Airbrush paint - What do you prefer?

I'm using a single action, bottom feed, air-brush (Very inexpensive model).

My propellant source is a 30 pound CO2 bottle with a low pressure regulator. I have it set at 28 psi. (The tank is actually for kegging my homebrew beer but here is a double use. That's almost free right? I have no idea how long the tank will last before I need to refill but I know it's going to be a long time just using it on painting. The best part of the CO2 is there is no compressor noise and I can move the tank wherever I need it to paint. Bad side, the tank and regulator is probably as much as a small compressor.

My favorite paint so far is Createx Brand airbrush paints. But I've used many others. The Model Master and Testors Brands are good but I prefer the water based paints with an acrylic gloss over that to get the shine. (Floor wax)

I am always looking for a double action airbrush so I can do some finer detail work. When I get one I'll probably toss the single action or use it for primer coating only.

Layne Rossi

Paasche VL with my smaller Campbell-Hausfield compressor.

High solids acrylic polyurethane primer.

I spray either 2 stage automotive with a light clearcoat, or single stage automotive with a regular clearcoat. Usually the automotive is acrylic polyurethane, or synthetic enamel. The acrylic polyurethane goes on much better, and cures more quickly than synthetic enamel, IMHO.

tah

anyone tried nail polish for fine detailing? I think they have better wear resistance than say waterbased acrylic...

-- TAI FU

Definitely a topic for launching a "flame war"....

Just as in every other genre of model building, there is

*no* right answer. Whatever works best for *you*, and you are the most comfortable with....is okay.

If you want a recommendation on an airbrush; a simple single-action airbrush is more than adequate for model rocketry. The Paasche H is an excellent model, robust enough to last your lifetime.

No it's not.

You're completely wrong.

Right. *And* I suppose you think there's life on Venus and we never landed on the moon, correct?

Tod "Greg's absolutely correct... I'm kidding" Hilty

Well I'll be doing anything from modrocs to HPR. For the HPR stuff I'll be using a touch-up gun and the smaller stuff a airbrush. Hoping to score a decent compressor this week from Harbor Freight. It's been years since I've used either hence my curiosity on what others are using for paint.

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75

And replying to my own post, for which I know Cthulu will haunt my dreams tonight, the clearcoat statement is exactly backwards. Normal clearcoat for 2 stage (as the color coat has no gloss), and light for single stage (as it's really fine by itself, I just clearcoat to protect any decals).

I humbly offer my soft underbody to the Usenet Cabal...

tah

TINUC. Didn't you get the (non-existent) memo?

TK

Paasche VL and Createx acrylic

For the big stuff, the little bottles of model paint are going to get expensive--at that point buying cans of paint and mixing in water or thinner yourself is probably your best option.

Personally, I favor acrylics, because they're more forgiving of mistakes (they tend to flow a bit after application, thereby erasing imperfections). If you do use the little bottles of model paint, you have the added advantage that you don't have to mix it--even with cans of acrylic, it's easier dealing with adding water than with adding thinner.

Scott Orr

Yes... um, no!

"message deleted from within TIN"

tah

That was my thinking on using acrylics but wasn't certain if others still used them for rocketry.

I don't where I read this but I've heard about people using standard spray can paint by spraying it in the jar and thinning it out. Is this a good practice or did I just dream this up?

Ted Novak TRA#5512 IEAS#75