Greetings all! It has been some years since I have last posted but I am finishing a Tamiya Pzkpfw III build and have painted the base coat and done preshading. What I am having difficulty with is painting thin lines for the camo pattern. I can spray about 3/8" but nothing smaller. I have a Tamiya Spray Work HG double action airbrush. I have tried lowering the pressure unsuccessfully and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I am using Life Color paints and their thinner.

You need a crown tip, one that looks like a circular w. Basically, reduce pressure and volume and place the tip right on the surface. Of course you need to be using you finest needle and nozzle. Your airbrush may not be capable of this performance, however.

Agreed, your brush may not be able to paint that small. Practice on some other flat material, play with adjustments, see what you can get out of it. I only use Badgers, and my 150 will paint a stripe 1/16" wide, but fuzzy. Still, it will go down pretty small. I'm not familiar with your brush so anything I suggest is purely experimental.

If you find that you need a new airbrush, I recommend the Badger Sotar 2020. I believe it currently sells for $80, on Amazon. Just make sure it has the fine line set up. As it also has the medium and large set up, you may not need another airbrush for some time. My only complaint has to do with the tip and head set up. The tip is secured to the head by the cap. I've have lost two tips, by forgetting how it is set up. The tips are little bit pricier than some of its competitors. Worth it!

Thanks for the comments guys. If you are not aware the Tamiya airbrushes are made by Iwata the brush in question is close to the Iwata HP-C. The one I own is a older version of the unit below.

http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/paints-finishes-60/tamiya-air-brushes-accessories-57000/spray-work-hg-airbrush-74537

I think you will need a different airbrush, if the .3mm head assembly and needle are your only choice. I run an Iwata HP-C and achieve great results. But, it is not set up for fine, detail work. For this, as I mentioned, I use a Sotar.

Your AB is capable of drawing a fine line even with a 0.5 mm nozzle. I've seen people paint a fine line (like a line drawn with a pencil) with a siphon-fed external mix AB like a Paasche H! Thin the paint more, lower the pressure, move the tip very close to the surface (about 1/2 inch) and pull the trigger a little bit.

Thanks Chris I'll give that a shot!

Andrew, if you go the route of trying an Iwata crown tip on your sprayworks brush, please post and let us know how it works.
I've thought about trying it, but have not gotten around to it.

Mike

You can always buy a Sotar w/ a 0.2 mm nozzle if you have $$$ and if that makes your life easier. I love airbrushes. Although I have two Iwatas and a Paasche, I might buy a Sotar...