Airbrushing With Cheap Acrylic Craft Paints: What You Need to Know

[@theVariedLife]

I just started painting miniatures at age 57 and just got a cheap airbrush with cheap acrylic paints that need thinning. Thanks so much for the video.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

I am very glad that my video was able to help. Have fun with your new hobby and if you have any questions with your new airbrush feel free to contact me and I will try to help if I can. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it very much. Take care.

[@theVariedLife]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Sub'd and liked :)

[@budakota]

Finally a Canadian that knows what he's talking about!!..Very, Very Good Informative video!!...Therefore I Subscribe!!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey JACKBUD. Thank you for subscribing and leaving a really nice comment, however I hate to break your heart, but I'm no Canadian. I live in the USA. 😁

[@asafoetidajones8181]

Classic Canuck talk. 😆

[@johnedgar7956]

Great video, thank you. I've never held an airbrush in my life but after painting small "miniatures" for tabletop role playing games for a couple of years now I'd like to give it a try. Videos like this are really helpful. Dropping a nut or ball bearing in your paint bottle is sublime genius. 🙂

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi John. Thank you for the kind words. Helping people is the very reason I started this channel and it is always nice to hear when I am to to help. Take care....

[@BennyCFD]

Make sure its stainless steel or else it will rust in the bottle ruining the paint..............................

[@braak]

Many thanks for this video, it has solved my problems with ALL paints I use. Not only the cheap acrylics. I use your IPA idea but with a little different recipe; in a 100 ml bottle, 70 ml IPA (that is 99% pure IPA), 30 ml demi water, 20 drops of leveling thinner and 20 drops of flow improve. It works like a charm! I have hardly any tip dry anymore and the end result looks so much better. Thank you.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Ohno. It always makes me happy to hear when one of my videos is able to help. Also thank you for sharing your formula with all of us. I appreciate you giving me your time when watching my videos. Take care and happy railroading.

[@edChuchla]

Great Video and some useful tips, thank you, Now for a guy my age I hope I can remember them, . The hex nit in the bottle is one I surely wont forget. Keep up the great work.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you so much for the great comment. I really appreciate the kind words. Oh and hey if you can't remember, just re-watch the video. LOL. It helps my stats. 🤣 take care and thank you again.

[@fishwhisperer101]

Great video. Very informative.

[@zacnewman7140]

That was super helpful, I had not thought about straining the paint.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Zac. I am glad my video was able to help. But yeah you definitely want to filter your paints. I even filter airbrush specific paints. Most of the time. LOL. Sometimes I only need a few drops of paint and I just thin it right in the paint cup of the airbrush. But I would only do that with high end airbrush specific paints. Definitely never ever acrylic craft paints. Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading.

[@mirage3rd]

In all my paint bottles which do not have an included mixing ball, I put an 8mm ball bearing and it helps a lot. If you decide to do so, make sure to use a stainless stell 316L or 316 (if you have money) to avoid any corrosion issue. I do not recommend 304 steel.

[@FreedomFishing]

Thank you very much for your time making this video!

[@CHixon]

I use a $10 Harbor freight single-action airbrush for simple coatings. Replace one o-ring frequently but otherwise works fine for me.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Sorry for the late response. I just got back from a two week vacation. I'm glad to hear the harbor freight airbrush is working well. I've never used one of theirs. I picked one up to check it out and it just felt and looked cheap. I don't mean to sound snobbish. I've just been down that road when I first started airbrushing and had nothing but problems with the cheap airbrushes. I never looked at the single action airbrushes from harbor freight though. Their a simpler design than double action so you may be onto something there. Thank you for commenting.

[@erallen97]

That is good to know as that is likely the airbrush I will try as my first one. I only need something simple for scroll saw projects.

[@drudiak26]

I'm starting a last-minute project and am learning as much as possible about airbrushing, as I've never done it before. This video was great! Very helpful with excellent tips. Since it's a new type of craft I want to do it as cheaply as possible and have been nervous about the larger pigments in craft paints clogging up my airbrush. Such a simple solution to run the paint through a strainer after thinning! Much much appreciated for the tips Paul! I can't wait to get started!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Damien. That is awesome to hear. I am so glad my video was of help to you. I can't wait for you to get started as well. You are going to love airbrushing. After you hate it of course. Learning new tools can be frustrating. May I suggest you watch one of my newer videos on the subject. It's called "Is this the best method of thinning craft paints for airbrushing". Its the newest way I have found to thin craft paints and it works better then using IPA. Again I am excited for you and thank so much for watching and especially reaching out to me in the comments. It is very much appreciated. Take care and happy railroading......

[@drudiak26]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies i didn’t end up watching the video you mentioned, but the alcohol worked very well and I think my project turned out very well. I’d love to share it with you even if it’s not trains or models haha

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Damien. You can find me on Facebook at Paul's Railroad. I would love to see what you ate working on. Thanks again for supporting my channel...

[@Rob_Heron]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Thanks Paul, i'll watch it! I'm brand new to airbrushing myself, and the knowledge you provide is superb!

[@DeeTee79]

Thank you. I’m just getting started and this really helped. I was very discouraged at first, but I won’t give up. I’m going to grab a strainer. That’s a good idea. Thank you

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

It makes me so very happy that I am able to help. Definitely get a fine mesh strainer, it will help immensely. Thank you for watching and for commenting. Take care.

[@markwakeley3835]

Love the video. Quick Tip: go to paint store, get quart size cone filters (at my local Sherwin-Williams they're 75¢), take apart the paper cone and remove the mesh filter (I think they're 226 microns, very fine), cut into squares and place over top of jar and secure with lid.

[@r3drocket659]

I'm absolutely brand new with an airbrush. I mainly build model cars and have used rattle cans my entire life. I've been wanting to try an airbrush for an easier time painting smaller parts or smaller sections of the trees. I just got a battery-powered airbrush off Amazon to try out (a cheap $60 deal just to see if I suck or not before getting anything expensive) but I have terrible inconsistency with the paint. Very splattery, then alright and then crappy again without changing anything. I've been using the decoart paint with water as a reducer, your video helped me realize a couple possible issues I'm having. I believe my airbrush is a single action (air all the time, paint when trigger is pulled) with 22, 26 and 36 psi settings. I'm going to try the alcohol and maybe a better paint later today. Thank you.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Definitely give it a try. I have also recently tried a new method of thinning craft paints with windshield washer fluid. That works very well also, but it doesn't dry out the paint like the IPA does so you have a much, much longer working time. But remember no matter what method you use to thin your paints you need to pour the thinned paint through a fine mesh filter. That is the key to it working well in your airbrush.

