Airbrush Advice

[whoodie]

I am having a hard time getting the control that I need with my current airbrush which is an Aztec double action.

http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=2260

I cannot get a consistent paint flow, I'll set the airflow and pull back a little to get the paint to come through, but every time the paint flows differently, sometimes not at all. As a result of this I get globs of paint that hit the body and the air pushes it around creating little streams from the glob. When I can get a consistent stream, the paint splatters out of the tip. I am trying to do a multi color flame job and I don't have the control that I need with the really narrow flame tips, not to mention the flame tips that are wider than the stream. I'm using Faskolor paint and a 2 Gal compressor with a moisture trap at the compressor.

So my question(s) are, is the paint at fault? Is the moisture trap location at fault? Is the airbrush at fault? Or is it a combination of all three.

I believe that it is all three and I was thinking of ordering an Iwata (http://www.coastairbrush.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ECL2500) and maybe an inline mousture trap in addition to the one at the compressor.

So guys chime in. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions let me know. Thanks!

 

[ftr]

I use to use an Aztec double action and i never had much luck with it. You will love the Iwata if you get it.

 

[extreme]

2 problems, the brush and the paint, faskolor has always sucked in my book, you can get it to work with a ,ix of half isopropyl alchohal and half waater, windex also works inplace of the iso, but dont spray this mix in heavy amounts it has weird tendancys to create larg fish eyes, but works well for details

second is your brush

i went to iwata 4-5 years ago and have never once looked back at my old aztek thats the biggest mistake i made and im suprised i worked with it for as long as i did and not give up!

your fix:

airbrush: iwata eclipse hp-cs

paint: spaz stix
pactra
kustom kolor
house of kolor


all great paint and will shot well, if your stuck on the waterbased stuff you can get decent results from faskolor/createx

 

[nitronut]

I agree 100% Iwata is the way to go, it is the top rated airbrush in the world and most (if not all) the top painters use them.
As mentioned by "EXTREME" the HP-CS is a great all around brush, it wil spray from a hairline to a 2" pattern.
That is all I own and will spray with when it comes to detail work.

As far as the paint goes,, you will get differant answers from everyone you ask. I have been using AUTOAIR paints for the past 10+ years without any problems at all.

 

[nitronut]

sorry, forgot this link....
http://www.coastairbrush.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ECL4500

You can find them a little cheaper other places but these guys are top notch when it comes to service

 

[fishfever]

i have this one as well and i love it


Eclipse HP-CS
http://www.coastairbrush.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ECL4500


i use it for car models and it is sweet...
-you can use it with testors model paint then use automotive clearcoat

-or you can use automotive paint and clear...

 

[whoodie]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to order an Iwata this week. As for the paint, I'm going to give it another shot with the new airbrush before I make a final decision. I can't wait to get rid of this Aztec "thumbsup"

 

[extreme]

if you stick with the paint make sure to eggspearamint with the iso/windex - water ratio to think the paint down with, and get some createx/auto air cleaner from an art store, or coast.

keep it light and thin and you should get some nice blends

usually when im doing blends it takes about 3-4 passes with how light/thin my colors are

 

[fishfever]

if you stick with the paint make sure to eggspearamint with the iso/windex - water ratio to think the paint down with, and get some createx/auto air cleaner from an art store, or coast.

keep it light and thin and you should get some nice blends

usually when im doing blends it takes about 3-4 passes with how light/thin my colors are

i would only use water, if you use testors paint you can mix them, 1 part paint to 2 parts water then the paint goes further (i use bottled water)

also wash the body with dish soap, and wet sand between coats with 2000 grit wet sand paper for best results.

you can also put a drop of dish soap in your water for wet sanding for better lubeication

 

[whoodie]

Wont the water in wetsanding affect the coats that are already down?

 

[fishfever]

no only if you over sand.

first i spray it with automotive primer dry over night or a couple hours, then wet sand it, spray a nice coat of color then wet sand, then i repeat tell its to my liking, usually 2-3 coats of color.

then i spray 1-2 coats of automotive clearcoat....."thumbsup""thumbsup"

 

[whoodie]

Are you talking Lexan or Hardbodies?

I'm only painting Lexan.

 

[fishfever]

hardbodys, sorry for the mixup..

 

[whoodie]

Thats what I thought. As soon as you said clear coat I had a feeling that was for hardbodies. If I ever do a hardbody I'll probably use an automotive paint and wetsand like you suggested.

 

[spookyseven]

if you feel like reading there is a lot of info on here.

http://airbrushtricks.com/new/

 

[extreme]

with createx faskolor autoair, the alchohal is very neccessary!! its what helps break down the pigments, water does nothing but thin out the big chunks, it dosnt break them down.

oh and

www.cfxpaintworks.com

all you'll ever need to know about painting rc car bodys