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Hi!

I've decided to take the plunge in to airbrushing since I have an unbelievable amount of stuff to paint (I have over a dozen tanks, and roughly the same amounts of MCs across 7 armies that need doing! Sheesh!), and quite frankly I'm terrible at painting large vehicles/units. My vehicles don't look great, and my monstrous creatures don't either. I want that clean, smooth airbrush look and it will also give me a chance to dabble with OSL.

I've been looking in to it, but searches in this forum yield older threads whose recommendations aren't available anymore or are only partially available, etc. I've done some research and it looks like I'll be wanting the following (but don't know specific models of course):

- An Iwata or Paasche model, as they seem to make the affordable yet durable models with moderate features.

-A gravity fed brush, as I've read they're easier to clean, have better atomization, and flow smoother than the siphon or side cup designs.

-A dedicated compressor instead of the disposable compressed air canisters.

If someone could link either a complete kit, or models of brushes/compressors that are compatible with each other it would be a huge help, since I don't even know where to start in the enormous line of hardware that exists. I'll likely be buying the items off Amazon.

As far as price goes, I'm willing to spend $150.00 - $200.00 Canadian. The price is something I'm willing to be flexible on, because quite frankly the increase in productivity and quality will be well worth it.

Please help me out, I really appreciate it, friends!

Thanks!

http://www.tcpglobal.com/itemdetail.aspx?ItemNo=ABD+KIT-4207-T

also with everything..... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Iwata-HP-CS-Eclipse-Airbrush-System-Kit-Compressor-Createx-Paint-Set-Accessories-/191053775212?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7bb1416c

Its unfortunate that the dollar has recently tanked but this is the kit I use and the airbrush is awesome.

Thanks a lot, those both look perfect. I'm willing to buy either of those, but first I'd like to look at an Amazon.ca alternative because it gets to me fast and I get free shipping. Is this one the same? It looks to be in terms of its model description, but for some reason it's MUCH cheaper! Thanks in advance . . .

http://www.amazon.ca/Iwata-HP-CS-Eclipse-Airbrush-Warranty/dp/B007VTPG52/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391161206&sr=8-2&keywords=HP-CS+.35mm+Eclipse+Airbrush

I have the following airbrushes

1x no name gravity fed (3 needles 0,2 - 0,3 - 0,5) that came with the compressor.
1x Iwata CR 0,5 gravity fed
2x Iwata HP-C plus 0,31 gravity fed
1x Badger Sotar 0,21 gravity fed.
1x Badger 350 bottom fed.

I would suggest if your budget allows it to get the Iwata CR 0,5 as your first airbrush and a better compressor, preferably one with a tank. The 0,5 nozzle is able to spray virtually any color and it is very forgiving regarding the color thinning. Getting the right color consistency is the most frustrating thing when you begin airbrushing.
I do most of my work with the CR when I am working on vehicles and monstrous creatures. You next airbrush (after a year or so) should be an Iwata HP-C plus or the HP-CS eclipse you have linked. You will be able to handle details much better and all the experience you have gained until now will be put in good use. I have two of them since I find it very convenient to do detail work keeping a different color in each of them. Please notice that the smaller nozzle makes it harder to thin the color right and the airbrush is more prone to clogging.
I bought the Sotar through the amazon Christmas deal and by no means it is a beginners airbrush. It atomizes the color like no tomorrow but it will clog in an instance if you don't thin the paint correctly. There isn't much detail work I can't do using the HP-C plus so the sotar isn't used a lot.
So my suggestion coming from personal experience is buy a cheaper (but still very high quality airbrush) that is less frustrating to use and a better compressor. After you get the hang of it invest in a better airbrush and be able to use the same compressor.

Just treat it like your hunting pokemans and get them all....

Ok joking aside.

I own a Masters G23 and a Badger Patriot 105 and the Badger is leaps and bounds above the Masters. It's got a smoother actions, much easier to clean doesn't get nearly as much dry tip (not sure why on that one). and the spray pattern is just better.