[@r3drocket659]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies awesome, thanks for replying. I'll definitely try that!

[@afiblacksails23]

I’ve tried so many things to thin cheap paints down and make them flow better and I’ve found that things just randomly in the house help the flow as well as buying flow improvers. My favorites so far are milk (regular and chocolate), soda (mainly sprite or 7up) and white vinegar. I suggest you try them out and make a video on them to show how great they work.

[@rolandosinald3405]

Interesting.....

[@nickschaefer9320]

What kind of milk? 2%? Skim?

[@bubba6richards729]

For flow improver I have found that 90% distilled water and 10% propylene glycol is outstanding. And very cheap to make. 😎

[@ColonelSandersLite]

@@nickschaefer9320 My speculation is that skim would work best. My reasoning - There's a kind of paint that's been around for millennia called 'milk paint'. It's literally milk + lime (the mineral, not he fruit) + water + pigment. When making milk paint, it's the protein portion of the milk that you want. That's the part that cures into paint. The fat is undesirable for this application. The fat won't cure, it'll just go rancid. For this specific reason, if you're going to make your own milk paint from milk bought at a store, you either want skim milk or you will have to skim it yourself. All this being said, I don't think I would be using milk (skim or otherwise) for thinning acrylic paint anyways. Besides the fat being a problem, the whey is *also* a problem and will go rancid too. Unless you're going to separate the whey from the casein anyways. If you do that, you have already done all the hard work to just make milk paint and the acrylic is just redundant.

[@MileyonDisney]

Thanks for the great tips - especially the one about using the strainer.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You are very welcome. Than you for commenting.

[@brot5246]

Years ago i airbrushed a 54 chevy on a sweat shirt and used craft paint and a strainer to get that teal color.

[@swdw973]

Ever tried denatured alcohol instead of isopropyl? I think it works a little better. BTW, you can write the paint mixing ratio on the craft paint cap, or label, with a permanent marker to help remember what your mix is for each paint.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Never tried that. I always just grabbed isopropyl alcohol because it was easy to find.

[@rafaelmoilnar9694]

Hello I'm wizard nice to meet you'll I am a old painter ur right what talking about mixing paint I never use a airbrush about I use others types of spray guns I work in the paint world for about 35 year's I like ur video of you'll awesome and good tips for people that they don't about painting thank you for your tips sr.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you very much for the kind words Rafael. I am so glad to hear that you liked my video. Take care and Merry Christmas.

[@kimpanattoni]

Very cool. :) I have a wide variety of acrylics from the "flow" acrylics by brands like Liquitex, the heavy body paste acrylics from brands like Grumbacher or Winsor & Newton, as well as the Folk Art, Deco Art, Createx, and Apple Barrel. Generally I use them for paint pouring with various flow mediums from Flood Floetrol to PVA to plain distilled water. And oh yes, oh heck yes, do I ever need to strain them. I also strain my flow mediums as well, since they can gunk up just like anything else, especially things like Floetrol. The reason I have been looking over your channel for videos like this is because I also paint 3D prints like the ones in your previous video, and I want to make use of what I have on hand as much as possible. I am very partial to certain types of pigments, particularly in blacks and whites. I prefer the whites with titanium dioxide in them and the blacks with iron oxide in them, each named something like Titanium White and Mars Black respectively. The great thing about the heavy body paints is that so little goes so much farther than one might think. I can use those tubes to make oodles of paint for both types of painting! I had to wonder if you have ever used some of the other "art paints" like some that I have mentioned through your airbrush since you mentioned you do fine art painting as well. If this has been answered below, I am sorry if I am asking it again, but I really am curious. Tell me more? :)

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thanks for the great comment and question. First off I apologize for the late response. I just got back home from a two week vacation. As far as painting goes. For my 3d prints I buy the cheapest I can get "usually". Apple barrel, folk art, etc. My fine art paint selections are primarily Createx paints and Vallejo paints. I have dabbled with some inks before, but that was when I was first starting out and didn't do well with them. In my opinion I like created the best. They have always been consistent as far as viscosity and color. I hope I answered your question. Please keep them coming. Thanks again.

[@kimpanattoni]

No worries regarding delays, that is just life. :) I have a ton of Folk Art, Deco Art, Apple Barrel Anita's & Art Minds, I totally get ya there. ^_^ No real problems with the pigments. The only "craft" paint I have had pigment issues with is CraftSmart. I just happen to have the others at my disposal. I have a ton of the heavy body Mars Black and Titanium White in Grumbacher that I can dilute for airbrushing as well as some of the abundance of Liquitex paints I have. Figured I would ask. :)

[@cynthiawafer7608]

As a rookie, I learned quite a bit here. I did not know I could use alcohol in my paint, and I have been using water. Because I airbrush wood flowers I also use glycerin however, I have learned not to put glycerin in my paint mix it ruins the airbrush, that was the demise of my first brush. Now I dip the flour in water and glycerin separate and then only use water and paint in my airbrush. I really love the effect of airbrushing and I want to perfect the technique. Thank you so much for the lessons I’m going to get me a paint strainer.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi Cynthia. Thanks for the great comment. And than you for watching. Take care...

[@skytaylor4209]

Not sure if anyone has used this before but back in the day in high-school my art instructor had us use diluted simple green to clean the airbrushed and it's very effective and also economical friendly. Like I said not sure if anyone else has used it or had any different experiences with it but this from my own and multitudes of high-school kids use of his airbrushed they didn't have any issues so might be a help to know.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thanks for the advice. I use simple green a lot.

[@NormLenhart-v4l]

I have an Iwata CS also. I havent damaged it with cheap craft paint but I plugged the nozzle VERY easily. STRAIN EVERYTHING. I plugged it rock solid. What a nightmare to clean it out.

[@joseangelgarcia2621]

The best video so far. Thanks.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you so much Jose. I still feel like I have a lot to learn when it comes to making video content though. But hearing kind words like yours sure help to keep me motivated. Take care.

[@robertfrayer6711]

I struggle with white and beige clumping all other colors seem to work fine (Apple Barrel). I am gonna try this.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Robert. I have different colors that don't mix well also. It is a gamble. But for the price of the paint I will take the chance... Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading..

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

If you want a the best reducer try createx 4011 and my 1. One favorite is Mr.color leveling thinner man its awesome but createx 4011 is the new reducer they say you should use now and the old reducer I use as a cleaner. Love your Intro I worked on the railroad that the 45 0 1 was running on in your intro The C&C railroad and I worked on the Tvrm back in the early 90s and then had to take a Medical retirement on the Ann Arbor Railroad. Now I am a full time model builder.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Man that is so awesome you worked with that loco. I will have to pick up some of the newer createx reducer. I am still using the old reduced from them. Of course I bought the huge bottle like ten years ago. LOL Heck it may not even be any good anymore. Thanks for the great information. Take care.

