painting

Mike,

I've been spray painting for quite a while (and certainly no expert), but I have never used a booth.  My garage does have a vent fan on the roof, but it only comes on at a certain temp.

Most of the time I clear out the center of my garage (move the Mini out of the way) put a table and a cardboard box in the center, close the doors, place the piece on top of the box, and start spraying.

I use a Badger Crescendo 175 and an old Miller 1/10 HP compressor from the 1970s.

The 175 "set" (with all the nozzles) will run $100-160 depending on where you get it.

A few years ago I went to an IPMS show in VA. Beach and the Iwata girl showed me how to use their airbrush.  She also said to thin the paint to the consistency of 2% milk.

While there I asked her what air compressor she was using.  It was an Iwata, I couldn't hear it running.  My old clunker makes a racket and probably causes me to get in a hurry.

I've been using mainly Testors Floquil Railroad Acrylics:

http://www.testors.com/categor...67/Railroad_Acrylics

and their Universal Thinner:

http://www.testors.com/product...irbrush_Thinner_4_oz.

I keep a large cup of water nearby so, when I finish applying a coat, I can clean the airbrush before the paint dries inside.  Pays to wear gloves too or you'll be scrubbing the skin off your hands if you're clumsy like me.  A roll of paper towels too!

I've been using the Steam Power Black of my steamers lately, it seems to show the details better than Engine Black.

Like anything in this hobby you can spend as much as you want and get all A1 top of the line stuff, but you can also achieve what you want with very little.

Kinda depends on how much painting you are doing.  I did a little touchup on a couple airplanes today - hard to fit them in a paint booth.

if I were doing catenary poles, I would hit them with a rattle can, outside, in the sunlight.

i too do not like water base paints, but that is the wave of the future.

those of you who paint outdoors had better wait several weeks before starting another paint job. the amount of pollen in the air will ruin all your good work.

Get yourself a humidity gauge. If the air has 60% or more humidity do not paint. A few paints I have seen say up to 75% but that is pushing it. If the temp is 80 or higher Its best not to paint as well. Most of this applies to outside painting.

Rob

For more info and instructions to build your own booth:

Model Railroader Magazine, August 1983, pp. 103-105 - Wood booth with Dayton exhaust fan

Model Railroader Magazine, January 1988, pp. 128-135 - Steel booth with Dayton exhaust fan

Learned a lot about spray painting.

I am using Floguil enamel.  How much should I dilute it?  Also with what?  Cleanup with what.

Fairly simple but unknown to me.

thanks guys

mikeg

Good starting point => read the instructions on the bottle and/or FAQ section on Floquil website.

Simple enough.

I use a dual action air brush I got from Harbor Freight for $18 with coupon. I've bought airbrushes from $100 - $275 from many different makers. The Harbor Freight one works just as good as any of them.

I use a portable Dewalt compressor with a 4 gallon tank, just because that's what I use to do all my finish carpentry with, so that's what I have. Always run a moisture trap and regulator...ALWAYS. I spray with 10psi to 35 psi, just depends on the task at hand.

I also spray Floquil enamels and hate anything acrylic for spraying. I use plain ole Paint Thinner, I buy by the gallon from HD or Lowes. I thin it about 25% for normal spraying, a lot more for weathering, just depends on what I'm doing.

I also use the same paint thinner for clean up.

I don't use a paint booth any more, but did when I use to airbrush in the spare bedroom. Now I paint in the garage with the doors open.

It's an art form, you will learn your own tips and techniques the more you do it. You may even prefer acrylics, who knows.  

Mike,

I have used a Badger mod. 100 double action airbrush for probably the last 40 years or so. I also use a badger diaphram compressor with a regulator and water filter (most important) usually run at about 12psi. I use nothing but Floquil solvent base paints and thin them at least 50-50 for normal applications and with a higher solvent ratio for weathering, detail effects, etc. As for cleaning the airbrush, I use Gumout carbourator/injector cleaner in a spray can. This stuff is cheap and works every time, all the time. Spray it into the color cup (or jar) and run it through the airbrush into a paper towel, or rag until it sprays clear (it says it is non

toxic, but the towel/rag reduces the vapor in the air). Add your next color, or put the gun away if you are finished.

Buzz 

I am all over the map - old Scale Coat was my favorite for baking and under decals. Floquil engine black was best for mechanisms, and weathered black was great for overspray after decaling.

Paints are changing rqpidly - I just found out that new Krylon eats old Krylon.  That is a new phenomenon.  All automobile painting in California is now water- based, and as you know there is a shortage of water in California, so prices are up.

Tonight I will spray a steam mechanism.  I will be using Krylon, but it will be through a Paasche Model H, since Krylon modified their nozzles to better serve graffiti artists.  Tomorrow I will lightly bead- blast the boiler and shoot old Scale Coat gloss.

Color matching has become a giant headache - what used to be a standard color - Piper Cub Yellow - is now only available in water- based paint at many hundreds of dollars per quart.  It is "mix your own" city.

Sounds like this post belongs in " Rants & Raves!"