Thanks for the info, boys. Just to be sure though, the one I linked above on Amazon, that's the good quality one that's been mentioned a couple times here already, right?? I mainly want the compressor, and the brushes I'll definitely get several of as time goes on, including that beginner brush, that CR.

Thanks again!!

All Iwatas are of exceptional quality. The one you have linked above is a very good airbrush that can do a lot of works from details to priming.

The compressor you are aiming for isn't the best choice thought.

Try something like this which will get you a much better compressor plus two airbrushes for free.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airbrush-Compressor-Double-Action-Airbrushes/dp/B004XP7K9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391190887&sr=8-1&keywords=airbrush+compressor

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Thanks a lot, those both look perfect. I'm willing to buy either of those, but first I'd like to look at an Amazon.ca alternative because it gets to me fast and I get free shipping. Is this one the same? It looks to be in terms of its model description, but for some reason it's MUCH cheaper! Thanks in advance . . .

http://www.amazon.ca/Iwata-HP-CS-Eclipse-Airbrush-Warranty/dp/B007VTPG52/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391161206&sr=8-2&keywords=HP-CS+.35mm+Eclipse+Airbrush

Almost. The compressor does not have a tank. The ones I have linked have a two year warranty on the compressor. Mine started to act up a bit 1 year in. I e-mailed them and rather than a refund for repair, they just sent an entire new compressor. The original is still chugging along and I have a brand new one on deck.

Ahhh, I see now!! Great, thanks a lot for the information everyone. I'm going to make my decision by tonight I think, and I'll definitely run it by you all before click confirm on the checkout. Please check back later, sorry for being a pest!! :-D

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Ahhh, I see now!! Great, thanks a lot for the information everyone. I'm going to make my decision by tonight I think, and I'll definitely run it by you all before click confirm on the checkout. Please check back later, sorry for being a pest!! :-D

Good luck with your purchase mate. Airbrushes are wonderful tools that will improve the quality of your minis. I hope you enjoy yours as much as enjoyed mine (well all six of them ).

 Capamaru wrote:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airbrush-Compressor-Double-Action-Airbrushes/dp/B004XP7K9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391190887&sr=8-1&keywords=airbrush+compressor

Awww man, .co.uk won't ship to Canada, and I can't find that item on .com or .ca. :(

Any alternatives on the North American pages? That price was so damn sweet too.

Hey is this one any good? It's a whole kit, has a compressor with a tank (a model mentioned earlier), but a different brush. The price is perfect as well!:

http://www.amazon.ca/COMPLETE-MASTER-AIRBRUSH-Instructional-Multi-Airbrush/dp/B009YO3P96/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1391202269&sr=8-7&keywords=airbrush+kit

Lots of great advice here already.
While I'd love to have a tank on my compressor, I couldn't swing it and ended up getting a cheapy 1/6 HP compressor from Harborfreight tools. They are cheap, but I've had mine for two hears now and had no issues with it. I got it as I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do airbrushing, and didn't want to sink a lot of money into everything. I think I paid $60 for it with a coupon.
If you do decide to 'mix and match' keep hoses in mind as most airbrushes have different sized fittings (which is why I haven't got to try out my SOTAR yet...)

I started with a Passche H single action with the number 5 nozzle. Honestly, I love that brush. It was a gift and excels at spraying large areas. Great for primer or basecoat for monochrome finishes. A lot of model car builders swear by the brush for it's ability to lay down evenly over large areas.

I bought an Iwata Neo CN at Hobby Lobby with their 40% coupon and that's been my main airbrush. It's made by another company for Iwata but it's a pretty nice brush. It took some getting used to from the single action siphon feed of the Paasche to the dual action, gravity feed of the Iwata, but it's been fun.

For Christmas I got a Badger Sotar, which is supposed to be one of the best brushes on the market. Due to not having the correct airhose adapter, I've yet to try it. That being said, all my hobbyist friends use and swear by Badger, so I would suggest taking a look at them.

