Question about using airbrush & floquil paint

[stang_crazy]

Long time no see everyone, how are ya? Not bad here doing good just been busy with work and a slight health issue ya could say, (migraines, cant sleep, ect)

So ive just kinda been lurking. But anyways on to the question at hand.

Ok so ive had this airbrush and stuff just sitting here & now ive finally gotten me some floquil paint.

Now some pointers on using the paint, air pressure ect... is what im after.


The bottle says 75% paint / 25% thinner. So I assume this is an enamel?

Is there a certain type of thinner to use or is there other things other then thinner that can be used to thin the paint.

Also what should I used to measure the paint & thinner? Something like an eye dropper??


Ok now for the airbrush.

Just wondering how much air pressure should I use, so there for what to set my regulator at or does it depend on the paint or thickness?

Also just run thinner through the gun to clean it correct?

I think thats all. Unless there is more anyone feels I should know by all means feel me in.

Thanks alot Mike

 

[Cjcrescent]

...
The bottle says 75% paint / 25% thinner. So I assume this is an enamel?

Yes it is

Is there a certain type of thinner to use or is there other things other then thinner that can be used to thin the paint.

Floquil recommends their own thinner of course, but you can use it, lacquer thinner, xylol, (my personal favorite), tuolol, and some folks have used mineral spirits, but I haven't tried this thinner.

Also what should I used to measure the paint & thinner? Something like an eye dropper??

If you want to. I just generally eyeball it. Plus I use about a 50/50 mixture. I'd rather put on multiple thin coats and get a better looking finish, than 1 thick coat.

Ok now for the airbrush.

Just wondering how much air pressure should I use, so there for what to set my regulator at or does it depend on the paint or thickness?

For all enamels I paint with, I always use about 25lbs pressure.

Also just run thinner through the gun to clean it correct?

I run thinner through it until it sprays clear. I also wear a mask, and make sure the area I'm painting in is well ventilated.

Practice, practice, practice. Try different mixture ratios, different pressures. What works for one modeler may not necessarily work for another. Don't be afraid to experiment on scrap or junk cars, styrene sheets, anything but a good model until you have the basics down.

 

[stang_crazy]

thanks for the info.

Oh i got plenty of junk to practice on lol.

Ill let everyone know how it goes.

 

[robjacox]

Are you referring to Floquil's Pollyscale acrylics or their old-school lacquers? (Is lacquer the same as enamel?)

For the old stuff, which I still have a large collection of, I thin it 25% with hardware store lacquer thinner, and can spray on plastic with no ill effects. I use a single-action, external-mix Paasche at 25-30psi.

For the new Pollyscale stuff, I spray it thinned 33% with "Blue Windshield Washer Fluid" right from the auto parts store. Just be sure to get the cheap stuff, no low-temp, bug-free, or Rain-X stuff. I've great success with it, and it's as cheap as it gets. I can't use tap water like some say they do.

 

[stang_crazy]

its not the polly s

 

[robjacox]

its not the polly s

That answers that...

I like Floquil for painting anything unless I'm putting decals on it. Since it dries flat, you either have to add gloss to it, or spray it with a gloss coat. I've never gotten good results putting a gloss coat over a dull coat. It always ends up "satin" and I have a head time getting decals to set without a lot of decal setting solution.

For locomotives and rolling stock to have (water slide) decals applied, I prefer Scalecoat of Scalecoat II paint, as it dries very glossy and sprays on beautifully.

Since my only local hobby shop only stocks Pollyscale now, I've tried to convert myself to it, but have never been happy. I just can't get it to go on as smooth as Scalecoat.

With Pollyscale I also end up using a lot more paint out of the bottle. Seems a typical freight car takes nearly an ounce for a complete coat (multiple thin coats, dried with a hair dryer between coats), versus way less than half that for Floquil or Scalecoat.