ABCS of Airbrushing
ABCS of Airbrushing
ABCS of Airbrushing
AIRBRUSHING SPECIAL
ABCs of
Airbrushing Learning to spray paint
By Chris Appoldt Photos by the FSM staff
FSM reviewer Randall Dieck airbrushes all
of his aircraft models. Here are his 1/48
scale Hasegawa A-7D Corsair II and
Monogram F-105G Wild Weasel.
M
ost of my pre-airbrush memories outclassed the model I’d just completed. control of the spray pattern and the vol- Starting today is better than starting five directed over a small orifice. The moving airbrush has a button for the air valve and
revolve around spray cans. There I questioned the shop owner about the ume, and let me mix colors. It would even kits from now, and with a relatively low air draws paint from a reservoir (cup or a separate control for the paint nozzle, 1.
was no reason to change my beautiful finish, and he said the model let me vary the types of paint I used, since outlay of cash you can set yourself up with bottle), then atomizes the paint and “Single action” means the spray button
painting habits then, as I was perfectly was airbrushed. He explained further, and it could “atomize” lacquers, enamels, and a basic airbrush set and air supply. And sprays it in a fine, narrow mist. The controls only the air (on or off ). The but-
satisfied with the results the cans were the logic was simple: If you’re building a acrylics. And I could learn to make those then, of course, you get to start laying tapered point of the needle in the orifice ton on a double-action airbrush controls
giving me. scale model, why not have a scale finish? fancy camouflage finishes I’d been admir- paint. focuses the spray and controls the amount the air, but also is connected to the needle
That is, until I saw a similar model to He assured me that real aircraft don’t ing. Made sense to me. How it works. Airbrushes are of paint in the spray. in the paint nozzle, 2. Paint volume in the
the one I’d just completed on display in a have “gobs of paint on them like my Five years later, I am still mastering miniature versions of the spray guns used Decisions, decisions. There are sev- spray is controlled by rocking the button
hobby shop. It had no buried detail, no “spray bomb” cans were delivering to my this tool’s benefits – and I think the learn- to paint full-size machines. Compressed eral types of airbrushes to consider, but back and forth, moving the needle in and
drips, and no “orange peel” effect (a dim- kits. ing curve intimidates a lot of potential air, fed to the airbrush by either a com- most hobby airbrushes are either “single- out of the orifice.
pled paint surface). Its finish clearly The airbrush, he said, would give me airbrushers. Don’t let it scare you. pressor or a pressurized container, is action” or “double-action.” A single-action Airbrushes range in price from about
1 2 5 6
Air button
Knurled nozzle
A Paasche H is a fine single-action airbrush. Paint flows up the This is an Iwata Eclipse series double-action airbrush. Pressing Here’s a tip: Lightly draw the camouflage pattern onto the first Airbrush the next darker color onto the first, only after you have
siphon from the color cup (or bottle) into the angled paint noz- down on the top button turns on the air flow; rocking the button color with a pencil. given the first color at least 48 hours to cure.
zle. The knurled nozzle adjusts paint volume. The top-mounted back and forth controls the paint volume. This model has a grav-
button turns on the air flow. ity feed paint cup.
3 4 7 8
Knurled knob
Badger’s model 200 is a hybrid design. It has the longitudinal nee- For multicolored paint schemes, apply the lightest color over the Airbrush at an angle to get the sharpest line. Move the model so Open the nozzle a little and fill in the center of the color area.
dle found on double-action airbrushes, but the paint volume is entire model. This will serve as a primer and help avoid unpaint- you can outline each colored area with the fine spray.
controlled by turning the knurled knob at the end of the needle. ed spots.
