PainlessWolf wrote:Good morning,
Airbrushes are great! No argument there, got one that I am learning to use myself. Before we pile on any more posts about how bad rattlecans are, I would like to say that a great paint job is possible using a spraycan and brush. I have several tanks painted entirely with rattle cans and detailed with brushes. I did this because I had too, having no airbrush or training in how to use one. Lots of modelers are in the same boat and turn out great work. We all know what opinions are like so to the OP I will say, try out the airbrush, primer the tank with a can, do what you can to give you an inkling of which method you would prefer and use that one. Until you _find_ what works for you, any and all solicited opinions are just that, helpful and well meaning advice, not carved in stone. We love to help out around here. ;o) Please remember to post pics of your work in progress.
regards,
Painless
Hi Painless, sorry if it came across that way but I wasn't saying rattle cans were bad, hell I painted this solely with them. But I was just responding to the advice the OP had been given that doing a base coat with an airbrush is a bad idea. For something like the moonraker it would have been as the airbrush is too small, but for our tanks your average airbrush is ideal in cost and quality terms (if you already have one like I thought the OP did!). Totally agree that you have to find what suit your best.
Good afternoon,
Tom, no my friend, not pointing fingers at anyone, I promise! ;o) My purpose in posting was to make sure that the OP knew that if he was more comfortable using a can and the hairy stick, it was Ok. I'm a life long rattle can painter and even I was starting to get an inferiority complex there. *chuckles* I can't wait til I am some sheets with the airbrush. It is a doozy and promises to open up avenues of pursuit in weathering and detail painting.
regards,
Painless
For me I have used both options. To a degree it also depends on the tank.
Larger flat surfaces are easier to cover with the rattle can than the airbrush, again it depends on the colour you are looking for.
Jagdpanther , ts3 can
Panther, airbrush olive green
Tiger 1 airbrush German grey
Panzer 3 was airbrush and hairy stick to finish
King tiger was airbrush base with hairy stick to finish
Stug is ts3 rattle can airbrush to finish
So it's a mix match horses for courses type of thing.
The cans definitely are harder to control both volume and direction but practice makes perfect in all cases.
Kiaser wrote:No offending here Mr tomhugill no one will comment badly on your preference as the master of the can which can be entered into evidence as fact this will go down in the history books as the SUB GATE Affair ....... .
Building human size type red Octobers the man knows the cost of those cans then the massive attempt by Mr Tankbear with the megatron Excavator .
Due to cost I airbrush but use what you can to get the job done and paint .
Haha yeah on big stuff the cost mounts. The sub only set me back 4 cans (two red two black). The moonraker pictures above however must have cost well over £100 in paint, probably about 6 cans of white and at least three lacquer, plus the black and primer. You don't want to know how much masking tape I needed!!!
For big stuff I'm going to have to invest in a big air brush and compressor!! It also taught me you need to mask everything, that spray gets everywhere!
Hi Panzer, just to give you the benefit of my experience with airbrush compressors, I bought a cheap compressor without a tank and wasted my money, I could not get a constant pressure for spraying resulting in a terrible finish and much time wasted unclogging theairbrush. I am going to invest in a decent compressor with tank and humidity trap this xmas as my present to myself. Hope this helps. Alwyn
PainlessWolf wrote:Good morning,
Airbrushes are great! No argument there, got one that I am learning to use myself. Before we pile on any more posts about how bad rattlecans are, I would like to say that a great paint job is possible using a spraycan and brush. I have several tanks painted entirely with rattle cans and detailed with brushes. I did this because I had too, having no airbrush or training in how to use one. Lots of modelers are in the same boat and turn out great work. We all know what opinions are like so to the OP I will say, try out the airbrush, primer the tank with a can, do what you can to give you an inkling of which method you would prefer and use that one. Until you _find_ what works for you, any and all solicited opinions are just that, helpful and well meaning advice, not carved in stone. We love to help out around here. ;o) Please remember to post pics of your work in progress.
regards,
Painless
Hi Painless Wolf. I agree 100% that rattlecans can produce a professional finish especially using a high quality spray paint like Tamiya's line. Again, the real key is multiple light coats & not getting in a hurry to cover the model with paint. Of course nothing can reproduce the effects of soft edge camo like an airbrush can. I believe both mediums can be used successfully on the same model. Nothing wrong with using a brush either if you have the skills.
AlwynTurner wrote:Hi Panzer, just to give you the benefit of my experience with airbrush compressors, I bought a cheap compressor without a tank and wasted my money, I could not get a constant pressure for spraying resulting in a terrible finish and much time wasted unclogging theairbrush. I am going to invest in a decent compressor with tank and humidity trap this xmas as my present to myself. Hope this helps. Alwyn
I plan on purchasing a reputable brand of air compressor. As for as buying a cheap one, like my father used to say "If you buy junk, you get junk!"
as the master of the can which can be entered into evidence as fact 
this will go down in the history books as the SUB GATE Affair 
....... 
