Painting with a model with a hand brush is standard, but if you want to level-up your paint finishes, or if you have a large model that take up too much time to hand paint, then airbrushing is a solution. Modern airbrushes and accessories have advanced to a point that even beginners will find it easy to get started. Though this article and the video below is aimed at the beginner modeller, we hope this will also help experienced hobbyists as well!
The most basic airbrushes are single action, siphon feed airbrushes. These are most commonly found at art shops and hardware stores, and work very similarly to spray guns. High air pressure forces paint through a nozzle, and the paint is 'atomised' or mixed and thrown into the direction of the air flow. Since you only have limited control of the paint nozzle, these are only ideal for wide sweeping strokes in a single colour.
With the double action, both the air and paint are regulated by a single trigger button. The more pressure you place on the trigger downwards releases more air, the more you pull back on the trigger releases more paint. This makes controlling the air/paint flow easier, and produces either a finer line or a wide stroke. The paint is atomised within the airbrush itself, and a fine needle controls the aperture (or size) of the paint nozzle.
Several different brands of airbrushes are available in the market, but we recommend the Hobby Basics double action airbrush set for beginners as it comes complete with a braided hose, spare needles and nozzles to get started. Hobby Basics also has bundles of this airbrush with a compressor included, as well as an indoor spray booth, and even a cleaning pot included!
When you get your airbrush, spend time practising on a piece of card to see what you can do. Check how wide or how narrow the spray patterns can go and how you can manage the consistency of the paint you are using, as well as the amount of air pressure you can use with the brush actions.
With a double action airbrush, you can practice the amount of air (pressing the button downward) with smaller amounts of paint released (pulling the button backwards).
In an ideal world, any hobby paint can be used with an airbrush - as long as it is safely thinned to the right consistency. Being water or alchohol based, acrylic paint is now the first choice for many hobbyists due to the ease of cleaning. Lacquer paints and enamels can be airbrushed, but you will need to use lacquer and enamel thinners to clean. These thinners generate a stronger smell and harmful fumes, so be mindful not to inhale and work in a ventilated area.
For paint to pass through an airbrush, paint will need to be thinned unless it comes in the bottle pre-thinned. But atmospheric conditions (like temperature or humidity) will vary, so oftentimes you need to thin still. A good rule of thumb is to thin it so that the consistency of the paint is similar to milk (the milk rule), where it runs readily off a brush but you still see the colour well and not through. It take practice, but you will learn how to give your paint decent opacity at the right consistency.
A single action airbrush is easy to clean - just run the correct paint thinner through the airbrush until the brush is cleared of residual paint. The double action airbrush is also the same, but since the mixing of the paint is internal, you will also need to dismantle the airbrush when paint eventually builds up to clean the nozzle and needle. These are the parts which will need a thorough clean. This makes the Hobby Basics cleaning pot ideal for the task!
When airbrushing, always work in a well ventilated area, even with water or alchohol based paints. If you are working indoors, make sure you have a window open or you are using a spray booth to blow away atomised paint. A face mask and eye protection is ideal to keep paint from being inhaled or getting into your vision.
It is also good practice to have adequate lighting and a clear, clean work space. Lighting sources may need to be close to the paint subject, and some spray booths, like the Hobby Basics one, has built in LED lights on the actual frame.
A clear area is recommended as the airbrush hose may get entangled while you are moving the airbrush around, and its always good to avoid any accidental spillage!
As our own Max Shaw mentions in the video, if you have any issues - just ask! The Metro Hobbies team at all three stores - Melbourne CBD, Box Hill and Dandenong - always has an airbrushing or scale model expert around to help with any questions. Many of the team are scale modellers themselves, and we do have painted scale model examples on display, so feel free to come in store and have a chat!
To read more articles about airbrushing, click here!
]]>Have you ever wanted to shoot photos of your precious model collection only to be totally disappointed with the results? Colors all wrong and muddy, focus on the background instead of the kit, light falling all wrong on the kit.
With the quality of mobile phone cameras ever improving and inexpensive readily available LED lighting, quality scale model photography with your phone is actually not too difficult, provided you know a few basics.
The most important element in photography is lighting and your lighting is the first key element to success. A desk lamp with an incandescent bulb is certainly not the way to go but you don’t really need a professional set up for your model shoot. The key is diffusion, size of the light source and color temperature.
