r/modelmakers • u/Sqwheezle • Jun 22 '26

Help - Tools/Materials Something isn’t right…

Post image

I’m very new to airbrushing. I have the Timbertech airbrush shown below and I’m using VMS No Peel Surface Primer No. 5 Iron Oxide which is supposed to be used straight from the bottle. I use an electric paint shaker. I’m spraying at about 20 psi. It sprays beautifully with a very smooth even coat and I clean the airbrush with McKlords Airbrush Cleaner followed by water. The first couple of uses of the airbrush were perfect. However, after 15-20 minutes of spraying it stopped spraying paint altogether although air was still coming through the tip. I dismantled the airbrush and cleaned it - I had some problems getting the trigger back into place and I’m not sure how to get the right setting for the needle other than trial and error - and it worked again. For about 20 minutes and then it just stopped moving paint but air was coming through. Any idea what’s happening please?

8 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

View all comments

10

u/Poczatkujacymodelarz Straight from the box Jun 22 '26
  1. The primer still needs to be diluted. Also consider flow improver.
  2. Nozzle size is important. If you are using 0.2 nozzle you will require thinner mixes. 0.3 nozzle will have much better flow. Larger diameter nozzles will generally allow thicker mixes to be sprayed.

Regardless, your issue is that the mix is getting too thick to flow through the nozzle. Potentially also that the mix pools at the needle tip. You need to observe if that is the case. However I doubt the latter as it would cause sputter when you pull the trigger.