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Post by nemesis on Aug 28, 2007 17:32:50 GMT 1
I must admit that there is one aspect of building this model that is worrying me and that is the painting of it. I want to air brush it but I've never used an air brush in my life. Just how easy is it going to be for me to **** it up beyond repair?
I'd really hate to spend all this time building it just to ruin it at the last hurdle. I know it's a bit premature at the moment but it would be handy if an air brushing egg spurt could point out the most common mistakes to avoid when I attempt this.
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Post by eric on Aug 28, 2007 18:47:41 GMT 1
The best advice I can think of is, buy a good quality air brush, one you can ajust the spray on, so you can spay from a wide area down to very thin lines. Then PRACTICE PRACTIC PRACTIC and not on Bismarck!! You might want to make a rough cardboard version, or use an old model you no longer love to hone your skills on. Don't start the air brush pointing at the ship, you just deposit a large splatter, start OFF the hull, then move onto it, smooth steady strokes, move off, then stop. Several thin coats are better than one thick coat, it won't run then. But PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!
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Post by Achtung!! on Aug 28, 2007 19:25:35 GMT 1
My best advice is ...to get someone else to do it!! Seriously though I am dreading this part. Although I have found an airbrush already. Its a make called Badger.
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Post by nemesis on Aug 28, 2007 20:08:03 GMT 1
Thanks chaps. When we get closer to painting time, I'll look at buying a good quality air brush and paints to practice with. I may even pop over and practice on someone elses Bismarck model before starting on my own......... Any volunteers, hmm?
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Post by eric on Aug 28, 2007 20:16:13 GMT 1
Mine is a Badger too Chill, it's not the best, it cost about £60, you could spend WAY more than that, but it is really quite good.
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Post by Achtung!! on Aug 28, 2007 21:44:43 GMT 1
This is it- budget at the end of the day - Im on a shoestring at best to be honest. More beg.s teal borrow type of affair. Biggest purchase to date has been my laser level which will prove to be a great help for the stripes.
Wish I had a much bigger budget. Still I have brought the resin to line my boat with so I can carry on construction now.
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Post by southendnick on Aug 28, 2007 22:54:20 GMT 1
Not done model airbrushing for 15 odd years used a big boys toy one a few weeks ago running off a 150Ltr 10bar (150psi) compressor! I will be buying a model making one as the one I used in the work shop would probably be a bit over kill! Have a look here www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/airbrush-compressor.html for a airbrush/compressor combo better to pay a bit more at the start than keep forking out for new gass bottles.
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Post by Mark on Aug 29, 2007 3:08:24 GMT 1
I have used several types of air brush, from cheapo Humbrol/Revel 'toys' that sell for about £15, and are quite frankly not worth even considering, up to an expensive dual action Iwata, that is extremely good, but OTT for most modellers. A Badger is a good middle of the range airbrush. Not too expensive, but still gives very good results. Make sure you get something that is big enough to do the hull. A small airbrush is great for fine detail, but no good for big areas. Don't bother with the gas bottles. They are blisteringly expensive, don't last very long, and I never got very good results from them. When you use them they get cold, and then the pressure drops off, and the paint stops spraying properly. I seem to remember that they are filled with Butane, but that might not be true these days. A compressor with water trap and pressure regulator gives the best controlability, at a price. A much cheaper, and pretty good option is to get a car type adapter. Simply pump the spare type up well at the garage (free air and you're good for a session of spraying.
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Post by yoddhâ on Aug 29, 2007 9:10:33 GMT 1
A much cheaper, and pretty good option is to get a car type adapter. Simply pump the spare type up well at the garage (free air and you're good for a session of spraying. Yep, thats what I always used to use in the days of ww2 tank building - excellent results every time ;D
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Post by Achtung!! on Aug 29, 2007 9:45:58 GMT 1
Just make sure the air coming out of the tyre is 'pretty clean' or you will get flecks of dirt in the paint and it wont look very nice.
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Post by nemesis on Aug 29, 2007 10:48:22 GMT 1
I just took a look at the ones on the link southendnick posted. I take it the "Mini compressor" version will do the trick or should I go for a bigger one? Also, do these things come with different nozzles for different degrees of spread and/or density?
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Post by yoddhâ on Aug 29, 2007 10:50:41 GMT 1
You can put one of those cheap fuel filters in-line to catch the crap that may come out of the tyre.
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Post by Mikey on Aug 30, 2007 0:13:05 GMT 1
Here's a site that newbies to airbrushing may find useful. www.howtoairbrush.com/airbrushs.htm and the rest of the site is quite informative also! Personally as someone with a limited experience in airbrushing, I would suggest any novices get a single action as a first time brush as they are easier to handle and are good for honing your technique. Plus they're cheaper too.
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Post by Mark on Aug 30, 2007 4:41:55 GMT 1
That's good advice. I'd also suggest getting a bottle of ink and using that to practice spraying on some card. Ink is usually the right consistency for spraying, so you don't need to worry about thinning the paint to the right consistency.
Once you're happy spraying a flat piece of card, try moving on to a cheap plastic kit. Something that you don't mind wrecking if (when ?) it all goes pear shaped.
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Post by danny on Aug 30, 2007 21:53:06 GMT 1
I've only used an el cheapo revell starter class airbrush... tried it with revell airbrush paint, revell enamel paint ( the tiny paint can thingies), and with acryliv paint for airbrushes..
so far I've only managed to get a decent finish with the official revell airbrush colors... the enamel paint clogs up the system and you need at least two of those cans to fill up the spray can of the airbrush...
the enamel paint I used was really difficult to thin down and worked fine for a few seconds after which the pigment flakes sank to the bottom and clogged up the inlet tube...
Don't buy the revell airbrush!! you'd be better off using some badger airbrush, I've heard some good stories about them and they doný hurt your wallet as much as other airbrushes...
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