Questions on acrylic paint and airbrushes
Tom Savard
The FAQ mentions using airbrushes instead of spray cans for model painting.
Being a BAR without any other modeling experience, I was wondering what the
advantages are in using an airbrush system versus spray cans.
I don't particularly like using spray paint because of the toxic fumes and
the non-recyclable cans. (And even though I clean the nozzles at the end of
each coat, the nozzles seem to clog with 1/3 of the paint left inside.
Soaking the nozzles in paint thinner doesn't seem to free the clog.)
While waiting for my Badger Airbrush catalog to arrive, I've thought of a
few questions:
1) Are the acrylic paints less toxic? I've only found health warnings on a
few acrylic paints and those warnings addressed the dye ingredients, not the
solvent (is it water?). The Testor propellant warns that painting and
drying should be done only in well-ventilated areas. Is it just the
propellant that is toxic?
2) There seems to be two standard types of propellants- testor propellant
(supplied in non-recylable cans) and compressed air. How small of a
compressor can I use? About how much does one cost? Are there any other
propellant supplies out there?
3) Airbrush systems seem to run from about $20 and up. What makes the
expensive airbrushes worth the cost? What makes a good airbrush "good?"
4) Is it feasible to use an airbrush to paint large surface areas, i.e. HPR
and HPR Lite?
5) Do the acryllic paints give the tough smooth finish that spray paints
give?
Any help will be appreciated!
Tom Savard
NAR #60293
--
Tom Savard/Physics (919)-660-2515
P.O. Box 90305
Duke University
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
J A Stephen Viggiano
>The FAQ mentions using airbrushes instead of spray cans for model painting.
>Being a BAR without any other modeling experience, I was wondering what the
>advantages are in using an airbrush system versus spray cans.
Better control, more versitility, higher quality, putatively lower cost,
but this is tricky to figure sometimes.
>I don't particularly like using spray paint because of the toxic fumes and
>the non-recyclable cans. (And even though I clean the nozzles at the end of
>each coat, the nozzles seem to clog with 1/3 of the paint left inside.
>Soaking the nozzles in paint thinner doesn't seem to free the clog.)
Soak the nozzles in a ketone (Acetone or MEK), and work a pipe cleaner
as far up the stem as you can, while under the surface of the solvent if
possible.
>While waiting for my Badger Airbrush catalog to arrive, I've thought of a
>few questions:
I don't recommend Badger. Paasche, Aztec, Testors are good. I own a
couple of Thayer and Chandlers, but I don't use them to paint rockets. . . .
The cheap spray gun from Badger would be tolerable if the @#$%!! siphon
hose wouldn't keep popping out every time the nozzle is adjusted.
>1) Are the acrylic paints less toxic? I've only found health warnings on a
>few acrylic paints and those warnings addressed the dye ingredients, not the
>solvent (is it water?). The Testor propellant warns that painting and
>drying should be done only in well-ventilated areas. Is it just the
>propellant that is toxic?
First of all, acrylic paints are trickier to work with. Start out with
flat enamels from Floquil. They've got about a million railroad colors.
I've got a stage to paint in Burlington Northern Green. After you've
become comfortable with the enamels, try the acrylics.
Solvents for acrylic paints include water and other polar solvents,
including VOCs like alcohol. Alcohol is used as a thinner to lower the
surface tension, as are glycols. Ammonia is frequently used in conjunction
with binders that precipitate in non-alkaline solutions.
The ozone-friendly propellants are hydrohalocarbons, such as R-22, and
extremely volatile organic compounds like butane and ether. You don't
want to inhale these things!
>2) There seems to be two standard types of propellants- testor propellant
>(supplied in non-recylable cans) and compressed air. How small of a
>compressor can I use? About how much does one cost? Are there any other
>propellant supplies out there?
A Paasche D5000 compressor is 1/10 HP, and is about the smallest you
can use. It costs about $150. It's built like a tank, and you might be
able to use a lighter-duty compressor, like the ones sold for filling
tires. You need to have about 10 cubic feet per minute at 40 PSIG. Badger
sells a spare tire adapter. Spare tires can't deliver this airflow.
Portable air tanks can be used, but they're lots of trouble, and they
don't hold enough air. At 85 PSIG, figure on one minute of airbrushing
per gallon of capacity. Thus, a 5 gallon tank inflated to 85 PSIG will
give you about five minutes of actual airbrushing time. At 125 PSIG, you
can double these figures. In other words, they're not practical.
>3) Airbrush systems seem to run from about $20 and up. What makes the
>expensive airbrushes worth the cost? What makes a good airbrush "good?"
Flexibility and ruggedness. My Paasche model H is nearly strong enough
to hammer nails. My Testor's Professional is molded resin, solvent
resistant, easy to clean, and was only $60.
