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Hey all,
Did a search but didn't find too much. As a cheap alternative, and since I have access to a large stockpile, I've been using craft acrylics like Folkart or Apple Barn. I've had great results brushing them on, but...inconsistent results with my airbrush. When they work, they're great. However most of the time it seems I spend most of my time cleaning my airbrush. I have a very inefficient siphon feed, the one from Harbor Freight, for now. So, I don't want to invest in the expensive higher end paints due to the high waste. Perusing scale model and model railroad forums, it seems it's common place to use these cheap acrylic paints. Many guys do so without trouble.

Have/do any of you guys use/d them in your airbrushes? If so, what do you use for thinners, and do you still use the same thinning ratio you would with other paints? My main issues are clogs, primarily at the nozzle inside requiring me to break down the brush. I figure it could be any one thing, or a combination. I have tried thinning with water and alcohol (70% is what I had laying around, cleans well but makes the paint coagulate). Even with paint retarder, the paint seems to dry quickly within the airbrush causing problems. I have yet to try Windex or a stronger alcohol. *Edit* I've also just read that Future does a great job, simply requiring a flat varnish afterward. I'll be trying this tomorrow to see how it works.*Edit*

Any other suggestions? I know there's got to be a way to thin it down to work. I hope so, as it'll be a while before I can get a better airbrush. On top of being a bit cheapo, the airbrush is .35mm, which seems small and thus more finicky. I've found Vallejo surface primer and model color to work fine in it straight from the bottles.


I know I'm rambling a bit. Hopefully I've provided enough info, and people with experience with these paints and/or airbrush can help! Thanks in advance!

I use the exact same setup your describing of the cheap harbor freight brush and acyrlics. I don't really see any use for it outside of terrain, and you'll spend more time breaking it down and cleaning then laying any paint down.

Tip dry can be from several things:

paint that dries fast
higher air pressure can cause tip dry faster
and not enough additive

Airbrushing is fun though. Good luck.

I have a cheap harbor freight airbrush with no problems. I thin with Testors universal airbrush cleaner. I mostly use the cheap acrylics for just basing, and terrain work.

I've found anytime I try to thin with water I get splatters in the spray.

Buy some liquitex airbrush medium (or other brand). Not all acrylics react well to high doses of alcohol, as you stated, it can coagulate.

Or, you could try vallejo airbrush thinner..

Make your own thinner if you're so inclined from Matt medium, demineralised water and flow improver..

What you are currently using to thin the paint breaks down the acrylic, not just thinning the paint, using a proper thinner for airbrushing keeps the acrylic bonds, without breaking them down, while at the same time thinning the paint (the ultimate goals).

What you are trying to blast thru your brush sounds more like some kind of emoltion, and that's not the goal here..

As Jaeger mentioned, liquitex airbrush medium would help quite a bit. I would guess that using Alcohol to thin is the biggest issue here (Alcohol evaporates VERY fast, breaks down the acrylics AND is likely interfering with your retarding fluid as well)

Thank you all for your replies. I'll pick up some Liquitex airbrush medium and see how that goes.

@Jaeger: What you say makes sense. It also corresponds with the advice I found last night about using Future as a thinner. Supposedly it doesn't break down the acrylic. After lunch, I'm going to practice on some spoons and I'll update the outcome here.

If these options don't work, I'll have to find a way to make this brush work without wasting expensive paints. I've looked briefly into getting a different cup. We'll see what happens with these different thinning mediums.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Well, I've eaten and so tried out the Future theory.

Mixed future and Ceramcoat brand craft acrylic to about the consistency of Vallejo Model Air. No splatters, spits clogs or anything.

The consistency of Future is such that it thins without making it runny. I had to try pretty hard to get it to puddle up. I sprayed at 20psi for several minutes. No clogs, the Future making a great flow aid as well.

Even after letting the airbrush sit for several minutes, allowing my two now very orange plastic utensils dry, there was no hesitation to spray again. No sputtering or clogging then either. This is a massive improvement as I couldn't spray for barely 60 seconds without clogging previously.

While of course drying has taken a bit longer, it's nothing terrible. The self-leveling properties of the Future really helped create a strong, smooth finish even on unprimed plastic.

Looks like I'll be making a trip today for more bottles! What a miracle product! Now, I need to go finish my Rhino/Razorback and Sky Claws!

What kind of mix did you use of Future to paint? I've got some future laying around, but haven't put a finger down on an exact recipe yet.

I do the same as well, except I use a typical gravity fed airbrush (Badger 105 Patriot w/ stock nozzle). Alongside my typical airbrush specific paints and whatnot, I've also got an increasing collection of the Americana line of Delta craft acrylics. Coverage sucks, but that's what layering is for!

I typically thin EVERYTHING with
Good for all water-based paints (acrylics and latex). Home Depot!

I didn't measure exactly. I just put in enough to make it like 1% milk I guess. If you're familiar with Model Air paints, that's the consistency that I found worked well. I also found that after an extended session like my Rhino/Razorback, it seemed helpful to add in a few more drops of Future after a while.