Aim to get daylight balanced lighting. Many inexpensive LED tube lights are available in daylight color balance. Make sure the the color temperature indicated is around 5700K to 6000K, This will render your colors naturally like daylight and will help you avoid any unnatural color cast in your photos. Two long 24 inch tubes in an overhead lighting fixture will provide you with plenty of light. My work table is lit with these types of daylight tubes so there is no need for any other set up. You could also opt to use one of the many commonly available LED ring lights for work from home set ups.
Take note that for natural lighting, the light should fall from above the model and not from the direction of your camera. Avoid using a flash set up from your phone as the light will be flat and unnatural.
You will need a background paper of some sort. I generally use a large white sheet. Make sure your paper’s surface is clean and a slight sheen on the surface will help. Use a large sturdy book or an easel to prop the paper up and secure it with a few clips. Make sure your prop is stable and heavy enough so it doesn’t fall on your model.
Once your paper is set up, curl your side of the paper up so that it reflects some light back on to the model. Your main light source should be above but you should also have some light reflected back on the surface of the model facing you.
Have one or two white cards as well to serve as additional reflectors should you need them. Your studio is now set up to receive the model. Place your kit midway between the vertical portion of the backdrop and your camera. If you have a tendency to shake, a small tripod is useful, or you can steady your hands on the table. The default focal length of mobile phone cameras is usually wide angle, while wide angle lenses are great for group shots and parties they will tend to capture more background than you want. Once you’ve determined your shooting angle, zoom your lens a bit so the edges of the background are no longer seen. You will generally want your subject to occupy around 3/4th of the screen.
You will usually have your mobile phone camera in fully automatic mode which is fine in most cases. If you can set the white balance on your camera, have it on AWB or automatic white balance which is usually the normal default mode. If you find the color a bit off, you may need to go into manual white balance and pick the daylight option providing you are using daylight balanced LED’s.
Once you have your subject framed to your satisfaction, focus on your subject by selecting a point 1/3rd of the way from the front of the model closest to the camera. Touch your finger on that point and your mobile phone should focus there. Now take notice if your image has turned too light or dark upon focusing. This often happens when the dominant color of your model is too dark or light. You can now tweak your exposure to compensate. With Android cameras, hold down your focusing point and a slider will appear that allows you to brighten or darken your image. Brace the phone on the table or use a tripod and release the shutter.
If there isn’t enough light falling on the front of the subject use your reflectors to direct more light back to the model. Adjust the distance of the refectors to adjust how much light is bounced back.
Now imagine your position in relation to the subject if it was full sized. Placing your camera at the scale height of a human makes your model look as if it was as large as the real thing. Experiment with angles, think of what you need to show off on your creation. If the kit is too close for the camera to focus, step back and zoom in on the detail.
Now, let’s say you want to shoot your creations but don’t have a daylight balanced LED set up? All is not lost. Place a table near a large window and let the reflected light be your light source. Again make sure that the light is not falling flat on the front of your subject. Let the light fall from above and slightly behind the subject and agin use your white cards as reflectors if the model is too back lit and in shadow. Depending on the quality of light, you may want to adjust the hue or color balance of your mobile phone but essentially, the shoot goes the same way.
Once you have determined the sweet spot for your lighting set up, rotate the model, so that it is illuminated the same way while your point of view remains the same. Do shoot multiple exposures always tweaking the exposure.
In case you want to shoot with a darker background, again the same rules apply. The phone’s light meter might detect the dark background and over compensate. Just be aware that you can control the cameras exposure by adjusting the EV. Again , you will want to bounce back some light to the surface of the model using your card reflectors.
So there it is. A way of getting sharp, clear and well lit photos of your build you can instantly share from your phone.
Happy shooting!
Have you ever had one of those models that sat on your shelf for years or even decades without actually having been finished because you were unsatisfied with how the build went?
We often get asked about stripping down old paint and redoing paint jobs. Depending on the scenario, paint stripping isn't really as necessary as before. A good friend of the shop (who is a very good armour modeller) shares his thoughts on the process.
Sometimes, the kits that don’t really grab our attention turn out to be among the most satisfying projects we take on years later. Take for instance the Tamiya late model Panther Ausf G.
I took on the then-new Panther kit around 20 years ago. I was a big fan of the Panther, and at that time Tamiya’s new release was the best representation of the legendary cat. Crisply molded and easy to build, the kit was a Panther modeller’s dream. Unlike the Original Tamiya Panther Ausf A, the G was dimensionally accurate and though somewhat lacking in detail, those oversights could be quickly addressed with some basic photo etch and a bit of scratch building.
