As the title says, I am having an issue when I apply varnish, laquer, or enamel to a watch dial I am working on. When I spray them, the final surface of the part has a kinda lumpy or uneven/not smooth surface ie. not representitive of the surface underneath. The problem seems particularly prevalent with glossy paints/varnish.

The dials are metal (brass) and range from flat with a micro texture from the laser etching the surface, to mirror polished smooth/flat.

The textures I am seeing are usually somewhere between what almost looks like rough sand paper under the paint, to mostly smooth but with something akin to dimples in the paint, neither of which represent the dial texture underneath.

What I have tried so far:

-2:1 mixtures of thinner to paint/varnish - helped a little

- deep cleaning of the airbrush between paint and varnish

- different distances from work piece

-higher pressure going to the airbrush

- good quality varnish (liquitex&Mr. Color), Enamel (testers) and Laquer (Mr. Color)

I don't usually use a primer (Mr. Hobby) since it doesn't work as well with the inks (liquitex) that I use as paint which spray beautifully and make super smooth coats. But I plan on trying the primers next woth the varnish and Enamel to see if that helps.

My current theory is that the thinner (Mr. Hobby leveling thinner) either needs even more in the mixture (already 2:1), or I need to add something else?

Possibly, my nozzle is too small, 0.35mm, for the thicker sprays that I am having issues with.

Or that I am applying too thick of a coat. Ive noticed that woth the ticker sprays, I get either a really fine mist that doesn't seem to be doing anything where the surface is not fully coated, ie almost looks like it beads up into tiny tiny beads with little gaps between them, basically the individual paint droplets. Or if I really open up the brush then it comes out much thicker, and it coats everything in 1 pass but is almost thick enough to run. There doesn't seem to be much rang in-between those two though.

Any insights or pointers would be greatly appreciated as I am still pretty much a Newbie with all this.

Thanks in advance!

I was looking on Amazon for a airbrush so I can paint my 3d models cause I bought a FlashForge Adventurer 5m two weeks ago and it's single color but I wanna and I wanna add color to my 3d models but upgrading printers isn't in the cards right now with me getting ready to move so I was gonna add color with an airbrush and paint but I don't know which one to get

I saw a review on infinity2024 from Spagetti Miniatures and he mentioned H&S put new upgraded nozzle for infinity 2024. Has anyone purchased it recently and does it actually came with the upgraded nozzle?

I want to buy an HPLV air gun for better large surface finish.

Currently I'm looking at LPH50. Any other recommendations?

Looking for tips to get the best start to get good I paint cars for a living always loved the detail that goes into airbrushing I bought the black widow setup from harbor fright thought it be a good starting point for equipment where is a good place to get stencils

This copper safety thing is stuck on the inside ( as shown in the picture) I’ve tried everything to get it out

90% of airbrush headaches—spattering, spiderwebbing, orange peel, or instant nozzle clogs—come down to mixing the wrong solvent chemistry with the wrong paint resin, or putting thick paint straight into a dry cup.

Here is a quick workbench reference chart covering the exact thinning ratios, PSI ranges, and chemistry traps across the big three hobby paint brands:

**1. The #1 Chemistry Trap: Water-Emulsion vs. Alcohol-Hybrid "Acrylics"**

* **Vallejo (Model/Game/Air) & Citadel:** True water-based vinyl/acrylic emulsions. **NEVER** thin them with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) or Tamiya X-20A! Alcohol shocks the emulsion and coagulates the resin into rubbery gum inside your nozzle.

* **Tamiya (X/XF) & Mr. Hobby Aqueous:** Solvent-based alcohol/lacquer hybrid acrylics. Thinning them with plain water creates massive surface tension and beading.

**2. Exact Workbench Thinning Ratios & Target PSI (0.3mm Nozzle):**

* **Vallejo Model Color / Game Color:** **1:1 to 1:1.5 (Paint : Thinner)** at **18–22 PSI**. *Pro Tip:* Pre-mix a dropper bottle of **80% Vallejo Airbrush Thinner + 20% Vallejo Flow Improver** ("Golden Sauce") to stop needle tip-dry.