[@jimbrasseur6600]

Very well done, Thank You!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you so much Jim. I appreciate it.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

I dig the font you used for the thumb nail pic. Keep on truckin'!!!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey thanks. I have a degree in computer graphic arts and wouldn't you know it, even though I took classes specifically on fonts, it is still one of the hardest things for me to pick out.

[@sandrajohnson2489]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies :D

[@jrkorman]

Good info - Would really liked to have seen you shoot that paint at the end, even if it was just on some card stock.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thanks Jim. At the end of that video I have listed a similar video I did about 4 months ago that was geared more to beginners. In that video I painted a N Scale building.

[@zackmurray4992]

Thank u U answered all my questions and some I didn't know I had Very helpful info

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

I am very happy to hear that I was able to help. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care.

[@DamienDesign]

very nice thank you , and hello from Canada !

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hello my northern brother..... Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it. Try and stay warm......

[@germaN87AC]

Great tips, Paul. It get me started on airbrushing

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi Jimmy. I'm glad this video helped. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@dag36523]

Great video! This will help me a lot!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I am glad I was able to help.

[@tiebeau]

Than a lot for this complete tutorial 🙏

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care.

[@styrenereplicas53]

Excellent video Paul. When speaking to other model railroaders or just model builders I'm always amazed at how painting with craft acrylics is looked down upon. I'd love to know how many of the "brand" name model paints are simply craft acrylic base with a 'secret sauce" additive that somehow makes that paint worth 10 times more than a bottle of craft paint. The other craft paint topic is actual color selection. Especially model railroaders will fight to the death over buying a specific road name color. If the bottle doesn't say "insert road name here" color then it can't possibly be used in model railroading. What utter nonsense. Sure as a locomotive or rail car roll off the assembly line their color may be accurate to that road name but give that piece of equipment six months of real world weathering and tell me the color can be matched to the original. Keep up the great videos. Dave

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Dave. Thanks for commenting and for the kind words. I love sharing what I learn with others. I'm still trying to figure out videography to enable me to present my information in a good format however. I agree whole heartedly with your statements. I'm sure that "secret sauce" you mention most likely makes the paints better in some aspect, like paint adhesion, ease of use, etc. I can't speak for other hobbies, however if you're a model railroader then you know how expensive this hobby can be. I like to save money where I can so I can afford a new engine and such. That is one of the goals of my channel is show folks how to save money and still create something that looks good. As far as buying road name specific colors. I mean I get why they produce them. Some folks either don't have the time, the desire, or possibly the knowledge or ability to create their own color to match the prototype. Me personally I love the challenge. And like you said. After about 6 months in the real world, you wouldn't be able to tell what the original color was anyhow. Take care and keep the comments coming.

[@nightynightshade]

I gotta say I agree with your theory! I have some expensive AND non expensive paints and I swear I can barely tell the difference! And idk why fellow artist frown upon acrylic. It’s a miracle paint!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Same here. And the nice thing about using the cheaper acrylics is that it allows you to experiment with a painting technique and if it doesn't work out then you don't feel bad about wasting your expensive paints.

[@oldmangaming6676]

WOW! ...the straining will solve the problem I have when thinning the paint. Looks fine until I start painting then the brush clogs. Thanks again

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching. If you haven't already checked it out. There is a link in the description to the strainers that I use. It is a super fine mesh stainless steel strainers. It works great and it comes in a three pack. Take care and happy railroading.

[@funnelfan]

Honestly the best paint mixer out there is those micro-mark battery powered paint mixer. I've brought back paint that was virtually dead by adding thinner and running that mixer in it for a few minutes. No amount of shaking will mix paint as well. For clean up of acrylic paints, I simply run it in a cup of water I keep at my workbench. It will clean itself after I'm done mixing paint. I also run it in a small bottle of solvent after mixing oil or solvent based paints.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Funnelfan. Thanks for tip. I get the micro mark catalog. I'll have to check it out.

[@modelcar1589]

Thank you for the info it was much needed 👍🏿

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading....

[@sjbjava]

I hold a paint bottle loosely on the U shaped head of a back massager to mix paints. It seems to be very thorough and fast and beats shaking.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Now that's thinking outside of the box. I love it. Thank you for sharing.

[@MoserTimmy]

Love all the tips but man that nut is brilliant

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Timmy. Thank you for watching and commenting. I can't take credit for the nut. Actually it was a fellow commentor that mentioned it. But I thought it was so genius myself i just had to share it with everyone. Have a safe and happy holidays. Take care.

[@larryfetterman3528]

Dam I love your reviews straight to the point no bull shit thanks keep them coming I’m learning a lot. Larry

[@ColonelSandersLite]

I really do strongly advise against using steel (even stainless) as an agitator. It'll rust and ruin the paint sooner or later. Yes, I have learned this the hard way. Multiple times. That being said here's what I *do* recommended - Look online and get yourself some hematite beads. Price wise, they're pretty comparable to, or even cheaper than, nuts. Approx 5 cents each, depending on size. I would suggest starting with one of those variety packs to see which one works best for your specific bottles of paint. I generally recommend that you use the biggest one that fits through the neck of the bottle without having to be forced in. For those who don't know - hematite is an ore of iron. It's essentially rust. The beads are made from it's crystalline form and they're quite hard and relatively heavy. They will never oxidize in a bottle of paint because they're already fully oxidized right out of the gate.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

That's pretty cool to know about. Thank you for sharing....

[@Jimmy-sb3fc]

Thank you for this video, Paul. I'm just getting into airbrushing model cars, and I'm using plastic spoons for practice. After scuffing up them with 800 grit sandpaper, the paint still scratches off of the spoons after sitting around for a week or so. I also used some Tamiya primer (No paint), and the primer still scratches off of the plastic. Can you offer any suggestions to prevent this from happening, or what I might be doing wrong? BTW- I thinned the paints with water on some, and IPA on others, but they all have the same end result. Thank you in advance for your help!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Jimmy. The cheap acrylic craft paints are unfortunately not the greatest at sticking to plastic. The best thing you can do is use a good primer and then top coat the paint with quality clear coat. The clear coat will help the most.

[@Jimmy-sb3fc]

Thank you so much, @@RoadsAndRailsHobbies !

[@sheripresloid7839]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You ate very welcome Sheri. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it. If you have any thoughts on what else you would like to learn about please let me know I'm always looking for new video ideas. Thanks again.