For a nice break down of airbrushs, and how to use them take a look at Don's Airbrush Tips

So this is the setup I ordered. Should be here this week:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009YO3P96/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That site you linked me is awesome Mak. Lots of great information on it, there are some things I wondered about that it's already answered for me. Thanks, much appreciated.

No problem! I'm a big fan of Don. He's kinda folksy, but really concise.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
So this is the setup I ordered. Should be here this week:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009YO3P96/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That site you linked me is awesome Mak. Lots of great information on it, there are some things I wondered about that it's already answered for me. Thanks, much appreciated.

Nice mate . Get back to us with first impressions and any questions you might have . Next weekend is gonna be all about airbrush practice .

All right folks, the airbrush is here in my country now, which means it's only a few days from delivery.

Some questions I have:

I work in a bakery, and I had a nice long chat with my cake decorator today who uses an airbrush regularly to decorate her cakes. Now, the stuff she uses is obviously food coloring, and it's naturally watered down in order to spray really nicely for the designs. My question for you folks is, does my acrylic paint need to be as watered down as her food coloring? I mean, it's literally like colored water, and when I was doing some practice spraying, it comes out really vibrant and stuck to the paper very well despite not being actual paint - I know the paper's absorbent qualities contributed to this, but it's technically parchment paper I use to bake stuff and is pretty slick so I was surprised.

The next question is, will all Citadel acrylics (once watered down), be safe to use with my gun? Even metallics (having little metal particles and all). I'm mostly concerned about metallics, because I plan to do some crazy paint jobs to Custodes models I have who will need to be in gold armor, of course.

Last question. My decorator cleans her gun by submersing it in water, and she says that as long as water doesn't get inside the hose (which should be detached anyway during cleaning), the gun is pretty much water proof. I assume the same principle will apply to my gun? She says it's a completely steel mechanism and thus nothing can get damaged when giving it a nice hot bath. She's had the same gun for years and it literally looks pristine, so this question might be obvious just by observing her equipment and listening to her experienced advice, but I just want to make sure it's correct from you guys who have probably been using airbrushes for years if not decades, as she's somewhat new to the cake decorating trade.

Thanks in advance!! I'm so excited!!

Paints need to be thinned but not as much as food coloring because you are not spraying on the same texture. This does make a difference.

Citadel acrylics are safe however I would avoid the metallics because of the metal flakes.

For Metallics look into Vallejo.

Yes the gun can be submersed in water but it is not my favorite way of cleaning. Use either isopropyl alcohol or distilled water. Tab water can leave microscopic residue which will grow over time.

You might want to start on Air Brush made acrylic paints until your sure of what consistancy you are looking for. GW acrylics will need thinning (buy thinner rather than using water for better results) but depending on the type they need thinning to varying degrees, this can be a issue if your not already familiar with the consistancy you need to get the best performance out of your airbrush. Trial and error will get you there though.

For instance, I probably go 1:2 ratio (1 part thinner, 2 part paint) for most GW Layer colours, base colours are closer to 2:1 and its never an exact science.

Thanks for the information. I'll have to look in to thinner.

My airbrush all in one deal comes with a bunch of paints for the gun, so I'll start off using those until I learn the curve a bit. I guess I'll need to switch metallic vendors as well then, only using Citadel's stuff for hand work.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
All right folks, the airbrush is here in my country now, which means it's only a few days from delivery.

Some questions I have:

I work in a bakery, and I had a nice long chat with my cake decorator today who uses an airbrush regularly to decorate her cakes. Now, the stuff she uses is obviously food coloring, and it's naturally watered down in order to spray really nicely for the designs. My question for you folks is, does my acrylic paint need to be as watered down as her food coloring? I mean, it's literally like colored water, and when I was doing some practice spraying, it comes out really vibrant and stuck to the paper very well despite not being actual paint - I know the paper's absorbent qualities contributed to this, but it's technically parchment paper I use to bake stuff and is pretty slick so I was surprised.