The kit was completed with a PE set consisting of Schurzen, hangers and engine deck screens. While happy with the build, my attempt at the challenging “disc pattern” ambush scheme failed miserably. I misinterpreted the pattern and used a circle template to very roughly spray individual circles of red brown and olive green onto a rather dark dark yellow surface. I was terribly disappointed. The kit looked nothing like what I was attempting to emulate. I did a half hearted weathering job. It soon vanished behind some other kits on my display and I forgot about it.
Fast forward 20 years and here I was looking at some built kits; I spotted it way back on the top shelf of my display cabinet, out of reach and out of sight. I figured I would repaint it. I decided I would paint it in a typical late war colour scheme of a green base (introduced in August-September 1944) with a tightly sprayed pattern of red brown and dark yellow.
I first washed down the kit with water and detergent through my airbrush at high pressure to loosen the dust that had accumulated and then proceeded to sand off some rough spots with a very fine grit sanding sponge. After it dried, I proceeded to prime it in Vallejo black acrylic primer.
The primer helps me create a three dimensional effect and shadow areas on the finished model. After drying I sprayed an olivgrun base taking care not to obscure all of the black and leave shadow areas, streaks and panel lines on the black base. A second lighter layer of olivgrun was sprayed in faint vertical streaks over that. I followed with a very tightly sprayed pattern of red brown and then several tightly sprayed patches of dark yellow. As this was a factory painted design, I took the extra effort to pencil in my pattern before spraying to avoid guesswork and overspray.
At this point, I was happy to start weathering, but opportunity struck.
A friend of mine who runs a printing press wanted to try using his plotter to cut complex masks for camouflage, and was looking for people willing to try them out. In the years since building the Panther, I had finally learned that the pattern was not created by painting circles onto the tanks but by using a template to create negative shapes of the spaces BETWEEN the circles. I had made a partially successful attempt on a Jagdpanzer IV L70 a few years back, but the pattern, while correct, was oversized.
The stickers were ready a few days later and the process began. Doing the disc pattern is a time consuming and complex process, but the masks made it less daunting. We took one side at a time, experimenting first on the turret. The pattern was a success!
I found some photos of knocked out vehicles with the paint scheme and decided on a number, taking them from old assorted sheets.
The time then came for weathering. After a lot of pin washes with Tamiya brown and black panel liner and enamel thinner, I figured I’d give the build a little extra effort and finish it with mud.
I first made a light grey/brown slurry from real fine soil, pigments, vinyl acrylic paint (Vallejo), some white glue as a binder and detergent to break surface tension. I liberally applied the slurry in vertical streaks all over the suspension with more mud towards the rear of the vehicle. Using an old toothbrush, I also carefully created mud splatters and build up on the front bottom and rear of the Panther, taking care not to overdo the splashes. I then took some of the remaining light mud mix and thoroughly watered it down to create a sort of streaking wash on the tank’s vertical surfaces taking care the the streaks were very faint and in scale.
Once that layer dried,, I applied a second march darker slurry, with some clear gloss mixed in to represent fresher mud. Again, I applied splashes with the old toothbrush. To finish I again used the Tamiya panel line washes to create grease stains on the wheel hubs, rear panel and other parts of the vehicle. Parts that needed more definition were revisited with washes.
The vehicle isn’t quite finished, (I still need to build and paint a crew) but the vehicle now sits on a place of honour in the display shelf.
Sometimes you never know when you’ll produce a piece of work you can truly be proud of, unless you take that old kit and begin!
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“As an award winning modeller, if there’s one tool that will take your craft to the next level, it’s an Iwata.”
Iwata has been a serious manufacturer of high quality airbrushes, spray guns, compressors and accessories for over ninety years serving thousands of artists and hobbyists all over the globe. Using only State Of The Art technology and materials, Iwata have placed themselves at the forefront of airbrush production. Each airbrush, compressor and accessory in their range are all manufactured and tested by hand to Iwata’s strict assembly code ensuring the highest level of craftsmanship possible.
For example, anyone wanting to start airbrushing for the first time should start with Iwata’s Neo and Revolution series airbrushes. They are easy to use, delivering a soft and effortless coverage at low air pressure. This makes them not only suitable for the novice, but most importantly, affordable.
For those demanding a multi-purpose system, Iwata’s excellent Eclipse series are manufactured to atomise heavier mediums resulting in a controlled fine line to a broad field. This makes the Eclipse the most popular and versatile airbrush in their range and one of the biggest selling airbrushes in the world.
