It atomises and sprays smoothly from the airbrush and lays down with a good quality finish for a mist coat. Verified Purchase. Put it to the side for now with all of your other airbrushing equipment, we’ll be coming back to this in Step 7 after we’ve done our ‘control’ test. There was one interesting thing I noticed when doing a wet coat with the water thinned paint, and that was the drying time. . Storing airbrush after use 'Adjusting needle Remove balance weight, loosen needle chuck and pull needle out 5mm before reinserting. I thin 60 % (thinner) to 40 % (clear). PRE-ORDER. Thanks for your reply Doogs. If your airbrush manufacturer indicates it is OK to use an ammonia based cleaner, use Windex. Also, in case it’s of any interest, I use these little rubber cups that I buy through a dental supplier (being in the business) and the advantage is you can pinch them as you pour paint, to avoid spillage and wastage. I use either cheap brake or carb cleaner in a spray can with the tube up the paint jar holder and spary it into a rag when I'm finished painting. And that’s the extent of my acrylic paint mixing for airbrushing, the paint and thinner mixes exceptionally well and the process doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that. Step 2 – Add a small amount of lacquer thinner. In my experience, Polly Scale demands complete disassemply of the airbrush for cleaning. As mentioned above the anecdotal evidence from modelers is that distilled water will, if not quite ideal, will be acceptable. They absorb a hell of a lot of paint, Windex or thinner or whatever your poison (literally) is, and when you’re done they are so soaked in that stuff that you can use it to clean your paint stirrers and little mixing cups. The result on the kit was okay, but the process was an utter mess – I had to stir and dump small amounts constantly and by the end the needle channel and nozzle were packed with AMT-7 sludge. 4.8 out of 5 stars 183. Also included are high-viscosity grease and sealant to combat air leakages during use, plus a wrench which can be used to remove the nozzle from all of Tamiya's Spray-Work airbrush products. Wow,2 great “How to’s in a row. It can also build up, over time, in the needle channel or in front of the o-ring. And if I had to say anything at all about the difference in finish it would be that the spoons painted with Tamiya X20-A thinned paint dried just a fraction darker and the water thinned paint a fraction lighter. Well the ammonia will anyway. Nobody is twisting your arm. Let’s talk about cleaning. Change ). Flush. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I’ll be using Tamiya XF-18 Medium Blue because it’s essentially surplus paint for me and the blue shows up well on camera for comparison. For other brands of acrylic, windex does not work as well. Just enough to cover the needle, basically. Yes, Tamiya paints can be thinned with water and should give very comparable results. But paint choice matters just as much when it comes to cleaning. 7% of people buy Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner - 250ml and Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. If it’s clean enough that you’re confident you won’t have problems, it’s clean enough that it doesn’t need to go into the damn thing to begin with. The airbrush should come with instructions for cleaning, but it usually involves spraying thinner or airbrush cleaner until it sprays clear, and some disassembly. You put paint into the paint cup. Then, after a half-assed clean, my dumb ass decided to pull the needle and nozzle and drop them along with the airbrush body into an ultrasonic cleaner. At times like these, it is time to break down the airbrush and do some cleaning. Comment Report abuse. Mineral spirits, Testors enamel thinner, lacquer thinner…whatever I tried, the paint would basically swirl around for 30 seconds and then fall out of suspension and gather at the bottom of whatever container it was in. I have always had an interest in the artistic, and creative side of things. I realise some people will call mixing in the airbrush cup some kind of sacrilege, but my care factor is totally nil because it saves me time and the results I get are as good as when I thin the paint in a special mixing jar. This is due to Tamiya acrylics being water based, so it would make sense that they can be thinned with water…. Both X-20A and Tamiya Lacquer thinner will work, yep. Care factor nil…, Remember, with airbrushing and modeling in general, practice really does make perfect, so give this experiment a go yourself and let me know how you get on. Use isopropyl alcohol or Tamiya X-20A acrylic thinner or proper airbrush cleaning solution. With Gunze and Mr. When you’re done with that, very gently clean around the needle/nozzle tip. On a side note, for details on how to clean the outside of your airbrush so it sparkles check out this article I wrote a few weeks back. Tied with LifeColor is the Tamiya Lacquer-based Airbrush Cleaner (#87089). Finally we’re at the point of comparing each type of differently thinned paint! Unless we really fuck things up (like, by putting an airbrush body into an ultrasonic cleaner), we shouldn’t have to worry about anything aft of that o-ring at all. Reply; PRR_in_AZ . Cool. Which brings us … How will the finished product come out when it’s fully dried…? Nobody has mentioned this (I think) but I find make-up wipes are the best for clean up. Some paints just clean up a lot easier – both immediately after use and days or even weeks later. It’s true that using water may require a different thinning ratio and/or air pressure, but right now my care factor for the extra complexity is totally nil. In the last year, I’ve performed probably two deep strip-cleans. The extra thin formula allows the modeler to glue together small pieces that require pin point accuracy and finesse. So I've been using the ethereal wonder fluid known as Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner to clean out my airbrush, but it's extremely effective but unbelievably expensive so I've been searching for an alternative. Bring out the bargain shit. Direct the airbrush into your cleaning pot or the eyes or nasal passages of your enemies and