The next question is, will all Citadel acrylics (once watered down), be safe to use with my gun? Even metallics (having little metal particles and all). I'm mostly concerned about metallics, because I plan to do some crazy paint jobs to Custodes models I have who will need to be in gold armor, of course.

Last question. My decorator cleans her gun by submersing it in water, and she says that as long as water doesn't get inside the hose (which should be detached anyway during cleaning), the gun is pretty much water proof. I assume the same principle will apply to my gun? She says it's a completely steel mechanism and thus nothing can get damaged when giving it a nice hot bath. She's had the same gun for years and it literally looks pristine, so this question might be obvious just by observing her equipment and listening to her experienced advice, but I just want to make sure it's correct from you guys who have probably been using airbrushes for years if not decades, as she's somewhat new to the cake decorating trade.

Thanks in advance!! I'm so excited!!

Hello mate .

The consistency of the paint depends among other things upon the surface which you are spraying. Food cloth and paper tend to suck paint really fast so that means that you can spray paint as thin as you like since the food will absorb immediately. Same thing doesn't happen with miniatures where paints takes some time until it sets in. So your paint shouldn't be as thin as the food coloring staff.

Thinning your paint is gonna be your number one trouble so I am gonna brake it down a little bit more. Your paint consistency is depended upon two things. How close you are spraying to the model and what pressure you are using since model surface can absorb as much.

As a rule of thumb you can say that the thicker the paint the higher the pressure it is needed in order for the airbrush to be able to spray it. The closer you get to the model the lower your pressure must be in order to avoid two things. Spider effect and airbrush spitting. First thing happens when paint is too thin second thing happens when paint isn't thin enough.

Lets say you want to prime/undercoat 10 models. All you have to do is put black primer into the a/b set the pressure to 30-40 psi and spray. Paint being thicker won't matter since pressure is high and you don't care about detail since you are undercoating and you are spraying far for the mini.
Now you want to do some detail work (highlights and shadows). This means that you need to get closer to the model so pressure goes to the range of 22-28 psi and paint needs to get thinner, since pressure is lower, but not too thin.
Now for the really detailed work you need to get even closer so pressure goes to 18-22 and paints gets a little thinner.

Failing to regulate pressure and paint will result in clogging / spitting or spider effects.

Now an airbrush with a bigger nozzle is more forgiving regarding the paint thinning part since paint can exit the nozzle easier.

Airbrushes are completely water proof but acrylic paint when dry cant be removed with water. Always clean you airbrush after each paint session and give it a complete clean up once per week. Also O-rings inside the airbrush don't like white spirit and you airbrush isn't really fond of ammonia. Use isopropyl alcohol or acetone free acetone to clean up and spray some water in the end to ensure no cleaning remains are left in the brush. GW paints are harder to thin correctly but they do the work just fine. When spraying real metallics (like vallejo liquid gold series) always give you airbrush a full clean up since the flakes can rust inside. All other acrylics just clean normally and you are fine.

Hope I helped mate

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Thanks for the information. I'll have to look in to thinner.

My airbrush all in one deal comes with a bunch of paints for the gun, so I'll start off using those until I learn the curve a bit. I guess I'll need to switch metallic vendors as well then, only using Citadel's stuff for hand work.

Learning to thin properly is IMO one of the hardest parts of airbrushing. I suggest you skip that whole mess and cut right to Vallejo Model Air, and their right-from-the-bottle paints, including an excellent line of metallics. You can also get a good deal on Minitaire sometimes, but I have found the quality on Minitaire to be less consistent then VMA (although their ghost tints are a must have).

 Ouze wrote:

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
Thanks for the information. I'll have to look in to thinner.

My airbrush all in one deal comes with a bunch of paints for the gun, so I'll start off using those until I learn the curve a bit. I guess I'll need to switch metallic vendors as well then, only using Citadel's stuff for hand work.

Learning to thin properly is IMO one of the hardest parts of airbrushing. I suggest you skip that whole mess and cut right to Vallejo Model Air, and their right-from-the-bottle paints, including an excellent line of metallics. You can also get a good deal on Minitaire sometimes, but I have found the quality on Minitaire to be less consistent then VMA (although their ghost tints are a must have).

