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I recently picked up an airbrush myself, and I've only been using cheap paints with it. What I've figured out so far is that sputtering is mostly caused by three things:

1) I didn't thin the paint enough, and it's clogging the tip. I can tell this is happening because if I go full blast, it knocks the clog loose, and tends to throw paint everywhere in very strong splotches for a brief second. This is counteracted by the obvious act of thinning the paint further, and making sure that I have THOROUGHLY mixed my paint.

To make sure I've mixed the paint well enough, I've taken a cheap two to three inch diameter plastic dish and I mix in it. When I want to check quality, I just swish the paint around in the bottom. If I can see anything other than a thin smooth coating or bubbles, I need to either mix and/or thin more. Sediment means mix more, and too thick a layer means thin more.

I'm not mixing to the amount that most people recommend, which is to the consistency of about 2% milk. However, I'm using Folk Art paints that are thinned between 3:1 to 5:1 windex to paint. It works great for me.

2) I have also found that if I turn down the air pressure too much on the regulator, I can get splatter as there isn't enough flow to properly mix the paint before it comes out of the airbrush. I'm using a cheap air compressor I bought at Harbor Freight for $60. It's a 3 gallon, 100 psi unit that flows about 1 CFM at 45 psig.

What I've found is when I spray, the pressure in the regulator drops. So if I dial it to 30 psig, it will drop down to 20 psig when I go to spray. This means I'm really only getting 20 psig out of the unit. So, check and make sure you're not getting a pressure drop when you spray, as it's your flowing pressure that you want to regulate, and not the steady state pressure.

3) The last reason I've found that causes splatter is insufficient paint in the cup (I'm assuming you're using a gravity fed unit). This is usually pretty obvious, as the splatter gets really bad and shortly after it will stop flowing paint properly.

If you think this is the reason, my advice is just to try adding more paint. Especially if you feel you have the paint thinned properly and the pressure where you want it.

I'm sure, since you've been in the hobby for like 20 years, that you have some cheap paints around. I would highly advise taking some cardboard from coke boxes, your cheap paint, and some windex and just spending some time playing with the airbrush. What you want to learn is how to make things like repeatibly sized dots, straight lines with consistant thickness, etc. I've been told that practicing with black on white or white on black is best, because it's the least forgiving. I've been using black on brown (the cardboard color), and it has really helped me to learn to use my gun properly.

You can also do things, once you feel more comfortable, like writing your wife or kids names in a dark color, then coming back with a lighter shade and holding the airbrush closer, and going over their names. Repeat this a few times going from red to orange to yellow, for example, and you'll get a great looking lava-like effect.

And if you're wondering, I got an Iwata Eclipse HP-CS, as Hobby Lobby had a 50% off coupon.

I appreciate the advice Heff. I've just had the one "outing" with my brush and am still woefully clueless about it. However your comments give me several things I need to check on. I set my regulator so that "at rest" it was kicking out 20 psi (which is the low range of where the brush says it operates on), however I never looked at the dial once I started spraying... so my operating pressure is probably lower which could contribute to my sputtering. My paints and dilutions are good I think, but I was not operating with much paint in the cup... so that may have contributed as well.

The booklet that came with my brush as beginning exercises like the ones you describe. Before I start working with it in earnest, I'll work my way through it until I at least get comfortable with my equipment. Luckily I'll have a fair amount of simple base-coating to do before I have to try anything finicky... that in itself should help me be more relaxed with the brush in my hand and improve my control.

Nice brush. The Iwata's have an outstanding rep... just a bit beyond my price range.

With the coupon, the brush and a spare needle came in at just under $100, which I don't think is too far from what you've spent on yours. The biggest money seems to be the compressor, which for airbrushes with a tank, runs easily over $150. That's why I went for more of a light duty home use type of compressor, as while it's alot louder, it's also alot cheaper.

I know if I dial my regulator to 20 psi, when I push the button the pressure drops to 0 in the regulator, because it just can't feed enough air fast enough.

I've got a dragon I'm painting for my wife for christmas. I hope to finish it by Friday, as I'm leaving for India for a few days on Saturday. I will post pictures when it's done, and you can see how amazing an airbrush is at blending on the lava/fire base. I did in an hour what would have taken me at least 12 hours to do with a brush.