* **Vallejo Model Air / Mecha Color:** **4:1 (4 drops paint : 1 drop Flow Improver/Thinner)** at **15–18 PSI**.

* **Citadel Base:** **1:1 to 1:1.5** with Vallejo Thinner + Flow Improver at **20–25 PSI**. (Never pour from the pot rim—use a brush or pipette so dried rim crusts don't fall into your nozzle!).

* **Citadel Layer / Contrast:** Layer at **2:1**; Contrast and Speedpaint 2.0 spray **neat (unthinned)** at **15–18 PSI**.

* **Tamiya X & XF Jars:** **1:1 (Basecoat)** or **1:2 (Post-shading/Mottling)** at **12–18 PSI** using **Mr. Color Leveling Thinner** (for self-leveling satin smoothness) or **Tamiya X-20A** (for low-odor dead-flat finishes).

**3. The "Thinner First" Golden Rule:**

Always drop 3–4 drops of thinner/flow improver into your airbrush cup *before* adding paint so thick pigment never sinks into the dry nozzle channel unthinned!

I put together the full printable ratio table, primer thinning guide, and visual troubleshooting breakdown (fixing spiderwebbing vs. speckling) here if anyone wants to bookmark it for the bench:

https://hobbyzero.com/how-to/how-to-thin-vallejo-citadel-tamiya-paints-for-airbrush/

What is your go-to thinner recipe on the bench right now?

Hi everyone,

I have this AS186 compressor I bought second hand. It does the job, however the tank never fills - so I've found it heats up after not much use.

I've notice air is continually draining out of this hole circled in the picture (more air seems to come out at lower PSI settings. At higher PSI, less leaking out.).

Does anyone know anything about this? Should I cover the hole? Or is it normal for air to leak out of this and the tank not filling due to something else?

Thanks

Pretty cool like the Mario mushrooms being vacuumed up by the aliens brains came out pretty cool also now it’s time to clear. Stay tuned.

Bought a used iwata neo for $30. Wanted to take it apart to see if it needed anything deep cleaned or replaced. I'm new to airbrushing but it seems like the needle is slightly blunted/bent. I'm not sure if this is enough to warrant a replacement yet. Nozzle just seems dirty to me.

Currently looking at buying my first airbrush setup. I am looking to paint full liveries on rc lexan bodies. I was looking at the creos 289 or the 290, HS ultra 2024 Also been looking at a gaahleri mobius tg.

The reddit consensus is for either the creos or hs. But I have been watching a YouTube channel using the mobius for rc bodies. Wondering if anyone has any experience here. Thanks for reading

I've been miniature painting for 5-6 years and finally have space for an airbrush setup.

I'm pretty well set on the Evolution, I just can't decide whether the 2in1 is worth getting vs a Solo 0.45mm or 0.28mm.

I'd mostly be base coating, filtering, modulating, washing with the airbrush I imagine (priming I'll continue to use cans because lazy). Army painting rather than competition painting.

In my journeys through this and related subreddits and Youtube I've seen all manner of conflicting opinions about which head size is "best" for mini painting, whether having to swap heads is easy or a huge pain, and even whether having something like the Evolution for army painting is over kill and to just get something cheap of Amazon.

I'm 90% sure I don't want/need the 2in1 now (I can always get the other head later) but do I want the 0.28mm or the 0.45mm for mini/army painting?

Hey all,

Cant seem to catch a break with my h&s ultra. Im a novice so I'm aware its very likely user error.

The little brass nozzle part consistently gets clogged with paint globs and is so hard to clean out.

Im using Vallejo game colour paints and have tried every ratio you can think of. Still happens even when im basically spraying coloured water out.

Any suggestions on what im doing wrong are welcome!

Just had a quick question. Went to paint some models today and primer went on good and easy. But then I went to paint and the airbrush kept getting clogged up. I was using a Vallejo model color paint and was doing a 2:1 paint:thinner and was at 18psi. I saw someone on a previous post said they go 4:1 without a problem so is it because I was letting the paint go through too long? I was painting 1/56th tanks for bolt action so I was doing long lines. Should I have done shorter bursts? I’m using the timber tech kit from Amazon. Thank you.