[@BooklessT]

I'm new to this airbrushing thing. Paul's video doesn't cater for the well seasoned users but also newbies. Many thanks! out of interest, what is the mesh on that strainer?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey there JoburgRed. First off thank you for the kind words. The main reason I started this channel was to help others. I know first hand how sucky it can be to look for information only to almost find what you are looking but the presenter assumes a certain level of knowledge on the subject. Don't get me wrong, I do have a few videos where I do the same thing but I inform the viewer of that fact and more importantly where they can find the introductory information they may be looking for. As far as the mesh strainer goes. It is super fine. I have no idea of what the actual mesh size is. It doesn't even give that information on the product page on Amazon. I do have links in the description to that filter on my two main airbrushing viseos if you want to check them out for yourself. Oh and stay tuned to my channel. I am about to start creating more airbrushing videos. Starting from the very basics. Take care and happy railroading.

[@wolfiechica]

Got an airbrush for the holidays as a gift to myself, planned on practicing with the cheap Decoarts at the local Michael's. Intending to use for some model painting. I was gonna grab the Mr Color Rapid thinner for metallics and the Mr Color Leveling thinner for normals since I get get the big ol' 400ml bottles that'll last forever at my LGS for comparatively cheap. I'm not a fan of the look of water for sure, but do you think this would be too overkill for the cheap paints? What I was reading up on was some conflicting info; some believe that the thinner you use should match the paint brand to theoretically match their viscosity the best way possible. What are your thoughts?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Great question. I don't follow the theory of reducing with the same type of base material. I've reduced / thinned water based acrylics with water and that gave me the absolute worst finish of any method that I have used. The best reducer that I have used was air brush paint reducer, but I don't use that in the cheap acrylics because I want to keep it cheap. The second best reducer that I have used has been plain old blue windshield washer fluid. That is my go to right now. I used to use isopropyl alcohol all the time, but it really dries out the paint super fast, which is great if you are in a hurry and want to put on multiple coats quicky, but you have to work quickly before it turns the paint in your airbrush to a rubbery type of consistency. I will warn you though, no matter what you reduce cheap craft acrylics with don't expect to get a great and smooth finish from them using an airbrush. Their viscosity is so different across colors and brands that you will always be guessing at thinning them and the fact that they are so thick to begin with it is hard to get that smooth finish. I'm painting mostly model railroad items that I want that weathered look to so it actually works in my favor. I just painted a plastic slot car body with craft paints and I had to put on something like 8 coats of clear to get a decent finish and I'm still not super happy with it. Also if you are planning on painting plastic models with craft paints make sure you use a good primer first. Craft paints do not like to stick to plastic very well. Even with a good primer the paint can still be scratched very easily. Thanks for watching and for the great question.

[@fitzlamarre]

Could you shoot me link of the strainer used in this video, please? Thanks!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey. Thanks for noticing I missed that one. It is in the video description now, but here is the link. amzn.to/3guA1OM

[@phayzyre1052]

Thanks for posting! I’ve been building models over 40 years now and I have to admit, I’m starting to drift in the direction of giving these cheap craft paints a try, especially since I’m getting burned out paying an arm and leg for model paints! I was in a local Hobbytown USA recently and some paints they have go for 6 to 9 dollars for a puny bottle! 😳 That is absurd. Aside from that these model companies had better get their heads out of their 🫏-es. For years, I have contacted them suggesting ideas for new kits only to never hear nothing in return. My fix for that? I’ve been recently looking at resin 3-D printers...if they don’t want to help and only want to charge a premium for their models, then I will start to make my own! I’ve also suggested ideas for resin upgrades, never got a response either and I can make those to. My apologies for soapboxing but it’s high time these model companies were called out for their shenanigans. Sooner or later they’re going to price themselves right out of business.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

It's all good. I love to hear people's thoughts on our hobbies. I 3d print a lot of stuff myself. As far as paints go. The cheap acrylics are awesome to use, but I personally will not use then to paint models with that I want to have a smooth finished paint job, like on a model car. If you are painting terrain or weathered models like military then they are great for that. For my model card I use Createx brand airbrush paints. They are fantastic. You can pick up a 2 ounce bottle from Places like Hobby Lobby for around 9 bucks. And trust me these paints go a long way. You can find them on Amazon as well. Check out the Createx website to see the different paints they have to offer. They even have candy's. Which I'm getting into heavily right now. Take care and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@CassidysWorkshop]

Thanks for the video and tip on straining. I find I have to shoot some Americana paint. I was about to ask what air pressure you were using, but got smart and went back to your previous video and found it there. Thanks again.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

You are welcome Greg. I apologize for the late response. I just got home from a two week vacation. Thanks for commenting.

[@toxictwin3006]

Ratio iso to paint ? And we're do I get the strainer at. Thank you. Very Informative..appreciate you

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi Joe. To answer your first question. There is no hard and fast ratio. Every paint has a different viscosity. So I start by slowly mixing in IPA until I get a milk like consistency. As far as the strainer goes. I bought them on Amazon. If you go back to this video there is actually a link in the description directly to them. I believe it is the last link in my list. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate the questions. Take care and happy railroading.

[@ne0ns1RCflying]

Paul great video. I love the train in the background moving slowly. I just posted a link in my model airplane club on this instructional video. I have been doing this for years now with the in expensive paints. I enjoy airbrushing my models after rebuilds. Where as some times I am painting larger areas like a wing or tail I use a blow drier to speed my coating build ups, It speed the whole process up. I use a cheap Badger for larger areas and it is a larger pattern. But I do use the siphon feed Paasche for the finer work mostly. My final finish for my purpose I use either Miniwax clear gloss or satin enamel polyurethane for the topcoat. That requires oil base thinners. It is all relative in ways to what you are showing here. Thanks

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you commenting and sharing my video. I take you are are talking about static model airplanes? I have built a fair share in my day. I remember the largest one I built was back in the mid 80's. It was a B-29 Superfortress. And yes it was the Enola Gay. It was a Monogram kit. If I remember correctly, it had like a 3 foot wingspan. Then I got into balsa wood airplane models. Mostly Guillow kits. Never flew any of them though. Way too afraid to crash them. LOL. Thanks again. And take care

[@ne0ns1RCflying]

Hello Paul, I am talking about some very large RC flying aircraft I scratch build up to around 11 foot wingspans. I sprayed the larger areas with waterbase acrylics using the cheap Badger and all the smaller areas and details with my Paasche airbrush. The Badger does well in large areas equivalent to using a spray can. I basically am doing what you do but larger scale down to the smaller park flyers like home built stick Guillows. I do rebuild many 4-5ft. range foam fliers also. All are airbrushed. Your small scale routines here apply to some of what I am doing. @@RoadsAndRailsHobbies

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

That is pretty cool. I just bought a cheap hobby grade laser and was kicking around the idea of scratch building a plane. It would be so easy to cut put all of the necessary parts for one.

