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Help please .....Airbrush cleaning and mediums allowed

Discussion in 'Painting Techniques' started by Dolf, Jun 4, 2020.

  1. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    And another video with tips on which thinners to use with the main types of paints used with airbrushes (which includes acrylics, lacquers and enamels, and excludes oil paints), including enamel paints:





    And the airbrushing part:








    "If I'm not mistaken, Mr Primer is a lacquer-based product."

    You're right indeed, Brad. This guy on this video confirms it. Apparently both Mr Color paints as well as Mr Hobby/Mr Surfacer primers are lacquer-based products.


    Cheers!
  2. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    . Another H&S user..
  3. theBaron A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    I've wondered, too, whether those products are called "Hobby-san", "Surfacer-san", and "Color-san", in home market consumption. ;)

    Prost!
    Brad
    Dolf and grasshopper like this.
  4. samson Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
  5. samson Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    . Hello sorry for the long time getting back to you . I also recently received a H and S ultra that came in a vallejo model air suitcase paint set I have not tried it yet but I will soon just a couple more opinions yes the vallejo brand flow improver is only used for acrylic paint . I should be back to the hobby soon but in the mean time here is the little I have learned First practice practice and practice again . I have used both testors enamel and acrylic paint along with the testors brand additives I like them both as far as acrylics go I have also used vallejo , golden and iwatta media paints I use the Medea airbrush cleaner after use with the Medea and golden airbrush paint it’s great stuff , I have used tamiya regular line not the lacquer line and have used the tamiya additives as well great stuff . Kinda a rule of thumb the hotter the paint the more smell it will give out . Acrylic being almost non smell , enamel has a pretty good smell , and last lacquer giving off a strong smell you can put both acrylic and enamel over dried lacquer paint but not the other way around . As mentioned above I use the same brand paint and thinners when working with the airbrush never got along good skipping corners. And lastly remember the difference in the needle size and thinning and compressor will come into play there really is no right ratio in my opinion this is where practice will come into play good luck and above all have fun
    Dolf likes this.
  6. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    Thanks a lot Samson (y)

    I don't think Humbrol has an airbrush cleaner nor a thinner, but I may be wrong tho. I'll have to do some more research.

    I remember that in the old days, over 30 years ago, I used to have some Testors paints (enamel ones as for Humbrol), they were easy to find here, and no more expensive than the Humbrol ones.
    But I guess those "golden days" are over now. Anything imported from outside the EU, costs a lot on Customs duties. Shipping costs are also not cheap. Hence the dealers would have to sell them expensive in order to get some profit. And the regular customers, having similar products to choose from, one at a high price, and another at an average price, in most cases will opt for the cheaper one.
    So I think nowadays Testors, but also the airbrush brands Badger, Paasche, which are US made, are very hard to find here, and the rare dealers who may have them, the cost is very high.
    I'm not sure if Iwata is an American or Japanese brand. Anyway, they are among the most expensive airbrushes here. Even so I know it has a lot of adepts locally.

    As for paints. What I've learned, from Portuguese Modelers Forums, here too most of the new generation of modelers are totally surrendered to acrylics!
    Almost no one still uses enamels. Except maybe a few survivors from of the old school, like me :rolleyes:
    I kind of like the soft smell of enamels, it doesn't bother me at all :p But then again it's maybe a question of getting used to it, I'm sure others don't feel bad with other paints that have (for me) a strong an unpleasant smell.

    Harder & Steenbeck is a German company. In general German made stuff is reliable and is supposed to have a long-term life.
    Their top airbrushes are also quite expensive, around 250€. My Ultra Two in One (a 0.2mm and a 0.4mm nozzles, with a 2ml cup and a 5ml one) costed just over 100€. I know it's not the top, it's what I could afford. There's also the Compressor (a Fengda FD-186), also just over 100€...
    And then there are a whole lot of tools, for cleaning, for this and that... And the new thinners/cleaners... This is definitely an expensive hobby! :eek: :D


    I'm still waiting for the Compressor to be delivered, so I wasn't able to use the Airbrush yet. But I'm taking advantage of this extra free time to read, watch videos, and get as much information about the use of Airbrushes as I can.
    And then when I'll get the Compressor, I know, practice, practice, practice... :happy:


    Thanks again! (y)


    Cheers!
  7. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    Lol... After all, even if Japanese is not one of the languages I'm familiar with, I believe "San" means Mr, or Mrs, or Miss, or Ms, so it's highly likely... :joyful:


    Cheers!
    theBaron likes this.
  8. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    "I don't think Humbrol has an airbrush cleaner nor a thinner"

    As a matter fact they do have a acrylic thinner and also a enamel thinner!

    Now, they don't seem exclusively for use when airbrushing, but I assume (from what I've read on their official website) that both can and should be used with Humbrol paints when airbrushing, as well as for when painting with hand brushes.


    Cheers!
  9. samson Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    I really like using enamel paints on auto and armor stuff the only acrylic paint i like for brush painting figures is vallejo
    Dolf likes this.
  10. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi Folks

    Lots of questions and lots of information with good YT videos about airbrushing

    Good initial question and great responses

    Happy airbrushing all

    Nap
    Dolf and samson like this.
  11. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    Same here, enamels are still my choice for hand painting other types of models, such as military and civilian vehicles, aircraft, and even 1/35 figures, and on dioramas. IMHO enamel paints rock :p
    For larger scale figures and busts, I use enamels as a base coat on top of the lacquer-based primer, and then, oil paints.

    But one day I'll have to test those Vallejo acrylics everyone speaks so much about ;)


    Cheers!
    samson likes this.
  12. David Spencer A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Late to the party as ever...
    But, my principles are: keep the airbrush clean, get a compressor to adjust air pressures, and never put water-based acrylic through it.

    Enamels are fine, but take a long time to dry (2 applications in a day on aircraft is the max (am and pm, 6 hrs apart)). Never tried them on figures, but airbrushes are great for large areas and give a lovely finish.

    All points doubtless made already.
  13. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I would be very interested to know your reasoning on never putting water based acrylics through an airbrush...simply because...I would argue...acrylics are a primary medium for such.

    Ron
    grasshopper and samson like this.
  14. samson Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Yep I’d be curious to know that myself all i used to do and what i plan to do returning to the hobby
  15. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    You...me...and over 90% of current users would no doubt be interested to know :confused:
    grasshopper and samson like this.
  16. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Guess we will never know the answer then :nailbiting:
    samson likes this.
  17. samson Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Maybe it was a mis type can’t think of another reason for it
  18. kagemusha A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    :):D:LOL::ROFLMAO::whistle:
    samson likes this.
  19. Dolf Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Portugal
    For my 1st test I used water based acrylic paint on the airbrush, no problem whatsoever.

    I intend to use it mainly for enamels and a lacquer-based primer, but for the tests (using those that Peter, from Sarnia Miniatures posted here on PDF: https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/airbrush-practices.234401/#post-1061805 ) I used acrylic paint (much easier to clean the airbrush after using it, among other reasons :D ) .

    And then did a full cleaning (starting with water, and then with a good cleaner) .


    Thanks again for all the replies, help and suggestions, very much appreciated (y)


    Cheers!
    Nap and grasshopper like this.
  20. Paul Kernan A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I'm not a massive AB user but when I do it has always been Tamiya or Vallejo. I'm embarking on painting my first piece of armour in 30 yrs (COVID madness taking hold;)), so I've been watching a number of Youtube videos (Dave Brown and Dave Forest at Hornet Hobbies have been the most informative).
    Dolf likes this.

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