I’d like to thank those who have offered some advice as I have been building this tank. I’m new to modeling so any advice or pointers that anyone can give would be apreciated.
A little info on the tank. It’s the Tamiya 1/35th M1A2 Abrams OIF kit. The paint is Model Master Desert Sand and US Army / Marines Gulf Sand. I replicated the anti-slip coating using Mr. Surfacer 500. I didn’t have enough pressure from my Badger 180-1 compressor (I’m going to begin using my 25 gallon Craftsman air compressor for my airbrush so I have more control over the pressures I use) to spray the Mr. Surfacer so I brushed it on, waited for it to get a bit tacky, and used a stiff brush to “dab” the surfacer to get it to look rough. It worked well but spraying it might have worked a bit better.
I’m a bit new to airbrushing and am using an Aztek A270. I have to say, I’m not to happy with it. It’s a bit difficult to clean and the nozzles seem to clog easily. What type of single action airbrushes are you guys using? Any recommendations? I’ve heard that gravity feed is good.
So far I’ve spent about 15 hours working on the tank and I feel I’m about half way complete. I’ll post more pics as I get more done. Thanks to all in advance for any helpful tips and advice. Follow the below link for the pics!
m1a1fan,
Your tank looks great! Nice finish so far. I have a couple of airbrushes, Badger 200 single Action and the Pasche double action. Both work quite well and very easy to clean. Check out this website for M1. I think you’ll like it. Keep up the good work.
TH
Very nice work so far. I use an Iwata HP-CR Revolution AB. Double Action, Gravity Feed, medium tip that handles hobby paints well, and medium priced. Won’t do the very finest lines, but good enough for my needs.
Welcome to the forums m1a1fan. It looks like you’re doing a fine job on your Abrams. I certainly understand your frustration with the Aztek A270 airbrush! It really has to be kept super clean to get decent results. After each use, you should run at least one bowl or paint cup of thinner through the airbrush, do this immediately after painting. The nozzels are very sensitive to clogging. You’ll most likely wind up purchasing a Badger airbrush, which is about the best for the money, although I chose an Iwata. There is some really outstanding folks on the paint forum, “MikeV” inparticular, who can give you first hand feedback on the different airbrushes. Keepup the good work. Semper Fi, mike