I’m having a few problems with dusty, rough spray painting.
Not sure what I’m doing wrong but I spray painted enamels, thinned about 50% at about 25psi and I noticed that the paint finish was rough and I could brush away the paint with a stiff brush.
I’m also finding that with complex shapes for example trying to paint the fin of a Lancaster that I am inadvertently over spraying other areas. Not the wrong color but leaving again a sort of dusty residue.
Try washing the surface of the plastic. Use nail polish remover to do this. Tissue dipped in it, then rubbed over the surface, and allowed to dry is ideal. Also, try using 15 psi, and if you’re using a dual action airbrush, experiment a tad with different degrees. It could also be that the thinner is wrong, as sometimes you can’t cross-brands (although, you normally can). Humbrol on Humbrol would be fine, and in fact, Humbrol thinner is good for Revell enamels too.
I too would wash the surface, though not with nail polish remover- it is too hot. Use a mild detergent/soap, then rinse thoroughly- then rinse again.
I too would reduce pressure to under twenty pounds and move much closer. You could be trying to spray from too great a distance. You should be only a couple of inches from the surface. Moving closer should also help to not spray other surfaces as much. An airbrush is used more like a paint brush than a spray gun.
Less pressure, moving closer is probably the answer but it’s a double edged sword. Trying to cover a large area, say a Lancaster wing, means as I move closer the band of paint gets smaller and I end up striping the paint on.
If I might offer a suggestion? It’s not for everyone, but I know it has certainly helped me a great deal.
Unless you are going for a perfectly uniform color like the chrome yellow wings on a pre-war Wildcat or an air racer or something…try building up a paint job in several light layers of slightly different shades. You won’t have to worry about striping in the end, and you’ll have a paint job that has depth and character.
Step 1 - Base coat. Go light. I divide what I’m painting into sectors (wing, left cowl, etc), then divide those sectors by their panel lines. Outline, then fill in. Or you can do back-and-forth. Basically take the strategies you’d use for mowing a lawn and apply them to the aircraft. Finish one, move on to the next. Come back later with another light coat. And another if needed.
Step 2 - Base coat + 25-50% white depending on color. Spray this in the center of panels (or along raised areas for fabric surfaces), working out but avoiding the panel lines. Feel free to leave some panels untouched, or do some random striping in the direction of airflow as desired. Things will look awful at this point.
I should also add that this looks MUCH harder than it really is.
Step 3 - Base coat, heavily thinned. Mist this on gradually. You want it thin enough that it won’t cover so much as tint. Several light coats will start to blend the lightened shade back with with the base coat. When you think you’re getting close, stop, step away for a few minutes, and come back. Continue with another pass or two as needed.
The end result:
The thing I like about this approach is that the tonal modulation is built into the process, and goes a long way toward obscuring or blending in any striping to the point that it’s not noticeable. In fact, I think it adds to the sort of random wear look.
Moving in two directions helps smooth the striping. That is, do a coat in vertical stripes, then go back over in a side by side pattern. Converts from stripes to checkerboard but with reduced modulation. Several coats should eliminate non-uniformity.
This is a situation where practice will help a lot. Secret to airbrushing is practice. For that matter, even brush painting well takes a lot of practice. I guess, in summary, painting with any method takes lots of practice. Probably good paint jobs are hardest part of modeling.
I too was a bit surprised by the nail polish comment. Most nail polishes I know of are an acetone base with some oil added to cut the acetone’s dryness. So you have the worst of both worlds - a solvent known for eating styrene, and an oily residue left over that you need to get rid of.
I’m with Don on this - wash in soapy water & rinse thoroughly. Dry with a hair dryer on low or air dry, then hit it with a tack rag.