I don't think you can go wrong, and it's easy to over think it. If the mix is too thick, add more Future. Too thin, add more paint. But as long as you're around the Model Air consistency, you're fine. I got absolutely great coverage with this paint.

 Badger_Bhoy wrote:
Thank you all for your replies. I'll pick up some Liquitex airbrush medium and see how that goes.

@Jaeger: What you say makes sense. It also corresponds with the advice I found last night about using Future as a thinner. Supposedly it doesn't break down the acrylic. After lunch, I'm going to practice on some spoons and I'll update the outcome here.

If these options don't work, I'll have to find a way to make this brush work without wasting expensive paints. I've looked briefly into getting a different cup. We'll see what happens with these different thinning mediums.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Well, I've eaten and so tried out the Future theory.

Mixed future and Ceramcoat brand craft acrylic to about the consistency of Vallejo Model Air. No splatters, spits clogs or anything.

The consistency of Future is such that it thins without making it runny. I had to try pretty hard to get it to puddle up. I sprayed at 20psi for several minutes. No clogs, the Future making a great flow aid as well.

Even after letting the airbrush sit for several minutes, allowing my two now very orange plastic utensils dry, there was no hesitation to spray again. No sputtering or clogging then either. This is a massive improvement as I couldn't spray for barely 60 seconds without clogging previously.

While of course drying has taken a bit longer, it's nothing terrible. The self-leveling properties of the Future really helped create a strong, smooth finish even on unprimed plastic.

Looks like I'll be making a trip today for more bottles! What a miracle product! Now, I need to go finish my Rhino/Razorback and Sky Claws!

I agree with this comment. I've done air brushing with this setup as well.

Badger, I too started off with the Harbor Freight airbrush. I had the same problems using regular Vallejo model colors, and moved to Model Air to help.

I picked up some Vallejo thinner which helped, and I also thinned with glass cleaner. Just a drop or two,
This worked for the base coating and blocking in colors, but any detail work just wasn't cutting it with the HF airbrush.

If you are looking into getting something else, try out the Iwata NEO from Hobby Lobby. You can get them at 40% off every day with their coupon. They start around $60-$65, so about $35-$40 after.
This brush has been much better for me. Cleans easier, flow is better, and control is much better.

I'll have to try the Future for my non-Model Air paints.

@Ski:
I've definitely been shopping for a new airbrush. Something more around .5mm. The Harbor Freight's .35mm is unnecessarily fine IMO.

Of course, I like the price point of the Iwata NEO, but it also makes me hesitant. I don't want to go too cheap, though I've heard good reviews. I've been looking also at the Badger Patriot which would work for me. The needle size is bigger than I'd like but I don't have any reason to do hairlines anyway.

I've also looked at the next step up, Iwata Eclipse and the Badger equivalents. I like those as well but the NEO and Patriot prices are more appealing.

I did try some Model Air and while it was thinner than I expected, having never used pre-thinned paint before, I had no issues whatsoever with it and didn't feel it necessary to thin.

Yeah, for the most part I haven't had to thin the Model Air stuff. I just have a ton of Model Color and Game color, not to mention older GW and Privateer paints.

Good luck with whatever you get.

welcome to the fun world of airbrushing!
I've experimented with Acrylic craft paints for my airbrushing and I've found that using the specifically made airbrush mediums (liquitex/golden/vallejo) at a 1:1 ratio they work just fine. The medium is designed to thin the paint without reducing the opacity. I've tried this with Folk art pure pigments, Apple Barrels and the new Delta paints that come in huge bottles. I've never had much luck with Future and don't care for the glossy finish but i bet with a few drops of matte varnish in the mix it might kill the gloss.

Tip dry is common with every brand of airbrush paint, just try painting at a lower pressure. I commonly use around 15psi for average work and around 20psi for larger jobs. Keep a small micro swab and a small Dixie cup full of alcohol near bye and clean the tip regularly.

I've also found that adding a small amount of a product called Americana Multi-Purpose Sealer to your airbrush mix of paint gives the craft paints the properties of a colored primer, it goes on super tough and I've even tried it on unprimed models and it sticks tight. It's basically a bottle of clear primer. I picked up a huge bottle of it at Joann's arts and crafts for about 5 bucks



Model air paints are a great product and for the majority of colors should never need further thinning, although I have run into a few colors that usually need an extra drop of thinner to avoid clogging. I've never been able to use Model Colors in my airbrush without thinning it first.

The Infinity Neo looks cool. I own the Badger Patriot 105 for avrage work, a Renegade Velocity and Sotar 20/20 for fine work. I've had nothing but good experiences with them. I use the quick change adapters to switch between them while working. Also note that you can buy replacement needle kits so you can convert your Patriot to a smaller size for fine work. i found the Sotar 20/20 on amazon for $88 and its great for fine detail work its amazing.

