Your best quick tip/technique/diy

[Black Sheep 1]

Mr, Surfacer 1200 as a primer.
No, not the rattle can, but the bottle of Mr. Surfacer 1200.
Dilute 1:1 (or 50/50) with lacquer thinner and spray (airbrush) on.
After it dries, use the finest wet sandpaper you can get and sand smooth.
Since it's a lacquer based product, it will "bite" into the plastic and will not chip off.
It's also a great filler if you have some sanding scratched that you forgot to polish off.

How do you keep the A.B. clean ??? that must be a Dirty job to clean that stuff off ??? Really ! you spray that stuff out of your A.B. ? wow !

You are a lot more courageous that me ! but sounds like an interesting option Next to USING Rattle-Cans !

hummm food for thoughts !

I don't know, for me it's real easy to clean the AB.
Just run some lacquer thinner through it once, break it down and clean the needle and nozzle with thinner and then re assemble. Then run some Vallejo Airbrush cleaner through it just to keep it lubed and there ya go.

I guess it's the advantage of using a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution. Very simple to break down and clean.

 

[FlipFlop]

Yeah, acetone takes Mr.Surfacer off too... I don't know how/if it affects airbrush tho (o-rings and stuff).
Which reminds me of another one:
When i have to cover small gap i cover it with Mr.Surfacer and when it dries i wipe the excess with q-tip soaked in acetone. Be careful tho because acetone can melt/damage styrene - don't stop in one place and don't force it... This way you don't have to sand...

Cheers!

 

[andrei383]

Those who have seen the AK Interactive Enamel Weathering Techniques DVD would have seen how mud splashes were made with the AK Interactive Earth Effects and using an airbrush to "splash" the mud onto models.

Well, for modellers like me who lack an airbrush, I have come up with my method of the technique (or maybe someone uses this method as well, I don't claim being the inventor of this method): Since I own a DSLR, I own an air blower normally used to blow dust from lenses or the camera sensor. This works as a perfect alternative for an airbrush! So the basic process is to dip an old brush into the mud mixture and use the blower to splash the mix from the brush onto the model.

Here's an example of what I use. Note that these come on several sizes and the biggest ones will provide the greatest air pressure.

One thing to note: repetitively squeezing the air blower works as a great stress relief too!

 

[spud]

very crafy in deed

 

[helldiver]

Seeing an earlier post regarding glue spills, always put a blob of Blu tack on the base of the bottle to avoid topples. Is it just me, or is more glue lost to evaporation than spillage and gluing parts combined. So tip no 2, keep the cap of your cement bottle closed tight!

 

[Junkie]

When starting a big, single color painting session - and you fill your airbrush's color cup full, put on the cap and then proceed to back flush to mix the paint and thinner - MAKE SURE that the little hole in the top of the cap isn't clogged.

If the cap is clogged, the moment you press and pull the trigger to back flush the brush you will experience an explosion of paint in the X, Y and Z axis. If this paint is black, and not water based, be prepared for a mess.

- Just sayin.

 

[spud]

lol sounds like your speaking from Experiance Scott ;D

 

[Junkie]

Perhaps...lol.

Yeah man. What a mess. Ceiling is speckled with semi gloss black. Luckily (TYJ) that nothing landed on the build.

 

[spud]

LOL man if that happened me ild have snapped and smashed everything in sight..

 

[Junkie]

LOL. I just sat there stunned a bit, then a good laugh.

 

[Quaralane]

I'd have likely laughed as well, but only after seeing that nothing had gotten on the model itself

 

[adampolo13]

sorry to be a buzz kill but whats a "back flush"? ???

 

[schweinhund227]

Adam! a B/F is forcing air into your Paint cup by blocking the AB nozzle! Some seem to believe it helps mixing the thinners and paints while in the cup! It might do it? but the risks of Bubbling out and making a mess is very present!

Seen on a lot of Japanese Modeler's YouTube videos! And not a good practice in my book!

Don't want to insult anybody but I find it lazy! Nothing beats mixing paint in a small container then pour it in the AB!

To each his own! I guess?

 

[adampolo13]

Thanks Norm!!!

 

[Chris S]

(((lol)))) ;D ;D .....Sorry Scott have to laugh ...Been there .

I usually only back flush when cleaning the AB out with thinners .

Chris.

 

[Grendels]

(((lol)))) ;D ;D .....Sorry Scott have to laugh ...Been there .

I usually only back flush when cleaning the AB out with thinners .

Chris.

Same here.

 

[Dusky]

Three ring binders are a great storage solution. You can use them along with plastic sheet protectors to store magazines, articles, and decals and stuff. Cheap binder, but I spent a bit more to buy the nicer heavyweight protectors.

 

[spud]

neat. all i need now is room to keep them in ;D

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Adam! a B/F is forcing air into your Paint cup by blocking the AB nozzle! Some seem to believe it helps mixing the thinners and paints while in the cup! It might do it? but the risks of Bubbling out and making a mess is very present!

Seen on a lot of Japanese Modeler's YouTube videos! And not a good practice in my book!

Don't want to insult anybody but I find it lazy! Nothing beats mixing paint in a small container then pour it in the AB!

To each his own! I guess?

It will mix the paint and thinner, but depends on the paint, definitely can't really do it with Vallejo, as all it does is create big ass bubbles in the cup.

I just mix everything in the airbrush, put in the thinner first, then the paint, use an old brush to actually mix the 2 in the AB....works everytime.

Also depends on the airbrush you are using. Seems easy to do with an Iwata, but the H&S brushes don't seem to be able to back flush that easily....or maybe it is just me....I usually don't get a good seal, and when I do try to get a decent one, I end up stabbing myself with the AB needle.

 

[Black Sheep 1]

Adam! a B/F is forcing air into your Paint cup by blocking the AB nozzle! Some seem to believe it helps mixing the thinners and paints while in the cup! It might do it? but the risks of Bubbling out and making a mess is very present!

Seen on a lot of Japanese Modeler's YouTube videos! And not a good practice in my book!

Don't want to insult anybody but I find it lazy! Nothing beats mixing paint in a small container then pour it in the AB!

To each his own! I guess?

It will mix the paint and thinner, but depends on the paint, definitely can't really do it with Vallejo, as all it does is create big ass bubbles in the cup.

I just mix everything in the airbrush, put in the thinner first, then the paint, use an old brush to actually mix the 2 in the AB....works everytime.

Also depends on the airbrush you are using. Seems easy to do with an Iwata, but the H&S brushes don't seem to be able to back flush that easily....or maybe it is just me....I usually don't get a good seal, and when I do try to get a decent one, I end up stabbing myself with the AB needle.

I do it with Vallejo with no problems.
It all depends on how much air pressure you apply and it helps to have a lid on your paint cup.

However Scott is right about pre mixing your paints in a separate container and use as needed.