Hi, I am brand new to airbrushing and I’m having trouble using my Paasche H series airbrush. I’ve tried to spray the following paints: Pollyscale Acrylics, Model Master Acrylics and Tamiya Acrylics. I’m using the number 5 spray nozzle at around 25-30psi. I have tried thinning with the following liquids, Water, Isopropal, Testors Acrylic thinner with the Model Master and Pollyscale and Tamiya Thinner for the Tamiya acrylics.My problems are the following:
I can’t get the paint to siphon through the brush for spraying.
Once I get the paint thin enough to siphon, it sprays on so thin that it runs like water on the part I am trying to paint
Sometimes I get lucky and the paint will spray, but it “spits” and will not cover nicely.
Is part of the problem simply the fact that I am trying to spray acrylics instead of enamals? Do any of you spray with acrylics only?
Any advice on how to get this system to work would be greatly apprciated. Thanks, Mark
Anything thinned to the consistency of milk should spray fine at 25 to 30 psi in an H. A #3 setup should be OK.
A couple of questions: Are you using matching parts? The air cap, tip and needle have to agree.
Is your compressor able to supply enough air to the H? The H takes a fair amount of volume. Check the pressure while you are spraying.
If you are using a bottle, is the little hole in the lid clear?
Maybe you are just not use to how an airbrush sprays. It generally takes more than one pass to get full coverage. If you try to do it in one, the paint will probably run.
Hi Don, thanks for the reply. I have visited your web site often, very informative. I’m quite certain all the nozzle parts are matching. I’m using an air compressor set up used for powering a staple gun. It has a round “pancake” holding tank setup. I’m also using a Badger pressure regulator with moisture trap. I did check the hole in the siphon jar, it is clear. I just can’t get the paint to move, once I get it to spray, it is thinned to the cosistancy of water. How high should I go with the psi?
I’ve heard of people going as high as 40 or 50psi for spraying thick paint on T-shirts. But, 25 should be enough for model paints. Usually, I figure if a brush sprays water OK, there is nothing wrong with the airbrush. It may be a paint problem, but I have no experience with acrylics. Lots of guys here do though, and maybe one of them can help.
Try makeing your paint thinner I spray Modelmaster and tamyia at no more than 15 pounds with no problems . Don’t hold brush to close to model your paint will puddle and run if you do ,adjust the color neddle so the paint just comes out enough to cover in a lite coat use several lite coats instead of one heavy one. Thin the Modelmaster enamels with a good grade of mineral spriets for poly s or Modelsmaster acrylics ,use Modelmaster universal acrylic thinner no.50496. My model H is over 35 years old works as good as when it was new, I hope this helps you just remember air brushing is a lot of practis practis practis. Also go to an art supply store get some Liquitex slow dri blending medium, this is for use in acrylic paint only. It will help thin the paint and help it slide through your air brush eaiseyer, and keep acrylic paint from drying in your brush and pluging it up because, it slows down the drying time for acrylic paint. For Tamyia paint use Tamyia thinner I use the X20A thinner with no probluems I hope this helps you out . good luck ACESES5 ON BENCH DRAGON 164 NASHORN EARLY [snWcm]
Hi, thanks for the replies so far. I’ve taken a look at my supplies and noticed something very interesting. I believe I’ve commited a Rookie Mistake. All this time I have been thinning my Polly Scale and Model Master paints with Testors Acrylic Airbrush Cleaner part number 50497. The Testors Acrylic Airbrush Thinner is shown in an idendical bottle but the part number is 50496, one digit off. I checked both MSD’s on the Testors website, the two do seem to be slightly different. Could this have contributed to my problem described in this intial post? Or are these two items too close to have made a difference in thinning acrylics?