Air Brush Qs

I used the Testors Airbrush set that uses the compressed gas cans. I think I paid like $30 or so.

I really like the way that the paint comes out. Not to mention that it allows you to mix your own paints.

It also seemed to me that the colors were much "richer"

The cans of compressed air are about $5 or so.

Here is a link to a newer one that Testor has that is about what I got in my kit.

I finally purchased one last year. I love it! So far I have not used much other than Testors paint. I have sprayed Krylon and Rustolium unto a cup until it pools and use that in the airbrush a few times, but I am still puzzled on paints.

If you have a Craftmart or Michaels in your area, look for their discount coupons. I got mine a Craftmart with a 40% discount coupon I found in their circular. I got the matching compressor the next time I found a 40% discount coupon. If you do not get a compressor, have several cans of air available. The cans tend to die at just the wrong times.

Regards,

Mark Saunders BSD High Power Rocketry Glendale, AZ

I have an Olympus (a favorite of the Hollywood FX and make-up guys) and a Pasche VL. Both are excellent. A small compressor with a tank runs around $99 from OSH, Home Depot and Harbor Freight. I'm going to give you a bit of gold. If someone had given me this back in the 80s when I first got interested in airbrushing.... Carter-Sextan 5208 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood CA 818-763-5050 is THE supplier of airbrushes and paint/accessories to the studios. They can fix anything, have parts for everything and know more about the subject than anyone. There's an old guy there who is really something else. Give them a call and see what they say. you won't be sorry.

IF you REALLY must use canned air, this tip will help some. Set the can in a container (bowl or pot) with some room temperature water that is at least half a can deep and several inches larger in diameter than the can. This will keep the can from frosting/freezing and you can shoot longer.

Also, try "BearAir.com" and "Dixieart.com" for airbrushes, paint and accessories.

Karl Perry QUARK, Cincinnati, OH

Or you can use the starving artist methods - get a portable air tank and regulator, which can be refilled at a friendly gas station, or the really cheap method is to use an old tire - pump it up to just above your desired delivery pressure and then use it as your air tank - no need for a regulator even.

George W. Scheil

I've been taking the cheap route with good results (though I'm a fun flyer, not particularly anal-retentive, freak-out-over-a-drip type).

pressurized air reservoir - a balded mounted truck tire that I bought from a car wrecking yard for next to nothing.

air pump - an old-style low-pressure (high-volume) hand-operated air pump (it's surprisingly quick compared to the cheap electric things available at department stores), bought from a yard sale for cheap.

airbrush - the cheapest you can buy. There's a Badger-like Badger-incompatible one that goes on sale regularly for under $10.00 CDN that I've been using. It comes with an adapter that works with tire valves. If a part breaks, no problem... the whole thing costs less than most of just the individual pieces of an expensive airbrush.

Expectations - Coats as well as a spray can when the pressure is right, degrading gradually as air pressure drops. Requires a bit of pumping every now and then during use. Not good for detailing because the air regulation and spray pattern are not finely adjustable. When using acrylic paints there is almost no odour, which is great when you are forced to work inside your family dwelling. Drying times are much slower than with fast-drying spray enamels like Krylon... watch for drips.

Savings - Cheap to get going. Acrylic paints are incredibly cheap compared to spray cans or tiny pots of enamel, and the available color and texture selections are vast.

And no, it won't do the cool things that a Pasch will do. That's the cost of flying El Cheapo Airlines.

Dwayne

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bit eimer wrote:

%40 percent coupon from Michaels nice dual action airbrush set with 6 nozzles and 3 jars water based acrylic paint spare tire (big) from pickup truck portable compressor to re-fill tire

steve

Badger, Paasche and the most widely known names. I've got a Badger, and it's served me very well. If you're going to do a LOT of airbrushing, get a compressor - but if you're going to be painting 1/2 dozen or fewer models per year, the propellant cans will serve you fine. If you get a compressor, STAY AWAY from the cheap $100 compressors from Wal-Mart and Home Depot, like Campbell-Hausfeld. They are complete, utter trash.