[@davidjowett8195]

Great video, thank you A couple of questions on your techniques if you don't mind please. 1. Have you ever used 99% IPA as the thinner, and if so what were the results like? 2. Given an appropriate 'airtight' bottle, do you find the mixed paint retains it's properties, and if so, about how long would you guess the shelf life of the mixed paint to be? Many thanks in advance.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey David. Great questions. 1. No I have never used 99% IPA. I find 70% to be the sweet spot between quick drying and yet a decent working time before the water content in the paint becomes to evaporated and makes the paint rubbery. I think 99% would not be advisable. 2. With and air tight bottle, the longest I've been able to keep the paint that I thinned with the 70% IPA viable for airbrush use has been around 4 days. After that I wouldn't chance it. I hope I have answered your questions well enough. If not let me know. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care.

[@davidjowett8195]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Many thanks for your response. Looks like I'm going to be experimenting soon.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Have fun. If you run into a roadblock, message me and I will help if I am able to.

[@tkitt1048]

Use a little flow trol when thinning. Extends open time.

[@nightynightshade]

This is random but you have beautiful hair! So ethereal😍

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Ha. Thanks Nighty Nightshade. I'm going for that old wize wizard look. Am I pulling it off? 🤣

[@cblack47]

Thanks, the filter to grab the large pigments, that is a new one! Do you ever store the thinned paints or just enough for your current project?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Charlie. That particular video you just watched was actually an old method of thinning paints using IPA. I've used that method for years. The problem with using IPA is that is basically dehydrates the paint very quickly and turns it into a rubbery like substance. I like using it because it dries the paint so fast that I can paint multiple layers very quickly. But you cannot store thinned paints using IPA. With that being said I have found a new method of thinning paints that does allow you to store thinned paints. I created a couple of videos over the subject. Just check out my home page. It's the last three videos that I have posted. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading....

[@cblack47]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies thank you and will check them out!

[@edwardnash7411]

Thank You you information is very helpful

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you for watching and commenting. I am glad that the information was helpful.....

[@crownlandproductions]

I was never trained to use anything but water to thin down acrylics and my teachers were top notch illustrators. The only difference is my teachers all used porous surfaces. I mainly use high quality acrylics such as liquitex acrylics 🤓

[@paultrains3336]

HEY PAUL ,GREAT VIDEO..LEARNED A LOT... DON'T FORGET TO USE( stainless steel nuts) THANKS

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thanks Paul. And dang nabit. I meant to mention that in the video also. I guess I'm going to have to start writing everything down. LOL

[@shadowscion]

Any thoughts on airbrushing with the metallic paints these inexpensive brands sell? The paint appears to just be a suspension of very fine glitter, obviously thinning the paint will not shrink the flakes.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

If you are using anything smaller than a .5mm needle, they very well may clog up your airbrush. But hey, expirament. The worse that could happen is you will have to disassemble and clean your airbrush.

[@stevenlarsen1691]

Thank you for a great video.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment Steven. I appreciate it.

[@jamierayespencley330]

Year old but still very informative. Appreciate it

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it very much...

[@davestrains6816]

Great video very informative. I wonder how this method would work using the Harbor Freight Airbrush kit they sell. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thanks Dave for the comment. As far as Harbor Freight airbrushes. I've never used one. I looked at one in the store once. And let's just say, I put it down just about as fast as I picked it up. I started out with those cheaper airbrushes and all I did is fight with them to get them to spray well. This is just my opinion. But you really get what you pay for when it comes to airbrushes. These are super precision tools. On the other hand you may get lucky and buy one that was made on a good day, and it may work perfectly. Oh and don't forget the second component. The compressor. You want a decent one that allows you to control the air pressure. The one I am currently using is from Harbor freight. It's their small pancake compressor. It was under 100 dollars, but dang is it loud. I see they are now carrying a silent air compressor that's under 200 dollars. I want to check it out. Take care.

[@davestrains6816]

@@twhis9843 Thank you!

[@kathleenperry3648]

what kind of strainer do you use and is the paint hard to clean out of the strainer

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Here is a link to the filters I use. It's a 3 pack. I'm still using the same one I started with years ago. amzn.to/4dyKEMD

[@KerleyExpress]

great video thank you i learn something but does it matter on the airbrush to get a good finish

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Dwight. Airbrushes are precision tools. In my experience, you get what you pay for. I've heard mixed reviews from the Master brand that is sold on Amazon. I do know that when I first started out airbrushing I bought the cheap ones, and I fought constantly to get them to work. I actually gave up on them at one point. Then I bought my first decent airbrush. It was the Iwata NEO that I showed in the green and white box in this video and boy what a difference. I could feel the difference in the quality of the build between that entry level Iwata and the cheap airbrushes I had been trying to use just by holding them. Don't forget however airbrushing is two parts. The airbrush and the airbrush compressor. This is where you can save some money. I have an inexpensive 2 gallon pancake compressor that I use. But it is important to buy one that allows you control the air pressure coming from it to your airbrush. That control of air pressure is vital to having a usable airbrush. For almost all of my airbrushing I have my compressor set to 20 psi. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care

[@rsashton2004]

Great stuff!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you Ron.

[@charlesfavano7424]

quick question I was told there was two different settings for the siphon and the gravity feed but i can not find any info on the that setting i use siphon cause i change colors alot while i do my drawings but just not quit sure at what pressure to run. I run 30 psi for the gravity feed.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Charles. I think I already answered this question for you on a different video I posted.

[@johnk3386]

Thanks for the tips

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Thank you for watching John. I appreciate it...

[@irenemcknight5020]

Thank you Paul for this information I am at crafter that creates recycled home interior decor pieces, I also have an airbrush machine so this is good information I might be able to use. My one question is is that a special strainer or just a generic household strain? Thanks again

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hello Irene. Thank you for watching my video and for commenting. To answer your question, the strainer I use is from Amazon. It is stainless steel and a very fine mesh. It is sold as a three pack along with silicone funnels. It sold as strainers for resin, but I use them for everything, heck I even have on in my kitchen. Anyhow. If you go back to my video. In the description is a link to the strainer. Thanks again.

[@njsurf1973]

For thinning these craft acrylics i use 3 parts distilled water, 1part 99% isopropyl alcohol plus 5 drops vegetable glycerin per quart. For cleaning I replace 1 part of the distilled water with one part of original windex. I always run clear distilled water before i put rhem away.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Mike. Thank very much for the info. That's one heck if a cocktail you have there. I'm assuming that since you are using IPA in the mixture that the paint dries relatively fast once it's on the object you are painting. If so, do you have any issues with the paint prematurely drying in your airbrush, and or do you get that rubbery type of consistency with the paints if you try to keep them too long after being thinned?

