Good on 'ya!

Ugly,

 You made the right move when you started using your airbrush. It is, indeed, a real game changer.

Testors Dullcoat is one exception

Testors is still the best Dullcoat and compares favorably with any airbrush. The Testors rattle cans are consistent and have a very fine spray and excellent coverage.  This is one rattle can I still go to prepping rolling stock for weathering.  The Rustoleum Matt finish I tried had no "tooth."

watching

HI -- i watching this b/c i have an airbrush, but havent learned to use it yet

TIM

  "Testors is still the best

Yeah, Testors dull coat and Tamiya primer( for brass engines,etc. ) are two spray cans I usually use instead of an airbrush.  .....DaveB

Hey DaveB

I've been soldering up some brass ladders and looked around for a primer that would work. Do you think the Tamiya would be a good choice for something like that? If so, where do you source it?

The Case for Acrylics

I've been air brushing with a Paache VL for probably 15 years now with acrylics.  I started with no experience other than brush painting models and a couple rattle cans. The first few projects were a little rough, but I got through it and became a better modeler for it.   I like Testors acrylics, Polly-S and will use Badger Model-Flex.   Cleans up under products you already have in your house.  Acrylics won't eat your nervous system or the environment.   Also, since the paint is water based already, you don't need to worry about running a moisture trap.  

I bought a little battery powered paint mixer and use it all the time.

Try it on a couple of crappy train set cars and see how you like it.  You'll be pleased you did.

Eric Carlson
Crooks, SD

@rick, re. primer

   Hi, The Tamiya primer I've used is white color, I bought it at a local hobby , can't recall the exact name on the can but it worked well on brass. Goes on very thin and shows up any imperfections in the prep job.My local shop has shut down since my last primer purchase so not sure where the best place is to find it now.......DaveB

@ rick re primer

@k5 - love the title of thread. Looking forward to your progress

@ rick -I can't help you with brass  but I love the Tamiya in rattle cans.   I use the light grey and get it from Hobbylinc.  They have fair prices and my paint supplies usually get shipped for $10 so I load up.  The only down side to them is they are slow to get it in the mail

http://www.hobbylinc.com/cgi-bin/s8.cgi?cat_s=&str_s=primer

Steve

@uglyJeff

Jeff, I am surprised you have drug your feet on this.  Its well worth your time to learn. Plus not a difficult skill to learn.  I'm with Dakotabranch. Probably 95% or more of what I airbrush is acrylic. I use a variety of companies. Clean up is quick and easy.  They dry fast which avoids having to clean up between coats.  I also like the ease of mixing my own colors or adjusting a color.  Using light coats you can see if the color is what you really want, if not adjust and reshoot. With thin coats it will not require stripping the model.  

Like the others above said there is still a place for rattle can clear though.  For an airbrush flat I like the Aclad II even though it is not acrylic so use a mask or ventilated area or both.  But being laquer it dries almost instantly too and is dead flat.  The Testors is always an easy way to go, the Tamiya flat is great to and goes on super thin. I'd reccomend letting the can sit in warm water first as you have probably seen here before. Thats true for any spray can. 

For primer I cheat often there too and use rattle cans for simplicity.  Primer coats can be light. Rick, for brass I use automotive primer because I know it will stick to bare metal, but I'm sure the others work fine on a clean surface.   Practicing on some cheap cars is a good idea but make sure they are not super glossy like most are or it may not give you realistic results like a quality car. Cheap cars are sometimes molded in color too. If yoiu can Id prime your practice items.   

Good luck and share your results.

Steve

I love my airbrush...

I don't use it often enough, because I don't like cleaning, but my OCD means I clean it like new after each colour.

Hi Jeff, I've been through

Hi Jeff,

I've been through the same as you have, but I've improved with help and advice from folk on the forum.

I have used Tamiya acrylics and Vallejo acrylics with my airbrush with great results.

I do like out of the can Testors Dulcote for prepping models for weathering, but recently I have had issues with some cans spraying minute silvery flecks onto the surface of what I'm painting; might just be defective cans.

Anyhow, I'm no hooked on Tamiya clear coats and like them very much, as I can apply it very thin and evenly up close to the surface.

I LOVE MY AIRBRUSH. But.............

Cleaning it is a pain, and I find after about 10 or 15 uses it becomes clogged beyond cleaning. Then I buy a new airbrush. Not very cost effective.

Lon Wall

Tamiya Spray Can Flat Clear

I have been using Tamiya TS-80 Spray Can Flat Clear for the last few months and find it better than Dullcoat.  Much finer and more reliable spray than the Testors can. I must have been using Dullcote over 30 years going back to 1980's. Tamiya's spray can technology seems to be somewhat better than any of the other rattle cans readily  available in the US/North America. 

The military/auto/plane modelers are usually way ahead on painting technology of our much more conservative model railroading fraternity. Tamiya has developed their products for their needs. The MM group may have something even better these days. Someone who watches their social media channels may know more.

Ken, I have been so satisfied

Ken,

I have been so satisfied with the Tamiya clear coats. I can't wait to use them again so much so I'm willing to make a "make work project" just to experience the pleasure of seeing the results again.