We at Metro Hobbies are proud to introduce Iwata Airbrushes, compressors and accessories to our ever expanding range of hobby supplies. From the Neo to the Custom Micron, from novice to veteran, no matter what your field of interest is, you can be sure Iwata has an airbrush or/and compressor to suit both your requirements and budget.
]]>One of the oldest techniques in the modellers tool of tricks is drybrushing. It is primarily used these days to simulate worn shiny metal. Track links for instance are constantly abraded by the surface that tanks roll on, wearing the contact points into bright shiny metal highlights. Other parts such as shovels, machine guns can benefit a lot from a little metal drybrushing.
Drybrushing also used to be in vogue as a way of making highlights and raised detail such as rivets stand out, giving the model a 3D effect which usually complements a pin wash.
To drybrush, all you need is a metallic paint of your choice, usually silver or metallic gray, a flat brush. (A well-worn one will do as the technique will be rather rough on it) and some textured paper.
Decide which surface you’d like to highlight and plan which direction of strokes would be most realistic. Tracks for instance are drybrushed generally using strokes in the direction of travel.
You will not need a lot of paint. A few drops will suffice. Wet the tip of your flat chisel type brush with the metallic paint and then rub most of it off on your paper until the brush is almost completely dry. Don’t worry it it looks like you’ve rubbed all the paint off. You really don’t need too much.
Now, take your-almost dry brush and rub it vigorously along the surface you want to highlight. The remaining metallic paint will catch the highlights and rub off on them. Go slowly, watching the effect improve over several passes. You don’t want to do too much and turn your model silver. Use photographs as reference. As the brush loses more pigment, once again dip it in paint and repeat the process. Do not clean your brush between passes. Thinner or water will make the paint flow and will ruin the effect.
Drybrushing for highlights follows the same process but in this case use a lighter shade of your base color. You can for instance lighten some dark green with a little bit of dark yellow or buff. Don’t lighten the paint too much - or else in the words of the Late Great Shep Paine: “ Your model will look like an accident in a flour factory). Again, go slow, and subtlety is key.
You can even do worn whitewash effects without chipping by using this technique. Simply paint your vehicle in white and drybrush the base color on your model using downward strokes. More drybrushing works for more worn whitewash.
Drybrushing is a fun simple technique that adds load of realism to your model!
]]>Well, you can go a bit further into making that build a little bit more lifelike by weathering it.
Weathering adds dimension, makes tiny details pop out and turns a plain model into a winner.
The first step in weathering is a pin wash. Simply put, a pin wash is a translucent coat of thin paint applied to areas of surface detail like panel lines, nuts and polts, hinges and other surface detail. A wash adheres to the recesses around those details and makes them pop out from the surface paint adding more dimension and realism to the model.
This effect applies to all model kits - military, aircraft, trains, even cars , trucks and bikes! For our purposes here, we are trying it out on an Amusing Hobby 1/35 Conqueror Heavy Tank.
There are a few simple steps to achieving a good pin wash. Here is a quick and simple guide.
Here's a quick video we did of how this all came together:
When I started out scale modeling around four long decades ago, I thought that I was supposed to dunk the entire decal sheet in water and just pick what I needed as they either slid off into the water or crumpled into an unsalvageable mess between my fingers.
Thankfully, somewhere along the way, I saw the error of my ways and learned how to do it properly and save my sanity (and my models).
Here’s a short tutorial on applying decals. My sample kit is Dragon’s Panzer 4 Ausf H.
Before beginning to apply decals, it’s a good idea to lay a thin glossy coat on the model so that decals adhere better and to avoid any silvering and air bubbles. Airbrush or handpaint a thinned down layer of clear glass as your first step. Before you apply the gloss coat, make sure your model is free of any dust.
Now select the decals you will be using and set them aside for your kit. Cut out just the ones you need as you go, to avoid any confusion. Also set aside a small container of clean water.
Once your gloss coat is dry, take some decal setting solution of your choice and brush a thin layer of it on the first surface you plan to apply decals on.
Dip the decal in water (don’t do them several at a time) and patiently wait for it to come loose from the backing. DO NOT DUNK AND SOAK the entire decal in the water, or else it may float completely off!
Using hobby tweezers, place the decal paper on the surface close to where the marking needs to be applied and slowly slide the decal off the backing paper. It helps to get a portion of the decal down on the surface and then slide the backing paper off.
Use a pair of tweezers to fine tune the position of the decal once it is in place. If you are having a hard time moving the decal, adding a couple of drops of water to the surface may help.