Opinion.  I will get you a photo when finished.

Will contact Micromark re; if my compressor will work with their air brush systems.

It is a Porter Cable and has been sitting on a shelf in garage since I finished remodeling home a few years ago.  Seems dumb to buy new one if existing one will work. 

mikeg

Mike,
Check the Porter-Cable website...they have product safety notices/recalls for their compressors.  Might be dumb to use it.

Bought a Passche airbrush in 1984 and used it off and on until 2003 with little or no success. I just couldn't get the knack of it.

Now i use either Scalecoat II in rattle cans or Scalecoat II from the bottle with a Preval sprayer that you can get at any NAPA, Ace Hardware or True Value Hardware for less than $10. It works great for me. I generally use 20% paint to 80% thinner and mist on several VERY LIGHT coats drying well in between coats. Sometimes speed the drying up using a hair dryer on a low setting.

I paint either outside, in the garage, or in an unfinished but heated part of the basement depending on the temp and humidity. Once while on a long business trip i even painted on the balcony of my hotel (Extended Stay America) room.

jackson

Hello,

I have been using an airbrush for over 30 years and use a carbon dioxide cylinder and regulator set at 15 psi for operating my Pasche Model H single action air brush.  Carbon dioxide provides a totally dry supply of "air" for the brush regardless of the day's humidity level which can be quite high here in Maryland. It is also dead silent.

Many years ago I built a plywood paint spray booth with a Dayton blower based on an article that I believe was printed in the old Mainline Modeler magazine.  The booth was a worthwhile project and has served me well.

When painting locomotives I use original Scalecoat solvent based paint.  Floquil solvent base is also sometimes used.  I do not like acrylic paint for spraying models but maybe I have never really tried to use it so I have a bias in that regard.  If it works for you then that is the way to go.

Joe Foehrkolb

I'm getting ready to spray the interior of a passenger car with Liquitex Acrylic Paint.  I tried to brush it on, but can still see the brush marks.

It's the only paint (Medium Viscosity/Soft Body Yellow Oxide) I have that looks like the color of the interior of the car (Seaboard Sun-Lounge).  I've never used this paint in an airbrush so I Googled it and found this:

http://www.grimvisions.com/tec...them-for-airbrushing

What he says about thinning with anything but the recommended medium for airbrushes makes sense.  I'm going to thin it with Testors Universal Medium (have already thinned it in the bottle and seems fine).

Best I recall I bought this paint at Michaels a couple of years ago (that's why I had to add some of the airbrush medium to the bottle) and it's cheap compared to the hobby paints available, I bought a 2 oz. bottle.

My old Miller compressor has served me well since I bought it back in the early 70s, but it's loud, might be time for a new Iwata unit , but still no paint booth in the future.

Even with the rattle cans you may want to do a simple organic cartridge respirator. Inexpensive compared to a spray both, but just as valuable. IMO. The cartidges(2 cans) are designed to be replaced.

There is an asortment of air brush cleaners and thinners both acrylic and solvent based.  Additional bottles for the air brush are a plus.

A quick connect system to your air compressor hose is also a plus. Pictured is a small water seperator hooked to the Air bush top, Air nozzle, Tire fill air chuck bottom.

Small water seperator pictured.

A slop bucket.  Start and end/clean air brush here.  Oil dry absorbent material in the bucket.

A crude air brush holder.

The air pressure needs to be relatively low, 10 psi or less, IMO. The Air brush instruction should specify recommended air pressure.  Picture is of the adjustment knob on my air compressor.  One gauge is tank pressure, the other gauge is hose pressure to the air brush.

An additional water/oil seperator installed at the air compressor.  Compressor tank and water seperators should be drained and cleaned before each use.

Paper towel and Q-tips for  air brush clean-up.

Note the Polyscale, acrylic paint thinner.  I have had better luck thinning acrylics with this material even though distilled water can be used.

Not pictured are pipe cleaners.  The bottle tube needs to be cleaned with a pipe cleaner.  A good clean-up area is a must. I have a wash sink in the garage close to the work area with hot and cold water.  Clean-up is a fairly large part of an air brush project.

Laundry sink to the rear in this picture.

Best wishes with your project. 

Mike  

I got these brushes from Harbor Freight to clean out my airbrush nozzle:

http://www.harborfreight.com/5...g-brushes-68155.html

My airbrush also came with a small thin wire to run thru the nozzle.

Mike CT, I need to make one of those airbrush holders

Ihave had the Harbor Freight Airbrush for 8 Years and never used it, and I just got a Paasche VL set slightly used (And it came with an inline water trap) for $30 on ebay.  I have a porter and cable compressor and will be buying / building the 3 last pieces of the puzzle.

-Soda Blasting system

-Blast Cabinet

-and a 2-3 filter 30"x 18" collapsible spray booth

Then the fun begins!!!!

I am also picking up this gem from Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/72-...3083493#.UYuqcILhLZo

Checked with tech support at Micro Mark and no problem using my Porter Cable compressor.  Accordingly I have ordered my airbrush.

mikeg