Bob Cleek

Excellent post! Full of good information.  Today's "coatings" are far more technical than plain old paint. 
 
 

Hand brushing is a good alternative, quite satisfying as well!
I have only basic painting skills and do not want to use an airbrush. I have had excellent results with hand brushing using Valejo colours following these rules:
1. Use very good brushes, with appropriate width for the job
2. Thin the paint (should be runny but not like water), avoid heavy coats.
3. For Valejo, use the hand brushing thinner, different and better than the air brush thinner. It congeals if left so must have resin in it (this is what valejo claims so not easily reproduced at home). Get the 60 ml bottle, it is not expensive.
4. Use a bit of retarder.
5. Start from dry and end on wet. Take your time, you can go over the area 2-3 times. Avoid puddles at the edges.
6. Trust the paint! Do not go over again to "correct" or smooth out brush marks. They will disappear. You ll probably need a dozen or more coats either way.
7. Best to seal the wood, I use a water based wood sealer sanded to 400 grit
8. I use plastic pots with caps that seal pretty well and are cheap. The paint stays wet for months.
9. Use only frog tape or Tamiya tape or equivalent. The paint will bleed under ordinary masking tape or electricians tape.
10. Acrylic paint is not tough so needs to be protected with varnish or some topcoat
 
Hopefully these will be of help to some. May not work for all but I was able to paint my 80 cm hull with almost no brush marks.
 
Vaddoc

Excellent post! Full of good information.  Today's "coatings" are far more technical than plain old paint. 
 
 

I am far from being an expert, and it's been a few years, but I do have some experience airbrushing with acrylic. I agree that acrylics are not the easiest to spray, you have to really know your equipment, and what adjustments can be made to achieve a desired result (different sized needles, air pressures, those sorts of things). I can begin to make suggestions as every airbrush is different in construction and adjustment, so it's something that each person should become familiar with on their own. 
 
Not to go on a rant or anything, but I've seen what I consider to be misleading information/advice floating around MSW regarding acrylics and thinners. I've seen people swear up and down that acrylics can be thinned down with water with no problems. This is not a good approach for airbrushing. Most hobby acrylics that I've painted with use some form of glycol ethers or isobutanol as their solvents. These are types of alcohol that evaporate readily in air (which is why hobby acrylics cure quickly), and because alcohol and water do mix, after a fashion, it's given rise to the myth that acrylics are "water based". Thinning acrylics down to a consistency suitable for airbrushing using water will break down the paint matrix. Acrylic binders do not dissolve in water (otherwise you could clean up dried acrylic paint with it), and by diluting the alcohol, the curing process begins (which leads to gummed up airbrushes). The trick with airbrushing is to use a compatible thinner that will forestall this curing process as long as possible. I've used thinners made specifically for the paint I was using, or, for a cheaper alternative, window cleaner, such as Windex. I've never had any issues with the blue tint of Windex affecting the paint colour, even white. 
 
I think it's safe to say, with a properly adjusted airbrush and correctly thinned paint, airbrushing with acrylics can be relatively hassle free.
 
For what its worth, I painted the tuscan red on this brass model railway car with acrylics (thinned with Windex) using a Grex GenisisXT airbrush (the primer was rattle can Tamiya):
 

 
Andy
 
 
 
 
 

The fellow in the video will likely soon discover that it is impossible to tie ratlines to stainless steel cable rigging without applying a serious serving to the cable and securing it with a good soaking of paint, shellac, or tar or the like at the points of the ratlines attachments in order to enlarge the diameter of the shroud sufficiently to provide a good friction grip for the ratline knots. This practice, however, raises the concern  that the serving may produce a "hard spot" on the cable at the point of the serving which may cause localized metal fatigue or create conditions favorable to anaerobic crevice corrosion beneath the serving, either of which can result in a catastrophic failure of the cable. Total failure risks may be overlooked by many amateur riggers, but they certainly realize quickly the impracticality of trying to tie a polyester ratline to a length of quarter inch stainless cable! For this reason, modernly rigged small craft rarely carry ratlines.
 
Seventeenth Century ships" shrouds, being made of fiber, were quite thick, often as thick as a man's arm, and wormed, parceled, served, and tarred well. A much thinner length of ratine cordage tightly fastened would easily hold fast with a lashing at either end and clove hitches in between the lashed ends. 

