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OT question about building tank models

Fionn
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Fionn Senior Member

Fionn

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Ok,

I got a Panther G (late variant with chin added) today and figured I'd buy an airbrush to try that out for the first time (previously I've painted everything by hand).

Now, I simply put the paint (grey for the chassis) into the little bottle the air brush sucks the paint from in order to spray it out.

I mixed some water in like it said in the instructions and then turned on the airbrush.

Now, the air came out fine and under fine pressure and a TINY bit of paint did (literally 2 drops worth) BUT nothing more came out.

When I looked in the little pot into which I had put the paint and the water I saw that they hadn't mixed. The water was floating above the paint.

So, do I need special paints or something?

Could anyone help me out as I'd really like to just spray on my grey and dunkelgelb base before I paint on the camo pattern at the end.

It's a nice little Tamiya model.. I almost got one of a 251/1 with 3 figurines but figured I should build a tank before I got into APCs etc and there really was only one choice of tank to build wink.gif.

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Chris Junior Member

Chris

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paint should be water based and should ideally be mixed outside the pot (a lot easier and in non technical terms it helps the paint break down quicker so that it can be sprayed more evenly to produce a smoother finish)

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Kevin Peltz Senior Member

Kevin Peltz

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Fionn:

I don't know what is available where you live, but a good water based acrylic paint that I used to use was Polly-S. I cut it with about 25-30% water by volume, and one drop of isopropyl alcohol (to help the mixture atomize better), and stirred very well. Airbrushes are wonderful things, but they must be kept spotlessly clean. I recommend a filter that slips over the siphon hose of your brush, if you haven't got one. This keeps errant bits of paint, like the bits of crust from the edge of the bottle,from clogging up the airbrush.Take some newspaper and practice spraying patterns, and adjusting your controls, before going to your model. There is a definite "feel" to using one that only comes with some practice. If Polly-S is not available, Humbrol's enamel can be another good type of paint- but it has to be thinned out with paint thinner (petroleum distillate type), and the brush cleaned with the stuff also. This is not good to do except in a well ventilated space, and you don't want to be doing this around a gas furnace or gas hot water heater (talk about "fuel-air explosives!")

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Fionn Senior Member

Fionn

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I think I figured it out.

Since I've only ever painted by brush before I didn't realise that my Humbrol paint was oil-based. Guess I need to put in some white spirit to mix it up a little and help uptake (or is this a serious no-no) ?

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Phoenix Senior Member

Phoenix

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fionn:

I think I figured it out.

Since I've only ever painted by brush before I didn't realise that my Humbrol paint was oil-based. Guess I need to put in some white spirit to mix it up a little and help uptake (or is this a serious no-no) ?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In my model building days I couldn't afford Humbrol!!! It was testers for me, and the

Tamiya stuff I think.

Anyway, I simply mixed with regular old paint thinner and used it with my Pasche (sp?) airbrush. Worked great.

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Guest Babra

Guest Babra

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No, oil and water don't mix!!

When it comes time for cleaning the airbrush you'll appreciate acrylics. Use tube acrylics if you can find them. They come out as a paste to which you must add water. The nice thing about most tube acrylics is that the pigment granules are generally smaller and more uniform than in the potted paints, which makes for a nicer flow from the brush.

If you're determined to stick with Humbrol (I could never afford them either), whatever thinner you normally use will work fine, but watch for corrosion on the plastic parts of your brush. A 2/3 to 1/3 paint to thinner ratio should work about right. I mix mine right in the brush bottle using an eye-dropper for measuring.

[This message has been edited by Babra (edited 05-14-2000).]

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Webs Senior Member

Webs

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Fionn, you realize that by admitting you tried to use water to mix into an oil-based paint, you've lost every ounce of credibility you've gained since you were five years old.

I'm sorry, but this is just too hilarious. smile.gif

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Laurie Nyveen a.k.a. Webs, member of the WarBirds training staff

___________________

Editor, Netsurfer Digest - http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/index.html

101 Sqn opus-in-progress - http://101.warbirds.org/

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Joe Shaw Senior Member

Joe Shaw

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Laurie, as you are undoubtedly aware, Fionn is Irish. As someone who is of Irish blood I can tell you that the Irish are a contrary and stubborn group. I recall a quote that I wish I could attribute ... "The Irish are a fine, mad race ... all their wars are happy and all their songs are sad."

If anyone COULD mix oil and water ... it would be an Irishman who would do it. smile.gif

Joe

------------------

"Son," says I to him, "you're a Dragon. And a Dragon ACTS like a Dragon or he doesn't act at all."

Smrgol, Dragon

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MarkEzra Senior Member

MarkEzra

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Here's an important tip: Wash the plastic before you paint...Plastic stamping leaves a fine dust on the plastic. By washing with a bit of dish soap and a good rinse you will get a clean surface. A small detail, yes.. but it will pay off.

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kverdon Senior Member

kverdon

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Fionn,

So you've added model building to your list of Vices <G>. Like I can Talk!. Since CC4 and CM demo have been out I've been working on USA armor. So Far I've built a M4A3-75(W, M4A1-76, M24, M10, M18, M3A2 Halftrak, M1 57mmAT and 105 Howitzer. US armor is Sooo easy, Just a coat of OD and your done <G>. Next is a M12, M7, M8 (armored car), Duce and half, jeep. Should keep me out of trouble for a bit <G>.

