I thougtht the problem I was having was just me but recently asked some others at my IPMS meeting and found they have the same problem. When I airbrush Polly Scale I get a build up on my needle causing the paint flow to slow down or stop. Never had the problem with Polly S. I usually thin with alcohol but last few times have used distilled water. I thin it out as recommended on the bottle (10 % thinner I think) or till it runs like milk. I use a Paashe VL and spray at about 15 psi. So has anyone else had this problem and what is your fix, outside of cleaning off the tip every few passes.
Eric
That’s a common problem with virtually all acrylics. They dry so fast that they tend to build up on the tip. I just got in the habit of wiping the tip off every time I sit the airbrush down and it doesn’t bother me much anymore.
Acrylic retarders will help the problem. They won’t eliminate it but they slow down the drying time of acrylics and help with it. It’s available at most art supply stores under various brand names, Createx, Golden, and several others I can’t remember right now. A coupe of drops in your paint cup is all it takes.
if you cant get that kinda stuff, try tamiya thinner, its got a retarder in it.
You might also try Liquitex Airbrush Medium available at Michael’s. This is flow enhancer and works well with Polyscale acrylics. Just a couple of drops is all it takes.
Mike M