[@njsurf1973]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies It dries pretty quickly, not as quickly as straight alcohol. But if you do thin coats, they dry almost instantly.

[@thetennesseetrailcam]

Thank you for sharing

[@anthonyciotti3295]

Hi Paul can you use regular paint thiner

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Anthony. If you have regular paint thinner already, I'd say give it a try. I don't know how it will react with acrylic craft paints though. I have used airbrush paint thinner with them, but then again that's made for acrylic airbrush paint. Just keep in mind, regular paint thinner is really nasty stuff and you will be atomizing it so definable wear a respirator and be in a well ventilated area.

[@anthonyciotti3295]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies thank you Paul for the information on this subject sincerely Anthony Ciotti

[@jgarcia3949]

Try "Purple Power" to clean airbrush works great for me!!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Never heard of it. I will have to look it up. Thank you.

[@johndrozdak8173]

I have 3 Paasche YLS air brushes I have tried a cupel of things . One of which is windshield washer fluid with alcohol and ethylene glycol . If you want I can send you some of the Poly Scale paint to try .

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey John. Those airbrushes are siphon feed aren't they? In my humble opinion that may be half you problem. I have a three different siphon feed airbrushes. One Paasche, one Made by Badger, and one made by Testors. I only ever had problems with them, even when using paint made specifically for airbrushing. That's may just be me though. Are you using a small airbrush compressor, or are you using a regular air compressor. Just wondering if increasing the air pressure would help any.

[@Dude_Slick]

When I took over the paint shop at Death Row Motorcycles, I found an Eclipse HP-CS on top of a cabinet. It was not cleaned and was filled with dried paint. I mean solid from nozzle to cup. I soaked it in lacquer thinner for a week until I could get it apart. Then I soaked the parts for another week. I never replaced any seals or parts, and she's still with me today (10 years later). Talk about made to last. Maybe I'll treat the ol' gal to a new needle.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Dude, that is so awesome. You know most people would have taken one look at that mess of an airbrush and just chucked it. I love hearing that there are like minded people Ike me out in the world that are still willing to take the time to make it work and don't feed into that disposable society mindset. Thank you for watching and especially for sharing your story with me.

[@Dude_Slick]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Yeah it's my rescue baby. While it's not even close to my best brush, it's still like found treasure to this old pirate.

[@1611_KJB]

I'm curious if you've tried "pouring paints"? Apparently there is a craft where the artist pours large quantities of many colors in a large cannister leaving the paint layered and then pours it in patterns on a canvas and then tilts the canvas in many directions making very striking patterns of very thick paint (takes several days to dry completely). The point being they require large volumes of paint for this craft and bottles of acrylic in a whole rainbow of colors are sold in quart, half gallon and gallon bottles. I just bought a quart of titanium white for $22, same price for a quart of jet black and I got a special deal on a half gallon of antique bronze for the same $22. That works out to either $1.34 for a 4 oz bottle or $2.68, either way, very inexpensive compared to other acrylics and while it's already made to flow, it will need thinning to go through an airbrush which will turn thr quarts into half gallons and half gallons into gallons at 1:1 and even more if the ratio is higher. I'm going to try it with the ones I bought but was wondering if you have and if you have any pointers for experimenting with this?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey there 1611JJB. I have no experience in "pouring paints". As far as mixing them together I'm pretty sure you would be ok if you are just mixing the same types of paints together without adding anything, like a thinner to them. Once you start messing around with the composition of the paints that is when they start acting not so good. I have mentioned many times that you don't want to pre-thin your paints and try to store them. Especially if you are using isopropyl alcohol to thin them with. It will dry out the paints in a matter of days or even hours in some instances. So I would only prepare the paint for when you are ready to use them. I hope I answered your question. Wasn't quite sure what you were aasking. Thanks for watching and for commenting. Take care.

[@bobbatson9557]

Thank you so much. I bought an airbrush over 30 years ago and tried it out with my acrylic paint and gave up. Now I need to pull it and the compressor out to see if it still works. one ? 1. never seen a strainer like that before. Where might I find one?

[@bobbatson9557]

never mind! I saw you link below and bought one.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi Bob. Thanks for the comment. I hope everything works. If you re-visit my video. In the description I have a links to the items used in my video, including the strainers. Also at the end of my video I have a link to a similar video I made about 4 months ago that goes more in depth. It includes tearing down and cleaning the airbrush. Plus I paint a N scale building. Thanks again and take care.

[@musoseven8218]

Interesting video - thanks for sharing 😊✌️👍😊 Have you ever tried Reverse Osmosis water with no TDS' in it?🤔🤔💜

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Can't say that I have. I don't have access to RO water.

[@steverude1613]

Im a beginner. Dont know the best air brush to buy. $$ though. Is there alot of overspray? Can u spray in the house?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Check out the Ovoga airbrush. I did a review on it not long ago. I paint in my basement at my work bench. I cut one side out of a large box and use that as a paint booth because yes you will get overspray.

[@juliusjames5577]

I’ve never strained the paint. Am I just getting lucky? I’ m just learning so maybe I don’t know enough to recognize if I had a problem.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Well if you have never had any spitting or clogging issues then I would say that you have been very lucky. Let me ask you. Are you using and airbrush with a .3mm needle or .5mm?

[@rommycougar]

Hello, is it possible to airbrush on a mug and how to reduce the ink please?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey purple gallery. I work with plastic model kits mostly and acrylic paints. I don't paint with inks or do I paint ceramic mugs. At least I am assuming you are speaking about ceramic. I am sorry but I cannot give you any advice on the matter. Thank you for watching and for reaching out and asking. I hope you find your answer. Take care.

[@charlesfavano7424]

i am having an issue what to do if to thin my paint it does not to be to seen to be spraying corectly? the thinner the paint the lower the pressure? maybe like 10 or 15 should i try? i make my own from acrlyic most are ok but some i made to thin?

[@rayscrafield2106]

I have watched a ton of videos on the subject of air brushing and so far I can't find many of the names supplies that you folks use. I've tried online at Michael's and Hobby Lobby but find very little. Can you point me in the right direction to buy a paint strainer and some cups and bottles? So far I'm finding zilch.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Ray. If you look in the description of the video I have a link to the strainers that I use. Their from Amazon. You get tree stainless steel strainers and three silicone funnels. I have been using the same strainer now for years. Actually my wife confiscated the other two for the kitchen. LOL. As far as bottles go that I use to mix paint in. I use whatever I can find around the house. Some are old testors paint bottles. Heck I even use old prescription medicine bottles. The little cups I use are again things from the house. Most of them are medicine cups. Like Nyquil and such. Now if you want little glass bottles like the old model paints. I have seen them sold both at hobby lobby and Michael's. I hope that this helps. Take care.