VMA paints are good (especially their metallics) and Minitaire Ghost Tints are great as well, but if you have Citadel paint now and you want to use it, go ahead. VMA paints don't color match to Citadel paints and I just don't see any reason to go out and buy a bunch of new paints when what you have already works fine. Yes, learning to thin properly can be annoying but it is something you should learn to do; it is lots of trial and error but it's pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
Also, I thin all Model Air paints because I still feel they are too thick, especially for doing low pressure detail work. I use my airbrush for just about everything and have had no problems spraying GW (old and new, including the "Base" colors), Vallejo Model Color, Vallejo Game Color, Vallejo Model Air, Privateer Press P3 (which I absolutely love, their metallic paint sprays well too), Reaper Master Series (I'm a big fan of these as well), and Badger Miniatire (just the ghost tints). I know it can be daunting (it was to me), but just stick with it and you'll do fine.

I've really been liking the VMA paints, when you're beginning with an airbrush like me, it helps that they are closer to the correct consistency and it helps that they don't clog as easily. Now, that doesn't mean they're the correct thickness, and there is some variation from pot to pot, but I've found that out of the bottle, most VMA paints are about the correct consistency for high pressure painting (like base coating), then you can just thin them a bit to get them down to the level you want for lower pressure painting.

It also helps that I found a place that sells VMA pretty cheap, so of the options I have (P3, VMC, Citadel, Minitaire, Reaper, Tamiya, Mr. Color), VMA is equal to the cheapest.

I found P3 paints are also pretty good, but since they're not in a dropper I always end up pouring in way too much and I spend a lot more time trying to get the consistency right.

A word of warning, VMA paints don't mix brilliantly well with citadel and P3, especially citadel. That is to say, they mix, but they separate very fast. I mixed some P3 Necrotite Green with VMA white and found myself having to remix it every couple of minutes. I also tried some Citadel Enchanted Blue with VMA black and VMA pale blue (to get a blue-grey) and as soon as I stirred it I could see it separating out again. Worked fine, sprayed fine, but it was annoying to have to keep stirring it.

Capamaru wrote:

Hello mate .

The consistency of the paint depends among other things upon the surface which you are spraying. Food cloth and paper tend to suck paint really fast so that means that you can spray paint as thin as you like since the food will absorb immediately. Same thing doesn't happen with miniatures where paints takes some time until it sets in. So your paint shouldn't be as thin as the food coloring staff.

Thinning your paint is gonna be your number one trouble so I am gonna brake it down a little bit more. Your paint consistency is depended upon two things. How close you are spraying to the model and what pressure you are using since model surface can absorb as much.

As a rule of thumb you can say that the thicker the paint the higher the pressure it is needed in order for the airbrush to be able to spray it. The closer you get to the model the lower your pressure must be in order to avoid two things. Spider effect and airbrush spitting. First thing happens when paint is too thin second thing happens when paint isn't thin enough.

Lets say you want to prime/undercoat 10 models. All you have to do is put black primer into the a/b set the pressure to 30-40 psi and spray. Paint being thicker won't matter since pressure is high and you don't care about detail since you are undercoating and you are spraying far for the mini.
Now you want to do some detail work (highlights and shadows). This means that you need to get closer to the model so pressure goes to the range of 22-28 psi and paint needs to get thinner, since pressure is lower, but not too thin.
Now for the really detailed work you need to get even closer so pressure goes to 18-22 and paints gets a little thinner.

Failing to regulate pressure and paint will result in clogging / spitting or spider effects.

Now an airbrush with a bigger nozzle is more forgiving regarding the paint thinning part since paint can exit the nozzle easier.

