemple sertain parts partially (like the tank which usually comes in two halves) - take a piece of wood and hammer in a variety of long nails.Once this is done- blue tack all the parts to be sprayed one colour onto the heads of the nails and then airbrush the lot together and just leave them all to dry.


Remember - even when dry,a painted surface leaves fingerprints so be delicate when putting your pride and joy together.

The real art is to add your own extras by custom building those little things like crash shrooms and tank protecters.

Dry brushing is another art - if ya want realistic scrapes on bellypand or road dirt on the fairing.but don't ower do it or you will be re spraying the fairing again.
You can even use sandpaper on the tyres to show wear and 'chicken strips' and if you are building a base you can spray graded sandpaper of your choice to simulate tarmac.

Right - I'll shut up & go away now :neenaw:

 

[Aidey]

Aargh!!! I was just about to give the site the benefit of 30 years modelmaking s##t when up pops Ben and does it all for me! Still, saves me a lot of typing does'nt it!
If you have trouble getting hold of Tamiya spray paints try www.hannants.co.uk, they are the countries largest mail order outfit for models (steady now, lads, not that sort) and should be able to help.
I thought I would be clever with my Blackbird and assemble the fairing before spraying to get a better finish. Well, it can be done but it takes one hell of a lot of fiddling about to get it together afterwards. My wife tells me I've gotta go to church for a month to gain absolution for all the swearing that ensued.
Now Tamiya could make us all happy and produce a 1/6 scale version, that would be something.

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

1/1 mate

Then I could stick it on the roof of mi house and whatch people crash their cars as they gawp -"What the/how the fuc............!!!!!!!!!"

:} :} :}

 

[Aidey]

Yeah Ben
1/1 scale would be the best. Then we could spray it in all the different Blackbird colours and let them argue it out as to which model is the fastest. I need the rain to stop so I can get out on the bike and get a life again!
Ben, different tack here, have you tried Dunlop D207's yet? Bought a pair from Riossi in Bristol today 'cos they were cheap. ?150.00. Reckon they can't be any worse than the BT57's fitted but as the front one's bald that is probably unfair. I have'nt fitted them yet as I've got to get the wheels off and sprayed black again. Previous owner had them done purple, looks like a tarts bike.
Happy new year to all

 

[Bird Info guy]

AIDEY, I had 207's....

...up until earlier last year, and they were great. Very consistent, inspired good confidence and worked well in the wet - almost as good as in the dry. Great tyre.

However, I changed to 020's and they are definitely and noticeably better. Highly recommended: Even better confidence and stick like glue in the wet. Don't know about wear though, as yet. The 207's were on the bike when I got it, so I got two years out of the D207's - and that's around 8k miles, plus whatever the previous owner did - unknown.

First time I took the bike out with the 020's on it was a revelation. But that's not to decry the 207 - still a superb tyre...maybe just showing it's age now.

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

AIDEY

Never tried 207s , have always stuck with 020s & have never had any problems.I may try 010s next time round.
Sorry mate - can't give a verdict.

 

[Aidey]

CLIVE/BEN

Ta for the replies. I know the 020's are good as I had them on my previous GSX750, although they did square off a bit quick doing 1800 miles round France in the summer. All those long and fast N roads did it, good fun though. Throttle wide open and not a policeman to worry about anywhere. I thought I would give the Dunlops a try as they were cheap and the credit card needs time to recover from Xmas so the 020's were out of the question.
Ben I reckon 010's would be great for steaming round the Shepherd and Flock r'bout althogh I suppose you would have to go round the wrong way a few times just to even up the tyre wear a bit! Last time I went round there on a bike was 22 years ago (yawn) on my old GT500 with one dodgy shock. Made life interesting. I used to live in Guildford for ten years so know the area well

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

Aidey

I used to live in Guildford for ten years so know the area well

Bet ya miss Boxhill & Newlands corner.
You'll have to find an excuse to come back over this way in the summer so we can go for a blast:beer: