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I'm using Vallejo Model Air or Vallejo Game Color (thinned) paints for the most part and seem to be having trouble dialing in what a good psi setting is. So, my question is: When airbrushing, what psi settings do you guys use? Is it different based on infantry vs vehicle? Thanks in advance! Any help would be great! I'm using approx 18-20, but thinking about bumping it up. I think i may have better flow with a slightly higher psi.

I use 40-60 psi. Just play with the settings until it works for you.

I generally run at like 20-25 PSI, and when using thicker paints dial it up to 30-35 PSI

Awesome, thanks for the fast responses. I had read somewhere 15-20, but after trying that, I think its just too low. I think i'll have better luck at 25 or 30. I'll dial it up tonight. On a side note, just wanted to say thanks to Horst. A couple of weeks ago, you really had some constructive posts helping me on an army list, and have posted several answers to questions from me. Thanks a bunch dude.

Suks wrote:Awesome, thanks for the fast responses. I had read somewhere 15-20, but after trying that, I think its just too low. I think i'll have better luck at 25 or 30. I'll dial it up tonight. On a side note, just wanted to say thanks to Horst. A couple of weeks ago, you really had some constructive posts helping me on an army list, and have posted several answers to questions from me. Thanks a bunch dude.

I try to be helpful. Or antagonistic. I generally flip a coin when I respond. You got lucky!

More specifics to your problem would be helpful. Type of airbrush? Size head? What are you dialing in, exactly? Compressor type? Do you have a regulator / moisture trap? What are you using as your thinner (windex, iso alcohol, water, other)?

I found that my airbrush (Paasche VL) works fine using 20PSI with the 1, 3 & 5 heads/needles/tip setups with acrylics... The only problem I run into is when I try using the #1 setup (smallest) with metallics or pearlessent additives. But that's more of a pigment density problem than PSI related. Luckily the metallics I spray don't require the #1 setup! Now, I'm no expert with airbrushes and, to be honest, I set my regulator at 20PSI and haven't touched it since. In my limited experience I find that dialing in your thinner:paint receipe is more important and has more of an impact on your painting experience.


Here's a shot in the dark at some problems that might be confused with PSI issues:
-During a painting session I might see less paint coverage as time goes by. This is usually because my needle is getting dirty with some dried up paint and kills my siphon. I clean the tip with a wet q-tip or similar process and life is good again. If I find myself taking a lot of breaks while painting this will happen more frequently as the paint has more time to dry. The type & amount of thinner also affects this. I started out using water as my main thinner with acrylics but replacing water with windex really extended the MTBF and really helped my paint flow [Insert Infomercial: It cleans as it sprays!].

-Do you have a regulator where the PSI builds to about 40PSI when stopped / not in use? Is the only time it sprays well when you try spraying for the first time after it's built up but then the paint stops pulling / spraying consistently? I fixed this by thinning my paints more but first thought I needed more PSI. If you don't have a regulator you will get modulations in your air flow and can also cause this type of issue.

-Moisture in your air line will sometimes collect and come out all at once in an orgazmic display of color all over whatever details you thought you were working on. The moisture trap and regulator (one kit for my paasche D500 compressor) fixes this along with regulating a nice even PSI.

-Do you have a double action airbrush? How experienced are you? Airbrushes are fairly simple devices so, most of the time, I've found it boils down to operator error. It took me a hot minute to really get my trigger control down. I still make sure to test my strokes (air/paint ratio with the double action trigger) on cardboard / a piece of paper first to make sure everything is copasetic.


TL;DR - Try defining your specific problem and google it using your airbrush model / manufacturer. There's a lot of good resources for airbrushing both in the dakka forums and elsewhere.


Good Luck!

Iwata HP-CS, .3mm
Pancake compressor wwith 5gal tank.
Using both regulator and moisture trap
Have tried thinning with windex, distilled water, and iso alc based thinner.
Have had problems with tip dry as well.

I generally spray Vallejo model air with a PSI of 15-20. For 80% watered down GW paints, I spray at about 50 PSI, as they are absolutely horrible to spray and constantly foul my brush.

More PSI does not equal better painting, period. Not only that, if you are outside the parameters of your airbrush, you can risk permanently damaging your airbrush. From my experience with airbrushing model aircraft, getting your paint mixture correct is the most important thing you can do. Don't use windex or ISO alcohol...it's gonna crap up your paint. Stick with water or airbrushing medium, as they are of the right solvency for thinning, not removing, acrylic paint. If you dial in the right thinner to paint ratio, you're going to have much, much better results. Just make sure you use some sort of standard measurment system, that way you can replicate your mixture in the future!

This question is a little vague, as airbrush PSI is directly linked to the effect you are trying to achieve. It is also interrelated to how thin or thick your paints are which is related to what color you are using...one effects the others, there is no clear cut answer.

For example, if I am doing small detail brushing I will use as little as 7psi and have very thin paint, if I am doing large areas on a vehicle I may keep the paint a little thicker and run about 35 psi, while for my typical mini base-coating I will rung at about 25PSI. It is not about finding the right PSI as much as it is knowing what you want to do and the effect that you would like to achieve, dont assume that PSI is the only factor.

As far as the tip of your airbrush drying, that is par for the course and something to be expected when dealing with fast drying acrylic paints. keep some q tips around and some windex, every 5 min or so, take a q tip, dip it in the windex and clean the tip, if you are gentle you will not hurt the needle, needles are far more resilient then people give them credit for.

Lastly, Vallejo Air paints claim to be airbrush ready, no thinning required, but I will still thin mine down, I like worker with thinner paints, as opposed to thicker paints, you have more control this way.

Ashton