How to Start

[russell hopson]

I have over the last 2 months been preparing my revel Schlingmann TLF 16/25 fire engine. its now getting to the point to start painting. I have been advised to get a elephant compressor as a start as it produces the right pressure and simple to use. But to bee truthful I am  S*&% scared of using it as I have taken so much time in the prep. the cab is to big to brush.


WHERE DO I START


I have been told so many mixtures for paints I am now confused. I really what to get in to using the air brush but have no idea where I start or what to do


The paint I use are Revell or Humbrol enamel


any information will be much appreciated


Russ  

 

[dave]

If you have a search around on here you will probably find hundreds of threads with helpful advice.


For a compressor look for one with a tank, quite a few people (including me) seem to have the AS-186 (or similar), which is cheap and does the job.


For the rest it is down to experimentation and getting to know your set up, use what you read as a guide and refine from there.  There is no one true way, find what works for you and use it.


Empty plastic milk bottles or similar  are useful for practicing on and that way you do not start on the model until you are happy.

 

[John Rixon]

Dave speaks the truth! If you are tentative about starting, just practice on bottles, old models etc, you'll soon become familiar with both the airbrush, and how to clean up afterwards. Play with masking, and, if necessary, keep notes, especially if something goes right! There's often longish periods of time in between models, and it's easy to forget important details - I now, as a habit, note down ratios of paint to thinner, especially if it's a new paint , e.g. Vallejo's Metal Colour.

 

[Gern]

Be prepared for some frustration Russ! I don't build large numbers of kits so I don't spend as much time at the bench as some, but I've been airbrushing for about five years now - and still come up with problems on a regular basis!


Fans of enamels will tell you they are more forgiving than acrylics when airbrushing with fewer finicky problems. They do have the downside that they take ages to dry and have strong smells attached, but I wish I could use them (The fumes from the thinners irritate my nose and throat badly). If you're used to using enamels already, maybe you should stick with them.


Don't spend a fortune on an expensive set-up. John at the forum shop has some good deals on airbrushes and compressors which will serve you well. He's got a couple of deals at the moment with a compressor and airbrush for less than £80. You'll need extra for paints to practise with, thinners, cleaners, wipes, etc. but you could get going for about £100.


As Dave says, there are loads of demo videos for learners to give you some of the basics, but there's only one way to learn and that's to dive in and try it. Practise the techniques you see on the videos and find what works for you personally - but don't practise on your kits!


One thing I would advise is to pay particular attention to cleaning and looking after your airbrush. They are precision instruments, and even tiny, unnoticed things such as dried flecks of paint or bent needles will lead to all sorts of problems.


Practice and patience will work wonders!

 

[eddiesolo]

Yep, as the guys have stated Russ, practice. Forget your model, that has to be put out of mind and sight. Sounds stupid but I once was practicing on some old plastic models and it was all going well, got impatient, got the model started spraying and made a mess  Dave is spot on about cleaning, you don't need to do a full strip down all the time, especially with acrylics, but a good clean is essential. 


As you prefer Enamels you will probably have to thin down and get the ratio, pressures etc correct. There are guys on here that use enamels in AB so they maybe along to give you better advice regarding using this medium. 


Good luck and have fun Russ.

 

[dubster72]

All the guys advice is spot-on. You can watch a gazillion YouTube videos, but there's simply no substitute for practice & experience


In my opinion, enamels are far more user-friendly than acrylics when airbrushing. They will tolerate different air pressures & thinning ratios much better.


The usual rule of thumb for thinning is to get the paint to the consistency of semi skimmed milk... but as you start out, go for a 50:50 ratio and experiment from there. As you become happier with using your airbrush you'll probably settle on a 60:40 mix of thinner to paint.


You can buy measuring pipettes quite cheaply to help get the ratios correct. With more & more experience you'll be mixing on the fly without the need for meticulous measuring.


Think of it like learning to drive - at first everything seems like too much to take in. But soon much of it becomes automatic & far less daunting.


I would really say that a decent face mask is a must for airbrushing. Even with acrylics you don't want those particulates getting into your lungs & with the fumes of enamels/white spirit this is even more so. A spray booth would also be a good investment if you're going to use your AB a lot.


One thing to consider is your compressor. The Elephant type is just about ok for very occasional work, but I believe its output is limited to less than 25 PSI. For spraying enamels, that's the minimum I would use, so you may find your compressor is working right at its limit.


HTH


Patrick

 

[russell hopson]

thank you every one for the advice think its going to be a big step and drinking lots of milk for the bottles

 

[Stevekir]

Dave said " Empty plastic milk bottles or similar  are useful for practicing on and that way you do not start on the model until you are happy. "


Much better, I think, are 2 litre plastic bottles of lemonade etc from Asda, Sainsbury's etc. They have a smooth surface, like plastic models,  rather than the bumpy surface of (at least my) pl;astic milk bottles. You can scrub off older experiments to avoid having to drink  loads of pop.

