# Air brush types & tips?



## dolphinfan67 (Dec 30, 2011)

Hey guys, looking to start doing some slot car painting. Can anyone give me their opinions on best airbrush setup to use, tip sizes, and a good brand of paint to use in them? I am looking for as many ideas as I can get. Thanks!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

We were just here....http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=390529


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## dolphinfan67 (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks Bill. Sorry to re-hit on a fresh topic, but been away from the site for quite a while. I figured it had been discussed, but had to ask. I kind of expected to hear a common theme, but after reading the link, I am still unsure. Guess I will pick one and be happy. Thanks again!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

No apology necessary, it was fresh in my memory.

Like so many things, there's a lot of ways to get the job done when airbrushing. The most important thing to do is GET STARTED!
The main mistakes are...... improper viscosity "usually too thick"....... improper air pressure "usually too high"......failure to shoot a test shot and make any adjustments on the fly......not cleaning your rig immediately.

Otherwise it's merely a matter of good prep and enough practice to get comfortable. Crap diecast cars from the thrift store are a great way to get reps.


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## dolphinfan67 (Dec 30, 2011)

Great tips, I really appreciate the info. How about paints of choice....automotive, modeling, others? Thanks again for the great stuff!


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Lacquer, lacquer and more lacquer... Oh, and I also endorse Metalcast candies and their silver ground coat. I use them extensively, and am extremely satisfied with them. Your local auto parts store might have a couple of colors like red and blue. Some have purple too. Jegs carries the full line. All the colors of the rainbow, they usually mix well with lacquer, and if you have a creative streak you can go as far as mixing your own colors on the fly. I mix them with white lacquer to make opaque colors, shoot them over silver flake, and can shoot them right over alclad for a totally different effect. Mixing odd ball colors is fun too. Red and green over silver make root beer... 

For base colors mixing with white you do need more color than white. I always get it backwards and have to make way too much!! lol

As Bill says, most important... Keep your brush clean!!! It's going to happen sooner or later, so may as well get used to it. Take your brush apart, and put it back together a few times. Not only will it make thorough cleanings easier since you're a bit more familiar with it, it will also help you understand the dynamics of the brush, so you'll have a better grasp of what does what and how it works. 

Speaking of brushes, there is one very handy setting on some brushes that I use frequently, so it's worth bringing up. Make sure your brush has an adjustment for needle travel. It'll be at the back of the brush, and will screw in for less button travel, or screw out for more. For really fine work, crank that adjustment in so you use the smallest amount of paint. This is good for detail work like flames and such. 

One more unlikely source for paints is in the fingernail polish department at your local drug store or Walmart. Where else can you get true pearl white paint for under 2 bux? :lol: You have to thin it way down (4:1 or even more) with lacquer thinner to spray it. 

Paint sources:
Walmart: Black, white and clear lacquer, Qts and gallons of lacquer thinner and acetone (use for power cleaning if need be) nail polish
Autozone/Napa/ Advance Auto? maybe more: Metalcast in red/blue/purple/ground coat. Check for Duplicolor paints, and read the can. if it's Lacquer, it should say so.
Jegs: Full line of Metalcast paints. Beware, the yellow looks funky by itself!! It's also the stinkiest of the bunch!! :tongue:
Have fun, and be creative!!!! :thumbsup:
.


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for the idea Bill! I never even thought of practicing on those poor innocent die cast that have sacraficed their parts for my addiction. :thumbsup:
One place you might look for acetone and other thinners/ cleaners, is Home Depot/Lowes/Menards, in the paint dept. A quart cost probably as much as 2 or 3 bottles of nail polish remover.
Has anybody ever tried any of the Createx Colors paints? I saw them at Hobby Lobby and was thinking about giving them a try, looks like they have a lot of interesting colors.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I just opened a bottle of green pearl. They are not thinned and ready for spraying right out of the bottle. I guess I need to get some more stuff to try them. Scope out their website and see what they suggest. They need a thinning agent, and probably will suggest a clear coat too.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

TGM, The Createx colors will need to be thinned if your using an airbrush, I believe they are waterbased... 
The boys sometimes use a sponge, just take a lot longer. The finished surface leaves little to be desired also...RM


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)




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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Hey, ya gotta try something new once in a while!! I guess the boys stopped using the roller, huh? :lol:


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