Air Spray Gun Tips

[aycee71]

I am starting my next Elder Wave Serpents and I am going to use my new GW Air Spray gun (in the shape of a hand flamer). This is the first time in using such a device. For the experienced people, what tips do you have for a beginner?

Farseer Aycee

[Meph]

1: Get a compressor with air tank and moisture trap (ebay: between 50-100EUR), air cans are completely useless waste of money. 5 cans and you are already at the price of a compressor. I can not stress enough how useless cans are... Inconsistent pressure, condensation droplets in the spray, expensive, have to keep them submerged in a bucket of hot water to keep the spray even vaguely consistent. Ditch immediately and get a compressor, invest in one with tank & trap. It will last you decades.

2: Thin your paint to the consistency of full milk with Acryllic thinner or water (thinner keeps your paint in better consistency than water), preferable work with foundation paints (at least for base coating) as the higher pigment content ensures better coverage, even when thinned. (Vallejo has good thinner in 20ml bottles, great stuff, easy to find online, again ebay is a superb source for stuff like this).

3: Do a practice run on a piece of cardboard so you get a feel for the spray gun.

4: Apply multiple but thin layers, don't try to cover everything in one go, patience is the key here.

5: When done, clean your spray gun like a religious zealot, spray water until it's coming out entirely clear (check by spraying on a piece of cloth or paper). (This needs to be done between each colour that you switch or sometimes even during lengthy spraying sessions as any acryllic paint WILL dry in the nozzle while spraying.) You'll notice it when the spray starts to sputter a bit or the spraying 'cone' gets smaller and smaller

6: To be sure clean the inside of the nozzle, where the pot is connected with an ear cotton stick, like you would clean the barrel of a cannon. ^^

7. If possible, use something like Vallejo's Airbrush cleaner (also comes in 20ml bottles). It's a great, not too abrasive cleaner which you can use after the water to spray, or use to soak the detached nozzles in, or even clean brushes with, great stuff. I just use it after cleaning with water so I don't have to use it in too great volumes. I also don't use it after every colour, just at the end of the entire spraying session.

[wittdooley]

Everything Meph says is spot on.

Additionally, I like to put some windex on a Q-Tip and lightly run it over my needle to clean that up, too.

As a recent beginner to a new beginner, don't be afraid of the airbrush. That's what prevented me from using mine for a long while, but once you get the hang of using it, you won't know how you survived before.

Oh yeah, and wear a mask, even if you're in a well ventilated area. Not that the paint fumes will really harm you, but wearing one will save you the trouble of having (insert airbrushed color here) snot coming out of your nose for the next few days.

Have fun!

[aycee71]

So did I waste my money buying the GW air sprayer and two cans of propellant? Should I go ahead and start using that while I order a better one since right now it's taking three weeks to get mail so it will bring pretty much all my painting to a halt.

Farseer Aycee

[Meph]

So did I waste my money buying the GW air sprayer and two cans of propellant? Should I go ahead and start using that while I order a better one since right now it's taking three weeks to get mail so it will bring pretty much all my painting to a halt.

Farseer Aycee
Ah, no, no waste. I hear a lot of cries of woe about the GW spray gun, but personally I like it. So it may not be the best quality kit out there but if treated properly it does it's job quite nicely. And I kinda like the pistol grip, handy for under- and basecoating.
About the air cans, since you have them, you might as well use them. It's a good way to get a feel for spraying in general.
Once you start spraying, you'll notice the difference in pressure once you're busy for a while.

The expanding gas takes energy to expand in the form of heat, thus cooling the can down. Cooler gas means more compressed gas, resulting in a loss of pressure. You can get the pressure back by soaking the can in a bucked to warm (not hot, warm) water; even while spraying. But that means holding the mini with one hand, the spray gun with the other and then you'll have to improvise with another limb or weighty things to keep the can submerged. This, combined with the relatively steep cost of an air can renders them useless when compared to a compressor, which may cost a lot more but will last decades and give you nice and constant pressure. It's a world of difference in working comfort... Sometimes cleaning the gun/airbrush takes longer than the short application of some colour and it kinda hurts to use expensive air from a can, while you might be getting it 'free' from a compressor.
But again, you have them, use them. The more you will notice the difference, should you buy a compressor later on. ;)

Once you have the taste of it, the desire might come to buy a single- or dual action airbrush for the finer work but the GW gun will still serve it's purpose for basecoating as such. The mechanical simplicity makes it handy to clean.
For airbrushes, personally I bought my dual action airbrush also from ebay, for around 30-40 Euro I think (which is like low-mid price range), but still I went and bought the GW gun because a normal airbrush is less handy when painting in large volumes. As said earlier, when spraying, paint will start drying in the nozzle and with the GW gun you can go a lot longer before you have to call in a cleaning-pause.

Side note: With both the GW Gun and airbrushes, when spraying clean water through them, from time to time, tap or hold your finger against the nozzle, this will force water down the other way and clean the insides. Don't do this when you just start cleaning but somewhere midway or towards the end, so you don't force pigmented water down the thing. With the GW gun it's not so much of a problem but with an airbrush you'll be wanting to do anything to avoid taking it apart and having to re-assemble it again...

[PalinMoonstride]

Everything Meph says is spot on.

Additionally, I like to put some windex on a Q-Tip and lightly run it over my needle to clean that up, too.

As a recent beginner to a new beginner, don't be afraid of the airbrush. That's what prevented me from using mine for a long while, but once you get the hang of using it, you won't know how you survived before.

Oh yeah, and wear a mask, even if you're in a well ventilated area. Not that the paint fumes will really harm you, but wearing one will save you the trouble of having (insert airbrushed color here) snot coming out of your nose for the next few days.

Have fun!

Windex has been my best friend lately when it comes to the airbrush. It cleans it out better than just spraying water between colors and has proven to be a decent thinner also. The down side is your area will smell like clean windows and it makes wearing a mask a little more important.

Purple boogies FTW!

[Cursed13]

If you want more information about Airbrushes, I've compiled some information about them on my blog. Here's a link to said article: http://darkworkshop.blogspot.com/2011/01/tools-airbrush-and-compressor.html

[aycee71]

I've gone out to a couple of hobby stores online and also eBay looking at compressors and guns. Looks like most of them came in two parts, the compressor and the gun. As a total noob at this, what are some good suggestions on what to get?

Farseer Aycee

[Meph]

Yeah, usually they come separately.
Well, I'm by no means an expert on brands and types but something like this would be a sweet deal.
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/AIRBRUSH-KOMPRESSOR-KOMPLETT-SET-MIT-3PISTOLEN-AS196-B-/270707328616?pt=Modellbauwerkzeuge&hash=item3f076a0668#ht_7035wt_1139

Or when looking for something separate, here's the kit I have. You can find them almost always on ebay, with varying prices. The black thing under the compressor is the tank, the contraption on the right side is the moisture trap. The two key components on any airbrush.
Compressor:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Chrome-Powerful-Airbrush-Compressor-Air-Brush-AC-186-/120640309364?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Nails_Manicure_Pe dicure_CA&hash=item1c16b90874#ht_2115wt_1139

Airbrush:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/AIRBRUSH-DUAL-ACTION-KIT-PROFESSIONAL-TOOL-0-35mm-/300458958293?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item45f4bfddd5#ht_2095wt_1139

I'm pretty happy with them. Another bonus for a non-GW airbrush is that they have somewhat standard sizes for hoses and pots so I bough like 15 extra little paint pots to mix and store 'home brew' paint mixes, which is lovely. ^^