Airbrushing metallic acrylic paints

[lemoff]

Hi,

Has anyone had an issues with airbrushing metallic paints?

I touched up 1 model i was working on and then pre-shaded another with a different colour.

I then went to spray a third with vallejo metallic black. I started to get some on but the brush kept blocking up.

Perhaps it was leaving it too long with some residue in the AB of the previous paints but i did manage to get it coming through and then it stopped.

Do i just need to give the AB a ruddy good clean or do you do something different when spraying metallics?

Also, i use a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution AB and it seems that some of the paint gathers at the end (protective bit, not the nozzle itself) of the AB and when it gets big enough splatters on the model. Any ideas what would cause it to gather at the end?

Grr :D

 

[papa 695]

Hi Chris yes it sounds like the ab could do with a good clean not used metallic paints myself yet so i dont know if thinning them would work. but for the last question just give it a wipe every now and again if you see it buiding up hope it helps

 

[lemoff]

Cheers, i gave it a good clean so will see what happens tonight.

 

[Gomer Pyle]

Hi Chirs! I've used the same paint and same AB and had the exact same issues (an some additional once). I found that thinning the paint even more did a better job but it never became a mix that went pleasantly through the AB. I tried thinning it a lot with water but it wouldn't stick right, to the surface (gunze white primer) and the flaks started sinking to the bottom of the paint cup. When I tried thinning a lot with the Vallejo thinner (the white resin-like stuff), it changed the hue of the color - so, paint everything with the same mix. A mix of very diluted dishwater and Vallejo thinners worked best, but was never really nice to work with, it does seem to widen the spray-pattern quite a bit, even in an all newly cleaned AB. Don't use IPA or Windex(ammonia based), it reacts with the resin in the paint and makes the flow even more difficult.

Anything below the 0,3mm nozzle didn't work, and the best results were with the 0,4mm +30psi. I used the AB more like you would use a spray-can, as the nozzle needed to be opened quite a bit to avoid the flaks getting lodged in between the needle and nozzle. (which I guess was the reason why the needle-guard was covered in paint on the inside.

/Daniel

 

[lemoff]

Bingo, thanks. Sounds like a real pain!

I will try with some different settings and a lot of patience.

Glad its not just me, cheers

 

[lemoff]

Turns out i was losing a lil pressure as air line wasnt tightened properly. Still having issues with it gathering at the end on the casing that protects the end of the needle and then spraying on the model.

Will have to have a hunt for a solution in the morning.