Paint brush verses air brush

[medic]

Can anyone help?

I have come from a back ground of figure and AFV modelling on either a plastic, resin or white metal base. What is the best way to apply finishes to wood?

1. Should I use an air brush or a good sable brush.

2. Should I paint each section separately or wait till model is assembled?

Cheers

Medic

Edited January 5, 2015 by medic

[NAZGÛL]

For me brush works better on a wooden shipmodel. I work with washes and drybrushing alot and also pastel powder. I use the airbrush once in a while when I need to add a thin coat of varnish to make the pastels stick.

 

I paint everything before assembling them. You need to be sure of the look you want early though.

 

But this is preference and imo there are few wrong or rights in modelbuilding.

 

/Matti

Edited January 5, 2015 by NAZGÛL

[NMBROOK]

I,like Matti prefer a brush.The biggest issue with wood,especially basswood,is that the first coat lifts the grain.I tend to apply lots of thin coats by brush with plenty of flatting back every couple of coats.You are gaining very little tooling up with an airbrush as any imperfections are sanded away anyway.However I do spray everything with clear polyurethane afterwards.

Painting areas that will be hard to reach as you go is highly recommended.

As Matti says though,there is no right and wrong,we just find a method that works best for us.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

Edited January 5, 2015 by NMBROOK

[geoff]

I agree with Matti. It's a brush & water based acrylics for me every time. I found airbrushing too fiddly & time consuming, at least with acrylics you can clean your brushes quickly in water!

[S.Coleman]

i`d have to go with the others on this one. Using a brush is alot better for fiddly tasks. For painting the hull under the waterline i would maby use an airbrush.  I take a look at the stages of construction in order to see what needs to be painted before assembling parts. ie, hard to reach places etc. hope this helps you out.

[wq3296]

Greetings,

 

I use brushes for painting. However, don't forget the other option: spray cans. Model shops have all kinds of spray colors and finishes and paint and hardware stores (Home Depot, Loews, etc.) have huge selections. The spray cans work great for applying polyurethane over the hull and decks. With all that said, I have limited experience with air brushing but there is limited clean up with brushes and spray cans compared to air brushing.

 

wq3296

[Keith_W]

Yup, spray cans are great for applying large coats of paint. Here's a tip: immerse your spray cans in hot water for 10 minutes before using them. This causes the pressure in the cans to build up, so the spray that you get is finer. If you let your cans get cold / or let the pressure go down, the paint comes out in droplets and causes a blotchy effect. 

[kurtvd19]

It's an airbrush for me for 90 percent of my painting.  I use acrylics and airbrush cleanup is easy.  The secret to airbrushing small areas is to use an airbrush meant for detail work vs one meant for larger areas. 

Spray cans are of limited use in my opinion with the hobby brands, Testors, etc. being OK but the use of hardware store paints (spray or cans) is to be avoided due to the size of the paint pigments.  Model paints are in the 1 micron range while hardware store paints, meant to cover in one application range about 17 to 32 microns and will obscure details..

To avoid water based paints from raising the grain of basswood or other woods a coat of shellac sprayed or brushed will seal the wood and the water based paint applied over the shellac will not raise the grain.

Kurt

[hornet]

I started using an airbrush about 6 months ago. I use acrylics. Once you get your paint consistency and pressure right, you won't go back. Cleanup is easy. I also polyurethane with the airbrush. I use a 50-50 mix of poly and low odour turps and it works well. For painting acrylics I use a double action airbrush but for applying the poly I use a cheap single action airbrush. If you decide to go with an airbrush, make sure you get a compressor with a tank. It is quieter and you get a more consistent result. Make sure you have a moisture trap installed as well. I agree with NMBROOK about applying thin coats and sanding back between each. One of the big advantages of using an airbrush is the ability to apply very thin coats. I use a mix of 50% paint and 50-50 distilled water and clear windex. Even with 5 - 6 coats you can still see the wood grain - something I like. As to painting parts before assembly, If you are going to airbrush you will need to do this. I agree with S.Colman, plan ahead and paint what you can before you assemble. On my current build - HMS Supply, I have painted all planks (that needed painting), stern facia, fore deck facia, stem post, rudder, capping rails, and deck furniture with an airbrush before fitting. There are still a lot of places that I use a brush, for example window frames, but I'm sold on using my airbrush!!

Edited January 6, 2015 by hornet

[medic]

Thanks one and all for your valuable input, as this is my first build I'm not keen to stuff it up, and you are all key to my success. Having said that trial and error seems to be the order of the day.

 

Another question if you'll permit.....................Is a satin finish the most appropriate?

Cheers

Medic

[Keith_W]

Matter of taste. Some people say flat. Some say satin. 

I have finished 4 of my last ships in satin, the last was finished in tung oil - which is only a tiny bit more satin than flat. 

[hornet]

I go along with Keith, satin for me too. I have used both satin and flat in the past.

Edited January 6, 2015 by hornet

[medic]

Guys thanks very much for the feedback this kind of support makes my transition from the other forms modelling to period ships that much easier, and as a new guy that much more welcomed.

Cheers

Medic

[Kim]

I use air brush most of all. So I would recommend it to you.

[monkeyman]

I'm not yer much into painting, but I've tried both brush and airbrush. I'd do small stuff with common brush and large areas with airbrush, for it give you VERY smooth surface, which you won't get with common brush.

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

I don't think there is a wrong way or better tool. I think it depends on what kind of finish you want on your ship.

 

I always use my airbrush on plastic and resign kits but it has not touched any of my wooden ships yet. This does not mean it won't, but just that I have not found it necessary yet. For stains and dyeing wood, a brush or rag is the better tool; but should I decide to do a clear coat my ship with a dull urethane when I am done I will use my airbrush to do this. It will do the best job to preserve all the detail, especially on the deck. Truth be told a spray can could also do this.  A brush however would not do a good job here. For PE, metal parts that are highly detailed it might come out or I might try blackening. I considered a translucent color to represent bottom paint but let all the detail show. Again something for the airbrush.

 

I put the airbrush with the Sherline mill and Brynes saw for shipbuilding. They are each really nice to own but not really necessary for shipbuilding. Yes these tools will expand your possibilities but only after you learn to use them which can be a task in itself. The airbrush does have a slight advantage over the other two: you can't cut your finger off learning to use it. You will however spend a lot of time.