AIRBRUSH OPINIONS PLEASE...

[PeteB]

16 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

How do you safely punch a hole in the can?  I have used the straw into a bottle that has plastic wrap rubber banded to the top with a small hole for the straw.  Works ok but can be a bit messy (decanted a can yesterday in fact).

Hi Mike

I was a bit hesitant at first but after seeing it on youtube (where else!) gave it a go. Firstly don't shake the can and hold Vertical - I did it outside my garage as I wasn't sure what to expect and just used a small pair of wire snips and slowly nipped into the can near the top where it goes from vertical back towards the centre up to the nozzle - the metal is really very thin and it doesn't take much to breach it . You are well above the paint level and by slowly biting down until you hear the gas start hissing - then just leave it for about a minute or two till it stops.

Then all I did then was enlarge the original hole and cut a horizontal line across the can for about 1.5 inches and then pull it out in the centre to form a spout and pour the paint along with the ball bearing into a glass jar with a metal lid no mess done and dusted. I'd seen the straw trick before but it was just too messy for me, this way no problem just take it easy making the first hole. 

Cheers Pete

 

 

[Roger Pellett]

Kent,

 

Good choice,  if I can good results with my Badger 350, I’m sure that you will do even better.

 

Roger

[Landlubber Mike]

9 hours ago, PeteB said:

Hi Mike

I was a bit hesitant at first but after seeing it on youtube (where else!) gave it a go. Firstly don't shake the can and hold Vertical - I did it outside my garage as I wasn't sure what to expect and just used a small pair of wire snips and slowly nipped into the can near the top where it goes from vertical back towards the centre up to the nozzle - the metal is really very thin and it doesn't take much to breach it . You are well above the paint level and by slowly biting down until you hear the gas start hissing - then just leave it for about a minute or two till it stops.

Then all I did then was enlarge the original hole and cut a horizontal line across the can for about 1.5 inches and then pull it out in the centre to form a spout and pour the paint along with the ball bearing into a glass jar with a metal lid no mess done and dusted. I'd seen the straw trick before but it was just too messy for me, this way no problem just take it easy making the first hole. 

Cheers Pete

 

 

Thanks Pete, I’ll have to try that!

 

just out of curiosity, how much paint does a Tamiya rattle can hold?  About the same as one of their larger jars?

[PeteB]

13 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Thanks Pete, I’ll have to try that!

 

just out of curiosity, how much paint does a Tamiya rattle can hold?  About the same as one of their larger jars?

Hi Mike - Addendum to my previous comments plus Tamiya recovery:

 

The Addendum: Just had to decant a can this morning to touch up some gravel rash on my wifes car bumper (use my airbrush for this) and this time tried out what I think you guys call a box cutter. Forget using side cutters - the box cutter with a new blade makes things soooo much easier. Use the point to create the initial escape hole as described and once the propellant has dispersed use it to cut an inch or so horizontally to form the spout and decant - makes it a very easy and clean 2 to 3 minute operation.

 

In regard to what you would get out of a Tamiya spray can I have attached a photo of the amount of paint I got out of the 400ml car touch up can. The jar is a medium jam jar about 21/4" Ø x 5" inches in the old money or about 55 x 125mm whichever you use.

 

As you can see I got about 2 3/8" of paint so proportioning it to a 100ml Tamiya can you could expect a bit over 5/8ths to 3/4"in a similar sized jar which would be enough to keep you air-brushing to Xmas and beyond. Looking at the amount of paint in the jar it's easy to believe the claim that 75% of rattle can paint is wasted. An add on for me is that I don't have to thin this in any way as its just waiting to be poured into the airbrush cup and it doesn't seem to skin over at all in the jar at least not that I have observed months after decanting.

 

Anyway mate have a go it won’t blow you and the house up and once you've done it no sweat next time.

 

Cheers Pete

[MadDogMcQ]

Rather than keep buying aerosols and risking running out just at the wrong time (as I did recently on my Bentley project), I have decided to invest in an airbrush system. Before just leaping in and making the wrong choice, I  asked for your opinions and I received lots of great replies, advice and tips - this lead me to better research the subject online.

My main concern was that I didn't want to buy cheap and end up buying twice, so I was focusing on good quality systems right from the start. But equally, I didn't want to chuck a load of money at something that was not going to be used everyday. 

 

In my head, I thought for sure that I needed a compressor with a tank, in order to have a 'reservoir' of air and avoid pulsing, but then I discovered through watching lots of YouTube videos that the tank-less systems performed just fine as long as you didn't go cheap. In the end, I settled on an Iwata Combo in the form of the Eclipse HP-CS Airbrush and the Smart Jet Pro MkII Compressor.

I wouldn't normally have gone this far, but I found this combo second hand on eBay at an extremely low price, so it didn't make sense not to grab such a bargain.  

 

I also then found another bargain almost straight away on FaceBook Marketplace - an AZTEK DELUXE PROFESSIONAL AIRBRUSH KIT. How could I justify buying a second airbrush??? Well I turned to my wife and suggested that it might be useful for her crafting activities too 😉 😄 

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS!

[Landlubber Mike]

Nice choices!  You won’t be disappointed!

 

[Cleat]

I have recently started learning the airbrush.  I got a Badger Patriot 105 (inexpensive, quality starter airbrush – it has a large nozzle which is easier to handle), a California Air 1P1060S compressor (inexpensive and quiet), a six pack of Createx acrylic paint (different colors to mix for any color), and some auxiliary parts (cleaning tools, cleaning pot, MAC valve, color wheel.).  I modified the air compressor; I added a manifold with a moisture trap and more accurate gauge for the airbrush operating pressure range (less than the compressor output). 

So far, I’ve mastered full on (which is useful for what I’m doing now), I need to practice control exercises to figure out the double action.  I’m getting more comfortable cleaning the airbrush – it is the first thing I learned.  I’ve been learning to thin and mix paint colors and figure out an ideal air pressure.  I’m at the stage where I need practice; mix colors, paint practice lines & dots, clean – repeat. 

I bought a Mississippi river boat kit for my winter project and plan on using the airbrush for painting; I need to decide what colors I want for the river boat (and practice using the airbrush).  

 

[MadDogMcQ]

Hey Cleat, so what pressure are you painting model-parts at? Around 20-30psi?

[Cleat]

I set the compressor to 30-40 psi and use a MACvalve at the airbrush to lower the pressure to what works the best.   The MACvalve (the section with the round knob) is connected to air input of the airbrush and it makes it easier to adjust the air pressure.   (I'm a woodworker and made a stand for the airbrush).  I picture is small parts I painted chrome with the airbrush. 

[peterbrowne]

+1 for Iwata. 

 

I have very reliable Iwata HP-CS and HP-CP airbrushes that are a joy to use.  The latter (more expensive) brush has an adjustable knob at the end to vary the airflow to get extremely fine results. 

 

For compressor, make sure you choose one with an air tank for smooth airflow.  I have a Sparmax TC-620X, but also have had an Iwata Power Jet Pro - they are both very high quality professional compressors - the Iwata compressors are made by Sparmax I'm told. 

 

I recommend investing in the best compressor you can afford.

Edited December 18, 2020 by peterbrowne

[Charles Green]

I started out in an apartment and I like things quiet anyway, so I started out with an 80 cubic foot bottle of compressed nitrogen.  It's dry and comes from the regulator - regulated.  I have an old Badger single action; no model number on it and a Paasche VL double action.  No mechanical problems with either of them.  Cleaning is the most important part for trouble-free use of any airbrush.