Hello all. I own one airbrush, a Iwata Evolution with a .5 needle set that came with it. It’s the only AB I have ever owned. Thus far I have only used it on one project, the current one that I’m on the down stretch with, 1/48 scale F-15. So I do not have much experience with it. I have of course searched this forum and You Tube but with no accurate info to my question. That question is how do I obtain the widest spray pattern this model AB offers me? How do I get the maximum performance out of the tool? I ask specifically because it just seems too easy to miss areas on the model when spraying clears like gloss coats pre/post decal or weathering. Thanks in advance, Ted.
The Iwata Revolution is a great airbrush for general spraying. The .5 needle/nozzle will give you a spray pattern of 1/16 to 1.5 inches. To get the larger spray pattern, turn your air pressure up a bit and hold the airbrush about 2-3 inches away from your model. Agree, clear coats can be hard to see when spraying. Try tilting your model a bit to see the reflection when spraying.
Hope this helps!
Rob
Iwata Padawan
Rob thanks. I’m using a Iwata Studio Series Smart Jet compressor. You mentioned dialing up the air pressure and the distance from the model. Can you elaborate on PSI and the distance from the subject as it relates to the width of the product, (Tamiya Acrylics), I’m spraying? I know there are many variables that go into airbrushing, however I’m just trying to learn how to get that wide, even, light coat. Thank you.
It really comes down to your comfort level. I normally shoot between 12-15 psi, but for fine detail I will dial down to around 8-10 psi. For larger coverage, I’d recommend starting around 20 psi and see how that works for you. Obviously, your paint/thinner ratio will also play a huge factor. Definitely multiple, light passes vs. ‘One And Done’.
The best advice I can give you is 'Practice, Practice, Practice’. Play around with a spare piece or throwaway/test kit to hone your skills before attempting on your ‘grail’ kit.
Rob
Iwata Padawan
Cool, thanks again Rob! 
One pitfall that you may encounter is the phenomenon of the paint drying, or beginning to dry, in the air on the way to the model. It’ll look like a pebbly or dusty texture on the model, instead of a smooth, clean coat of paint. With a matte clear coat it can lead to a frosty, dusty look that can be hard to correct.
This problem can be exacerbated by three things — very thin paint, high air pressure, and long-distance spraying! So you can imagine it might pop up.
As @veedubb67 said it’s going to take some experimentation and testing. You might have not problems or you might need to find some acrylic retarder medium to slow the paint dry (Tamiya makes one just for this purpose — supposedly. I’ve never seen it for sale). I’ve also found, especially with primers and clear coats, that I can spray a heavier and wetter coat than I usually do, and it lays down and dries perfectly, and avoids that drying in the air problem. Again, you’ll have to mess with your particular setup a bit.
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Thanks for your detailed response, much appreciated.