i have recently bought the iwata eclipse hp-cs and a small compressor (no tank). now, the iwata booklet says the pressure should be around 35-45 PSI, but i've read that folks use between 5-12 PSI, so obviously, i'm confused and would appreciate is someone could shed some light on this. i understand that higher pressure is for surface painting, while lower pressure is for details and such, but i have no idea at what pressure to start due to my confusion.
thanks in advance

Hi Matan,

I assumed your compressor has the gauge that you can read & adjust the pressure. As you said, low pressure for fine (detail) airbrushing while high pressure for large area surface airbrushing. Since there are differences in different airbrushes, compressors and paint used, the best is to try (& test) it yourself.

For my own setup (Sparmax Compressor & Iwata, Tamiya AB) , I start at 15 psi for airbrushing fine line & details. For larger area, I usually start at 25 psi. Depending on the paint job and the paint used, I always need to adjust + or - 5 psi.

Finally, there is no need to feel confused as there is no straight and fast rules here. You will find the best setting most comfortable to you very soon.

Paul

thanks. i'll try using the lower pressures soon (5-12) to see where they stand. hoping for the best, cause i'm still a bit confused (i guess there is no clear answer here)

Good luck.

There are some good AB techniques videos on youtube which may be useful to you. This one is on Iwata HP-CS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPXsyD5249k&feature=related

Paul

Thanks Paul! though i'm kinda scared to dismantle the brush to this guy's level
also he says nothing about pressure

More AB info for you:-

http://www.howtoairbrush.com/index.php/site/lessons/

"When airbrushing it is important to match the consistency of the paint with the air pressure to produce the best results. The trick of course is to adjust your air pressure according to the viscosity of your paint. The thicker the paint the more air pressure you'll need generally to atomize the paint correctly."

This is right to the point.

Paul

thanks

There is a great DVD in my opinion from MIG productions.
You could find it on

http://www.migproductionsforums.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=299

Hi Matan,

You should experiment with your setup. Start with a thin mix(70/30 thinner to paint) at low pressure(10-15psi). See what kind of things you can do then gradually increase the pressure while using the same mix. Maybe practice on a scrap model or prime a piece of card. Then try a 50/50 mix and then 30/70 while using the same process with the pressure. Also experiment with the distance you hold the tip from the surface from almost touching to as far out as you dare! Everybodys setup will differ and factors like ambient temperature and humidity make a difference too. Just remember to enjoy the experimentation. The idea is to make mistakes and learn from them.

I hope this helps mate.

Good luck, Jim.