[@rayscrafield2106]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Thanks Paul. I'll have to do a more thorough search. I tried every search term I could think of.

[@johndrozdak8173]

Have you ever used Poly Scale paint as I am having trouble shooting it . Mostly it plugs up the brush and I get runs .

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey John. I have never used Poly scale paint. I just read that it is an acrylic paint. Is it gumming up your airbrush during the same painting session that you are getting runs. What are you using to thin the paint. And what kind of surface are you painting where you are getting runs. Two more questions. What brand and model of airbrush are you using and what do you have you PSI setting on your compressor at.

[@jrkorman]

I've used Poly Scale and like it. However, run it through a strainer and make sure the surface is very clean. I had to use about 25 psi on my Paasche VL.

[@tiaxo2951]

can you premix and save them or do you mix each time with alcohol?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Tia. You will need to mix them each time. The properties of using alcohol to thin your acrylic craft paints makes the paint dry very quickly when airbrushing. That is one of the main reasons why I use alcohol. So if you pre thin your paints they will unfortunately dry out in the container turning very rubbery. Sorry for the long answer for a short question. 😁 Take care.

[@DeereX748]

When it comes to thinning the paints, can you just go ahead and thin the whole bottle at once, and keep it in a nicer glass bottle (since you'd need a bigger bottle anyway), so you don't have to go through all this process every time you want to paint? Will the alcohol-thinned paint keep if properly sealed? This would also allow for mixing colors that you might need more of later, for a different project. And, I assume the strainer is reusable, just wash it thoroughly each time, or does the screen need replacing occasionally?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey DeereX748. The strainer is stainless steel. Just rinse it out every time you use it. Or if you forget to clean it right away, just use some dish soap and an old toothbrush to clean it and you will be fine. No need to ever replace the screen unless it gets broken. Thinning the paints. You cannot pre thin an entire bottle. Especially if you are using my method of using isopropyl alcohol. These paints are water based and the big reason I use isopropyl alcohol to thin them is the fact that alcohol evaporates water which in turns makes the paint dry faster on my projects so I can paint faster. In the past when I mixed custom colors, the longest the paint lasted that was thinned with isopropyl alcohol was about 5 days before it started getting thick and clumpy. Also some different pigments start drying out the paint and turns it almost rubbery very quickly. That is why I keep expressing on everyone in my videos to use the thinned paint quickly and always clean your airbrush immediately afterwards. Thanks for commenting.

[@jerrymurray6350]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies we

[@PENFOLD1962]

I'm looking for a cheap formula to make a PRIMER to use on Glass. I've been asked to paint a School's window's, they're only Junior & Infant's so I'm not charging and wherever I can I provide the 'ACRYLIC' paints for my Airbrush. This is why I'm trying different paints and other liquid's such as IPA etc for a primer but the paint is still scratching off! Any advice would be gratefully received.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hi Andrew. I'm sorry to say that painting glass is way out of my wheel house. With that being said I have seen acrylic craft paints that are made for painting glass. Same brands that I show in my video. I have zero experience with them however so I do not know how well they work.

[@jelly.1899]

Either use enamel paints or you have to clear coat it.

[@cjmarshall0221]

Hello again Paul. Congrats on another great video with tons of useful information. I purchased a 3-D printer with the idea of starting my own business and now am on the learning curve, developing the necessary techniques to create a sellable product. What you provided is going to be a big help. A couple of questions. (Again!) I went on to Amazon to purchase a paint strainer. I've noticed they have different ratings, from 100 microns to about 190 microns. If this is important, which size would you recommend? Also, in your previous video, the alcohol you used was at 91 percent, while in the one here is 70 percent. Does this make any difference, and if so, how? One last thing. I know you work mostly with railroad models these day, but if you've every airbrushed figurines, I would be VERY interested in such a video, showing how you do it from start to finish. In my question in your previous video, you provided excellent information on masking techniques. But in a figurine, I get the feeling there are other things you have to do to get it to look good. Cheers, and keep up the good work.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey cjmarshall. Love hearing from you brother. Before I get to your questions. 3d printing for business. I don't know what your thinking of producing, just something to think about is your print time. As an example. For me I sell the files for my 3d building designs on Cults3d for others to purchase, download, and print themselves. I do not sell the physical printed buildings themselves because, to be realistic, it takes approximately 12 hours to print a building, it's base, interior floors, roof and any other accessory pieces to the quality standards that I would be proud to put my name on. And to be competitive I couldn't honestly sell that finished printed piece for much more than 25 dollars. Now the material cost for most buildings i design in usually less than 3 or 4 dollars. But you see where you can lose money in print time. Unless of course you have a print farm with dozens of printers running 24/7. Ok first question. I don't think I would go too small for the strainer. If you look in the description below the video I have links to the strainers I use. Oh bonus for me if you purchase them after clicking my link Amazon gives me a kick back as a thanks for generating a sale. The isopropyl alcohol. I use both interchangeably. However since the acrylic paints are water based and the alcohol evaporates that water, which is why in use it for faster drying times. The 70% gives you just little more work time than using the 90%. So it's up to you. And figurines. I have messed around with painting some Star Wars Figures in 20mm scale that I 3d printed before. Definitely no expert. I would only use the airbrush to either put on a primer coat, or if you have one color that is going to be a large part of the figure. Thanks as always for the correspondence. Take care.

[@cjmarshall0221]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Thanks again. I clicked on the link and purchased the strainer. Funny thing. They were not featured on the page when I searched "Paint Strainer." Figures. But you link took me right to them and I ordered them. I think they'll be the best, given the fact that the rest had plastic bodies. I appreciate your advice on the time concerning 3D printing. Unfortunately, it's already something I've discovered! LOL. Right now I'm just going to be a cottage industry, but I figured I would - slowly - add more printers when I believe the time is right. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it to the point where the time factor will not be as critical. Oh yes, my printer is a Snapmaker 350. If you're not familiar, it uses a modular system, allowing me to also engrave and cut with a laser, as well a CNC head to cut and shape wood. I'm hoping such versatility will give me the edge I need to establish myself. Thanks again for everything.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

@@cjmarshall0221 Hey CJ. It seems we are Ike minded at least in the desire to create our own small business. Would love to be able to chat with you more and be able to bounce ideas back and forth. If you're on Facebook and are interested look me up. My name is Paul Ratliff. My profile pic is of me crossed armed standing in front of a motorcycle. Would love to be friends so we could chat via messenger instead of using KZbin comments. Take care and hope to hear from ya.