Can you paint an entire rocket with an airbrush and have it come out nice with no dry spots? I guess I seen an airbrush as a tool to do flames or other effects with as opposed to using it for a complete job.

-- Joe Michel NAR 82797 L1

No, think of it as a "mini" spray gun. I've painted gobs of rockets, two bicycle frames, a bunch of iron lawn furniture, and my snowblower with my Paasche VL. It all depends on how much time you have, as the spray cone from an airbrush is usually pretty small when compared to a standard spray gun. Actually, I can get some pretty decent coverage with the VL. For larger jobs, or if I have a bunch of stuff that I need to paint the same color (i.e. primer), I use a Binks detail gun that I picked up at a garage sale awhile back. The detail gun, while only holding about a pint of paint, will provide a spray pattern almost as large as a standard automotive gun.

tah

You're probably better in the long run with a compressor, which can be had for udner $150 if you shop smart. However, this small airbrush and a suitable compressor, while great for plastic models or modrocs, will probably be too small for mid-power or high-power rockets.

Scott Orr

Scott,

It can be used for HPR, but you're right, an airbrush with more output and bigger well would do better.

A Testor's air brush is a must until you learn that you really should spend money on one of those air brush holders. The low volume of paint is a blessing -- even if you use water-based paint.

Zooty

Overall paint usage, and the drastic reduction of overspray are a couple of the benefits that I love about using an airbrush. Having control over air pressure, and paint delivery volume using a double action airbrush is the Cat's Meow once you get used to it. Ever try to paint, say a even mid-sized model like the Cosmo BB II with larger spray equipment? You'll probably both blow the rocket off its stand with the sheer pressure, and send 80-90% of your paint flying off into the atmosphere. A good airbrush will give you a spray pattern that will easily cover a 2.6" tube very quickly. I wouldn't hesitate to try mine on even bigger stuff, say 4" or greater.

Due to the "controllability" of an airbrush, it's also _awsome_ when you're trying to get a nice, even, smooth coat of paint in some funky nook, or cranny like a fin-BT joint. I've found that even rattlecans tend to provide too much volume in situations like these, and you almost always end up with runs, or sags.

As I stated before, I used my Paasche to paint my snowblower which involved some fairly large, flat areas to cover. It worked very, very well.

BTW, I painted it black, with little flame details on the side. Also, I scripted "CUJO" on the front to remind me to keep my fingers out of the discharge chute.

tah

Hey, don't knock those of us who appreciate the Tim Taylor approach to painting.

"Hand me that Binks...and put on a respirator. It's fixin' to get foggy..."

LOL! Somehow though, I'd imagine TT's approach would be involve a 55 gallon drum of Battleship Gray Enamel, a leaf blower, and an NOx augmented Honda 16hp OHV twin...

Yeah, and make sure you swap out your $220 titanium designer glasses for the chipped old pair held together with bailing wire.. been there..

tah

I have a pair of perma-fogged glasses that resulted from a careless application of urethane clear.

They make good weed-eatin' glasses now.

ABSOLUTELY!

Paasche. There are several other good brands including Binks, Thayer&Chandler. Get a double action internal mix. I've got a pre WWII Paasche that's equivalent to the VL. Forget about the el-cheapo units.

If you get an airbrush, you're gonna need a compressor too. Forget about the cans of air. Waste of $$$. Unfortunately a good compressor will cost more than the airbrush. What I got for $40 back in the 70s is in the $150-200 now. It's actually cheaper to buy a big $100 shop compressor than the small airbrush units. Distance makes them all quiet!

Don't know if they are still around, but I got a bunch of stuff from Artistic Airbrush years ago. Also ordered from Tower hobbies.

Michaels used to have some Paasche stuff, which when coupled with the 40% off coupon would be a good deal.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Paasche. Aarcas. Braant.

:-)

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Depends on the size of the rocket. AN artists airbrush is fine for just about anything Estes sized. Bigger than say a Graduator, I'd look at automotive paint sprayers instead. I picked up a small Krebs sprayer at Farm&Fleet years ago, but haven't seen anything like that lately.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!