$20 up to several hundred dollars. brush you choose, you’re going to need a 10- or 20-pound cylinders of carbon with the liquid part of the paint. warm soapy dishwater first, shake off the buildup on the tip of the nozzle will lift
Design, features, and quality all deter- source of compressed air to make it work. dioxide or nitrogen. Gas cylinders require Modeling paints are made for brush excess water, and leave it overnight on a off with the first blast of air and land as a
mine the price. Inexpensive single-action Air sources also range in price and com- a flow regulator. Cylinder/regulator painting and must be thinned to get them lint-free dishtowel in a cabinet to dry. An spatter. Instead, aim off the model, then
airbrushes such as Badger’s 250 or plexity (for a good overview, check out setups can be purchased for around $200, to spray properly. Don’t add thinner to alternative to dish soap is Polly S Plastic move onto the area to be painted. The
Testor’s A2203 are adequate for applying the March 2002 Scale Auto, or the January or leased from industrial gas suppliers or the original paint container, but obtain Prep; this alcohol-based surface-preparer same goes for stopping the spray; stop off
single overall colors and would serve as 2001 FSM). At the bottom end is the services that supply carbon dioxide cylin- empty mixing bottles or use 35mm film lifts greasy fingerprints and grime and the model.
good “basic trainer” airbrushes. propellant can. It can supply enough “air” ders for beverage fountains. Cylinders are containers for mixing paint. evaporates quickly. I spray a few patterns on the test sur-
The next step up is a high-quality to spray, perhaps, one model, so if you sel- absolutely silent and don’t require elec- Start by adding one part of thinner to Spray away. Always test your air- face first, getting the “feel” of my loaded
single-action airbrush such as the Paasche dom airbrush, this is the least expensive tricity, but when they are empty, you have two parts of stirred paint. I try to thin the brush’s paint flow away from your model. airbrush; this way I retrain my senses on
H or Badger 350. Badger’s 200, 3, and option. to tote them to a filling service. paint to the consistency of milk, and Even the most experienced modelers I what to expect, and discover how the air-
Paasche’s SA2000 are interesting hybrids. If you plan a lot of airbrushing, con- Ready, aim, paint! Now you’ve got sometimes I need more thinner. I always know will test-shoot their newly loaded brush is handling with the selected paint.
They are single-action airbrushes (button sider buying a good compressor made for an airbrush, an air source, and a model to stir the paint and thinner thoroughly. airbrush off to the side to be certain the What’s the right distance between the
controls air only), but they have a longitu- airbrushes. They range from $100 to paint. What’s next? Ah, paint! There are Gloss enamels usually need more thin- paint is flowing well. airbrush and the model? I start about 2"
dinal needle usually found in double-action about $400 depending on features. lots of modeling paints, but you can’t sim- ning than flats, but acrylics (water-based) I test-spray at the lowest effective to 3" from the surface. By adjusting the
airbrushes (where the button rocks to Compressors can be noisy, but some ply load them into the airbrush and spray vary from brand to brand. Check the pressure, about 10 p.s.i., and sometimes air pressure, paint-to-thinner ratio, and
control paint volume). aren’t. The more expensive “silent” types away. Your airbrush is an engineering paint label for the thinner-to-paint ratio use the regulator to crank up the pressure paint volume, I can move in to where the
Double-action airbrushes, such as use refrigerator-style compressors that marvel, and a delicate instrument; so with and the type of thinner that the manufac- to 20 p.s.i. My test surface is a huge tip of the airbrush is less than 1" away
Badger’s 150, Anthem, and Crescendo; charge small storage tanks. It’s a good the exception of some buffable metallics, turer recommends. styrene sheet I found at a model contest from the model, ideal for applying fine
Paasche’s V and Millennium; Testor’s idea to add a moisture trap along the air- modeling paints must be thinned before Surface preparation. The airbrush for about $1.50. An old model makes a lines and camouflage.
Aztek; Iwata’s HP-C; and Tamiya’s HG brush hose to catch moisture “squeezed” airbrushing. can produce a beautiful, thin, smooth great “test dummy,” too, but don’t use Stay inside the lines. If you’re just
offer better control and finer spray pat- out of the air by the compressor. Stir the paint in the original container; layer of paint, so make sure the model is paper or cardboard; they absorb paint and getting started, it might be best to finish
terns. However, they are more difficult to Another alternative is a compressed paint pigments are heavy and settle to the clean and smooth, too. Airbrushed paint won’t provide a good simulation of how your first airbrushed model in a single
master and more complex to disassemble gas cylinder. You can get small cylinders bottom, and paint must be thoroughly won’t hide blemishes – it will only make the paint is going to cover your model. color. Start by lightly misting the paint on
and clean. (five-pound) all the way up to industrial- mixed before use. Keep stirring until the them look worse. Don’t aim your airbrush at the model with the airbrush 4"-5" from the surface.
