So I have been working with and learning to use my airbrush as I am fairly new to it. I think I have conquered the mix / viscosity. The one thing that has bitten me a few times is having a pebbly finish from the paint drying in mid flight. What I have realized is that this is only happening to me when trying to cover large areas (ie base color on a tank or plane) and pull the brush too far away. It would seem that my airbrush is a bit suited for close in work (Iwata CS).
Is this a case where a 2nd brush with wider coverage would be appropriate or should I look at alternate needles / nozzle combinations?
I’m one of those who thinks you can’t have too many airbrushes [:D] but that said, I think you should be able to do fine with the Iwata and 0.35mm nozzle/needle combo. Just get a little closer when you spray. I use a 0.2 mm tip and am able to paint larger areas with out problem. But, a larger nozzle, 0.5mm or so, does make it easier to cover larger areas.
I have two Paasche VLS airbrushes- one for enamels and the other for acrylics so I don’t have to tear them down for cleaning when I switch paints in session.
First, you can easily get a broader area with your HP-CS. Just buy a .5mm needle/nozzle (I think for the CR maybe?..just look at the parts sheets) and drop it in. Instant more-coverage!
Second, I’m a fan of multiple airbrushes. I’ve got four at the moment. The HP-CS is my workhorse, I’ve got an HP-C+ with a .2mm needle for detail stuff, and a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution and Infinity for acrylics (I find they seem happier to spray them).
Third, it takes longer, but I’ve over my last few builds become a big fan of spraying thin and spraying small, and taking my time to work up to broader coverage. I’ve started doing this over a black base, and it leads to a patchier, less-uniform appearance that works really well for hard-used military aircraft. Heck, I recently did a big 1/32 aircraft using mostly the HP-C+! Painting took about a week, but it was worth it on the far side.
You are correct that the CS can be converted to 0.5mm. I believe that the 0.5 setup is originally from the Eclipse BCS, but it might just be an option. But the nozzle from the CR is completly different.
In my opinion the best two airbrush combo would be a 0.2 and a 0.5. The 0.35mm CS is something of a compromise, that works in for most modellers.
But I could never live with only one or two airbrushes. At least five or six to fill the team…
Spike: I struggle with exactly the same problem with the pebbly finish. It’s very frustrating, as one session my Paasche Talon behaves beautifully and gives me the smooth, even finish I’m after. The next, it spits unevenly and often gives me that pebbly, dusty surface. I break the brush down and clean it after every single use and periodically run it through an ultrasonic cleaner.
I do wonder if weather conditions have something to do with it, as well, but I haven’t been able to make a reliable correlation. Yesterday, for example, the weather outside was sunny and in the low 60s, no humidity, yet the MM enamel I was spraying dusted quite a bit, and I’ll need to do some light sanding before moving on. Drives me nuts.
I also spray in a basement that’s cold in the fall and winter and humid in the summer and dusty all the time, but I’d guess many guys here deal with the same situation.
At any rate, I’m also ready to try a second airbrush, perhaps dedicating one to acrylics and one to enamel and lacquer. I was leaning toward an Iwata, and Doog’s endorsement of the HP-CS sealed the deal for me, and I’ve put that one on my Christmas wish list.