The fellow in the video will likely soon discover that it is impossible to tie ratlines to stainless steel cable rigging without applying a serious serving to the cable and securing it with a good soaking of paint, shellac, or tar or the like at the points of the ratlines attachments in order to enlarge the diameter of the shroud sufficiently to provide a good friction grip for the ratline knots. This practice, however, raises the concern  that the serving may produce a "hard spot" on the cable at the point of the serving which may cause localized metal fatigue or create conditions favorable to anaerobic crevice corrosion beneath the serving, either of which can result in a catastrophic failure of the cable. Total failure risks may be overlooked by many amateur riggers, but they certainly realize quickly the impracticality of trying to tie a polyester ratline to a length of quarter inch stainless cable! For this reason, modernly rigged small craft rarely carry ratlines.
 
Seventeenth Century ships" shrouds, being made of fiber, were quite thick, often as thick as a man's arm, and wormed, parceled, served, and tarred well. A much thinner length of ratine cordage tightly fastened would easily hold fast with a lashing at either end and clove hitches in between the lashed ends. 

The fellow in the video will likely soon discover that it is impossible to tie ratlines to stainless steel cable rigging without applying a serious serving to the cable and securing it with a good soaking of paint, shellac, or tar or the like at the points of the ratlines attachments in order to enlarge the diameter of the shroud sufficiently to provide a good friction grip for the ratline knots. This practice, however, raises the concern  that the serving may produce a "hard spot" on the cable at the point of the serving which may cause localized metal fatigue or create conditions favorable to anaerobic crevice corrosion beneath the serving, either of which can result in a catastrophic failure of the cable. Total failure risks may be overlooked by many amateur riggers, but they certainly realize quickly the impracticality of trying to tie a polyester ratline to a length of quarter inch stainless cable! For this reason, modernly rigged small craft rarely carry ratlines.
 
Seventeenth Century ships" shrouds, being made of fiber, were quite thick, often as thick as a man's arm, and wormed, parceled, served, and tarred well. A much thinner length of ratine cordage tightly fastened would easily hold fast with a lashing at either end and clove hitches in between the lashed ends. 

I can't think of a good reason to use glue on ratline knots.  Maybe on the outside shrouds to smooth up the cut ends.
Is the Revell glue shiny when dry?  If not, it could be a good choice. Otherwise shellac or white glue is a good choice.
 
Hats off to the guy in the video tying off those ratlines with gloves on..

Actually, no. Pine tar was used on wood to protect it from the weathering effects of water and sunlight. In earlier times before copper sheathing came into vogue (~1750), tallow and matted hair was applied below the waterline to prevent damage from marine borers, which it never did do very well.

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Expect lots of thinned linseed oil and diluted pine tar was used more often than paint on weather deck spaces and furniture. Thinned or diluted for penetration, wood being porous, some areas might have had pigment added to the mix. Get water under painted wood and the paint lifts off, so use proper oils often to protected from water, especially if subject to repeatable dry then wet cycles.
 

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

The modeling tool catalogs like MicroMark, while always fun to peruse, are just chock full of "impulse purchases" that you thought you really needed and then discovered you never used. It's a pitfall for those entering the hobby. (Tool kits promising "everything you'll ever need to build your model" are almost always full of bottom of the barrel junk you don't need.) In many instances, the tools you need will be found in other places at higher quality and lower prices. Far superior medical, dental, and jewelry-making tools can be found on eBay or from supply houses at a lot less expense than from places like Model Expo or MicroMark.  Remember the tool-buying maxim: "Never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best quality you can afford." 
 
I'd place this OcRe workshop in the category of "stuff you'll later wish you didn't waste your money on." You can get a whole lot more lower cost useful storage at places like Harbor Freight, "Bed, Bath, and Beyond," Walmart, and so on. Think "Tupperware." If you have to "go mobile" due to space considerations, get yourself a suitably sized sheet of plywood and put lip around three edges and a couple of handles on either end. When company comes, you can pick it up and slide it under the bed until you can get rid of them  and back to your modeling!  
 
 
 
Harbor Freight, twenty bucks, 40 Bin Organizer with Full Length Drawer (harborfreight.com):

 
 

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Standing order of the day: "If it moves, lube it. If it doesn't move, paint it!"  

Any wear surface such as decking or stair treads were not painted.

