Do you thin Parma FasKolor?

[rctenracer]

The only time I thin faskolor is when I am shading something or doing fine lines with low air pressure. Other than that I use 45 psi with the Iwata air bush I have. I just thin with water and use the heat gun to speed things up.

[Showcase1186]

You guys have been a big help thus far.
I just purchased an airbrush based on several sources I researched. It is said to be comparable to the Iwata Eclipse HP CS.
It's a Master High-flow series Airbrush G33.
Here are my questions
I'm not sure which needle/nozzle would be a good starting point for general use on lexan bodies, for simply laying down color not thin lines, any recommendations? Perhaps 0.5 and play from there? Pressure recommendation based on using FasKolor and that size nozzle/needle?
Here is the link to the airbrush I bought, G33:
http://www.tcpglobal.com/airbrushdepot/master-hi-flow.aspx

Here are the spec's:
All-Purpose Precision Dual-Action
Gravity Feed Airbrush Pro Set
with 3 Cups & 3 Nozzle Sets (0.3, 0.5, 0.8mm)
(Features a Self-Centering Drop-in Nozzle)
Exceptional All-Purpose Gravity Airbrush! Sprays Light to Heavy Viscosity Paint Materials! Sprays Varied Pattern with Very High Paint Flow!
Commonly used for: Nail Art, T-Shirts, Temporary Tattoos, Cake Decorating, Hobbies, Crafts, Auto-Motorcycle Graphics & More!
0.3, 0.5, 0.8mm Needles & Nozzles with a Broad Spray Pattern from Hairline to 2" Wide
3 Screw on Cup Sizes: 1/16, 1/6, 1/2 oz.
Cutaway Handle allows for quick cleaning & flushing for increased airbrush production.

I also purchased a mini regulator w/ water trap, braided hose w/ quick disconnect. I plan on using my garage air compressor, which is over kill, but I have it.

Feel free to chime in any extra thoughts!

[PlastiZapCA+]

That airbrush should work out great for painting lexan bodies and probably scale models as well. I too will be using Faskolor and will be spraying it for the first time on my RC12E this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes. I'll be thinning this paint with rubbing alcohol and shooting through an Iwata HP-CS. I'm predominantly a military scale modeler and have always thinned my acrylic paints with rubbing alcohol. I've heard of guys using windex as well but it's not for me due to the tint issues. If you do use it make sure it's amonia free as this could cause problems with the paint. You will have to experiment with tip sizes to find what suits you. I use the finest tip possible on my Iwata and have never had any issues spraying any paint as long as it was properly thinned. Do take into consideration the humidty and temp when spraying as well. I like to spray in the mornings when the temp is in the seventies as I'm in a hot and dry location. Just take some time and experiment and get comfortable with the airbrush before spraying your project and you should be fine. The highest pressure I've ever sprayed on even my largest of projects was twenty pounds at the brush and that was later found to be due to a clogged spray nozzle. If you thin properly you shouldn't have to use that much pressure.

My two brushes of choice:

Iwata HP-CS. Very fine and well built double action airbrush. Easy to clean too and I love the gravity feed tank on the top.


Badger 150. Well built double action airbrush. A little tougher to clean than the Iwata and not as finely built but with about the same results finish wise and cheaper cost. Mine is nearly twenty years old and still going. Bottom feed is a little more troublesome but not too bad. I prefer using the little open cup on this one over the glass tank.


For a compressor I use the tried and proven Paasche D500. I bolted it to an old nail gun tank. Make sure you use a mechanical safety valve on any home made tank setup.


Quick release added to make switching between the Iwat and the Badger easy. Water trap with regulator is mandatory equipment for good brush work.


My 1/24 Hawker Hurricane MKII-C Trop shot with the Iwata HP-CS using acrylic paint thinned with alcohol.

[Ivan Dobsky]

Wow, that's a really cool setup you got PlastiZap, and I wish I had even half of your skill at building scale models. Are you sure you didn't just use a shrink ray on a real Hurricane?

With regard to setups and pressures Showcase, as a beginner just experiment and find what works for you, I spent a day or two practicing on scrap paper before I went near a bodyshell, and my first few bodyshells weren't that great, but I didn't expect them to be.

[PlastiZapCA+]

Wow, that's a really cool setup you got PlastiZap, and I wish I had even half of your skill at building scale models. Are you sure you didn't just use a shrink ray on a real Hurricane?

With regard to setups and pressures Showcase, as a beginner just experiment and find what works for you, I spent a day or two practicing on scrap paper before I went near a bodyshell, and my first few bodyshells weren't that great, but I didn't expect them to be.

Haw! I got the tank for free as it was junked and the other parts at Harbor Freight tools for cheap. I tried several cheap compressors on e-Bay which promptly fell apart before building my own. You can use the Paasche D500 without a tank too. I just like the tank as it eliminates pulsing which is a no-no for fine scale model work.

Agreed you shouldn't expect perfect results out of the gate. Practice is the key and you will find that it gets easier the more you use that airbrush.

