Hello,
I decided to spray the camo on my panther II today. I used model colour vallejo middlestone and no matter what I did, I couldn't get the paint to spray in a nice line. Tried different PSI and thinning ratios. Would either splatter or not come out at all. I use a Badger 100LG medium airbrush and Windex as thinner. I've used windex with model colour before on other model tanks such as my nashorn, but instead of spraying the middlestone; I sprayed the green over it and it worked like a dream. What could I be doing wrong? Any suggestions?
Callum.
Photos:
http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n534/stan1115/Splatter/?action=view¤t=P1010277.jpg
http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n534/stan1115/Splatter/?action=view¤t=P1010276.jpg
http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n534/stan1115/Splatter/?action=view¤t=P1010282.jpg
http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n534/stan1115/Splatter/?action=view¤t=P1010313.jpg

Windex as a thinner never heard of that before. As a cleaner yes. Try useing water as a thinner 50/50.

Vallejo Model Colors need quite a bit of thinning to spray.

I use Vallejo's new airbrush thinner, #71.361 in the 60ml bottle (which works with either Model Air or Model Colors - you just need to add more of it to the Model Colors). I also add a couple of drops of Vallejo's regular thinner, either #061 in the 32 ml bottle or #70.524 in the 17ml bottle (same product, different sized bottles with different product numbers) which has a good amount of acrylic binders in it (hence the milky-color) which helps compensate for thinning out the binders in the paint itself.

Consistancy should be in the same range as milk, but it also needs to vary according to variables like air pressure, humidity, and paint-flow volumn. Therefore it's not possible to give a precise mixing ratio that will always work - "about as thin as milk" is about as precise as you can get over the internet.

Spattering or not coming out at all sounds like you might have also had some trouble with the paint drying in the tip of the airbrush.

The obvious advice about cleaning the brush might apply, as well as the same for using the proprietary recommended thinners.

If the Vallejo thinners are not available, then I would echo the advice about using ordinary water instead of Windex as a thinner for Vallejo. You could add some artist acrylic flow enhancer and retarders to the water, but I wouldn't add anything beyond that except other Vallejo products (either their regular or new airbrush thinner).

Vallejo paints are formulated differnetly than, say, Tamiya acrylics, so what might work for Tamiya is likley to make a mess of Vallejos. For instance, I use a mix of Tamiya's X-20A airbrush thinner and laquer thinner for Tamiya paints, but that will make a "glopy" mess of Vallejos.

Abyways, this is what works for me spraying Vallejo Model Colors (which when reduced/thinned, spray just as well as their Model Air).

HTH,