The biggest advice I can give is to have fun. You'll always win if you're doing that. =-)

I'm taking a serious look at a deal online with aPasche 2 stage with a 1/8 HP compressor for around $260 with shipping. If I have any $ left over after I buy my new computer in the new year, I may pick that up.

I would think that the point of a compressor with a tank would be to give you steady pressure without the need to be constantly pumping... odd that it does not. I just got a little Paache used for $70, but it doesn't have a tank. It's good enough for now at any rate... if I really get into airbrushing I can upgrade it at a later date. (when I'm not also covering the cost of the brush, needles, paints, solvents etc. as well)

I'm really hoping this works... having my army ready for Adepticon is really riding on my figuring out how to use one properly for more than just base coating (I can do that much with a can of spray primer).

that new picture tripped me up Git!

Just checking in on the Mantis Warriors. I dont know if I ever commented on it, but I love the conversion work you have done to the bolters! I love the look of the sniper rifles and I also like that you have incorporated subtle, antiquated mechanical conversions to them (like the ammo pack clipping from the side of the gun). Again, excellent work as you continue to traverse through building/rebuilding your Mantis project.

Also love what you did to your avatar...happy holidays!

Hey man,
I'm also struggling with my first airbrush. The compressor does, however, help. My mistake, I think, was deciding to practise with the freebie non-gravity one they sent me, and getting utterly frustrated in the process. I will say that Vallejo model air paints are a joy to use, though, and initial work on my Valkyrie's been encouraging. I'm less sold on it for priming, but I can see that laying down a really smooth white over grey primer is going to work well (try to get a pic up later). I'll keep at it if you do!

GITS YOUR PIC IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, thanks for the comments on the Avatar... just trying to get with the spirit of the season.

@Element: Thanks! I really appreciate your comments and am glad you're checkin' in from time to time. I have fun, I share what I do, I try to do better each time. Pretty much sums it up!

@graven: Glad to hear you're in the same boat. My work with the airbrush won't start seriously until I finish up my sternguard... but then I'll be neck-deep in it. Have got 2 razorbacks & 3 drop pods that are all dependent on the airbrush to get painted in a reasonable time frame. I'm really hoping to do some dynamic lighting blends on the vehicle plates, so when I really sit down with the brush in a couple of weeks, I'll be in touch.

@inmygravenimage: A siphon feed airbrush can work fine. You will typically need a little bit more air pressure than you would in a gravity feed, but it has the advantage that you can have multiple bottles of color mixed up and all you have to do is spray a bit of cleaner between color swaps. The bottles can also be used to store paint, so you don't loose any custom mixed colors as easily.

With my gravity feed, I have to thoroughly clean between colors to avoid contamination, and I'm pretty much mixing up the colors each time I need a special tint. I do have some dropper bottles I will eventually fill up with select colors, but haven't gotten around to that yet.

@gitsplitta: A tank offers three advantages that I can think of:

1) You have a constant pressure stream coming out. A compressor works on a cyclic action where sometimes it is pushing and some times it is not, so you get pulses. If you have a pressure regulator installed (I'm assuming you do) then this can alleviate or eliminate the pulses, especially when regulated to below what the compressor is pushing out.

2) As you have a tank to fill up, the compressor only needs to run long enough to fill the tank, and then can be turned off. Even better are the units with an auto-shut-off feature, which is found on pretty much all compressors with a built-in tank.

3) As an expansion on point 2, you can also do airbrushing without ever turning on the compressor if you have pressure in your air tank. This is useful if you want to air brush late at night without waking the kiddies.

Just to make sure there are pics on this page, I'll show my project for Git. In order to get ready for adepticon, I told Git I would do some modeling for him. These are pre-GSing, of course. I'll fill in the leg joints after the squad is done. Anyways, feedback. I need it. For at least the 1st squad, Im going to use just RT legs (with mods of course). The 2nd squad may use some other stuff (worked out with git before hand)

o-O

Nice casts.
Really like the Skulls on that one backpack.

Thanks, the legs on the RT guys REALLY suck, lol. I'll probably use more skulls (from heritic and corrupt marines) on at least the Sgt.
AFAIK, they are original RT marines, not casts. Was very interested/confused by the green plastic though. Git can explain better then me (they are his).

i love those models whale, good work!

