Acryllic paints...

[Anakin]

Hi...

I have been painting few years with Vallejo Air acryllics and with Vallejo thinner but every now or then i had problems with my airbrush. (My airbrush is somekind of Iwata copy...) Sometimes it spits the paint and the tip dries easily. Now i changed to Tamiyas paints and i

[Rokket]

Here's what I know...

the spitting is possibly (probably) water vapor from the air compressor. You should get a moisture trap to put in the line, just off the air comp. This really fixed me up. I don't see any moisture in the trap, but I'm not getting the spiting anymore. And when I empty a tank, the bottom nipple spits out water, so i now it is in there!

Acrylics - I have used them and HATE them! But my wife and everyone else in the universe has great luck, so don't go by me. You are right about the special thinner, you should never use water, the thinner is excellent. I'm told that the outrageously priced thinner (something like Euro 15) for 250ml is only isopropyl alcohol and some soapy additive. I have used straight iso alcohol (methylated spirits) from the hardware store with good result. That's only about Euro 3 for a liter!

I was using Tamiya  paint, I love their stuff, anything they make. The paint quality wasn't ever an issue, it's just that I like the "bit" of enamel/solvent stuff. But I'm going acrylic for my Graf Zeppelin, I think it will be faster and easier clean and there's nothing too special about the paint job.

[Anakin]

Yes, i have a moisture trap in my compressor. But after a long painting period i have a little moisture in the air hose/pipe. Not much but you can see it close to the compressor. Emptying the trap gives only really moist air, not water    Maybe a poor quality comp!

For now i have tried:
Vallejo paint & thinner at 2 bar pressure with not so good results.
Tamiya paints & Lasol fluid at 1.4 to 1.8 bar and looking good. Looks like the paint doesn

[Rokket]

Hmmm, don't know about that moisture, other than as you say, a new compressor!

tape  - have you used tamiya masking? It's very low tack. That won't help with flaking fragile paint, but is good for protecting underneath. I should try Vallejo, so many say so many good things about it.

That's a good bar range, it's about what I like. I don't think it dries it too much, but I don't have a lot of paint experience.

[Anakin]

Yes, i

[Rokket]

Hmmm, yes, a good wash, I like methylated spirits/iso alcohol, good grease cutter and evaporates.