HELP REQ on using a mixing cup on a gravity-fed airbrush

TurkeyVolumeGuessingMan · Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:19 pm

I have a quick question. My first airbrush was a Paasche, and its mixing cup was siphon-fed. I could put the paint in, add the thinner, mix it up, and start spraying. Easy.

My new Wave has a gravity-fed airbrush. I find that if I put the paint in and then the thinner, I can't mix it properly because the pure paint has already flooded the chamber inside. What's the best way to handle this? Do I add a bit of thinner first, then paint and then more thinner, then put my finger to the nozzle to blow air to make the bubbles come up? Is that how I should mix it? I've been using little jars to mix the paint with thinner every time and it is becoming rather tiresome.

I figure this should be an easy resolution, but maybe I'm not the shiniest doorknob in the house... Help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:03 pm

I have a bunch of 1 oz. plastic cups that I pre-mix my paint in. They're disposable, but I rinse and re-use because I'm cheap.

Or, if I'm lazy (and cheap), I'll put thinner in the airbrush first, then stir in paint, and finally cover the nozzle and backflow air through the cup to mix anything I've missed.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:24 pm

I cheat and thin in the bottle.

They say not to do it but I have yet to run into an issue with Tamiya paints and thinner.

TurkeyVolumeGuessingMan · Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:32 pm

Yes, that's what I have been doing. I think I will practice the second method more to become better at mixing paint. Thanks.

Maschinen Krueger · Post by **Maschinen Krueger** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:24 pm

I squirt in a little thinner first, mix with a brush, then spray on a test area until the thinner in the tip sprays through and I'm getting consistent results.

Lonewolf · Post by **Lonewolf** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:39 pm

I know a lot of folks pre-thin their paint in a small mixing bottle before pouring it into the cup. It's useful if you're going to be doing a large project that will take several paint applications to complete. That way you already have paint ready to go when it's time to do the next coat.

irishtrek · Post by **irishtrek** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:24 pm

Mix paint and thinner in a single 'large' container and poor into the paint cup as needed when air brushing.