  "Cleaning it is a pain,

If you are painting with acrylics you can usually strip out the paint buildup with an ammonia house cleaning product, just dip the airbrush in it for a couple of minutes and see if the paint starts to loosen,if it's still hard leave in a bit longer til it softens then flush the airbrush with water. If the build up is heavy you might need to repeat the process .  If you have used solvent based paint you might try doing a similar flush with laquer thinner instead of ammonia....DaveB

Practice, practice and more practice

Glad to see another budding airbrush artist. I'm in the 95% airbrush category as well. Learning how to quickly flush the paint after each use will save time and energy cleaning. I rarely strip my airbrush down u,less I notice a big issue (and that's usually because I didn't flush it enough before putting away).

For those that are learning how to airbrush, the best way is to go buy some coloring books and food dye. Mix the food dye with tap water and start coloring. You'll figure out how much paint, air flow, etc it takes. And if you are feeling really confident grab a adult coloring book and practice fine lines!

Source for primer

Hi,

when I was looking for some primer I went to my local paint store (they sell mostly to professional painters). They were able to ask the right questions and sold me a small can of primer. It is the store's house brand, but I'm quite happy with it. So, if looking for paint, they might be able to help.

Have fun!

 Hi all - good discussion!

Hi all - good discussion!  I’m open to spray can dull coat options. Just not spray can paint! So far I have three cars in airbrush work:

1. Accurail covered hopper. Was BN, molded in green. Airbrushed with thinned Model Master acrylic concrete. Paint job came out decent. Then I airbrushed some Future/Pledge floor polish on for decal prep which did not go as well. Uneven coverage and a bit runny. Applied decals which silvered too much so the gloss coat was inadequate. Lesson learned: Future is not paint and will require some more practice. Sprayed Rustoleum Dead Flat which helped a bit, further weathering to be applied. 
    
    
2. Atlas gondola. Was CNW, molded in black. Airbrushed with thinned MM acrylic black. Airbrushed Future (as shown) and decals applied. Decals setting, results TBD. 
    
3. Walthers insulated boxcar. Was Conrail, molded in yellow. Airbrushed with slightly thinned Vallejo Model Air red (too red!), next coat airbrush thinned MM boxcar red (not red enough!), final coat very thinned same Model Air red to tint it. Looks ok. To be gloss clear coated and decalled. 
    
    
    

Thx

Jeff

Spraying Future

Multiple, light coats are the way to go, but I've had better success just brushing it on.

Recently I bought a half pint of clear and gloss from the big box hardware store to try as an alternative to dullcoat/glosscoat. Supposedly its water based, but I haven't had a chance to experiment.

Future over dried decals.

I've heard that if you have slight silvering on a decal, you can apply a little Future over the top and let it dry to remove the silvering.

Future

works best if you brush a thin coat on then set the decal on the wet future and blot it with a paint brush then let it dry. No need for gloss coat under the decal if you set it in wet future. The only problem with applying decals with Future is the future doesn't melt the decals over rivets or other bumps(or into hollows ) so if the car or engine surface it's flat and smooth you might be better off using a decal solvent set solution over a gloss paint surface. ...DaveB 

Primer for brass

With brass or plastic, one important step before primer is cleaning the model. Water with some dish soap is generally enough (expect if you use flux).

You have also special metal primer from Mr. Hobby (Creos) and now Tamiya, but I never tried them. I think that car primer will still be better on metal than model primer, but the stuff is so bad, it should be done outside.

I used another priming agent with a few of my brass model: white winegar. Even used it in a ultrasound machine. The acid will corrod the brass surface, give a micro texture on which normal model primer (or maybe even paint) will grip well. Some area changes a lot of color, other not, therefore it is really doing something. But even letting it overnight will not eat the brass (maybe after several years in a winegar bath?).

The only thing to look is that you shouldn't use white glue (I used it for glue some weight): the acid will melt the white glue.

After rinsing, I still use model primer, in the past Tamiya ones, and now Ammo with the airbrush (0.5mm). You should always take a self leveling primer, as it will remove the very thin scratches of the model.

Good testimonial

Dave,

Coming from a pro like you, that is a real testimonial. I used Testors Dullcote originally because I was impatient and lazy about cleaning airbrushes, then really appreciated the fine coverage and "tooth" of Testors rattle cans. And as contributors have noted, if you gently heat it a bit near the end of the can you can get all he contents. (but don't forget and blow up your kitchen).

I love my Paasche

I have had a Badger internal mix for over 30 years.  I used it quite a bit at first but cleaning was a chore and I felt somewhat intimidated by it.

Last year I found a brand new Paashe external mix single action airbrush on Kijiji and I love it.  All I really do is full colour paint jobs so it works fine for me and it is extremely easy to use and clean.  I actually use it.  I’m sure an internal mix will do much more but this does everything I need.

i used to use jars to paint and now it’s mostly colour cups.  Much easier in my opinion.

I also follow the tips in the Acrylic guide from this site.  Using acrylic armour all cleaned for cleaning acrylic paint is a revelation.

i also built a spray booth based on plans online and I use a cage fan for it.  I bought a bilge blower fan that is designed to clear boat engine rooms of gas fumes.

I use only acrylic paints and fortunately have a well stocked hobby shop that still has a full line of modelmaster paints.

Mike