Powering up. No matter which air- size cylinders. Usually airbrushers opt for heavy clump at the bottom is mixed in I wash my ready-to-finish model in and then press the air button. Paint Don’t start any farther away; the paint
Airbrush Troubleshooting
By Paul Boyer
W ithout a doubt, the most important aspect of airbrushing is cleaning the equip-
ment. Neglecting to clean a brush properly is also the absolute best, or at least
the simplest, way of assuring yourself of never-ending frustration while painting.
water and Windex (for acrylics),
Testor acrylic paint remover or
other hobby paint remover,
vent until most of the paint is out.
2) Still working quickly, pour that dirty solvent into your waste paint container and refill the cup or jar with cleaner.
paper towels, cleaning station.
However, cleaning your airbrush doesn’t have to be a chore. I can clean my The instructions refer to both 3) Spray nearly a full jar or cup of cleaner through the brush into your cleaning station or other container. Let the brush sit with cleaner in it.
double-action airbrush completely in less than 10 minutes and clean it well enough “solvent” and “cleaner.” For
to change colors in fewer than five. While I learned most of these techniques the enamels, use mineral spirits as 4) Remove and clean the feed jar and tube using cleaner-dampened swabs, pipe cleaners (for the tube only), and paper towels. If your brush
hard way, reading this article means you won’t have to. the solvent and lacquer thinner uses a non-removable color cup, clean it using dampened swabs and paper towels.
Single- and double-action airbrushes require different procedures; clean hybrid as the cleaner; for acrylics,
airbrushes as you would a double-action brush. I’ve organized the information below water is the solvent and Windex 5) Spray the remaining cleaner through the brush, then clean the brush (see below).
is the cleaner.
into three categories, one for rinsing the equipment and two for cleaning the air- 6) Reassemble the brush, then spray clean solvent through the brush and onto a white paper towel. If it comes out clean, go to step 7. If not,
The airbrush should be cleaned after brush itself. Choose the two that apply to your situation. If you’re only changing col- repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed, using paint remover as needed.
every painting session. Paint thinners and ors, you can normally skip the disassembly and just rinse, unless you’re going from a
cleaners can be applied with cotton swabs dark color to a light one, or from a metallic to a non-metallic. Then you’ll still have 7) Spray the remaining solvent through the brush and into your cleaning station or container. If you’re using a double-action or hybrid brush,
and pipe cleaners. to clean the brush completely. remove and oil the needle, then replace it. Don’t leave cleaner, solvent, or paint remover in the airbrush during storage.
Air button
Air cap
Needle guard Paint cup and cap SINGLE-ACTION AIRBRUSHES
Air cap
What you’ll need What you’ll do
Air and paint volume control
cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, A) Rinse the paint out of the brush using the appropriate solvent and cleaner (see above).
Needle lock nut
Needle lock nut Nozzle
paper towels, cleaner, paint
Connector for air hose B) Remove the feed jar or cup (if possible).
Nozzle
remover
C) Disassemble the nozzle assembly carefully. Wipe each piece clean with a swab dampened with the appropriate cleaner solution. For stub-
Paint cup born acrylics that don’t wipe off using Windex, use paint remover.
Needle Connector for air hose
Needle D) Clean the inside of the paint tip (where the feed tube attaches) with a dampened swab or pipe cleaner.
Paper towel rolled E) Twist a corner of a paper towel into a point, dampen it, and clean the inside of the nozzle. Never force anything, including a pipe cleaner,
Here is the Paasche H broken down for cleaning. This is a disassembled Iwata Eclipse. into a point helps through the nozzle. If the nozzle won’t come clean, soak it in lacquer thinner or paint remover, depending on what type of paint is on it. Then
clean the airbrush clean it using a piece of dampened toweling.
nozzle.
Tips for keeping your brush clean and healthy F) Reassemble the brush, then go to step 6 above.