Thinning paint

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

I need help.
first of all, i ordered a Iwata Revolution CR airbrush from DIxie art. Does it come with the cup that holds the paint?

Also, what do i use to thin modle master acrylic? IS water fine? and to what consistency.

And lastly, How do i clean an airbrush? do i just simply fill her up with water, and let her rip[:p]

thanks in advance…

2

  1. You ordered something, and you don’t know what you’re getting for your money? Typically, airbrushes will come with at least a color cup. Others (like Paasche) come in sets with color cups, spray bottles, etc. You should contact Dixie to make sure you get what you need and want.

  2. You can use water to thin most acrylics; however, water has a natural surface tension to it (just look at water on a freshly waxed car), and will probaby not go on smoothly. If you want to use water, then add one SMALL DROP of dishwashing liquid to break up the surface tension. You can also use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) that will work better than water. Regular rubbing alcholol works perfectly. Personally, I would use the thinner recommended by the manufacturer for the best results.

  3. Run some of the manufacturer’s thinner through the brush, and/or some IPA until it comes out clear through the nozzle. I also like to use pipe cleaners saturated with several drops of thinner and run them through the works, and follow with more thinner. It’s probably also not a bad idea to take the brush apart at the end of each painting session and clean the needle, nozzle and associated parts. Try to follow or exceed the 'brush manufacturer’s recommendations for optimal performance.
    Hope this helps you. I have a Paasche but would like to try an Iwata. Let us know how it goes!
    Gip Winecoff

3

dadfad

Your Revolution comes with a permanently attached top-mounted paint cup as it is a gravity - fed airbrush. (a good thing for model painting)

4

I have this same airbrush dadfad, it’s excellent. Practice around with it for a little while before painting. It’s easy to clean. With practice, you can get a very fine line or dot, I love this brush.

madda

5

Thanks for the reply all! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

6

I to have the Revolution and cudos to this airbrush as well. I had bad luck with the MM Acryl paints…they dry too fast and clogs the tip for fine line work -has been my experience. I had excellent results with MM enamels and Tamiya acrylics. When thinning MM enamels I thin it 2:1 for general spraying and 1:1 for fine line and camo outlining; the same for Tamiya. I use Model Master A/B thinner for the enamels and 91% Isoprophol alcohol for Tamiya acrylics.

7

but, say MM acryl paint does clog the tip. How do i get rid of the clogginess(real word?)

8

Ahh tip dry! Something us T-shirt airbrush artists are VERY familiar with. When spraying acrylic paints which tend to dry extremely quick on the tip of the needle it becomes necessary to be diligent about picking at the needle tip with the index fingernail and thumbnail if you have access to it while pushing down on the trigger for air only. This is another reason to buy an Omni as the tip cap is reversable which exposes the needle. [;)]
Using Super Lube on the needle will help minimize tip dry but it will not eliminate it altogether.
It has become second nature for me to push down on the trigger with full air while picking the paint off the tip with the fingernail as I said above. If it clogs too much you may have to remove the aircap and clean it better before continuing.
I hope this helps.

Mike

9

haha thx mike

10

Dadfad, I use a damp Q-tip or cloth to clean my tip.

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