Painters Input Requested

[macjet]

I'm repainting several P2K SD60's. I'm using ModelFlex paint with a Badger airbrush. The paint is coming out of the airbrush with small dots with the spray instead of just a fine mist.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

[Railphotog]

Looks like your paint needs to be thinned a bit more. It is too thick to atomize.

[macjet]

Ok. I remember reading to dilute ModelFlex with 10-15% distilled water. Is this correct?

[Smoke]

Umm, I would say to clean your airbrush thoroughly. I have had this same problem and a thorough cleaning is what it needs. I wouldn't thin the paint, they come prethinned and I haven't ever thinned any modelflex before. Try cleaning it and see what happens.

Is your airbrush a dual-action/single action, and is it internal/external mix?

-Smoke

[macjet]

Umm, I would say to clean your airbrush thoroughly. I have had this same problem and a thorough cleaning is what it needs. I wouldn't thin the paint, they come prethinned and I haven't ever thinned any modelflex before. Try cleaning it and see what happens.

Is your airbrush a dual-action/single action, and is it internal/external mix?

-Smoke

It's this one.

[jbaakko]

Using an external mix, single action like that, shooting model flex, is about the toughest thing I've ever done. I never fully perfected it, though using some distilled water, or windex (no surface tension like water) may help because the paint will be MUCH lighter. I've since switched to a dual action internal mix and Polly Scale, or Floquil paints, so I have not experience with the model flex on the new brush.

[macjet]

It sounds like the problem is my airbrush and the paint. I chose ModelFlex because of all the P2K plastic handrails, grab irons, etc that will have to be painted. I did paint my SF sunshades the appropriate color with Floquil and got excellent results.

I'm kind of gun shy about re-shooting this engine. Should I switch paints? Get a better airbrush (I've got at least three more units to paint)? Or try the windex/distilled water dilution?

[UP2CSX]

I would get a better airbrush regardless of what you do to the paint. Those cheap external mix airbrushes are difficult to use, difficult to clean, and, as you've seen, difficult to get a consistent spray of paint out of. I've got an airbrush similar to what Josh describes and it's way better in every aspect than my old Badger external mix airbrush. If you are really serious about producing top-quality paint jobs, a top-quality airbrush is a must.

[jbaakko]

I only use the external mix, for the base color, BNSF Orange, or UP yellow in my case, and it works a bit better with the Floquil paints. However, you should be able to get a better brush for fairly cheap. I'm assuming you got yours at Wal*Mart, because I myself got my cheapo one from there. They also had one for twice the price, that was an internal mix, dual action.

[Railphotog]

The unit shown is not marketed as an air brush, but a "paint sprayer" or something like that. It is not intended for fine work, only overall coarse work. It is your problem, not the paint thinning I mentioned before. But the problem is of atomization as I did mention, this unit does not have the capability to spray the paint fine enough. You need a real airbrush, even the cheapest one will do better.

[macjet]

Ok. I just got back with my new Paasche doube action, internal mix VL airbrush. Is this a good one?

[kjd]

I've used mine for 15 years and painted dozens of projects with it. I like it but it is a bit of pain to get clean. I run it off a real air compressor with a 5 gallon tank. I charge the tank to 125psi and turn the compressor off. It will usually last until I am finished.

[UP2CSX]

It's a very nice airbrush but keeping it clean after you're done for the day is vital in keeping it running right. As Paul says, it a little bit of a pain but a lot less of pain if you religiously clean it after every use. I ran mine directly from 150 psi compressor and didn't experience any problems but running it from a tank is the way to go if you can afford it since all compressors are a little uneven in air ouput. Still, compared to the one you had, you'll think you've died and gone to heaven using the new one. :)

[macjet]

I also bought a new compressor. This paint project is getting expensive.:eek: It's little but it is a 1 gallon tank with 100 PSI max. I was considering getting a regulator to bring it down to 25-30 PSI.

[jbaakko]

I think you'll be fine at 100psi. Being a double action you can control the amount of air released. Just play around with scrap for a few runs so you get used to hoe it works! Its a whole new experience from just pressing the tab on the old one you had.