Hello,

i have already tried several times to use Lifecolor with my airbrush on several models, with different success. Sometimes the color 'bite' into the surface and lies there and dries, but more often it seems not to adhere very good and accumulates in corners and seems, while the larger even surfaces on the model remain almost without any paint (althought I have used the lifecolor primer). Do I thin it too much?
I thin with distilled water. I take the lifecolor bottle an fill the paint up with water and shake, but after that the paint seems to be as thick as before.
Does someone know a appropriate lifecolor thinning ratio for airbrushing?
What has to be done to make the color stick?
How should the model be primed (lifecolor primer or a different one?
Is primer enough or shall i wash it with soap and so on?
Tell me your thoughts, please.
Thanks
Stefan

Stefan,

which bottles are you using? The tall, slim bottles are not meant to be used as paint, but are pre-thinned for washes..
If you are using the short stubby bottles, I think you have thinned it to much.

Cheers
Henk

Here you can see the Lifecolor bottle and below the interior of a revell 1/32 Fw-190 D-9 spray painted with the RLM 66
I use a Aztek airbrush with a tan nozzle (0.3 mm diameter).
I thin the paint, that it flows evenly through the nozzle and does not sprinkle on the model.


Stefan

Hi,

as nobody except Henk had a clue about what could have happend, I stripped off the messed paint with Isopropyl alcohol and let the parts dry. After that I again sprayed the paint with less thinning and it worked, either because the less thinning and/or the cleaning of the surface with alcohol.

Stefan

Hi Stefan
I use Lifecolour paints on occasion and have not had any issues with them running like that. Yes, you should use a primer coat on your model. It will provide a good base for the finish coat to grab hold of...I think you may have thinned them to much. Try a 2 to 1 mix, paint to thinner. You may want to think about using the lifcolour thinner as well.. Adjust your mix untill you get a nice thin consistancy that sprays well and stays where its sprayed.. Remember not to hang in one spot for to lon either.... I used some Tamyia thinner the other night and is seems to work pretty well..

Now the only problem Ive had is the tip clogging up a bit. You can avoid this by keeping some water or windex handy and cleaning the tip with a Q-tip when you see the spray pattern starting to change..Also make sure you have a moisture trap on your compresor. You didnt mention what you are using.. That could also be the location of the added water to your paint mix.. I really hope this helps you out.. Good luck

Dave

You thinned Lifecolor paint with Tamiya thinner? I tried that once, and the paint sort of 'curdled'. Luckily I hadn't loaded my airbrush yet, as I doubt the rubbery blobs would have been easy to extract... . I have not used that since, and always thin Lifecolor with water. Having said that, I tend to use Lifecolor mostly for brushpainting.

Cheers
Henk

Hi,

as mentioned above I cleaned the parts and sprayed again, this time without priming and it worked well. I also didn't thin as much as before. I use distilled water for thinning, Tamiya thinner could also be used, but moderately.
isopropyl alcohol is not suitable.
My compressor has a water trap.
I think the model was to greasy and I thinned too much

Thanks
Stefan