Study the placement and alignment of the decals and fine tune as needed. Try and not use your fingers to adjust - the decals may adhere to your fingers!
When satisfied, blot off the rest of the water with lint free tissue, or cloth. Press down a bit to help the decal adhere to the details and texture on the surface.
Once the liquid is blotted off, apply another thin layer of decal setting solution and wait a few minutes.
You may need to re-apply setting solution (but be wary of using too much solution as they become very fragile) and press down on the decals a bit more to make sure they are snug. Be very careful that you do not damage them at this point. Slowly and gently as you go!
And you are done! Move on to the next decals!
Like this article? Let us know - and if there's anything else you'd like some help with!
Here are a few videos we did to help as well!
Through the years we at Metro Hobbies have seen a multitude of hobby products come (and sometimes go) through our shelves, and we're very happy with our growing range that offer the best to our customers. From enamel paints to acrylics, to the new lines of lacquer paints coming from Tamiya and SMS, as well as all their associated finishing products. Now we welcome AK Interactive to the fold.
From the onset, AK Interactive is an impressive line. Our current line has the lot, from their base acrylic paint range to the Real Colour line, to their washes, filters and even weathering pencils. The Spanish brand has incorporated the lessons learned from established hobby brands like Tamiya and Vallejo, and combined it with the technical experience from well-known hobbyists the world over. The result is easily a line of products that are very easy to work with.
We put that ease of use to the test recently. We had a Takom 1/35 M3A1 Lee tank with a plain, standard olive drab finish. We decided to see how AK's base enamel effects stand up to a quick go on top of another brand's paints. The original paints used were just the base Vallejo black and olive drab primer, and a gloss coat to assist with decals.
We selected three enamel effects for this road test: AK012 Streaking Grime, AK015 Dust Effects, and AK027 Slimy Grime Light. Before anything though, we applied a base panel liner black wash to highlight the panel lines, using AK2071 Panel liner for Brown and Green.
The entire effort took exactly 27 minutes. Obviously you can take much more time than this for a more thorough finish, but we felt doing the quick application will test whether the product lives up to expectations.
Armed with a thin, precise .3 brush to apply the effects, and a thick 5mm brush with enamel thinner to wash and streak the effects, it all went on without fuss. What was great was the ease of controlling the amounts even after applying the effect. Adding more thinner wash diluted or removed the excess very quickly.
And it all dries up fast (but not too fast) as well. You could see the resulting finish right away, which means you can get back into it and remove or add to what you have on just like that.
As you can see, the final finish speaks for itself. Not overdone, nor not too subtle, all the detail comes out very well, and it doesn't overpower the finished subject.
We'll definitely be trying out a few more of AK Interactive's (as well as other brands) additions to our line of hobby finishing products. If you'd like to request a theme or topic you'd like us to focus on, do leave us a comment below or send us an email.
]]>In Metro Hobbies' collective experience, airbrushing as a skill takes your hobby enjoyment to the next level. Much like learning how to drive, once you learn how, you would begin to wonder why you didn't take that step sooner!
Above: Two versions of a single-action airbrush.
Atomising paint tools using compressed air was first invented in the 1870s in the USA. They were first designed to be used for industrial manufacturing (spray guns) and simplified the work of painting many large objects quickly (as well as saving on paint, and drying paint quicker).
Eventually airbrushes came to be used by artists. The basics haven't changed, but in the last decade or so there had been quite a revolution with the affordability of airbrushes and compressors, water-based paints, as well as the airbrush designs themselves that one can happily jump into the painting straightaway with little or no experience, and come out of it satisfied in taking the step.
There is no hard and fast rule on when you should or shouldn't use an airbrush. The base principle works the same as any aerosol can: paint is 'misted' and spattered over a surface as a fine coat by compressed air. The airbrushes' different designs provide control the flow of paint and the the air pressure that gives the user control over the width of the spray, the feathering of the edge, and the amount of the paint.
Above: An example of feathered camouflage effects with an airbrush.
So ideally if you want to paint a large area evenly or simulate a feathered camouflage scheme, then using an airbrush is the answer. Take note though that many experienced modellers prefer to use a hand brush still for large areas, and others use an airbrush even for small scale figures. There is not right or wrong answer, but suffice it to say it will always go down to the modeller's preference.
