First of all I have to say I still don't have a regulator, I'm just using a small compressor and have no idea what the PSI is... That said, can anyone guess what the problem with this paint is? I'm getting decent coverage with the AB, but it turns out looking blotchy like it is on the roof here.. Any ideas?

I used MIG flat red, then gave it a coat of Tamiya clear.. thinned the red with MIG's thinner, and the clear with Tamiya acrylic thinner



Hisham

Is the paint thoroughly mixed?

I think it is.. I have those small pellets in the bottle.. and then when I add the paint and the thinner in the cup, I mix it well with a small brush

Hisham

a regulator will fix this problem. You really can't fix this problem without one. Make sure the regulator comes with a water trap.
ie- you have a constant psi usually adjusted with a regulator...but since you don't have one..the only way to change the psi is to adjust the paint/thinning ratio...which is just foolish. Get a regulator.
Take a minute to think about it...no regulator = constant psi...that means, paints vary in viscosity , so , each paint will take a certain amount of thinner to atomize properly from your airbrush & look perfect. However..this constant psi will lead to hazy appearance because you now have paint that is being blasted out at a set psi , which is usually high, which leads to overspray, paint drying too fast will get you that appearance , you try to go over it again & it just adds more haze. The only way to beat this is too crank open the paint & soak everything. That in itself will lead to paint runs..loss of detail in your plastic by too much paint..so in other words,,GET A REGULATOR PRONTO! lol

This is another try with an AK Interactive green.. I don't know if the pic is clear enough.. my light tent isn't around now, so I can't get better pics than these



I intentionally left the wheels unpainted to see the difference

Hisham

Never mix in the paint cup , you never know if you got the paint mixed properly .

In all the video tutorials, I see them do it that way.. but I'm thinking that might be part of the problem. It's a gravity feed, so I might not be getting everything at the bottom mixed well

Airbrushing is not as easy as they make it look in videos

Hisham

So your next picture is a whole new problem .Is this paint meant to be sprayed? Are you using the correct thinner?
Some paints like Lifecolor tend to dry up around the edges fast..you have to keep mixing the paint in the cup to keep the viscosity at a regular level or it would clog up at the tip.Lifecolor smells like house paint / latex.
That's why I stay with Tamiya Acrylic ..no hassles. I also spray Vallejo with no problems. Both air & brush types spray good..use the correct thinner.

Both MIG Ammo and AK Interactive are advertised as being AB ready.. and all the videos I've seen on Youtube (by regular modelers not by the company) show the guy just puts the paint into the cup and starts painting and it comes out perfect.. That's what drives me crazy.. I have to thin them like 50/50 just so I can get a consistent paint flow

Hisham

What's the problem in the second pic with the M113?

I'm thinking of just going back to Tamiya and sticking with them

Hisham

The second photo looks like the paint is drying too fast which can be a problem if the air pressure is too high. Acrylics sometimes need a retarder to slow the drying process, while Tamiya lacquer (not a true acrylic as it's not water based) being alcohol based dries slower.