let fly. Wow, I didn’t know that about ammonia and chromed parts, thank you so much guys. I don’t bother going so far as removing the nozzle however, I’ve always found it to be overkill and only remove the nozzle for a deep airbrush clean once in a while. . If you don’t, the airbrush will clog up and you will finish up with uneven spray patterns and possibly other problems. I’ve been using this stuff for years as the final rinse step in my airbrush cleaning routine. As a medic, can I humbly suggest you watch the ventilation issue carefully – the paints are not good for you in the long run. Some of you may want to do more than one mist coat because that’s just how you’ve always done it, whatever works. Badger recommends an ammonia based cleaner for acrylics. After my deep dive on airbrushing, I’ve received several requests asking for me to discuss my cleaning process. And some paints that say that have a bad tendency to skin over in the cleanup process. Want to stick with water or Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner or whatever? Vallejo Acrylic Airbrush Cleaning Pot. It breaks everything down on contact, and doesn’t bug your lungs like lacquer thinner. With a q-tip, scrub out the paint cup. I won’t lie, I’m having a hard time figuring out where to start here. Getting paint from a spray can into an airbrush or bottle is often damn near impossible, UNLESS you know this ridiculously simple trick... Tamiya acrylic paint is amazingly versatile and can be thinned with more than just the Tamiya’s brand of acrylic thinner for airbrushing. WISH LIST . About six years ago, I was building Zvezda’s 1/48 La-5. Airbrush Cleaner - 250ml. A moment of careful preparation prevents hours of pain fixing a botched paint job on the model you spent hours and hours building and crafting to your liking. The ultrasonic basically just distributed the White Ensign sludge EVERYWHERE. I’m a big advocate of thinning your paints with quality thinner. The Problem with Panel Line Shading – 1 Year Later, North American B-25J Mitchell – “Bottoms Up II”, Republic P-47D-27 Thunderbolt in French Service, Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4/R6 “Regia Aeronautica”, Achilles Mk.IIc 17-Pounder Self-Propelled Gun. Step 4 – Fill the paint cup about halfway with lacquer thinner. Helpful. The lacquer thinner also works well (better results for me at least) for spraying it. After decanting any unused paint from your airbrush, begin the cleaning process by blowing an appropriate cleaning agent, thinner, solvent or clean water – dependent upon the material or paint being used – through your airbrush to remove any surplus. link to How To Drain Water Out Of An Airbrush Compressor Water Trap (Steps), link to How To Use A Single Action Airbrush (Step by Step Guide), check out my article on airbrush compressor features, for details on how to clean the outside of your airbrush so it sparkles check out this article. Gravity (or suction, with side and siphon feeds) pulls the paint into the needle channel. Keep them up! If it is an airbrush with rubber O rings, better to keep to IPA based thinners. Last updated by SMWAdmin on 4th June 2020. Paint that I didn’t have to thin, return to its bottle. ( Log Out /  Tamiya Item # tam87089. Just know….eventually Windex will eat the plating off your airbrush. Trust 1000's of Reviews on Hobbylinc.com . Lacquer thinner will destroy it and send it flying out of your airbrush. As paints, though, they left a lot to be desired. What Can I Use To Thin Tamiya Acrylic Paint. Step 3– Fill the paint cup most of the way with lacquer thinner. This is a flat colour being in the ‘XF’ range and so I never usually make my wet coats quite as ‘wet’ as when I’m using a gloss colour. With regards to the wet coats a happy middle-ground is to give the paint a wet look but not to the extent that the paint runs. Specifications : Tamiya Product Number: 87089; Out of Stock. Fill the cup with thinner a fifth time and there’s still little metallic bits floating around in it, like when you wipe and wipe and wipe and realize your journey is still not at an end. This is pretty standard for me and I’m not deviating from the norm at all. Email me when available. For me, it’s the cleaning stage that throws crap everywhere, which is why I try to dump into the cleaning pot as much as possible. August 2020 edit: I purchased another jar and compared it with my Iwata airbrush cleaner for cleaning up lacquers. But honestly I rarely do this and will usually pull and wipe down the needle at the START of a spraying session instead. But for cleanup? Add Both to Trolley. Including past the paint cup and all around the trigger, the air valve, the needle spring. So Yes, there is a difference when airbrushing, but it’s extremely minor, and so far I’m 100% confident of using regular tap or hose water to thin Tamiya acrylic paint. Standard practise prior to putting a top coat of colour on, prime at least two test pieces using whatever priming process you normally use. Tamiya acrylic paint is amazingly versatile and can be thinned with more than just the Tamiya’s brand of acrylic thinner for airbrushing. Paint, that’s not an issue I’ve ever had. Compatible adapter set may be required when using a propellant can. . With a q-tip, scrub out the paint cup. 'Preparing the airbrush for storage Fully loosen needle adjuster without removing from airbrush, and attach balance weight. Many metallics are similar – especially Alclads. But I guess understanding how paint moves through an airbrush and where it goes and doesn’t go is kinda important. If you want to see me experiment with any other brands or types of paints, thinners, thinning ratios, airbrushing effects, anything, get in contact with me and let me know! Start off with a light mist coat and give it a few minutes to dry before moving onto wet coats. Tamiya? My dumb ass decided to put this through an Iwata HP-C+. I use Tamiya's thinner for thinning and to clean the AB I run LT without the need for a tear down after every use. They are alcohol based and a lot easier to clean out - just shoot a cup or two of alcohol, and then a cup of water, and the airbrush is as new again. 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