[Showcase1186]

Plastizap,

Great info and thanx! I like the idea of using rubbing alcohol to thin. Your pressure seems much lower than everyone else who is shooting FasKolor. Perhaps that's because your thinning. Very detailed info and pics. Thanx!

[JK Racing]

my set up is very amateur compared to PlastiZap up there...but I use these:

brush:
http://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-airbrush-kit-95810.html

compressor:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-3-hp-3-gallon-100-psi-oilless-air-compressor-97080.html

I shoot Createx paints (from my understanding, Parma is just rebranded Createx) and I get them from here:
http://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=53

I was a kid in a candy store walking through there for the first time.

[PlastiZapCA+]

Plastizap,

Great info and thanx! I like the idea of using rubbing alcohol to thin. Your pressure seems much lower than everyone else who is shooting FasKolor. Perhaps that's because your thinning. Very detailed info and pics. Thanx!

Your welcome Showcase. You cant go wrong with rubbing alcohol with acrylic based paints.

Just finished shooting FasKolor on the wing of my RC12E today. I found this paint to be much thicker than the normal acrylics I spray. You most definitely need to thin FasKolor to spray it properly. Once thinned though it was easy to spray and I was most impressed with it. It's a very tough paint and dried quickly too. I sprayed it over gray primer and it covered very nicely and smoothly too with no powdering. If only my decals had gone on as smoothly! I used an ancient Tamiya decal sheet and found that the decal backing had completely dried up. I had to use a decal solvent to loosen them from the sheet and then pry them off with a toothpick. One of the decals I really needed wouldn't come off the sheet even with decal solvent. I'll manage though!

I use just cheap drug store alcohol. Don't use the green stuff or any lower than 70%. Also shown is a bottle of Pledge Future floor polish. I used the floor polish as a topcoat once the wing was painted. The decals were applied over the Future. Once the decals were in place another coat of Future was sprayed over the decals to seal them to the wing. I'll now let the Future cure for about three days and then shoot a coat of gloss enamel over the wing for a final finish. Just thought I would share that scale model tip as it can be useful if you are using water slide decals on any of your models. This will keep you decals from peeling and also protect them from another finish like enamel. Be careful when shooting enamels over Future though. Use light coats and test spray before shooting your project to make sure your mix is not too hot as Future is an acrylic. Don't be put off by the orange peel look of Future either as this goes away after you spray your clear over it. Might be uselful to protect the water slide decals on your runners.


Wing coated in FasKolor and Future. Once the Future cures it will get several coats of gloss enamel to seal the deal. Still have much work to do to the body before I can paint it.

[PlastiZapCA+]

my set up is very amateur compared to PlastiZap up there...but I use these:

brush:
http://www.harborfreight.com/deluxe-airbrush-kit-95810.html

compressor:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-3-hp-3-gallon-100-psi-oilless-air-compressor-97080.html

I shoot Createx paints (from my understanding, Parma is just rebranded Createx) and I get them from here:
http://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=53

I was a kid in a candy store walking through there for the first time.

Nothing wrong with that setup. I'll have to check out some of those paints myself. Thanks for the link!

[RC104ever]

Hey guys, I've never used an airbrush before - so I have a lot of questions. I'm more of a rattlecan expert, lol.

So with regards to a 'complete kit', what should I look for in the kit? I hate having to piece meal something so does anyone sell something that includes a compressor, air tank and brush all in one?

How do you clean it out in between painting different colours?

Really silly question but in the above post there are several safety valves, and a water trap. What would you ever need a safety valve for and what does the water trap do (I mean why do you need to trap water?)

[slapshot1979]

As you compress air the condesation in the air is "compressed" back to liquid state so you get water that sits in the bottom of your tank, lines etc so the water trap "traps" the water in a bowl that can be dumped. It does this so the water isnt mistaknly srpayed thru your line and onto your project or into an airtool.
the safety valve is there to stop the tank from over pressurizing if the limits switches on the compressor fail or other. each tank can be rated to handle different pressures safely with out bursting. this saftey valve is set lower than that max pressure so it will relieve (dump) excess pressure.

Cheers

[Showcase1186]

[quote="PlastiZapCA+"][quote="Showcase1186"]Plastizap,

Also shown is a bottle of Pledge Future floor polish. I used the floor polish as a topcoat once the wing was painted. The decals were applied over the Future. Once the decals were in place another coat of Future was sprayed over the decals to seal them to the wing. I'll now let the Future cure for about three days and then shoot a coat of gloss enamel over the wing for a final finish.

WOW!!! You are full of great ideas. Floor polish to seal decals?!?!?! Insane! Great tip, many Thanx!

[PlastiZapCA+]

You are most welcome Showcase. I think Futue or Pledge goes by the name 'Klear' or 'Krystal Klear' in the UK.

Here is a guide to using it.
http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

Cheers,
Don

[soniccj5]

Just finished shooting faskolor using my Paasche H airbrush at 50PSI without thinning the paint. I used metallic blue mixed with black.


In the past I did thin with water, and even tried Windex, but the best results for me was not using anything to thin it.


ED

[slotcarrod]

Ironic that you show Future, because you can thin Parma paint with Future, use a lower psi and get excellent results!