Slight change of subject, I thought I would post up a pic of how far along I am with the wings just to let Gitsplitta and all you loyal readers know I have actually had some progress....

So here are the first 7 sets of wings



I ended up casting twice as many of these and only getting a few usable casts before I changed talcum powders and now every cast is a dream! I also discovered that tapping the the mold with a piece of plasticard broke up the bubbles in the mold and spread the excess resin out evenly giving the back of the wings a nice smooth face and thinning out the flash. All in all I learnt a lot getting that mold to work so it has been totally worth it, I will try and get some pics of a marine kitted out with the resin wings in the next few days for you Gits.

Cheers

BLACKHAND

WHOA! Thats a lot of wings. Nice work Blackhand!

We need 20 sets so I have a bit more casting to do

BLACKHAND wrote:We need 20 sets so I have a bit more casting to do

80 panels? o_O

Each set only uses a few MLs of resin, the real problem is having enough molds for things I need that I can pour the extra resin into

Luckily I have started a project that requires roughly 25 custom Marine pads......

@WM: those are looking great my friend! Some of you younger guys might not realize how static those figures are... The dynamic poses that WM has given them are really extraordinary. I usually shorten the feet... They're huge.

@blackhand: just beautiful! Looking forward to the finished product.

Gits

Not shanghai your thread - hope you don't mind - but here's a little something for you:






Anyone order a Mantis Warrrior Vanguard Vet with custom jumppack and oversized Katana? Still needs some detailing added, obviously, but you get the idea - hope you like him bud (and adherents to this awe-inspiring project log generally).

i dont like those wings too much, love the rest, def those shoulderpads on this guy, but im thinking maybe those wings will look a lot better painted!

Paint 'im up man! He looks great! Jeez... pretty soone EVERYONE is going to have a "modern" Mantis Warrior except ME! I'm stuck doing RT era models until April!

:-) :-)

I love it! You guys are GREAT!!!

Back from my trip, got no painting done... too busy drinking with old friends and colleagues. Got our first snow of the year too! Will crank on those 4 sternguard figs next week and have a "state of the Army" shot when they're complete. Next weekend is the deadline.

Gits

Hey git those Mantis bits just arrived! I'll get the shoulder done and on the Sgt this week and get him in the post back at you asap!

Snow eh! lucky bastard I've only seen Snow once and it was one of the best weeks of my life!

We had the first snow of the year to here in the uk, bloody cold but the Sprogs (The Kids) love it..

Jim..

Snow is only cool if you dont have to live with it. It is currently attempting to snow where I'm at. Its cold and just generally not nice out at the moment. Ah well. Lots of time to spend planning my army and conversions for it.

inmygravenimage wrote:Not shanghai your thread - hope you don't mind - but here's a little something for you:






Anyone order a Mantis Warrrior Vanguard Vet with custom jumppack and oversized Katana? Still needs some detailing added, obviously, but you get the idea - hope you like him bud (and adherents to this awe-inspiring project log generally).

he inmygraveimage like the model exceopt two points.
point one : the wings look a bit odd
point two: in danger of sounding a bit knit picky but the katana is up side down and imposible too draw without breaking it or cutting yourself. the cuved side is suppossed too go up not down (commen mistake) and when you draw your sword you turn it 45 degrees with the curved side going left. like this

its the most common way too draw your sword but then again everybody draws his sword differently.

i am just trying too help not nage what you do with this info is your choice i tend too make thing some times a little too realistic (and that with little oplastic guys and girls and aliens dont forget the aliens)

Gitsplitta wrote:Paint 'im up man! He looks great! Jeez... pretty soone EVERYONE is going to have a "modern" Mantis Warrior except ME! I'm stuck doing RT era models until April.

It really does seem like "EVERYONE" is now doing it. On an unrelatated note, I'm getting some Sanguinary Gaurd today for Honour Gaurd conversions. It's a pity that I have to keep those single thrust jump packs and maybe a Katana or two. Just can't think of what I could do with them, an armless SM, and some plasticard...

Looking forwards to seeing a "State of the Army" shot.

I actually kind of love the fact that other folks are taking a whack at making mantis warriors... even if it is just a one-off thing rather than an entire army. Makes me feel like I've accomplished something beyond my own little army.