 

[dave]

Dave said " Empty plastic milk bottles or similar  are useful for practicing on and that way you do not start on the model until you are happy. "


Much better, I think, are 2 litre plastic bottles of lemonade etc from Asda, Sainsbury's etc. They have a smooth surface, like plastic models,  rather than the bumpy surface of (at least my) pl;astic milk bottles. You can scrub off older experiments to avoid having to drink  loads of pop.

Steve I agree but the milk bottles I get here in Belgium are smooth.

 

[Deleted member 3568]

Hi and welcome to the forum, I have the as186 setup and have had no problems for the couple of years I've had it (admittedly I'm a novice at abing but surely that shows how easy it is to use)(admittedly I'm an enamel user, DO NOT ASK FOR OPINIONS on enamels verses acrylic that is a volatile question)

 

[Ian M]

Steve I agree but the milk bottles I get here in Belgium are smooth.

Here in Denmark we get it in cardboard boxes. which are impossible to paint. 


In principle it really does not matter what you use to practice on, as long as it meets two criteria, Its easy to hold and accepts the paint you which to use, or rather the primers.


I am shocked and surprised that the safety police have not gone into the "dont forget the ventilation when spraying. Especially with Enamel paints. they so tend to be rather nasty.  

 

[eddiesolo]

Here in Denmark we get it in cardboard boxes. which are impossible to paint. 


In principle it really does not matter what you use to practice on, as long as it meets two criteria, Its easy to hold and accepts the paint you which to use, or rather the primers.


I am shocked and surprised that the safety police have not gone into the "dont forget the ventilation when spraying. Especially with Enamel paints. they so tend to be rather nasty.  

Patrick mentioned it in his post about getting a booth and a mask. Sound advice though, get a good face mask, I got one from John's shop with a spare filter-I also have a booth vented to the outside.

 

[Snowman]

Patrick mentioned it in his post about getting a booth and a mask. Sound advice though, get a good face mask, I got one from John's shop with a spare filter-I also have a booth vented to the outside.

I couldn't agree more, put your health before the model.

 

[Mark P]

Like everyone has said, practice, practice, practice and before you know it you will be spraying like a pro

 

[stona]

Hi Russell


I'm a dyed in the wool enamel user too, and I've been spraying them for years, which probably qualifies me to pass some comment


First all the advice above is good advice. You definitely don't want to start experimenting on your model, so practice on something else.


As far as thinning goes, I think it was Patrick who made the point that enamels are more tolerant of approximate thinning, and that reflects my experience too. Every set up is different and it is impossible to give an exact thinning ratio as it is dependent on many, many factors, it even varies from paint to paint, never mind manufacturer to manufacturer. However, with your enamels, I would suggest starting at a ration of about 60:40 paint to thinners. I have used cheap white spirits to thin all types of enamel paints with no problems, so I would not suggest wasting money on expensive branded versions. This may seem a higher paint to thinners ratio than many recommend, but it is a good starting point. It is easy to add a little more thinners if needed. I never measure ratios exactly but go by eye and the look of the thinned paint, this obviously requires experience and can't really be taught, but then that's what practice is for!


Perhaps the other most relevant factor, along with the thinning of the medium, is the pressure at which you spray. I spray at a much higher pressure than most hobby sprayers and it works for me and my airbrushes. I would suggest a minimum pressure of 30 psi and don't be scared to go higher. I also spray everything from fine lines to Luftwaffe mottle at this pressure and do not understand why some people seem to fiddle about with theirs all the time. There is a tendency in the model/hobby world to overthink the issues which creates a whole new set of problems! Airbrush spraying is actually not difficult at all, it just requires learning and practice, like any other skill.


Good luck with your project(s) and don't hesitate to ask questions, no matter how silly they may seem I can assure you that they are not


Cheers


Steve

 

[Neil]

Well I finally used the AB setup I got from John back in March today - the AS168 ? not sure, has a tank though, and an H&S Infinity. I have a spray booth too and vented out a window. It all went very well though I did use a model rather than a plastic bottle but it is an M1A1 and all coloured sand so one colour and a big area to practice.


What I did find is I went through the first cup very quickly so I need to practice reducing how much paint flows, maybe I'm just heavy handed first time round. I'm using acrylics as well which maybe made things little more forgiving. What I can safely say is that is was great fun and a whole lot quicker to paint the area with an AB than by brush and first attempt, it looks a lot smoother.


Neil