What now? Thinning Polly Scale . .

Rattle cans of Floquill are your friends.

I will be following this thread with interest. I have not had much luck with spraying Poly Scale. It will clog the airbrush in a few seconds. 

Pete

At this point you do not need to get this sophisticated, but eventually you will want to get some relatively accurate measure and control, particularly as you get into mixing paints.

Suggest that you consider grabbing some graduated transfer pipettes:

These are available at a ridiculous markup in hobby shops, or you can buy them by the case of 500 from scientific supply stores.

500 may sound like a lot, but I've gone through a case and am into a 2nd one using them for Polly Scale, Floquil, lacquer thinner, and casting resin.

Once again, it should never go without saying, all of you good folks make me a better modeler. There is so much expertise here. Thanks, thanks For taking the time to be so thorough and informative.

eliot

All above good...

FWIW, I use Testors Universal Acrylic Thinner (50496) and Cleaner (50497).  But I do know that Windex, distilled H2O, and alcohol work, too. 

Pipettes?  Good suggestion.

Extra bottles for mixing are useful, too.  Again, Testors has the 1/2oz and 1oz available. 

Re thickness of paint...our 'rule of thumb' is 'the consistency of skim milk'.  However, with my trusty Paasche H with the #3 nozzle/tip, I can tolerate a bit thicker.  In fact, I have had total success using this combination to spray latex house paint...thinned, of course...on difficult surfaces that a brush or roller won't do smoothly.

Re practicing...EXCELLENT recommendation.  I've saved dozens of those small single-serving plastic microwave meal dishes just for that purpose.  Hey, they're free!!.  Using one of those helps to get the paint flow adjusted properly...not too 'dry', not too wet...before going to the model. 

Best advice of all?...  BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY CLEAN YOUR AIRBRUSH WHEN THROUGH....Windex is excellent for this task, followed by washing/rinsing removable parts.  And, don't let it sit too long with paint in it...in other words, get your work organized at the spray booth before loading up the airbrush.

Don't let this indispensable item, the airbrush, intimidate you!  Practice with it,  Master it.  And you'll love it!!

KD

I have found my Polly Scale paints spray much better, and give a smoother harder surface if instead of thinner you mix it with Polly Scale clear flat or Clear gloss.  Depending on which ever sheen you want. Generally 4: color to 1 paint.  You want to get the standard "consistency of (whole) milk"

The binders in the PS Clear realy help cure the paint.

From way back in my misspent youth, I remember Floquil recommending adding gloss to thinned paint to buy back needed body. John has it right.

John,

When you say 4:color to 1 paint I am a little confused.

Do you mean 4 parts Polly Scale color to 1 part clear flat?

Eliot

Eliot

You got it: 4 parts paint to 1 part clear (gloss, or flat)

John

Thanks, John

I use distilled water for Polly Scale and try to get to the (visual) consistency of milk. Tap water will is only useful for clogging tips. I use Windex to chase out old colors or to clean my airbrush but have yet to try thinning with it.

I have found Polly Scale to have different consistencies right out of the bottle. Sometimes I can shoot Grimy Black right out of the bottle. I use a battery powered mixer to thoroughly distribute the pigments. One time I had the bottom of a Polly Scale bottle blow itself off so I'd  suggest doing the stirring over a trash can.

Be sure to use tips that are designed for acrylics. I also strip my airbrush (Aztek) tips down to all of its smallest parts to thoroughly clean it after each use.

This is also something that I have noted and that many of the black, grimy, oily, engine also seem to be rather problematic over time after opening the bottle - of all of the bottles that I very carefully clean and seal after using, these all seem to slowly become harder and harder to open later eventually requiring a good wrench.

If you've never air brushed acrylic before, it can be very frustrating because it dries so quickly when combined with the air and can clog your airbrush, especially if you use a fine tip. I usually use a meduim tip, IF I use acrylics... I personally try to avoid them when all possible.

I use 70% isopropyl alcohol to thin. 90%+ to clean and strip paint. 

No screening/using mesh to strain the paint required.

Use pipettes or an eye dropper to transfer and measure paint.

Check your paint mix on some scrap before shooting the real product you're gonna spray. When it splats out all over your nice wall or structure...... you will be a bit upset.

Many thanks Norm, mwb and Laidoffsick.

I really appreciate the advice.

If it was not for the Forum, I would be building with LEGO. Really.

Not a bad idea!

Just kidding.

Eliot and all others,

Look in the Micro Mark catalog and get their cap with dip tube that fits the Floquil/Pollyscale bottle.  No more transfering paint.  I spray Polyscale direct from the bottle after a through mixing at about 40 psi.  I find a new bottle works best and after about 3 weeks the bottle will clog easily.  That bottle then goes to brush work.

Don't be afraid of the airbrush, just practice on cardboard or tin cans.

And to sum it up CLEAN the brush at the first sign of a clog.  Tear it down as far as it will go and clean.

Good Luck,

George Lasley

When airbrushing with an acrylic paint, an external mix airbrush is best.
Stir, don’t shake and remove the paint from the bottle with a pipette.
Wipe the rim of the bottle with a damp cloth and rinse and dry the cap, otherwise you will have tiny dry paint particles falling into the bottle and may clog your airbrush the next time you use that color. If that happens, until you strain your paint, you will be cussing like a Longshoreman.
4 to 1 is about the right consistency.
For thinner I use a mixture of 50% distilled water and 50% denatured alcohol.

Always test spray first on a scrap piece or cardboard
Whenever you stop spraying, even for only a minute, blow some clean water/alcohol mixture threw until you have expelled all the paint in the brush.
Finally, disassemble the brush a clean with water.
If there is any paint residue, give it a final cleaning with lacquer thinner.
I use Polyscale much of the time but personally I prefer Badger Model Flex, they sell a drying retarder you can mix in.

All very good suggestions!  This is a great forum!

I've been using a Pasche air brush for years now on my and others' models.  I prefer using Floquil's Railroad colors to any acrylic, but sometimes the color you need is only available in acrylic.  The only thing I can add is that I always use a screen to filter out large particles that can sometimes flow through the nozzle of the brush, no matter how careful you are.  Pasche has a slip-on, cylindrical screen that goes over the pick up tube, and it might even work on another brand, since pick up tubes are all about the same size..  It's saved many a paint job for me.  I also modified a cap to accept the hardware for attaching bottles of Floquil or Poly S directly to the air brush.  Easily done by drilling one hole for the hardware and a small one for a vent.  I used an old bottle cap for the job.  That way, I can spray directly from the bottle if I'm doing a larger job.  I wipe the cap and rim carefully, and when done, it seals well enough to keep the paint for a long time.  It also cuts down on cleaning of the cap on the air brush lid if you don't tilt it too much when painting.  For cleaning the brush, I use lacquer thinner for Floquil's Railroad Colors and LOTS of water with any acrylic to clean the brush.  I have a spray booth vented to the outside, so fumes aren't an issue. I salvaged the spray booth from a school that was throwing it away.  VERY powerful motor on the vent, too!

But the bottom line is like the old joke: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice. 

Above all, have fun!

Jerry Poniatowski

Painting in Wayne, MI for 28 years

Hey Scrapiron

Go to Amazon and get this book

Model Railroader" Basic Painting and Weathering",by Jeff Wilson

One of the best thing's I ever did for the painting department