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.

I'm still pretty new to airbrushing and I'm having a few issues sometimes

My main problem is that sometimes the paint comes out very spattery

I'm using Vallejo model air (mostly), which is supposed to be formulated to work in an airbrush right out of the bottle.
Even so, I've tried thinning a bit using various mediums: Vallejo airbrush thinner, airbrush cleaner, etc

My airbrush is an Iwata Neo, and a mid-range iwata compressor


Does anyone have any pointers or know of common mistakes I might be making?

A dirty airbrush is the most likely cause for your issues. Both because that's the common symptom of the problem and the thing that a new airbrush user is most likely to do incorrectly or not enough.

Clean your airbrush properly. And install a moisture trap.

Could you be a bit more specific about the type of splatter and/or when it happens (bit of splatter at the beginning of each trigger pull, consistently speckly finish, little runs that look like the old Nickelodeon "splat" logo, etc.)? There are a number of potential causes, each with their own solution. Moisture in the air line, improper gun assembly, significant tip dry or internal clogs, or even improper spray technique could be at fault and there's a big difference between the fix for spidering (changing technique) and a wet line (installation of an additional moisture trap).

If we can't narrow it down based on your description, the best course of action is generally to start with the simplest/cheapest fix and keep trying the next until the problem disappears. Drain your moisture trap, break down the gun, give everything a good clean, and reassemble carefully. Inspect the needle for a bent tip. Spread soapy water over the whole tip assembly and run air through, checking for bubbles that would indicate a leak. Spray water through, observing the spray pattern for any irregularities that might indicate an internal misalignment (back-lighting and using a dark background helps with visibility). Spray some scrap with paint, checking intermittently for buildup on the tip of the needle. Make sure you're cutting off the paint supply before you stop the air flow, while spraying. If you don't, paint will pool, getting blasted off in a splatter the next time you pull the trigger.

Well it was a consistently speckly finish.
There's a moisture tap on the compressor (Iwata Smart Jet Pro) and it doesn't seem to have any moisture in it.

I always clean the airbrush between colours and a mid session clean if I'm doing a lot of a single colour.

I use airbrush cleaner and a cue tip, then wipe with a tissue.

I remove the needle to clean the length, and wipe the cup and nozzle pieces. Is there something I should be doing to clean inside the main body? I usually just spray cleaner through it a bit since there doesn't seem to be any other way.

My feeling is it's the paint mixture. Sometimes it's great, other times it's like it's drying or not thin enough, but I'm using Vallejo Model Air - which is supposed to be usable right out of the bottle - but I generally put at least a bit of thinner into the mix, and add more if I get speckling. But sometimes it just doesn't work, no matter what

What size needle do you use? If I remember correctly, VMA paints are designed to be used out of the pot by the common airbrush needle size but still needs to be thinned for the finer spray needles. Unfortunately, Im terrible at remembering the needle sizes.

If I had to guess, based on your description, I'd say it's either a bent needle or an internal clog - either one can disrupt the spray pattern, resulting in a speckled finish.

Have you carefully examined the needle tip? Rotate it under strong light, looking for glares and dull spots that indicate an uneven surface. Use magnification if you have access. You can also gently drag the needle (away from the tip, of course) across your thumbnail while rotating it - the point is fine enough that it will scratch on one side only if it's bent.

Have you tried the back-lit water spray? With my misaligned G44, I could actually see the asymmetry in the spray cone. This helped me narrow down the possible causes of the speckled finish, finally leading to a solution (which was scrapping it, for me, but that's really a worst case scenario).