p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

I am painting my Don Smith Hellcat with the three tone paint scheme of Alex Viraciu's #19 Hellcat. I am having trouble getting the separation between each color with out over spray. I am using a Badger 175 with the fine tip. Do I need to buy a new airbrush in order to get the proper look? Has anyone used an airbrush that will give me a finer line for this task and also for weathering, if so what make & model?
Thanks P51 Tom

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

You should use round foam tape. The car guys use it to put in door jams. It's sold in most auto paint stores. It gives you a soft edge on your paint. Works very well.

TSHARK203

My Feedback: (206)

+1 on the foam tape. If you look at the full scale birds as well there is always over spray to the next color. Remember they were cranking this things out as fast as they could. They were not putting tape on them to get a sharp line. Just straight. Post some pics when you get a chance.
George

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

I get that window insulation tape from Lowes which does the same thing for about two bucks a role. Each role will do a 50cc bird. I never found the auto tape stuff.[] And a $13 airbrush from Harbor freight. Works every time

wphilb

My Feedback: (10)

Great idea!

Can you please post a pic of what you use? I think I know what you mean but....

Whit

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

Here you go.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Ok, sorry for the dumb questions; you guys use the Foam to not totally mask out the edges, to allow a slight fuzzy edge, slightly overspray, to avoid crisp lines, more like full scale; another question, how do you attach the foam to the surface, I know the window foam Ram was showing is self adhesive, but if you put the adhesive side down, don't you get a clean edge that you are trying to avoid?

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

I spray to get the clean line using the tape then I use my airbrush on a finer setting to blend it in. The tape is for serious overspray..[:'(] Here is my D9 under the works. Before and after. In the first picture, you can see the fuse has been completely done but the wing needs the blending and in the second, the wing is done.

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

The other option is to get a "good" airbrush with variable settings of wide and thin. I have one but it's not for large scale.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I have a $15 HF airbrush that will do a perfectly fine line for large warbirds. I usually just tear thin cardboard and hold it in place at the color breaks in camoflauge. Seemsto work fine.
Of course, I want to get a better airbrush with a gravity cup, with lid. This keeps me from spilling paint on my project when hitting odd angles.

Much to be found here: http://www.tcpglobal.com/

wphilb

My Feedback: (10)

I found that when I masked and then went back with an airbrush, a hint of the hard line could be seen if you looked hard enough, but it was needed because under the tail surfaces on the USN three color scheme the lines are two close together to do all freehand, even the layer touch up was tricky. Any advice for getting the line blended in??

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Once you have a hard line, you have a hard line. Not easy to hide it. You need to sand that line and freehand the soft line. I don't think there's much of a different option.

spaceworm

I am thinking that is the advantage of the round foam from the auto paint shop. Allows a fuzzy line due to the curvature of the tape. But, I don't know if that tape is self adhesive; I would guess it has to be.

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

+1 on the fine sand paper

aymodeler

My Feedback: (3)

So another dumb question then ... If you are not using the foam tape to creat the fuzzy blend, why not just mask with regular masking tape then com back with the airbrush?

spaceworm

Here ya go: http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Edge-Foam.../dp/B00B8ZIMEC

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Glad you posed the question, I was thinking the exact same thing, trying to figure out in my head the advantage of using the Foam Tape or Foam rope stuff!

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

From my experiences with the stuff I used, it prevents the paint from creeping into those tight gaps like pnl lines and so on. when I used regular tape, I had difficulties with this. In my third picture, the line running down the fuse sides was taped and you can see on the supercharger where it ran. I guess it makes sense due to being weather striping..

I guess ultimately, your best bet is to get a good airbrush and not to worry about using tape.. I use a iwata for detailing but for larger areas, I have a auto detailing airgun which requires the tape to get a clean line.

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

The good news about using the round foam, self adhesive tape is.. you can use your larger touch up gun to do the camo or separation lines. Normally touching with an airbrush after wards isn't necessary.

For sure there are other methods but this one works well.

raptureboy

Try angling your airbrush towards the darker color so that you are mostly overspraying onto it.I have a 2 stage badger that allows you to just barely allow the paint to come out.

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

+1, this method works well!

Casey

Falcon 64

Weathering or a diffuse line from one color the the next, that to me is two very different things.
First word repeatet, you can`t do that with an airbrush, weathering. On your model it would be everything from scraping several layers with a scapell to get down to the intended color behind all the others, at the other end to make normal wear & tear as real as it could be on a surface, dirt and so on..
A variety of tecniques is discovered the latest years, and as very often, the simplest may be the best.
It depents what your goal is, which tecnique to use.
I use several of those in things I make, but the common thing is without tools.

p51tom

My Feedback: (1)

I have been using Hobbypoxy paints over the past 40 years and have just stated using latex paint. I had no problems getting fine lines and weathering with the Hobbypoxy but I 'mhaving problems with the latex. I ordered a top feed airbrush and hope this will stop the splatter and running problems. I'll try to show some of my models to get an opinion on my weathering. Some of my friends say my planes look like they should be in a junkyard.
P51Tom

LA7flier

My Feedback: (1)

Latex is mixed with water and that is the problem causing the runs, ect...I mix with rubbing alcohol ( which evaporates much faster leaving the paint to dry more quickly) and Floetrol which " smooths" the latex paint..works much better than water

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

Prior to latex, I used Warbird Colors paints which were similar to latex IMO. I learned that having a heat gun close with both would assist in the runs and drying faster! Like within seconds!!