gravity feed AB work flow

admiralcag · Post by **admiralcag** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:10 am

I got an Iwata Revolution last year at WF. I am trying to finish up an F-105G with a 4-color camo scheme. I am currently thinning paint in the color cup. For those of you who use a gravity feed airbrush, what is your work flow for painting?

Vern

k-dog · Post by **k-dog** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:16 am

I always mix my paint in a seperate cup(dixie cups) then put them into the hopper. Also i thin my paints to what all say is the consistacy of skim milk. But each type an dcolor of paint is different so you will have to play with it for each color. Also i shoot anywhere from 15 to 25 psi depending on what im doing.

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:16 am

Don't thin in the cup--the ratios can change too drastically.

Thin in a separate bottle.

Dan

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:27 am

Thin in the bottle, transfer to cup.

The ComArt & Vallejo bottles are great to keep around for just this reason.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:23 pm

I thin in a Badger/Paasche jar, strain, and use in the receiving Badger/Paasche jar or transfer into the gravity feed cup.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

admiralcag · Post by **admiralcag** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:33 am

Thanks for the info. BTW, how long do you guys store you thinned paint before throwing it out?

Vern

Post by **TER-OR** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:03 pm

As long as it doesn't dry out, you should be able to keep it indefinitely, as long as you thin with the manufacturer's thinner or a similar mixture.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 8:52 pm

admiralcag wrote:Thanks for the info. BTW, how long do you guys store you thinned paint before throwing it out?

Vern

You can throw out paint?

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:07 pm

admiralcag wrote:Thanks for the info. BTW, how long do you guys store you thinned paint before throwing it out?

Vern

Until it dries out. Oh, in case we didn't mention, don't pour thinned paint back into the original jar with the unthinned stuff. The thinner breaks down the binders or whatever they're called, leading to an unmixable layer of funk at the bottom of the jar..

I hope this helps.

Kenny

Post by **TER-OR** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:19 pm

I haven't had that problem thinning Tamiya or Gunze paints with IPA, I thin in the bottle all the time. I don't know about Testor's Acryl, that seems pretty close to ideal airbrush consistency already.

admiralcag · Post by **admiralcag** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:34 am

TER-OR wrote:I haven't had that problem thinning Tamiya or Gunze paints with IPA, I thin in the bottle all the time. I don't know about Testor's Acryl, that seems pretty close to ideal airbrush consistency already.

Do you have a rough ratio? I'm still working on the milk consitency thing. The kids drink it up so fast, I never have something to compare my paint to

Vern

admiralcag · Post by **admiralcag** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:35 am

Lt. Z0mBe wrote:
admiralcag wrote:Thanks for the info. BTW, how long do you guys store you thinned paint before throwing it out?

Vern
Until it dries out. Oh, in case we didn't mention, don't pour thinned paint back into the original jar with the unthinned stuff. The thinner breaks down the binders or whatever they're called, leading to an unmixable layer of funk at the bottom of the jar..

It will dry out before turning to sludge? I must not use my paint fast enough

Vern

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:39 am

If you're thinning Tamiya with Tamiya thinner I've never had it separate.

Post by **TER-OR** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:35 pm

admiralcag wrote: Do you have a rough ratio? I'm still working on the milk consitency thing. The kids drink it up so fast, I never have something to compare my paint to

Vern

Not anything specific. Somewhere between 30-50% for most of their paints.

admiralcag · Post by **admiralcag** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:29 am

I've thinned the colors and placed them in some ComArt bottles I got at WF. It works really well. The only problem I encountered, and it really is more of a PITA thing, is when I need to run some thinner through the brush to unclog the tip. Using the ComArt bottles, I have someplace to put the thinned paint.

Thanks for the assist, guys

Vern

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:19 pm

TER-OR wrote:I haven't had that problem thinning Tamiya or Gunze paints with IPA, I thin in the bottle all the time. I don't know about Testor's Acryl, that seems pretty close to ideal airbrush consistency already.

Maybe it's just an enamel thing, then. Don't get me wrong, I don't do it with either, but since Erin turned me on to this, I've never looked back whether it's 44-cent craft garbage or Tamiya good stuff.

Thoughts?

Kenny

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:23 pm

I've only encountered it with Model Master enamels. Almost any other brand, I've never had any issue with thinning in the bottle WITH THE MANUFACTURERS THINNER!

A related question--what's the shelf life of hobby paints? I know in the artist community, it's close to 10 years...

Dan