Airbrushes are completely water proof but acrylic paint when dry cant be removed with water. Always clean you airbrush after each paint session and give it a complete clean up once per week. Also O-rings inside the airbrush don't like white spirit and you airbrush isn't really fond of ammonia. Use isopropyl alcohol or acetone free acetone to clean up and spray some water in the end to ensure no cleaning remains are left in the brush. GW paints are harder to thin correctly but they do the work just fine. When spraying real metallics (like vallejo liquid gold series) always give you airbrush a full clean up since the flakes can rust inside. All other acrylics just clean normally and you are fine.

Hope I helped mate

That really helped me visualize the kind of movements I'll need to do, and even lets me begin to conceptualize the spray-booth I'll be making myself. I can see the size required based on this sort of description. Thanks.

Ouze wrote:

Learning to thin properly is IMO one of the hardest parts of airbrushing. I suggest you skip that whole mess and cut right to Vallejo Model Air, and their right-from-the-bottle paints, including an excellent line of metallics. You can also get a good deal on Minitaire sometimes, but I have found the quality on Minitaire to be less consistent then VMA (although their ghost tints are a must have).

Looks like I'll be getting some of these VMA paints, everyone keeps talking about them.

ScootyPuffJunior wrote:VMA paints are good (especially their metallics) and Minitaire Ghost Tints are great as well, but if you have Citadel paint now and you want to use it, go ahead. VMA paints don't color match to Citadel paints and I just don't see any reason to go out and buy a bunch of new paints when what you have already works fine. Yes, learning to thin properly can be annoying but it is something you should learn to do; it is lots of trial and error but it's pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
Also, I thin all Model Air paints because I still feel they are too thick, especially for doing low pressure detail work. I use my airbrush for just about everything and have had no problems spraying GW (old and new, including the "Base" colors), Vallejo Model Color, Vallejo Game Color, Vallejo Model Air, Privateer Press P3 (which I absolutely love, their metallic paint sprays well too), Reaper Master Series (I'm a big fan of these as well), and Badger Miniatire (just the ghost tints). I know it can be daunting (it was to me), but just stick with it and you'll do fine.

I believe I will do this any way. I'm not going to forgo at least trying the Citadel paints, and once I get good with it, will eventually use a combination of both across my models. I think learning to thin will be a valuable skill in my future with this airbrush.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:I've really been liking the VMA paints, when you're beginning with an airbrush like me, it helps that they are closer to the correct consistency and it helps that they don't clog as easily. Now, that doesn't mean they're the correct thickness, and there is some variation from pot to pot, but I've found that out of the bottle, most VMA paints are about the correct consistency for high pressure painting (like base coating), then you can just thin them a bit to get them down to the level you want for lower pressure painting.

It also helps that I found a place that sells VMA pretty cheap, so of the options I have (P3, VMC, Citadel, Minitaire, Reaper, Tamiya, Mr. Color), VMA is equal to the cheapest.

I found P3 paints are also pretty good, but since they're not in a dropper I always end up pouring in way too much and I spend a lot more time trying to get the consistency right.

A word of warning, VMA paints don't mix brilliantly well with citadel and P3, especially citadel. That is to say, they mix, but they separate very fast. I mixed some P3 Necrotite Green with VMA white and found myself having to remix it every couple of minutes. I also tried some Citadel Enchanted Blue with VMA black and VMA pale blue (to get a blue-grey) and as soon as I stirred it I could see it separating out again. Worked fine, sprayed fine, but it was annoying to have to keep stirring it.

I'll probably have to buy my VMA online. I can't see myself mixing two brands at any point, but yeah it's good to know that they tend to separate from the paints I already own - saves me the trial and error of figuring it out myself.

Thanks so much for all this information, fellas. I'm learning so much that I'm sure would take a while and many mistakes figuring out myself.

I went ahead and bought a huge 63L plastic storage bin, and poured 9L of Simple Green in it, and about 18L of water in it. All of my tanks are stacked up inside it in several columns, akin to a junkyard with stacks of crushed/doomed cars. I've got some Stegadons from my Lizardmen army in it and can't wait to do a tank in a few weeks - will probably start off with my Vanquisher.

Well folks, it's arrived!

Want to hear the biggest fail ever? I broke some hardware within the first hour of owning this thing!

