Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

OK so I know I'm gonna sound like a prat but...

I decided to buy a spray gun from GW and today went to spray the first of my Lemun Russ's in catchan green. I mixed the paint as per the levels on the pot and disaster!!! the paint was a mess.

I know it's a colour and not a foundation so should I bother watering it down on my next attempt or should I just spray it without dilution.

Basically will this ruin my new toy. I really wanna be lazy and spray them also I want them to look good, without brush marks.

I am repetitively new to painting and have never used a spray gun before so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers Gaz

1. The GW Spraygun sucks, go buy yourself an airbrush.

2. If the paint is messed up, the models aren't ruined. Drop them in a plastic safe stripper(like Simple Green or equivalent) for a day or two and they'll be good as new.

Platuan4th wrote:1. The GW Spraygun sucks, go buy yourself an airbrush.

2. If the paint is messed up, the models aren't ruined. Drop them in a plastic safe stripper(like Simple Green or equivalent) for a day or two and they'll be good as new.

Nothing else to add here except replace day or two with week or five (WHEN USING SIMPLE GREEN ONLY!!!!!!!) I find by leaving it in longer it takes less elbow grease and I don't have to use any headlight fluid when removing the paint.

I've already got the paint off that's not the problem. I needed advice on the paint it's self.

Thanks Gaz

GW paint going through any sprayer must be watered down...

that said, yes, the GW sprayer sucks. An airbrush is the best investment you can make.

What was your ratio for dilution, anyway? Also, did you dilute with distilled water, medium, alcohol, what?

You may need to dilute more than the GW instructions say and do several coats.

poda_t wrote:

Platuan4th wrote:1. The GW Spraygun sucks, go buy yourself an airbrush.

2. If the paint is messed up, the models aren't ruined. Drop them in a plastic safe stripper(like Simple Green or equivalent) for a day or two and they'll be good as new.

Nothing else to add here except replace day or two with week or five (WHEN USING SIMPLE GREEN ONLY!!!!!!!) I find by leaving it in longer it takes less elbow grease and I don't have to use any headlight fluid when removing the paint.

Your headlights have fluid?

And for the UK you'll be using Dettol to strip your plastics.

hmm I just used the levels on the bottle for the gun and it was way to watery. Oh and it was plain old tap water I'm guessing that's not good lol

An airbrush is much better, but the gw spray gun will basecoat fine if you cant afford or dont want to get an airbrush.

You say it was a mess, but what actually happened?

hmm well it sort of pooled and almost looked as if it was mottled kind of like droplet of green rain and was running down to the edges of the panels. it's quite hard to explain really i should of taken a photo but I just got the paint of as quick as possible.

sounds like your spraying too heavily.

Carry on diluting to the marks on the bottle and using tap water, but adjust the needle so your only spray a very fine coat of paint. Also make sure you keep the gun moving and dont try to paint too many tanks in one go. Once that canned air starts getting frost on it, you need to stop and let it warm up.

Basically you want to be misting on fine coats of paint in layers, allowing it to dry inbetween.

Is it possible your tanks still have some oily residue on them? Usually when my paint doesn't seem to settle its because I didn't wash the models down before hand, though this usually only hits on resin models.

you used primer first too right?

they've all been under coated with chaos black but i'm gonna guess that not right lol (sounding more and more numb).

I did try adjusting the needle but no joy I'll have another go in the morning and try just misting the layers on one tank. if that fails then ebay and a long time with a brush maybe in order

Buy yourself a Tamiya model paint spray can and use that for your tanks.
http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/spray.htm

Chaos black should be fine.

If you dont have any luck with it, either get an airbrush if you can afford it or look at the army painter coloured primer spray cans

*edit* or the tamiya cans as mentioned above!

Will do

cheers for the help everyone

Gaz

Aerethan wrote:

poda_t wrote:

Nothing else to add here except replace day or two with week or five (WHEN USING SIMPLE GREEN ONLY!!!!!!!) I find by leaving it in longer it takes less elbow grease and I don't have to use any headlight fluid when removing the paint.

Your headlights have fluid?

Yes, but the store is out of elbow grease and headlight fluid at the moment, but they do have a flag.

I have used oven cleaner with absolutely no damage to the minis. Metal or plastic. I cant speak for finecast or vehicles though.

And yeah, get an airbrush. If you live in the states you can get a pretty damn nice one at harbor freight for 25 bucks. (but usually on sale) I have several of them.

http://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-airbrush-kit-95810.html

vickershaft wrote:
I really wanna be lazy and spray them also I want them to look good, without brush marks.
Cheers Gaz

I would like to directly address this fallacy, as this may be the source of the problems that you are having. Airbrushing is not a "lazy" way of applying paint, further, getting something to look good requires putting in more effort than what it takes for you to make something look nominal....now whether that effort is spent understanding how airbrushing works and mixing paint properly, or it is spent applying paint with a brush one coat at a time, ti is still effort, and to produce more than what you typically create will require more effort...there are few "lazy" shortcuts that produce excellent results...what these perceived short cuts are is simply tools that produce different results, the function of the tool still needs to be understood to create an application.

Perhaps if you approached your spraying/airbrushing form a different perspective, it would not be so frustrating, and you would not feel like you were wasting your time. While airbrushing will certainly produce great results in a short period of time, it is neither lazy, nor easy, it requires and understanding of the tool and practice of the application. You have received some good advice in this thread, I would suggest following it.

Ashton