The modeling tool catalogs like MicroMark, while always fun to peruse, are just chock full of "impulse purchases" that you thought you really needed and then discovered you never used. It's a pitfall for those entering the hobby. (Tool kits promising "everything you'll ever need to build your model" are almost always full of bottom of the barrel junk you don't need.) In many instances, the tools you need will be found in other places at higher quality and lower prices. Far superior medical, dental, and jewelry-making tools can be found on eBay or from supply houses at a lot less expense than from places like Model Expo or MicroMark.  Remember the tool-buying maxim: "Never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best quality you can afford." 
 
I'd place this OcRe workshop in the category of "stuff you'll later wish you didn't waste your money on." You can get a whole lot more lower cost useful storage at places like Harbor Freight, "Bed, Bath, and Beyond," Walmart, and so on. Think "Tupperware." If you have to "go mobile" due to space considerations, get yourself a suitably sized sheet of plywood and put lip around three edges and a couple of handles on either end. When company comes, you can pick it up and slide it under the bed until you can get rid of them  and back to your modeling!  
 
 
 
Harbor Freight, twenty bucks, 40 Bin Organizer with Full Length Drawer (harborfreight.com):

 
 

The modeling tool catalogs like MicroMark, while always fun to peruse, are just chock full of "impulse purchases" that you thought you really needed and then discovered you never used. It's a pitfall for those entering the hobby. (Tool kits promising "everything you'll ever need to build your model" are almost always full of bottom of the barrel junk you don't need.) In many instances, the tools you need will be found in other places at higher quality and lower prices. Far superior medical, dental, and jewelry-making tools can be found on eBay or from supply houses at a lot less expense than from places like Model Expo or MicroMark.  Remember the tool-buying maxim: "Never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best quality you can afford." 
 
I'd place this OcRe workshop in the category of "stuff you'll later wish you didn't waste your money on." You can get a whole lot more lower cost useful storage at places like Harbor Freight, "Bed, Bath, and Beyond," Walmart, and so on. Think "Tupperware." If you have to "go mobile" due to space considerations, get yourself a suitably sized sheet of plywood and put lip around three edges and a couple of handles on either end. When company comes, you can pick it up and slide it under the bed until you can get rid of them  and back to your modeling!  
 
 
 
Harbor Freight, twenty bucks, 40 Bin Organizer with Full Length Drawer (harborfreight.com):

 
 

The modeling tool catalogs like MicroMark, while always fun to peruse, are just chock full of "impulse purchases" that you thought you really needed and then discovered you never used. It's a pitfall for those entering the hobby. (Tool kits promising "everything you'll ever need to build your model" are almost always full of bottom of the barrel junk you don't need.) In many instances, the tools you need will be found in other places at higher quality and lower prices. Far superior medical, dental, and jewelry-making tools can be found on eBay or from supply houses at a lot less expense than from places like Model Expo or MicroMark.  Remember the tool-buying maxim: "Never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best quality you can afford." 
 
I'd place this OcRe workshop in the category of "stuff you'll later wish you didn't waste your money on." You can get a whole lot more lower cost useful storage at places like Harbor Freight, "Bed, Bath, and Beyond," Walmart, and so on. Think "Tupperware." If you have to "go mobile" due to space considerations, get yourself a suitably sized sheet of plywood and put lip around three edges and a couple of handles on either end. When company comes, you can pick it up and slide it under the bed until you can get rid of them  and back to your modeling!  
 
 
 
Harbor Freight, twenty bucks, 40 Bin Organizer with Full Length Drawer (harborfreight.com):

 
 

I think you are basically asking how to paint, because once basic painting is mastered, spray painting is just another way of putting the paint on the piece you want to paint. Total mastery of painting is a broad subject well beyond the scope of a single response on an internet forum. I'll just offer some general advice I've found helpful. No doubt others will chime in to disagree and then you'll be more confused than ever before!  
 
You have to learn to walk before you can run. Spray painting requires a command of basic painting techniques to do well. None of the common challenges and problems encountered spray painting can be overcome without a basic understanding of coatings and their applications. The most important thing to master with spray painting is control over the amount of paint you are applying to the surface. Too much paint will result in runs, sags, and "curtains," which will ruin the job, require wiping off the uncured coating with solvent and re-prepping the surface or waiting until the paint is fully cured and then resanding to perfect fairness.
 