Now that you've figured out the Oil and water bit <G>, you may want to look at acrylic paints. I use the Pactra Scalecoat paint and LOVE it. Gives a really nice finish and cleans up with water. I thin it with Testor's Model Master thinner and it works great. I don't know the availability of Acrylics in Erin but its worth looking into if you can. One of the major points of Airbrushing are KEEP THE AIRBRUSH CLEAN. If you let paint dry in it you will be cursing for a long, long time.

BTW before you get the 251, let me email you a link to a AMPS site that does a review of most, if not all, the Tamiya models. Tamiya makes a couple of Sdkfz 251 kits, If I remember rightly there is one that is pretty good while the rest are down in the poor category. I think I've got the page bookmarked at work. Will either email you or post the link here.

Good luck building kits.

Kevin

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Trooper Senior Member

Trooper

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You've been shopping at Mark's Models again Fionn?

You might want to check out the Irish Model Soldier Society, they meet the first Thursday of the month in Wynn's Hotel on Abbey Street, last I checked. Unfortunately, it conflicted with my military training, so I dropped out of it some time ago. They have an outstanding table quiz, monthly mini-competitions, and good advice all around.

I always used Humbrol or, on occasion, Testors. I did not much like the Tamiya acrylics at all. I would thin it out with white spirits, I found that the airbrush would be quite forgiving in terms of the mixture. (I had a Badger first, now an Aztek which I heartilly recommend). Better to have the paint too thin than too thick. If it's too thick it'll either clog the brush, or come out in spurts and lumps. If it's too thin, hold the brush further back and it'll dry out a bit by the time it hits the surface.

One thing I did notice about the brushing though, is that the air in Dublin is generally quite humid. If you're using a compressor as opposed to the air bottles (Cheaper in the long run) be sure to get a water trap. The amount of water I was spraying out with the paint defied belief, and resulted in running paint, or the paint not holding to the surface.

Take care...

Manic Moran

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Fionn Senior Member

Fionn

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Joe,

The TRAGIC part of it is that I actually got some mixing going on for sure wink.gif. Whoever said oil-based paint and water don't mix hasn't seen a determined Irishman wink.gif.

Anyways, I'm just happy the damn thing is figured out now. I'm planning to spraypaint it grey and then apply the camo over that. I was thinking of a nice soft, green, black, brown camouflage pattern (not the horrble 1945 ambush pattern).

Kevin,

Thanks, I'd appreciate that. I've got a fair bit of experience with 1/72 scale and painting but this is the first 1/35 scale I've ever tried and also the first time airbrushing ( you should have seen my hands on Saturday evening wink.gif. GREY with paint wink.gif )

Manic,

Man, you sound like a real expert there wink.gif.

I've got the humidity thing solved by doing the spraying in a conservatory ( no humidity survives in there at all) but I can see I still have mUCHO to learn about airbrushing.

Thanks for the info though.

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Guest Babra

Guest Babra

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Badger puts out an inexpensive How-To book. "Step by Step Modellers Guide to Air Brushing" ISBN 47459 00505. It takes you through a Quad Gun Tractor, 25 Pounder and Daimler Scout Car.

In any event, don't let that Panther be the first thing you turn your new weapon on wink.gif Get some practice in on old model or toy or something first. Hey, that ambush pattern might not look too bad on the wife's lamp shades....

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Trooper Senior Member

Trooper

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The guidelines for judging the IMSS annual competition mention that no extra points should be given for handbrush-painting unless handbrush painting is unavoidable, such as for the Swedish Air Force splinter scheme.

To prove them wrong, I airbrushed my Viggen. Used a ton of masking tape, but well worth it in the end.

Manic Moran

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penubly Member

penubly

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Fionn,

If you want to go with water based acrylic paint, Testors has a line that reasonably well matches both Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht spec's. It is not the best paint, but it is great to start with. It is also very easy to remove!! Good Luck. I am currently deeply engrossed in several fw-190 d variants.

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Always with the negative waves, Moriarty.

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Trooper Senior Member

Trooper

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The problem is that in Ireland, most of the more recommended paint brands aren't particularly available. The only Testors I saw were enamel. The only Acrylics I saw were Tamiya. I wanted to buy some Floquil for a model locomotive (I model US prototype) by mail-order from the UK, and I was told that it was illegal for them to ship in paints from the US because it contravened some explosives act. (then again, Floquil thinner is strong!)

My guess is he's down to Humbrol only. No matter, we get some excellent results with it regardless.

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Guest JonS

Guest JonS

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Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

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Ubique

[This message has been edited by JonS (edited 05-16-2000).]

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Spook Senior Member

Spook

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One added thing, Fionn. What is your air pressure source? One of those "propellant cans" or an air compressor? How well the paint will spray instead of drying & clogging up the airbrush is connected to the air pressure level in your airbrush.

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penubly Member

penubly

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lee:

I love the FW-190. Please posts pics when it's done. smile.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I will probably take about 2 months to finish. I can direct you to www.hyperscale.com for some very nice fw-190 pics.

Enjoy

------------------

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty.

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