Does anybody know how to fix airbrush paint “splatter?” I use a Tamiya airbrush system (from the looks of the airbrush assembly, it seems double-action to me) and it produces some small paint dots on the surface outside the ‘target’ area. what causes this? is there a way to fix this or to prevent it from ruining my paintjob? Thanx.
You may be too far away from the model, which lets the paint dry in the air, giving a rough finish, or you may be using too much air. With an airbrush, it’s good to practice on scrap material to get the right amount of down and back pressure to use to get the desired effect. I make up a bit more paint than I will need and test it on a piece of plastic wrap taped to a cardboard. Some overspray is hard to avoid, but you can often get a clean edge by using the least amount of paint and air pressure and tilting the brush so it is at an angle to the surface, giving a clean edge.
Another possible culprit is a damaged paint needle in your airbrush.
I’m assuming Tamiya makes their dual action airbrushes as most companies do, and incorporates a long steel needle that runs the length of the inside of the airbrush body.
If there’s even a slight bit of kinking in the tip of this needle, then paint will collect on it and eventually the force of the air will blow this glob of paint onto your project.
My best advice to you on this matter, as there are many causes for your problem, is to go to an art supply shop and find a book on airbrushing. There are many excellent books on the subject and most of them have trouble shooting sections in them.
Good luck
Thank you very much for those who replied. I appreciate your responses. i don’t think the needle is to blame because i checked many times if it’s kinked. however, the air compressor, which comes with the Tamiya system, doesn’t let you adjust the pressure. it has an output pressure of 15 psi and maximum continuous pressure of 7psi (as stated in the manual). i don’t have the cash to get a new compressor. is there a way to adjust the air coming from it? thanks.
You should be able to purchase an air pressure regulator of some sort that will be fittable to the outlet of your compressor so you can have it between the compressor and your air line.
Check with the shop you bought your airbrush at, perhaps someone makes a regulator thats compatible with your system.
I had a similar problem (fortunately on a test spray, not my actual model) caused simply by not enough reducer in my paint. Just another posibility.[:)]
On the pressure issue, I bought a simple regulator with a guage cheap from Home Depot.
I think that if you thin your paint enough with either the Tamiya thinner or isopropyl alcohol or water you will find a paint to thinner ratio that will serve. At 7 psi, paint needs to be pretty thin to spray effectively.
Enamels can be thinned with alcohol? I use Tamiya enamels (not yet released in the US… too bad). I feel i dont use the acrylics beacuse they came in larger bottles and thus, are more expensive. I started with the enamels and stuck with them the whole time.
Sorry for the invalid assumption. Enamels reduce well with the appropriate thinner, and a thin enough mix should spray well at low pressures.
I’m not sure where you are from, but I had problem with prassure and just got regulator for $20, which help me out a graet deal.
Gumiflex [:D][:D][:D]
I brought my brush in the Philippines but i live in Texas now. Thanks for all your replies.