dose Anyone had use air-brush to paint some little part??
I have iwata hp-cs air-brush. but...I tryed use it but...It seems like not working.
I believe that paint was too thick. I think I have to mix with thinner..then it would work..
Is this right?
what kind paint do I have to use for air-brush....?

 

Gunz, I have painted a lot of parts using both an air brush (Badger Model 250) and a small automotive spray gun. What I will tell you from my experience is that the air brush will work, but you need to thin it down a decent amount. As for paint quality, the air brush paint doesn't seem to come out as shiny. So, what I would recommend is to attempt to apply a few heavier coats with the paint as thick as possible. When you do that, you will get a pretty decent finish.

As for types of paint, I have used a lot (Proto 2000, Dimension, Dupont, hardware store generic, etc). Stick with a decent automotive thinner. I tend to use a medium dry time thinner. If you are painting just a small piece and you are after something that matches the body of the car, get the paint code and then go to your local auto parts store. They have touch up bottles of your color. They come in 0.5 ounce bottles. Thinned, that will be enough to paint about 1 square foot of space. Then cover the color with a good clear coat. I did this with bezels for my power windows and after 7 years of use, they still look almost new.

If you need more help, let me know.

 

thanks for helping me Thermo!
Actually I got the spray can at Napa few moth ago. And the guy works there gave me some left over paint put in an another can. I used that leftover, but it didn't work. - didn't come out from air brush.
should I go to dealer to get a paint? and that paint had been thinnd? I am willing to buy it from dealer because the spray can wasn't perfect match to my colour. - platinum MDZ
Is air brush better than spray can? or same?
thank god that I met you.

 

Gunz, all paints that I know of coming from any store are not thinned. So, when purchasing, make sure you get a compatible thinner. Just because it is paint thinner does not necessarily mean that it will work. If in doubt, find a small jar, fill it most of the way with thinner and then add a few drops of paint. Shake really good and then look at how the paint and thinner interact. If the color dissolves into the thinner, you are good. If the paint is not compatible, then you will see the paint gel up.

As for getting paint to match exactly, there's tons of factors that play into this. Something as simple as the car sitting out in the sun can affect the current color. So, if you are needing an exact match, you will need to find an automotive paint store that has something called a color gun. Essentially it shines a light on to the body of the car and then looks at the light reflect and can determine the exact color of the car taking into account any fading.

As for air brush over spray paint can being better, I think it truely depends on the project. If you are painting say brake calipers, spray paint can is definitely better for the simplicity and the final coat not being a critical function. On the flip side, if you are doing say an interior piece and you are needing to keep the texture of the plastic, air brush is the only way to go. If you tell me what you are painting, I can give a better recommendation. I have painted the grill of my truck using an air brush and it has lasted almost 10 years now. So, there are right tools for the right job.

I would tell you that if you are planning on painting a few other parts, spend a little bit extra and get say a quart can of color via an automotive paint store. The quality of paint that you can get through them is much better than you can get at any auto parts store or in a "touch up" bottle. While the initial cost is a bit more (about $60 for a quart of color), that will be enough for many other projects you may have in mind. With this being said, there is a lot more information that you will need to consider if going this route. If you want to learn about automotive paint, let me know. While I am not an expert on them, I know more than most. Most auto paint stores will be willing to step you through getting the paint that you need.

 

thank you thank you than you.
wow, it is good info.
ok, here is my story.
I have 'iwataeclipse hp-cs' and grex compressor- 1/8 horse power 1700rpm max pressure 60psi. It was used for plastic model cars.
And what I am trying to do is my front bumper. Under the grill, upper plate, there is some cracked paint. Maybe someone hit and run. so, I am thinking not to paint whole bumper, but paint upper side of bumper - maybe just under grill where cracked occured.
And I painted RH side of headlight washer cover with spray can.- I don't like it. so, I am thinking repaint with this air brush.
so..what do you think?
and I have question. how much do I mix with thinner? perfect amount of thinner to get the best result?

thank you again!

 

Gunz, for painting a bumper, you are going to find out that the edge of the paint is going to leave a "cloudy" appearance. So, unfortunately, it is going to be an all or nothing thing. You will need to either paint the whole bumper cover or none of it. That is just my experience. Hence why I have the small spray gun. yes, you can do the whole bumper cover with the air brush, but you will be standing there for quite some time as the air brush doesn't cover a lot of area with any one passing. Then multiply this by numerous passes and you can see how this can be a time consuming project. So, ultimately, what I am trying to say is you should only paint what pieces you can either remove from the car (painting them completely) or painting an area that is bounded by the natural seems of the vehicle (ie, complete door, entire hood, etc). By doing this, it will help prevent any paint lines forming on the vehicle, detracting from the looks.

As for thinning of the paint, I normally bounce somewhere between 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner and 1 part paint to 1 part thinner. This all depends on how thick the paint is inside the can. I normally have a piece of cardboard or something I am willing to throw away that I spray a little bit of paint on to so I can see how the paint is coming out of the air brush. Running the 2:1 mix you can get some decent coverage with each pass, but it may be too thick for the air brush. Running the 1:1 mix, it will flow through the air brush, but you will find that it will take a little bit longer for it to dry and if you come back too soon to a given area, you run a higher chance of causing a run. I would tell you to read the side of the can. Normally it will tell you how to mix the paint and how much thinner to use. If in doubt, use a little bit extra thinner. But normally the mix directions are pretty good.

 

thanks thermo.
I think it better if I post a picture of the part that I want to paint.
I will take a picture.
Before that, I have one more question.
I'm thinking paint side mirror as crome look. And probably wheels too.
do you have any recommendation? Is it possible to get high gloss crome look?

 

GUnz, do they sell "chrome" paint, YES. Does it look like plated chrome, not that I have seen. The "chrome" paint I have seen comes out more like a machined steel look, not so much a mirror type chrome look. So, depending on what you are after, it might meet your needs. But, odds are, if you want chrome looking wheels, I would recommend spending the money and taking the wheels to a chrome shop and have them do a proper chrome dip.