You don't need to buy a Paasche AB or a Thayer and Chandler. They're for
illustrators and retouchers. To a large extent, so is the Paasche V-
series.
>4) Is it feasible to use an airbrush to paint large surface areas, i.e. HPR
>and HPR Lite?
I've used a Badger spray gun to put a coat of urethane on a 4" diameter
7 foot tall rocket. It did not take too long to do so. It's good for large
volumes. Better units can use a siphon jar. The "5" tip on the Paasche H
and the High Flow nozzle on the Testor's are okay for this, but will take
longer than spray cans.
>5) Do the acryllic paints give the tough smooth finish that spray paints
>give?
I have had very mixed results with acrylics. Once you master airbrushing,
you'll be delighted with the smoothness of the finish with enamel,
poly urethane, and epoxy finishes.
Have fun and fly 'em high!
--
Look for me under the arc lights, boys . . . . -- Bill Veeck, _Veeck_as_in_Wreck_
========================================================================
John Viggiano, js...@rc.rit.edu or sjv...@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
NAR 25615 I'm the NAR, and I vote!
William
aware of what you're getting into before you spend your $$$) Airbrushes
are not really just "point and shoot" kind of tools. They are finicky,
temprimental, moody animals.
Indeed. An "airbrush" is closer to a replacement for an artist's set of
brushes than for a can of spray paint...
That said, does anyone make a "spray paint can" substitute that runs on
liquid paints and compressed air? I'll assume that the big units intened to
paint your house with are way too big...
Chops
Tom Savard
(J A Stephen Viggiano) writes:
>tires. You need to have about 10 cubic feet per minute at 40 PSIG. Badger
>sells a spare tire adapter. Spare tires can't deliver this airflow.
>
>Portable air tanks can be used, but they're lots of trouble, and they
>don't hold enough air. At 85 PSIG, figure on one minute of airbrushing
>per gallon of capacity. Thus, a 5 gallon tank inflated to 85 PSIG will
>give you about five minutes of actual airbrushing time. At 125 PSIG, you
>can double these figures. In other words, they're not practical.
My calculations on how long a tank might last agree with yours, but other
posts suggest air tanks and inner-tubes are practical.
Does anyone have experience using an air tank or inner-tube for an air
supply? If so, how large was the tank, what was the initial pressure in the
full tank, and how long did the tank last?
Thanks!
C. D. Tavares
> That said, does anyone make a "spray paint can" substitute that runs on
> liquid paints and compressed air? I'll assume that the big units intened to
> paint your house with are way too big...
There are medium-size units used for things like cars. Usually, they are
all-metal. They aren't that expensive -- I saw one on sale for $30 at
Spags (you supply the hose). In fact, when Gary Miller visited here a
few years ago, he picked one up. They're about the size of a standard
water glass.
--
c...@rocket.sw.stratus.com --If you believe that I speak for my company,
OR c...@vos.stratus.com write today for my special Investors' Packet...
Lee Reep
bad, I used several acrylic paints (Polly-S and Testors) to avoid fumes.
Had pretty good luck, considering I was using a new, and unfamiliar,
airbrush (and dual action, too). I highly recommend a separate regulator/
filter unit at your "paint station". Really makes regulation handy, not
to mention guaranteed clean, dry air -- although we have that pretty much
here. :-) I bought my mini regulator/filter from Graingers for $36.
I also went overboard -- bought a DeVilbiss 5HP compressor with 30 gallon
tank and 240VAC supply -- plenty of air for airbrushing!
--
/\ Lee Reep voice: 303/229-2010
/\ /~~\ /\ Fort Collins, Colorado TRA 2007
/~~\/ \/~~\/\ email: le...@fc.hp.com NAR 55948
__/____\____/___/~~\_____________________________________________
Tim Harincar
kapl...@hccompare.com writes:
> In article <CLzvs...@news.cis.umn.edu>, soc...@vx.cis.umn.edu (Tim Harincar) writes:
> > water, and clean up with either water or rubbing alcohol. Enamel
> > solvents can eat up the seals inside the airbrush.
>
> Excuse me? What seals? My airbrush (older than me, equivalent to the Pasche
> VL) has nothing but metal parts inside. I clean it by dumpint the entire
> unit except for the handle into some laquer, epoxy, or other industrial
> strength paint thinner, and letting it soak overnight.
I have 3, two dual action badger 100s and a Wren (don't recall the
model, but its dual action, too) and all have teflon seals and needle
bearings. Running laquer thinner through these in my experience was
very detrimental to these seals, especially the needle bearing.
--
tim harincar "God I need more money..."
soc...@vx.cis.umn.edu - Bob Weirsbe, while watching a demo
of the Apogee/Aerotech D3 at NSL 94