Rattlecans or Airbrush

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:07 pm

Here is a stupid question, but I have to ask it

What do the consensus of people use for doing the big jobs of painting, rattlecan of airbrush?

I ask as I have only used rattlecans for priming and base coats and I am wondering how economical it is, secondly as I don't know what else to use from a tin via the airbrush and third as I don't have a compressor and used the aircans

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:09 pm

Oops forgot to say, I know that the investment on a compressor long term is smarter, but there is that issue of what paints to use for the base coats little tamiya jars?

Ziz · Post by **Ziz** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:17 pm

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-5-hp-58- ... 95630.html

Well, there's an airbrush and compressor package - $100.

To answer your original question, it depends on the size and detail of your project. My logic generally goes...
small kit - spray can
large kit - spray can
lots of greeblies - spray can
lots of greeblies + small kit - airbrush

Either way, the trick is to go with light coats. Also find a spray paint that isn't "heavy". Krylon primer is too grainy and thick for small subjects.

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:32 pm

Thanks, pretty much what I thought

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:42 pm

I spray Tamiya primer from the rattle can, but blow their acrylics though my airbrush. They can go quite far as you need to thin them quite a bit anyway. It's easier to clean up the acrylics and less toxic than lacquer sprays.

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:09 pm

USSARCADIA wrote:I spray Tamiya primer from the rattle can, but blow their acrylics though my airbrush. They can go quite far as you need to thin them quite a bit anyway. It's easier to clean up the acrylics and less toxic than lacquer sprays.

Any ideas as a rough idea how far 1 little Tamiya jar would go as opposed to the tamiya rattlecan?

irishtrek · Post by **irishtrek** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:39 pm

For a first coat of paint I prefer to use a rattle can of grey or white and then airbrush the main colors onto my models because acrilics will stick to any paint better than just plastic.

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 5:54 pm

I would guess about the same. Tamiya sprays are really nice and put down a smooth finish. Airbrush can just get into spots cans can't. If I'm spraying a base color, though, I have a habit of buying two bottle just in case something stupid happens and I need more. Been having a hard time finding any around here lately.

Liberator · Post by **Liberator** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:04 am

Rattle cans for the majority, BUT... I decant the rattle can paint and air brush it. I buy cheapo rattle can paint $3.50 here and get the equivalent of 10-15 tinlets of paint which cost $3.50 each - huge savings! Decanting the paint and airbrushing - better control of paint flow. Smoother and thinner coats of paint - dries quicker and gives a much better finish than a rattle can. Detail painting - brush

Matty1973 · Post by **Matty1973** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:28 am

Liberator wrote:Rattle cans for the majority, BUT... I decant the rattle can paint and air brush it. I buy cheapo rattle can paint $3.50 here and get the equivalent of 10-15 tinlets of paint which cost $3.50 each - huge savings! Decanting the paint and airbrushing - better control of paint flow. Smoother and thinner coats of paint - dries quicker and gives a much better finish than a rattle can. Detail painting - brush

How do you decant a rattlecan?

Liberator · Post by **Liberator** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:18 am

The main way, just spray it directly into the rattle can lid then tip that into the airbrush cup. I've seen suggestions to use a large straw that you split and place over the spray nozzle and spray.

Lots of suggestions out in the WWW

http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/p/ ... 01145.aspx

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/decantingbr_1.htm

http://gamerabaenre.com/?page_id=1347

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 11:51 am

I use a length of 1/2" ID tubing and an old 35mm film container. I spray from the rattlecan into one end of the tube, and the other end drips out paint into the film container. There's not too much vapour, but I do this in my paint booth just the same. Some use a straw, or if the nozzle will accept it one of the little tubes that sticks in the end that are instantly lost when you buy a new can of WD-40.

Used this method for Dupli-Color primer, hardware store cheap primer and paints, Krylon Fusion and Testors cans. Sometimes I thin with a bit of lacquer thinner, but usually the paint's good as-is.

I airbrush this through a Badger Crescendo, with varying pressure between 10-20 psi if my hardware-store compressor's regulator is to be believed.

DaveVan · Post by **DaveVan** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:02 pm

Years ago I was 100% air brush. Now I am 99.9% Tamiya, Duplicolor and Tesors Lacquer spray can user. I still weather with my air brush....but the time and effort of the air brush is not worth it for the paint job I get from the cans I now use.