Well keep on expeimenting and good luck, hope this info helps you.

@HB:
Thanks for the tip about the sealer. Future toughens these paints up significantly but you still have to be careful in handling until it's varnished.

One thing I've thought odd, is despite mixing with Future, it isn't particularly glossy. I'll certainly have to shoot 1 or 2 straight Future coats prior to washing and decal application.

Good to know about the Patriot. I know it originally came as .5mm and was wanting to see if they had conversion kits. With the finer tipped brushes like the Sotar and Renegades, what sort of things do you do that can't be done with the Patriot? I've always been very curious about the emphasis put on ultra fine lines. The only place that I think I personally would use it would be pre-shading rivets, or something like that.

heavybolter wrote:

....I've also found that adding a small amount of a product called Americana Multi-Purpose Sealer to your airbrush mix of paint gives the craft paints the properties of a colored primer, it goes on super tough and I've even tried it on unprimed models and it sticks tight. It's basically a bottle of clear primer. I picked up a huge bottle of it at Joann's arts and crafts for about 5 bucks

+1 to the Multi-Purpose Sealer. I use it as brush-on primer during winter and such. Tough as nails.

 Badger_Bhoy wrote:
@HB:
Thanks for the tip about the sealer. Future toughens these paints up significantly but you still have to be careful in handling until it's varnished.

One thing I've thought odd, is despite mixing with Future, it isn't particularly glossy. I'll certainly have to shoot 1 or 2 straight Future coats prior to washing and decal application.

Good to know about the Patriot. I know it originally came as .5mm and was wanting to see if they had conversion kits. With the finer tipped brushes like the Sotar and Renegades, what sort of things do you do that can't be done with the Patriot? I've always been very curious about the emphasis put on ultra fine lines. The only place that I think I personally would use it would be pre-shading rivets, or something like that.

Since it has such small overspray you can get in really tight with almost no masking to do some really detailed work such as spot OSL effects and , highlighting and shading on smaller models. I use a low pressure and a thin mix also to get a glazing effect. You can do the same thing with a .5 but it with a lot more control. It's also nice to be able to switch brushes out and hey I got the sotar for 88 dollars and the patriot for 50 off amazon, can't beat that deal.

Thanks for the heads up about Amazon. I'd have just checked Ebay. I'm glad too because every time I use this Harbor Freight brush, it's a frustrating experience. It's definitely gotten better since I figured out the use of Future, but it's still tough to use. Trigger is a bit too stiff and it doesn't move as smoothly as I need resulting in occasional spots and surges. It also seems to gather paint on the end of the nozzle cover and splatter a bit. Ready for an upgrade.

see the Patriot still on Amazon for $60, and the Sotar listed for $76, but it's out of stock. I'll probably end up ordering it that way.

I did check a few reviews for the Neo for Iwata. Good reviews, but I don't know if it's the users in the videos or what, but it didn't seem to have the line control and crispness that the Patriot does despite the finer needle assembly. Besides, a Patriot for $60 is hard to pass up.

 fenrir1997 wrote:
What kind of mix did you use of Future to paint? I've got some future laying around, but haven't put a finger down on an exact recipe yet.

I do the same as well, except I use a typical gravity fed airbrush (Badger 105 Patriot w/ stock nozzle). Alongside my typical airbrush specific paints and whatnot, I've also got an increasing collection of the Americana line of Delta craft acrylics. Coverage sucks, but that's what layering is for!

I typically thin EVERYTHING with

Spoiler:

Good for all water-based paints (acrylics and latex). Home Depot!

wow, fascinating....I had looked at this product before for potentially thinning paint for airbrushing, but did not know if it was thin enough itself - basically the needle requirements for a airbrush are a bit more fine than a household spray gun!

Currently I use airbrush medium - and am very happy with it, but always looking to try other things.

A few notes on the craft paints;
* some times they have some large chunks (compared to an airbrush needle) in them, filtering might be necessary.
* the craft paints don't age well in temp extremes sometimes - be wary for clumping.
* A bottle of craft paint is cheap ...but requires a lot of thinning, AND a lot of cleaning. A bottle of airbrush paint is about $3 - how valuable is your time?

best of luck!!!

All good points. Some of my paints are a bit old, but I certainly check for clumps and recommend others do too. Luckily there aren't really any drastic temperature fluctuations in my home, I brew beer and it wouldn't like it either!

I haven't felt the craft paint to be that much more hassle really. In my experience, clean up effort is right in between what it takes to clean out airbrush paint and say Vallejo primer. 91% alcohol takes care of it right quick! Though, I will say that I believe they'd do better in a brush with a larger nozzle/needle assembly than mine which is .35mm, but mine does ok. A drop of retarder doesn't hurt either, but I've had a hard time figuring out how much to add, it's easy to do too much.

While the cost per bottle isn't so bad for model air, etc, the volume per bottle is pretty slim. I'll be giving them a go when I get my gravity fed brush though.