New topic...ããI'd like to dive into building models again. I put a few kits together back inãhigh school (I think my mom threw them away after I went to college), mostlyãsci-fi related kits. I recently built an "Eagle" from the TV series, Spaceã1999. I haven't put any decals on it yet, nor have I tried painting it either.ãI'd like to try painting it with an air brush but I've never used one before.ããDoes anyone here have any experience with air brush painting? I'm totally openãto any tips/advice/suggestions that you may have before I start spending anyãmoney.ããThanks,ããJamesãã---ã þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!ã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Jamestyree to All on Sun Sep 22 2019 03:44 pmãã > New topic...ã > ã > I'd like to dive into building models again. I put a few kits together back ã > high school (I think my mom threw them away after I went to college), mostlyã > sci-fi related kits. I recently built an "Eagle" from the TV series, Spaceã > 1999. I haven't put any decals on it yet, nor have I tried painting it eithã > I'd like to try painting it with an air brush but I've never used one beforeã > ã > Does anyone here have any experience with air brush painting? I'm totally oã > to any tips/advice/suggestions that you may have before I start spending anyã > money.ã > ã > Thanks,ã > ã > Jamesã > ãI've gotten back into assembling models after several years of having someãkits placed in storage. I recently put together a 1:48 scale B-17e. When Iãwas building models in the 80's and 90's the Testors enamel paints wereãcmmonly found at most big box stores. Nowadays the hot items are acrylicãpaints. They can be thinned down to add highlights to seams and otherãdetails, and also enhance weathering effects. while acrylics can be thinnedãwith water, there are special airbrush thinners that stay "wet" longer andãdon't clog up air brushes.ããReagrding the B-17e, I didn't have any paints in my inventory other thatnãautomotive paints. I primed the larger parts withgray etching primer. ãAcrylics will not stick well to bare plastic. The primer also helped with myãprimary project: learning how to wire lighting in a plane. I added a switchãand battery holder in the bomb bay and ran a couple of clear red lens LED'sãthrough the fuselage to simulate the low light red lamps used at night in theãcockpit, radio room, and gunner's areas. I sprayed the exterior portions withã Krylon olive drab and later picked up a small acrylic set to paint theãseats, belts, metallic items, and other small features. I could not find anyãregular model glue nearby (seemd like every drug store had some) so Iãperfomred most of the gluing with either wood glue or Gorilla Glue clear gelãadhesive. Wood glue didn't work well and had to be re-glued in most spots. ãThe gel would etch into some of the clear pieces. In retrospect I should'veãspent more time de-burring and fitting parts, and removed more flashing. Theãkit must've been stored near heat, and the wing portions warped a little. Iãhad to use clamps to keep the edges bonded, as well as use a heat gun toãstraighten parts out. I also need one of those magnified lamps. My eyesãaren't what they used to be.ãã---ã þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.netã

Does anyone here have any experience with air brush painting? I'm totally openã>to any tips/advice/suggestions that you may have before I start spending anyã>money.ããIt depends on where you live. I bought an air brush in 1999 to paint HOãscale rail equipment. That year is important because it was the year weãhad a horrible drought and the air was pretty dry. I loved it.ããThe next Summer, and everyone that followed, I quickly started to hate theãdamn thing. A spray can, properly used, would do just as good a job inãthe humid weather we usually have. Considering the extra setup the brushãrequired, I quickly migrated to said cans.ããThat said, if you are really willing to put some money into it and canãpaint in an environmentally controlled area with a booth, OR if you liveãsomewhere that is very dry, I would say use the air brush. Otherwise, Iãwould be leery of recommending one.ãã---ã . SLMR 2.1a . It it ain't broke, let me have a shot at it.ã * Synchronet * CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTPã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Mike Powell to JAMESTYREE on Mon Sep 23 2019 08:10 pmãã > >Does anyone here have any experience with air brush painting? I'm totally ã > >to any tips/advice/suggestions that you may have before I start spending anã > >money.ã > ã > It depends on where you live. I bought an air brush in 1999 to paint HOã > scale rail equipment. That year is important because it was the year weã > had a horrible drought and the air was pretty dry. I loved it.ã > ã > The next Summer, and everyone that followed, I quickly started to hate theã > damn thing. A spray can, properly used, would do just as good a job inã > the humid weather we usually have. Considering the extra setup the brushã > required, I quickly migrated to said cans.ã > ã > That said, if you are really willing to put some money into it and canã > paint in an environmentally controlled area with a booth, OR if you liveã > somewhere that is very dry, I would say use the air brush. Otherwise, Iã > would be leery of recommending one.ã > ãI think I mentioned it briefly, but there's special additives for air guns toãkeep them from gumming up or drying out. It has little to do with thinning, bãut more like adding lubricant to the paint.ãã---ã þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.netã