First, I would not advise that any serious modeler use rattle can spray paint for much of anything, except perhaps a sanding basecoat. The quality of the nozzles on rattle can paints, while remarkably good considering the manufacturing tolerances required, aren't good enough for the finish perfection scale modeling requires and are primarily designed for spraying large areas, not small ones. Besides, if you need just a small amount of paint, you're stuck buying the whole rattle can which, like as not, will "die on the shelf" before you get around to using it again. They are also an expensive way to buy paint. If you are interested in spraying paint, the sooner you acquire an airbrush and learn to operate it, the better. It's not rocket science and the cost of a basic quality airbrush and small compressor will be quickly amortized in paint cost savings. If you can't afford an air brush, then learn to paint with a quality bristle brush. An experienced painter can achieve the same results with either application method. (The airbrush is more forgiving in covering large surfaces, but others may have found otherwise.)
 
It is essential to learn how to properly "condition" your paint to achieve perfect finishes. This is done with thinners, "retarders" (that slow drying and so permit brush strokes to "lay down"), and "accellerators" (which speed drying to prevent runs or "curtains.") There are also additives that will achieve the finish desired from high gloss to dead flat and anywhere in between. The consistency of the coating is a major determinative of the quality of the job. Learning to condition paint is a process of acquiring "hands on experience." If you know someone who knows how to paint, getting some one-on-one instruction would be helpful.)
 
Learn how to work with the medium you choose, be it solvent/oil-based paint or water-based acrylics. Learn to use sealers (shellac, etc.), sanding base coats, and finish or "top" coats. Learn how to mix colors from a basic pallet. (Study the "color wheel.") There are hundreds of pre-mixed colors available in tiny bottles with high prices. Use these if you wish, but realize that tubed paste artists oils or acrylics are the basic building blocks of all those pre-mixed colors and if you "roll your own" you will save a lot of money and rarely find yourself running from hobby shop to hobby shop (often far and few between) or waiting days for the arrival of an internet purchase to find more of that particular color you just ran out of which may or may not be still available.
 
Remember that painting anything is 90% preparation and 10% application. Especially in modeling, surfaces should be perfectly smooth (or textured as required) and perfectly clean before the paint is applied. And if you use brushes, learn how to clean and care for them so they don't become "dust applicators" that ruin what otherwise would have been a perfect job. Cleanliness is essential. Store masking tape in zip lock bags and never lay a roll of masking tape down on its side. The side of the tape roll will pick up every bit of dust it contacts and ruin the tape for producing the perfect razor-sharp lines sought in modeling. (Buy quality 3M "fine line" tape or Tamiya masking tape. These tapes will produce the sharp lines required for modeling. Household "painter's tape" is not suitable.) Use a "tack cloth" to remove sanding dust from a piece before painting it. Store your tack cloth in a zip lock plastic bag, too. Try to paint in a dust-free area. While often easier said than done, painting on a dusty  workbench where you've just sanded the piece in a room with dust hanging in the air is not advisable. 
 
Unless you are completely familiar with the coating material you are using, (meaning you used it recently,) always, always, always test your materials and surfaces before committing to painting the workpiece. Paint can thicken or even lose its ability to "dry" while sitting on your shelf. (The modern synthetic coatings can be quite finicky in this respect.) Colors will often appear different when "dry" than when applied. Sometimes coatings are incompatible and disasters will result when they come in contact with each other. By making a test strip using the same surface, including undercoats, to be painted and the paint you want to apply to it, you can determine what the results will be. Failure to do so can result in a hull that is coated with a dirty, fingerprinted, sticky mess that refuses to dry and must be laboriously stripped off down to bare wood before another attempt can be made. 
 
 

The modeling tool catalogs like MicroMark, while always fun to peruse, are just chock full of "impulse purchases" that you thought you really needed and then discovered you never used. It's a pitfall for those entering the hobby. (Tool kits promising "everything you'll ever need to build your model" are almost always full of bottom of the barrel junk you don't need.) In many instances, the tools you need will be found in other places at higher quality and lower prices. Far superior medical, dental, and jewelry-making tools can be found on eBay or from supply houses at a lot less expense than from places like Model Expo or MicroMark.  Remember the tool-buying maxim: "Never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best quality you can afford." 
 
I'd place this OcRe workshop in the category of "stuff you'll later wish you didn't waste your money on." You can get a whole lot more lower cost useful storage at places like Harbor Freight, "Bed, Bath, and Beyond," Walmart, and so on. Think "Tupperware." If you have to "go mobile" due to space considerations, get yourself a suitably sized sheet of plywood and put lip around three edges and a couple of handles on either end. When company comes, you can pick it up and slide it under the bed until you can get rid of them  and back to your modeling!  
 
 
 
Harbor Freight, twenty bucks, 40 Bin Organizer with Full Length Drawer (harborfreight.com):