I set it all up, put the compressor on the top of my table. Turned the PSI to about 30, then went upstairs to get some water as the tank filled up.

Came back down. the whole unit was on the floor - apparently it had vibrated itself off the god damn table. The quick connector that connects the 1/8" hose to the compressor gauge snapped in two. So now I'll have to wait for the replacement to show up in the mailbox! Another 10 days of waiting! YAY!

Hey soldiers!

This will be my last post in a row, so someone post something so I don't get twisted back by a mod!

So today I decided to go to a local art store 5 minutes from me, and they had the coupling I needed. Woot!

Started some spray testing today, and I've gotta say, this is way harder than I anticipated. The brush I use at work is very easy and is easy to control, but this brush has dual-trigger design and thus has a steeper learning curve due to the control and settings on the brush, and not to mention thinning paints is very tricky! Sometimes I get the paint thinning down pat, then on the next refill, it's too thick or too thin! I test sprayed a model and to be honest, I'm having issues figuring out how to spray without an initial 'blast' of paint that blows that shot outward in a big web. I know spidering is a common issue, but this brush is brand new, there's no moisture in the line, the PSI is where it should be (25 - 30) but it still happens!

I googled for hours trying to find an ideal mix/ratio for Createx/Citadel paints, but it looks like the opinions vary and for the most part, everyone prefers a different additive to thin down the paints. Some people are actually saying Windex? Fantastik? Then others are saying don't bother and buy actual paint thinners. It's all very overwhelming!

Super excited with this, I can see the possibilities will be endless once I get the hang of this madness.

There are a LOT of posts out there on thinning paints, so do a few searches.

I have tried many things over the years (windex, alcohol, etc.) and my favorite is now actual airbrush medium (basically airbrush paint with no pigments in it).

I suggest either the liquitex or "golden" brands.

Regarding mix ratios - there is no 100% "use this" ratio - which is why you did not find it.

its a combo of ;
Pressure, needle size, the specific paint, distance to model, etc.

You will know when you get it right, so practice, practice practice.

Best of luck sir!!!!

I find even VMA enjoy a little bit of thinning. I run Citadels closer to 1:1 - but you'll quickly find a mix that works for you. I've tried windex, alcohol, airbrush medium, etc... and distilled water works fine for me. Don't breathe in atomised windex, it's poison.

I recommend the Vallejo polyurethane primers too (thinned) - I have a light grey and a black, which I mix depending on how dark I want the primer.

Also look at a cleaning station. I messed around with a Vegemite jar with a painters mask gaffer taped to it, and ended up just buying the cleaning station. Much nicer to use.

A few more tips:

- I mix in the cup and add a drop of thinner first, then paint, then thinner before stirring with a brush. I mostly use plain water but occasionally windex, or Vallejo thinner too.

- make sure to check your moisture trap on the compressor and clean it out when you see droplets of water in it.

- the tank will also have a plug on the bottom. When it is completely empty, unscrew the plug and check for moisture in the tank. Do this over something like an old towel or newspaper as there very well could be water pooling in the bottom of the tank. Be careful not to cross-thread when you put it back in.

- if the compressor just hums when you flick the power switch and won't engage, clear the back-pressure in the check-valve by pressing the nipple on the bottom of the moisture trap.

- dry tip is a common issue where paint builds up on the needle tip and restricts flow. Splatter, bubbles in the cup, or explosive flow can result. A swirl with a wet Q-tip every few seconds helps. I remove the protective crown on the airbrush so I can just pinch the dried paint off with my fingers but it is risky as the needle tip is now exposed to being bent if I bump something. I don't recommend this as needles are expensive.

- I have the Createx paints as well and the white never flows well. Everything else, I use straight with no thinning.

- Vallejo model air paint is awesome and is ready to use but as it is thin, the color choice of primer vs base coat is important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8k3BJC80IQ

Really informative video on airbrush thinning and how to make your own, what is in them, whether or not you need commercial products for your brand of paint.