Westy Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 I am considering experimenting with some of the paint available at Wal-Mart due to their wide variety of colors. I know you have to thin it but how much do you dilute the paint to spray it? I use a Paasche VL with a #3 tip most of the time. Thanks, Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Shane, This is something that took me a long time to figure out. I couldn't find anywhere where people talked about "how thin or how thick" it should be. Anyway, after many hours of experimentation this is where I ended up. I normally mix the paint right in the airbrush bottle....pour a bit of the paint from the walmart container into the bottle. Now let a little water drip in, mix well. Now while looking into the container from the top, I make a circular motion with my hand to get the paint spinning in the bottle. When you stop the bottle, the paint should continue spinning for just a second, like one revolution, if it goes round and round like water it's too thin. If it stops immediately, too thick! This is a good starting point...at least it works for me. Some other indicators include...won't set up on the bait after a couple minutes, too thin, shoots out like spider webs, too thick. Once you get the brush spraying try to keep going, the walmart stuff likes to dry and clog the brush. If this happens open the brush tip up until you get good paint, the close it back up to where you can spray a small pattern again. If you get an uneven pattern, turn the brush all the way down and see if there is a bit of paint right on the tip....clean this off with a toothpic. Oh, and one other thing, spray between 35 and 50 pounds of pressure...I know everyone is going to say this is way too high but if you don't good luck getting the walmart paint to work for you. Keep a bucket of water handy and if the brush completely clogs take the bottle off and submerge the brush in the water, open the tip and spray out all you can...put your finger on the end of the brush and force air backwards...do this 5 times or so then blow out all the water, reattach the bottle and get back to painting. WalMart paint is tough to use but it's cheap and all I have available to me. I keep meaning to order to better paint but haven't gotten around to it. Best of luck. jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 I use the hobby acrylics too because of the wide color palette (plus they're dirt cheap!). There is alot of variance in viscosity, even among the paints from one manufacturer. I remember the Paasche instructions said that paint the thickness of milk should spray OK. Of course, they didn't say full cream or skim I shoot a little water from a spray bottle into the siphon cup after squeezing in the paint, then stir with a swizzle stick. It's generally thin enough if you lift the stick out of the paint and it doesn't try to lift a column of paint with it. The thickness of whole milk is about right for the VL #3 medium tip. If the tip clogs, I attach a bottle of water to the siphon and blow it out. Another issue with hobby paints is the solids they carry in suspension, which tend to clog the tip. You can get an idea whether you'll have a problem by feeling the grit being ground against the side of the siphon cup as you stir it. If there's alot, you can try thinning it a little more. I haven't found a way to avoid the problem entirely except by using better paint, like the Createx Air Brush colors. I guess you could strain the paint, but I'm too lazy and it usually isn't needed for the limited amount of detail brushing I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 I like for these paints to be a little thicker than water, just thick enough to cover when it is sprayed on. This is not an issue with Createx but can be a nightmare with craft paint...some primers help out alot! I would highly recommend straining all paint before using, a peice of panty hose works great for this. I like to use a cotton ball with some 91% alcohol on it for keeping the tip clean and nothing beats a couple shots of carb cleaner between color changes. Personally I don't care who says what about air pressure, 80% of my problems go away completly at 60 psi. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimrod Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Newbie question. Please bear with me, this is my first dealings with Createx. If I understand correctly, you thin this with water? Put the color into the cup, then water to proper flow rate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddoxBay Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Createx is a airbrush paint that is ready to spray right out of the bottle. They are talking about the thicker craft paint at walmart. It has to be thinned to use in a airbrush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimrod Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 So no thinning is required with Createx? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddoxBay Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 most situations no thinning is required with createx. just pour and paint. it is already thinned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Hey Celtic....glad to see I'm not the only one that likes to "turn up the pressure". Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champb Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 walmart paints, i just add a lil more water test if it doesnt shoot add more air pressure if no good still add a lil more water and retest. The tip does clog often if you dont keep using it. And I have noticed that some colors better than others, I like the neon walmart paints for my spoons they seem to work great. Oh and with those paints I have air pressure from 35-60lbs then again I am still learning this stuff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Yeah Riverman, if my brush doesn't have some recoil to it then I know my air is too low, glad to see that you and a few others do the same! JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Champ......same story here, the neons will spray it seems no matter what. Last night I was spraying some walmart black and it would work, stop, work, stop, very annoying. I have some better paints that never clog the brush but they don't seem to cover very well, it's like there isn't any pigment in them or something, probably why they spray so well, lol. I don't know, I'm clueless when it comes to these paints but I keep on spraying!! Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernzy Posted January 3, 2005 Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 If you are talking about the Delta Ceramcote acrylic paint available at Walmart, I thin mine 100% with water. Make 4oz. out of 2oz. The consistency should be that of milk I have also had success with mixing thinned Delta with Createx to create custom colors. Bernzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckarren Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 When I buy my paint from Wal-Mart I will almost fill the paint tube the rest of the way with water. I have it down where I can squeeze the paint tube and tell you when I have enough water mixed in. I use the small metal color cup put three drops in it and test. I also think it runs smother through the metal cup with less air pressure. Jed I am also one that is not afraid to turn it up. -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
