Badger Air-Brush RK-1 General Instruction

General Instruction For Painting/Airbrushing With Water Base Acrylic Modeling Paints
developed and provided courtesy of BADGER AIR-BRUSH CO.
Reasons to use Water Base Acrylic Paints – Water base acrylic paints, like Badger's Minitiare/MODELflex, present a
safer finishing method. Water base acrylic paints generally clean up easier (if done properly). Water base acrylic paints
provide exceptional detail enhancement (due to the evaporation coating process), a more efficient painting process, and
superior adhesion characteristics. Water base acrylic paints are also more forgiving if not applied perfectly – they tend to
enhance detail and hide flaws better than other modeling paints.
Surface prep - It is important that the surface to be painted is free of any contaminants that might deter the paint's
adhesion. This includes dust, skin oils, rust/corrosion, mold release, grease, etc.
If just removing dust, blowing air from your airbrush over the model will do a satisfactory job. For other possible adhesion
deterrents usage of a good dish water detergent (without additives like lanolin and such) and a sturdy tooth brush is
recommended for cleaning substrate surfaces. For the removal of rust or other surface blemishes a light abrasive process
maybe required to prepare the painting surface. Be sure any areas repaired with fillers (putty, epoxy, etc.) are properly
sanded with a high grit sandpaper (320 grit or higher). After any abrading or sanding process be sure to blow off the
painting surface and re-clean as indicated above. As an additional measure of thorough surface preparation a final cleaning
wipe with isopropyl alcohol or an ammonia based cleaning agent to ensure removal of all mold release, oils, and dirt is safe
step. Before painting, make sure the surface has completely dried. Usage of a hair dryer or your airbrush can expedite the
drying process
Once this surface preparation is complete only handle the piece to be painted with proper protective gloves to avoid placing
any body oils on the cleaned and prepped painting surface.
For assurance of finish consistency from model to model, it is recommendable to apply a coat of a suitable primer – such as
Badger STYNYLREZ. A good primer will ensure longevity of the model's finish and will help avoid color shifting that can
occur due to substrate color variance.
Surface types- Acrylic paints, like Badgers Minitiare/MODELflex, can be applied to all common modeling substrates,
including plastics (styrene), resin, brass, wood, etc. Regardless of the substrate being painted, the preparation process is
the same. Baking for better adhesion on brass is not required or recommended. A heat gun on its low setting or a hair
dryer on its high heat setting are satisfactory alternatives to baking if wanting to ensure a high adhesion cure of acrylic
paints on typically difficult adhesion surfaces.
Paint preparation – The proper spraying viscosity for acrylic paints is the visual equivalent of 2% milk. Regardless of
brand or color - if paint with properly ground pigment particulate is adjusted to the proper spraying viscosity, it will spray well
and not lose its surface tension. For technical purposes the viscosity equivalent of 2% milk is 15-17 seconds on a no. 2
Zhan viscometer. Badger's Minitiare/MODELflex paints are pre-reduced to spray-able viscosity and can be used straight
from the bottle with no additional preparation.
When preparing paint it is always advisable to mix it rather than shake it. Stirring paint does a better job of blending
pigment and base, and creates longer pigment suspension - thus a more consistent bottle of color from the top to bottom of
the bottle during its usage life. Shaking paint is somewhat effective in preparing paint before usage, but shaking only
agitates pigment, moving it back and forth in the base, rather than blending the two. This allows faster re-settling of pigment
and causes a need to re-shake the paint more frequently during the paint's usage life.
Application tools– Acrylics can be applied with either a paint brush or an airbrush. In the case of a paint brush one needs
to be aware of air bubbles and be prepared to correct/remove them promptly if occurring during the finishing process. One
method of removing air bubbles from a brush painted finish is to very lightly soak the air bubble up with a Q-tip. Because of
the potential for air bubbles alternative application tools to a paint brush are worth considering. Q-tips (beware of stranding)
and make-up/cosmetic application sponges are excellent acrylic paint application tools. However, the best means of
application for fine finishing with acrylic paints is an airbrush.
Other factors to consider when using acrylic paints- The type of airbrush being used, air pressure levels, and humidity levels
of the painting environment are all factors that can affect the finishing process when using acrylic paints.
Water base acrylic paints, like Badger Minitiare/MODELflex, are a heavier media than solvent based paints - so they require
slightly higher spray pressures (approximately 5-10%) to atomize properly. If using a gravity feed airbrush the