I think I mentioned it briefly, but there's special additives for air guns toã>keep them from gumming up or drying out. It has little to do with thinning, bã>ut more like adding lubricant to the paint.ããI used that. :) Also used an air line filter in an attempt to cut down onãany excess humidity in the air. I never had trouble with it gumming orãdrying out. I think I had the opposite problem. Conditions here areãrarely dry enough to get a better spray with an air brush vs. using a sprayãcan.ããOnly time it gets dry enough it is too cold! :oãã---ã . SLMR 2.1a . That which does not kill us strengthens us.ã * Synchronet * CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTPã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Mike Powell to JAMESTYREE on Mon Sep 23 2019 08:10 pmãã > That said, if you are really willing to put some money into it and canã > paint in an environmentally controlled area with a booth, OR if you liveã > somewhere that is very dry, I would say use the air brush. Otherwise, Iã > would be leery of recommending one.ã >ãThanks Mike, this is exactly what I was looking for. I'm in North Carolina,ãUSA and it's pretty humid here. I've never used spray cans for models before.ãIt's definitely something I'll try before dumping a lot of money into air brushãequipment. Though I'll pick up another simple model to learn on instead of theãone that I want to display.ããThanks1ããJamesãã---ã þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!ã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Moondog to Mike Powell on Tue Sep 24 2019 10:56 amãã > I think I mentioned it briefly, but there's special additives for air gunsã > to keep them from gumming up or drying out. It has little to do withã > thinning, b ut more like adding lubricant to the paint.ããI'll do some Googling to see what I can find if I'm not happy trying out theãspray can alternative, first. Thanks!ãã---ã þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!ã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Mike Powell to MOONDOG on Tue Sep 24 2019 06:46 pmãã > any excess humidity in the air. I never had trouble with it gumming orã > drying out. I think I had the opposite problem. Conditions here areã > rarely dry enough to get a better spray with an air brush vs. using a sprayã > can.ã >ããI know you're only as goood as the tools you use, but is it worth it to spendãmore for the better quality air brush equipment or can you expect good resultsãwith a modetly priced equipment as well?ãã---ã þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!ã

Re: Model Paintingã By: Jamestyree to Mike Powell on Wed Sep 25 2019 05:38 pmãã > Re: Model Paintingã > By: Mike Powell to MOONDOG on Tue Sep 24 2019 06:46 pmã > ã > > any excess humidity in the air. I never had trouble with it gumming orã > > drying out. I think I had the opposite problem. Conditions here areã > > rarely dry enough to get a better spray with an air brush vs. using a sprã > > can.ã > >ã > ã > I know you're only as goood as the tools you use, but is it worth it to spenã > more for the better quality air brush equipment or can you expect good resulã > with a modetly priced equipment as well?ã > ããI have an inexpensive Testors brand airbrush, and I cannot achieve the sameãdetail as the Tamiya (I think that's the name) brushes. The settings on mineãare way too coarse to do anything real fine. I can paint plane fuselages allãday and paint camoflage details, however the real fine weathering andãdetailing is too fine. I can't meter it reliably even when thinned down.ããThe techniques I've seen with acrylics that amaze me are when the modellerãdilutes black paint, then uses a large brush to cover everything, then goesãover it once again with a cloth before it dries. It reminds me of stainingãof wood, where you want paint in every pore and seam, but not coating theãpiece. This also works on adding detail to uniforms and clothing, where youãwant the impression of shadow on recesses and folds and texturing. Withoutãthe process, a cloth top on a military jeep or a tent would appear to be justãanother piece of plastic painted solid green or tan.ãã---ã þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.netã

I know you're only as goood as the tools you use, but is it worth it to spendã>more for the better quality air brush equipment or can you expect good resultsã>with a modetly priced equipment as well?ããI went with a mid-range Badger and, like I said, it was great when theãweather was warm and very dry. User error is also possible in my case,ãalthough I did not feel like I was doing anything different when I hadãsuccess vs. when I did not.ãã---ã * SLMR 2.1a * No viruses detected. Must be a pair of Nanites.ã---ã . BgNet 1.0.12 . moe's tavern * 1-502-875-8938 * moetiki.ddns.net:27ã