ok i even got my new aztek today and tried doing the panel lines with the fine tip and it just aint happening for start i just cant get those perfect lines through the airbrush second im thinking my hand is to shakey (dont drink)
im losing it with these panel lines and have me tested to the full

Keep the effect really subtle and don't worry about it being "perfect".. My lines are waaay wiggly! Think about making an impression of dirt and shadows along the panels- not some razor-sharp delineation. It also helps to practice drawing lines on a sheet of scrap paper- and maybe an old, junked model or toy. You'll get it- trust me.

Cheers!
chuk

try the following: rest your hand on the table while spraying and practice on a piece of cardboard with water only in the cup. If you try it on the plane, hold the part secure in a fixed position with the other hand or tape it to something.

using an AB with great accuracy takes a while to learn. If you have a dual action airbrush: First let the air flow for a second, move the nozzle to you airplane, then pull the trigger for the paint. Doing all at the same time can cause the AB to move too much.

practice make perfect

thanks guys i think later ill just practice for an hour or two as i only got my new airbrush today aztek a7778 but its me not the airbrush thats the problem im trying to master everything to quick. im only on my fourth ever model and here i am trying to hard to be like the pros and im shortcutting the practising part and wondering why i cant get things done right haha

Hi David,

Learning to airbrush is a lot like learning to write. At first, your hand simply will not do what you want it to. Fatigue will set in, causing your hands to shake and fumble. It takes time to train hand muscles and get used to the duel action control.

As suggested above, try painting pieces of paper and cardboard. Use water or cheap paint (craft store acrylics) and practice writing your name with the finest line you can muster. After doing that for a while, your hand will fatigue so clean up. Practice as much as you can stand. Experiment with paint consistency, air pressure, and the controls. When you have some confidence, then paint your model. The model you are building will not be the best you ever build. Let that go. Do the best you can and work to improve on each successive attempt. If you try to become a master in one or two goes you will really frustrate yourself.

I also recommend becoming an expert at cleaning your airbrush. A dirty airbrush complicates everything.

I presume you are using the fine tan tip with your airbrush. They can be a bit finicky and clog easily. However, with the right paint consistency and air pressure, that tip can lay down a nice, fine line. If you are using acrylics, thinning and adding a flow improver to the paint may help prevent clogging. When it comes to airbrushing you will get lots of suggestions, but the only real way to find what's right for you is to experiment. I know that's a frustrating answer, but each combination of airbrush + paint + thinner + air pressure + technique produces different results.

Good luck with your project!

-Doug

hi doug

thanks for that i have spent the last hour and a half playing around with air presure and water first as you said using the tan tip which as you said get very clogged up cleaning this aztek will be a job in its self. but anyway finally i have done what you said writing my name and low and behold i done my name in the finest line possible. hence i forgot the closet you get to the paper the finer the line so i practiced that also.

but i think ill practice alot more on the paper before i go onto the A-10

im taking it you have an aztek??? what do you use to clean it up??


david

Hi David,

I have an Aztec A470, an Iwata Eclipse, and a cheap airbrush from Harbor Freight. I learned on the Aztec and continued to use it after buying the Eclipse. Unfortunately, it broke about a year ago and I never sent for a replacement.

The best cleaner for your airbrush really depends on what you spray. In almost all cases, the thinner for a given line of paint works best for airbrush cleanup. Windex works well with Tamiya acrylics. Lacquer thinner will cut anything but requires special handling.

Acrylics tend to dry faster than enamels or lacquers and thus clog tips more easily. Properly thinned paint helps delay this process. Hot, dry weather accelerates it. You can retard the drying time of some acrylics by adding dish soap. Liquitex sells a product called Slo Dri that does the same thing. However, not all retarding agents work well with all acrylic paints, and too much retardant can cause unwanted results. Again, you have to experiment a little.

Enamels and lacquers are easier because they stay "wet" longer. Most enamel and lacquer paint lines have a dedicated thinner that performs very well for thinning and cleaning.

You can help prevent clogging by blowing some thinner through the tip after each color. Do the same thing if you need to put the airbrush down for a while or the tip starts to sputter. The cool thing about the A470 is that you can dismount the color cup at any time, mount another cup with some thinner, blow it through, then switch back to the color cup. Increasing air pressure will sometimes blow out a clog. As a last resort, you can drop a clogged tip in a jar of thinner, wait a while, then fish it out and blow some thinner through it.

Good cleaning will really help prevent clogging. After you finish spraying, blow thinner through the tip until it comes out clean. Unscrew the tip and wipe off any remaining paint. Problem tips can be stored in a jar of thinner, but I rarely found this necessary. Now look down the nose of the airbrush. If you see any paint down there clean it out with some cotton swaps or whatever. Try not to leave behind any lint. This is critical--paint will accumulate down the little side tunnel on the opposite side where you mount the color cup. If you are right handed, this will be on the left side of the brush. There is a little pin closing off this passage. Pull it out and clean the passages on _both_ sides. A little piece of paper towel (or whatever) wrapped around a toothpick should do the job. Put the pin back when you are done. Be careful when cleaning down in there. The A470 is fully enclosed but you can still damage the pin that pushes against the back of the tip.

I begin every session by blowing a cup of thinner though the tip.

One last thing--all airbrushes tend to gum up when spraying multiple paint types in the same session (i.e., acrylic then enamel). I found the A470 particularly vulnerable to this problem. Clean well after each paint type. Even better, clean up and switch tips, too. Remember that little side passage--it's a natural paint trap.

Please consider all of the above guidelines, not rules. Practice and experiment until you find what works for you. Also remember you can paint more than models! Toys, trinkets, and junk around the garage all make for good test subjects. One time I painted all the vent covers in the house.

Good luck and if you have more questions come back and ask. There are lots of great modelers here who can help.

-Doug

thanks for all that doug but tonight i tried it on the a-10 and the panel lines seemed ok waited a while then done the green and disaster happened i could not control the airbrush like colouring in between the panel lines i couldnt keep it even either i was over painting some of the panel lines or i could colour over the non straight lines.

so the a-10 was thrown agaisnt the wall in anger and said to myself im not even going to bother again the money i have spent to try get this right is mad. maybe it just aint for me.

but thanks for all the help

Hi David,

I understand your frustration and am sorry the project ended in disaster. We have all been there--painting disasters, dropped completed models, poured glue all over everything, left stuff within reach of the dog. Wait for the anger to pass, spend some time thinking about what went wrong, and then try again. Do not try to be perfect, just better then last time. If you get 50% of the panel lines right the first time, 60% the second time, 70% the third time, and so on, you will quickly get to a point where almost all of them look right. 50% may look terrible, but it is half way there.

-Doug