A single-action airbrush is the more basic type of airbrush one can use. Available in either pen or gun form, the principle of the single-action isn't too far from a spray can. There is only one trigger (ergo single) which controls the release of air. This draws the paint up (or down) from the paint container and initiates the spray effect. All the paint and air mixes OUTSIDE the airbrush, just right in front of the nozzle itself. What this means is that you can only use the airbrush at a certain distance from the subject, and can only paint wide swaths at a time.
Above: A single-action airbrush and base accessories.
Though some single-action airbrushes have a paint nozzle control, and some others have specialised paint tips, people who are after finer spray lines and effects usually opt for a double-action. Single-action airbrushes are great for painting large subjects, basic spray priming, and for beginners seeking to practice using a single coloured paint subject.
Above: The single-action airbrush's only trigger.
Double-action airbrushes have dual control for 1) air flow and 2) paint flow. This is usually achieved by the trigger which controls air pressure from the hose underneath, as well as moving a fine needle back and forth to control the paint.
Unlike single-action airbrushes, all paint and air mixing happens INTERNALLY with a double-action. This allows users to go spray as close as possible to a subject, which lets one go even finer lines.
The base components of a double-action airbrush
With a double action, pressing full blast on air release and paint release will produce the widest width and maximum paint flow. Releasing minimum air pressure with minimum paint release will produce the finest line it can make. (This depends on the grade and engineering of the airbrush).
Needless to say, a double-action is an ideal preference for modellers, as it has the flexibility for many situations.
Click here to view the latest airbrushes and compressors from noted brand Sparmax! And here for a quick video peek!
Obviously there are many kinds of air compressors available to use, but for hobby airbrushing there will be some specific requirements. Airbrushes in general need only 25 to 45 psi (pound-square-inch) air pressure to operate effectively. There are some who use their industrial air compressor capable of more than 120 to 150psi, but that is very excessive and will not only scatter paint everywhere, but will also make the airbrush hard to control!
Hobby air compressors are small, compact and quiet compared to their big brethren. They usually come in two types - one with a holding tank and one without. This simply means that the ones with holding tanks will be able to switch off their motors once enough air pressure builds up in the tank, while those without will have to keep running throughout the entire time one is using their airbrush.
The trade off for investing in a more expensive holding tank compressor comes down to not wanting continuous motor noise and power use.
As long as any paint can be thinned and mixed, it can be used with an airbrush. Thinners are important - the proper consistency allows the paint to flow freely through and mist properly. Long-time modellers always say to "mix the paint and thinner to the consistency of milk."
Here we see how the paint should look when thinned for the airbrush. Please note that paint to thinner ratios will vary from brand to brand.
In this video below we see how the right consistency results in the correct and even flow of paint.
Many paint manufacturers like Vallejo, AK Interactive and SMS provide paints that are ready-mixed for use with an airbrush right out of the bottle.
Click here to view how we spray flat varnishes with (and without) thinners.
Other paint brands like Tamiya, Gunze Mr Hobby and Humbrol need to be thinned with their respective thinners (acrylic, enamel or lacquer) for use. The rule of thumb is to always use an airbrush at a well ventilated area. Even if a paint is labelled non-toxic, overspray and fumes can build up and may be an hazardous.
Like any precision tool, airbrushes require regular cleaning with every use. After every load of paint, the airbrush should be flushed with a separate amount of thinner until it flows clear. For double-action airbrushes, thinner or airbrush cleaner should be blown back into the internal mixing chamber as shown, which will flush any dried paint out. Click here for a demo.
Above: A top-loading cup of a double-action airbrush reveals the area needing to be kept clean after every use.
A common error among first-timers is using an airbrush for too long. Remember, even when idle, the air compressor is generating air movement and heat at the same time, which may cause paint within the airbrush begin to dry. When that happens the flow gets clogged and erratic, and bits of solidified paint may jam the nozzle, and dirty up the needle.
The tip of a double-action: The front cup protects the exposed needle tip, so don't drop it! A bent needle is rarely repairable!
For a thorough cleaning, flush the airbrush with thinners three or four times. For extreme jamming, leave the airbrush front area submerged under thinners or airbrush cleaner fluid overnight nozzle down, allowing dissolved paint to drip downwards out of the airbrush.
Above: The revealed needle assembly for a base double-action. Be careful when removing the needle entirely, as it holds a lot of trigger parts and springs together.
As much as possible, do not disassemble the airbrush completely without consulting someone with experience, as the fine needle tips and nozzles on double-action airbrushes are extremely fragile.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks with hobby finishing products. If you'd like to request a theme or topic you'd like us to focus on, do leave us a comment below or send us an email.
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