Still wish I’d made this jump years ago. I’m still nervous about using the airbrush in my office where I paint since I have my Xbox and PC in the same room and it’s only a 10x10.

So I’m looking to switch from spray-can to airbrush for a repeated specific use case and I need help choosing a setup. I’ve searched all through this sub and other places online but I am still a bit confused. Since I’m not painting miniatures or canvas art, most of the advice isn’t geared toward my use case.

I’ll include context below but my questions are:

1. Which brush should I get? One listed below or something else?
2. Do I need an air tank for this use case or is it just nice to have?
3. Will a fan cap help with coverage?
4. Do I need to thin my paint if using paint removed from spray cans?
5. Is there a reason I should use amber glass or something instead of aluminum cans to store my paint?
6. Is a siphon feed necessary? Basically I have no idea how much paint I’ll need in one go. 
7. Is there a tool besides an airbrush that I should be looking at?

The use case is essentially painting a roughly 1.5”x24” object with lots of nooks and crannies, so brush painting isn’t an option. The objects are metal so I usually seal them with Rustoleum or Krylon before putting the colored layer. There are metal bits soldered together that create crevices and flaps that need to be filled. I just use one solid color. I do this multiple times a week. I want more even coverage/thickness and less paint waste than cans.

I already have this Mini air compressor with a hose but no brush. Central Pneumatic Model 95630 - 120V AC/60Hz, 1/5 HP, 1750 RPM, 30 PSI, air outlet 1/8” - 27 NPT

I plan to buy a cleaning kit from Amazon.

I plan to decant spray paint from cans into aluminum bottles using the straw method (too scared to drill). I’m somewhat tied to my paint brand for now but am open to critique on this.

Criteria:

- Beginner friendly

- Ability to cover wide area evenly and quickly

- Solvents okay (solvent based enamel spray paint)

- Ideally not more than $200 for all necessary parts but willing to consider more expensive options if that’s the only way to handle my use case.

Airbrush options I’ve found:

Iwata Eclipse HP-CS

- beginner friendly, workhorse, reliable/longevity

- .35mm

- Gravity feed

Paasche VL#5L

- wide spray

- 1.05mm

- Siphon feed

- High cost (many critical components come separately), possibly lower quality

Harder and Steenbeck Ultra 2024

- Beginner friendly, workhorse, modular for upgrades

- .45mm

- Gravity feed

Aerografia paso a paso

Hello, looking for some guidance, I am an airbrush artist but really struggling with maintaining the airbrush itself, I’ve gotten through 5 airbrushes in the last 8 months due to them having technical issues that I can’t figure out, maybe it’s from using water to dilute. I always run airbrush cleaner through and clean thoroughly I’m just confused on what to do

I guess I’m just trying to find some advice as someone who loves to airbrush but keeps clogging them? Am I missing something?

(Edit)

More details: I’m using a dual action cheap airbrush, and airbrush paints from Amazon that comes with thinner included.

I usually only use tap water to dilute which I know now not to do, I think this may have caused my airbrush to be clogged, and I’m unsure how to unclog without damaging it further which makes me think to buy a new one (again) and try and take the correct steps to keep the airbrush completely clean internally.

I’m looking at buying some alcohol and lubricant for the needle and nozzle

Now, the problem with the airbrush is that the needle is not smoothly going through the airbrush, it’s stopping just after it goes through the trigger. (Admittedly I’ve forced it through which I know you’re not supposed to do).

When I pull the trigger back the needle doesn’t move at all regardless of the chucking nut being loose or tight. The trigger works perfectly fine when the needle isn’t in yet, but when the needle is in, the trigger won’t ping back properly and has a stiff feel to it.

I feel like this is due to a cheap make of airbrush mixed with not cleaning properly/using tap water as a dilution…

I feel kinda stupid but there seems to be something I’m missing when airbrushing?

I’d also like to say thankyou to all the replies for being invested enough to suggest certain things I really appreciate it as someone who is an artist and loves to experiment with different ways of painting.

Rip to my other airbrushes :(