Offical Airbrush tips and Tricks!

[GoofyTexan]

Mods: This would be a good sticky

This is a thread dedicated for painters to exchange tips and tricks for paint R/C bodies. This thread is not for airbrushes only taping, masking and any other tips related to painting lexan bodies are welcome as well.

Please NO discussion (unless you adding to a previous tip) this will help keep the thread informative.

Please number the tip this would be a good reference guide when refferring someone to this thread.

Let me start off.........

1. Use mothers polish on your needles, keep'em slick. This will give you a smoother trigger action. So polish up those needles.

2. Use emory cloth or real fine sandpaper on your trigger plunger, this will take off any burrs so the trigger will be smooth.

3. Use a water trap on your compressor, if you don't have a water trap, air up your compresser and drain the water out from the bottom of the compresser. Do this a few time, this will keep the water out of your paint. We all know that water in your paint will splater on your nice body, we don't want that do we?

4. Only use 3m blue making tape, that white stuff acts like a sponge and will bleed big time.

The next tip will be "5"! :D :D :D :D :D :D

[GoofyTexan]

5. If you bend the tip on your needle use an emory cloth to sand it straight. This usually does the trick and keeps you out of the hobby shop!

Next tip will be 6! :D :D :D :D

[SteveK]

6) No matter what paint you use, lacquer thinner will clean it out of your airbrush in no time. Just be wary that it can eat some plastics (Like the Testors Azteks) and be sure to flush it afterward with a milder solvent that won't attack whatever paint you use.

7) That little Testors cleaning station really works, and you can get it for under $20 at AC Moore if you get one of the 40% off coupons from the newspaper.

7b) AC Moore and Michael's sell Testors, Vega, and Badger airbrushes, compressors, and various parts and bottles (As well as knives, blades, tape, CA and other adhesives, etc), and they take each other's coupons, as well as coupons from Joanne's Fabrics and The Rag Shop. There is almost always a 40% off coupon for one of those stores in my local paper.

8) The 'real' pipe cleaners, the kind you get in a drug store, soaked in thinner do a good job cleaning out the various passages and openings. Blast out the airbrush body with compressed air to get any lint residue out.

9) If you must soak your airbrush body, only do it with all the parts removed, otherwise the paint that gets disolved by the thinner might not be able to get out when you flush it (Since it was stuck in there in the first place).

[R/C Kid]

10) Use caution while handling fine and medium airbrush needles so as not to contribute a shade of red to your body, oh or bend the needle.

[Piggy89373]

11. Read through the links on this page (http://forums.radiocontrolzone.com/showthread.php?t=184401&highlight=resources) for how-to's and walk throughs.

12. If you notice a very small bleed and the paint hasn't dried yet, you can use a toothpick to scratch away the bleed area without scoring the lexan. (note: has not been tested with chrome.)

[GoofyTexan]

13. After tapping your project, run your fingernail along the edeges of the tape to ensure a good seal. This will help eliminate any bleed issues. I've got to remind my self to do this during each job.

[abraksith]

bump

[FESTER2004]

14. make sure your airbrush set up is correct & in working order.

15.clean your airbrush very good when your done with it.

[WhoMe]

16. If using thinner to clean your airbrush freaks you out, try windex! Its a great alernative and keeps things squeaky clean.

17. Fill a sonic jewelry clean with windex and drop your airbrush in there..flip the switch and walk away. Come back, put some air through her and you should have a nice smooth flowin airbrush.

[GoofyTexan]

18.Use a nitro gas bottle for your paint thinner. It's solvent proof and it makes it easy to get it out of the can. You can use as much or as little thinner as need, make clean up alot less of a pain!

[GoofyTexan]

bump

[abraksith]

I second that notion, how about a sticky on this one mods?

[GoofyTexan]

bump