[@allenshumaker7099]

Did you say carburetor cleaner to clean your brush with?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Some people have used it, but I never have and I don't think that I would.

[@nitzky611]

which reducer has a better adhesion?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Nitzky. I paint mainly 3d printed plastic items and I haven't noticed any difference in adhesion. That being said I have never done any direct test for thar. I also find that acrylic craft paints don't adhere to plastic that well regardless if they are reduced and airbrushed on oh painted on full strength with a paint brush. That's why any project that will be handled quite a bit I always clear coat it to protect the acrylic paints. Oh and check out my newest acrylic paint thinning video. I have found a better way to thin acrylic craft paints than using IPA. Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading......

[@MaryBriggs-xc1iw]

I am a lady and I also have a tip that works really well and it is very inexpensive. My children had bb guns when they were young so I realized early on through thinning my nail polish and they contained what appeared to be bb's so I just buy bbs because there are so many in the container and will last a lifetime.

[@AndrewArndts]

air soft pellets are ceramic perfect for rattling up small jars

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Andrew. I play airsoft. All the 6mm airsoft ammo I have ever come across are made from plastic. So not sure what kind of airsof pellets you are taking about.

[@jelly.1899]

Great video and very soothing voice 👌 you should try some drops propylene glycol as a retarder/flow improver in your mix.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey again Jelly. Where would I find propylene glycol?

[@robwinemiller9712]

enjoyed the video, very good info, curious where you got your paint strainer at or from? looks metal.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Rob. Thanks for watching. The strainer is Stainless steel. There is a link in the description if this video to Amazon for that item. It's actually a 3 pack along with silicone funnels. Their sold as strainers for resin printers, but hey I even have one in my kitchen for my wife. LOL. Their not expensive. And hey if you buy through my link you help out the channel. Thanks again for watching. Take care.

[@robwinemiller9712]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies sounds great, will check it out, and your very welcome. great stuff and info

[@markoharoldoronearmedpoohb7816]

For cheap craft paints, buy some plastic bottles with caps (US Plastics) and put in your paint, thinner and ball bearing, shake and use, simple, quick easy! I use lots of these bottles for my custom color blends that I use a lot! I buy like 100 bottles at a time, for cheap craft paint, this saves my Butt!

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Great advice Mark. Thank you very much.

[@luizalves7671]

Olá. Eu uso 1 parte de alcool (isopropílico) para 2 de água (deionizada) + 1% de retardador acrilico (gotas) e 0,5% de glicerina. Funciona bem comigo como redutor em tintas acrílicas. Um abraço!

[@Singlecartest]

You gotta try regular (blue) windshield washer fluid for thinning the cheap craft paints. Keeps the color true, holds the mix very well and you don’t get as much tip drying as the alcohol. Plus you get like a gallon of the stuff for 4 bucks.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

I've known about that, but every time I go to the store all I can find is windex with ammonia.

[@jasonsmith7402]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies I think it's referring to the washer fluid that goes in your car.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Oh duh. Thanks for reading more careful than I did. I was thinking about windex. I know some people have used that, without the ammonia in it.

[@charlesfavano7424]

i am having an issue what to do if to thin acrylic paint it does not to be to seen to be spraying corectly? the thinner the paint the lower the pressure? maybe like 10 or 15 should i try?

[@paulratliff4116]

Hey Charles. In general the thinner the material the lower you air pressure should be, to a point that is. Just keep adjusting down until you get a spay pattern you are happy with. For my mixtures I run at 20 psi. I shoot for a consistency of milk when thinning.

[@Ultimaniacx4]

I find that some colors spray better than others. For some reason, I cannot get Decoart's lamp (ebony) black to thin properly no matter what I use. It always clumps and clogs.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

No doubt. There are several colors I can never get to thin down properly. Some of the thicker blacks like you found out and some whites don't thin well. But heck for the price of the paints I will take the chance.. Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading....

[@gordonenquist36]

Glad you said "STAINLESS STEEL" nut for an agitator.

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Oh yes. We may want to create rust effects in our modeling, but we don't want to paint with rust. LOL

[@TomsTrainsandThings]

What's the advantage of 70% over 91% alcohol?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

I have found that the 70% doesn't dry the paint as quickly as the 90% does. So it gives me a little more time to work with.

[@TomsTrainsandThings]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Thanks

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

@@TomsTrainsandThings Hey Tom. You are welcome. I was at work earlier when I answered you and a couple of others. I was trying to squeeze in replying to comments when I had a few moments. I didn't realize it was you. I want to thank you again for your encouraging words in that email response you sent me about a year ago. Folks like you are why love this hobby and enjoy making content for it. Take care.

[@TomsTrainsandThings]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies Thanks Paul. Keep up the good work! Enjoy watching your videos although I don't always comment.

[@The124ScaleModels]

Very good question which i was about to type in a tip about it. It is right. IPA 91% dries instantly right after it hits the surface, that’s why pals on KZbin make Acrylic thinner IPA 91% + DW + Glycerin as flow and gloss aid. For my own thinner i used 70% Alcohol + Glycerin Another TIP : you can me Flat , Semi-Gloss and Gloss finish out of the same acrylic tube brand or color. Here is how! Basically it is how you play with DW and IPA 91% ratio. I put few drops of IPA 91% on my 70% Alcohol thinner to reach semi-gloss to flat finish. You have to play with the ratio of IPA91%

[@karlperry4805]

Have you tried "de-natured" alcohol? Or 90% isopropyl alcohol?

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Karl. I have not tried denatured alcohol. And to be honest. I don't know enough about it to be able to give any advice. Now onto 90% IPA. Yes I have used it, but I prefer 70% IPA. Using IPA to thin paints works well and the benefit to using it is that the paint dries faster so you can put on more coats quicker. That however is also the downfall of using IPA. It will dry your paint out fairly quickly. And as you probably have already guessed, using 90% IPA only makes it dry that much quicker. Don't get me wrong. I use it and will use it, but I prefer 70%. Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care and happy railroading.

[@karlperry4805]

@@RoadsAndRailsHobbies It is my understanding that IPA contains an oil (which is why it is called rubbing alcohol) which I think might be a problem in some cases. Denatured alcohol has no oil.

[@jeffoutlaw3457]

Where do you get your strainers from

[@RoadsAndRailsHobbies]

Hey Jeff. I bought them from Amazon. There is actually a link in the description of the video. It's the last item on the list of linked items I put up that I used in that video. Thanks for watching. Take care.