I always have to thin Vallejo Model Air paints for my airbrush as well.
Thank you for clarifying that. I thin Model Air (sometimes) becuase I want to, not because I have to. For whatever reason I am able to spray (most colors) straight OOB, and you are not.
Again, the main thing is that you have it sorted, mate!
Good news, Ola -
Glad you have it sorted, much more enjoyable when you have something become usable. I remain a bit puzzled though, my experience with Model Air was about as expected, I needed very little thinner added, and even when I did use it straight from the bottle it behaved quite well.
Having said that, I have experienced different performance in model paints going from one batch to another, while in the same brand. What is important, you now have a very workable system. Enjoy it, you’ll find it a great addition to model finishing.
Patrick
Glad you figured it out! I have limited experience with Vallejo, but it does seems to like ‘thinner than bottle’ for my airbrushes, typically with less than .35 nozzles. I’ve used vallejo ‘thinner medium’ or distilled water at a high ratio of 40:60 and had good luck, with pressures of 12-18psi.
I use a Patriot sometimes. Just a tip…Make sure the tip nozzle is tight, especially the big part with the gasket. You could even use a very small amount of lip balm to get a good seal along the threads. If it leaks air along there, it will cause weird spotty-ness as well.
Glad you figured out the base problem! I mainly use enamels (Humbrol and Testors or Floquil if I have some). The Humbrol and Testors need a fair bit of thinning while the Floquil will pretty much spray from the bottle.
For weathering and topside details I then spray Vallejo thinned a huge amount with their thinner and water. Very little pigment as I want it to slowly build up. Using the water it tends to go on a little wetter than usual and dries slower, but that is what I want. I never use alcohol. Water can be a good thinner for Valljeo too, it just depends on what you are trying to do.
As the others have said, experiment and see what you like and what you don’t, and never be afraid to ask questions.