Apple Barrel Acrylic in an airbrush

[Scode68]

I went to Michaels to pick up some Apple Barrel Acrylic paint to try in the airbrush. I saw that the Michaels brand was 50 cents for the 2oz bottle so I picked up a few.

Questions are,

1. Has anybody used this type of paint in the airbrush with good results?
2. How much did you have to thin it down for good results?

Looks kind of thick like you would have to cut it down with a 1:3 mix with water.

I have a Badger 200 brush.

 

[Micromeister]

Yes the Better 2/3rds and I both have used Micheals Apple Barrel Acrylics in our water based air brushes, both are Paashe-H but that shouldn't make much difference.
Depends on the viscosity of the paint you get, some of the stuff we've picked up was pretty thin to start, but Red and Black were almost like paste (Older stock I'll wager).
Seems to cover OK on ceramics and white body tubes but takes lots of coats to cover grey primer.

 

[Pat_B]

I tried some and found that I had to add too much water in order to make it spray. It covered OK after a number of coats but always seemed to scratch quite easily.

 

[FatBoy]

There is a product called "Air Brush Medium" (I can't remember who makes it, but it's also available at Michaels in the fine art/oil paint section) that is a liquid that mixes with acrylic paint to make it better suited for airbrushing. I have never tried it but it might be worth a shot.

 

[Pat_B]

I've always wanted to try that too but they've always been out of stock at our Michaels. Airbrush medium allows you to thin down the acrylic without it losing its durability properties. But it does seem to be hard to find.

 

[Stymye]

I have not had the best results with the brush on craft acrylics, the pigment size is on the big side,, for brushing I guess (I only tried some metallics so that may not be the case all around) It did take alot of thinning to spray.

I totally agree ,,don't use water for thinning acrylics

 

[Scode68]

I'm not having good luck. I have a Badger 200 with the medium tip but don't think that is it. The coverage is not good at all but maybe thats how this stuff work. I tried water to thin and clear Windex.

Anybody have good luck with airbrushing this stuff and how did you do it?

 

[Pat_B]

It's best to start with a coventional primer as a base coat. I then spray thin coats of the final color with using a hair dryer in between coats to dry it quickly. To really get the best boost in color requires a clear coat over the top too.

 

[Scode68]

There is a product called "Air Brush Medium" (I can't remember who makes it, but it's also available at Michaels in the fine art/oil paint section) that is a liquid that mixes with acrylic paint to make it better suited for airbrushing.

I was just there and didn't see any. I asked a couple sales associates and they had no idea of what i was talking about.

 

[Pat_B]

Here's a good one https://www.liquitex.com/Products/fluidmedairbrush.cfm and here's something similar by Golden https://www.dickblick.com/products/golden-airbrush-mediums/

As long as you stick to acrylic paints then most of these products should be cross compatible, but obvious test on a small sample.

 

[Scode68]

https://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fa0306

Says,

All purchases should be made at your local Michaels store

At least I have an actually product brand that I can hound them about. I'll have to check the store near work tomorrow.

 

[Scode68]

https://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fa0306

well, they don't have it in the store and have never heard of it. At least in the three Michaels stores I checked. I sent Michaels and email and received a quick response but they said to check a store and ask a sales associate. I also sent Liquitex an email but they say it could take 5-10 days to get a response. I'm not sure if they still make this but I have seen it on line. They didn't have the Golden one either at Michaels.

I wish the Pearl here didn't close!

 

[FatBoy]

Make sure you look in the fine art section where they have the expensive acrylic and oil paints - not in the airbrush paint section or the cheaper acrylic (Apple Barrel, et al) paint section. I found it on the bottom shelf sitting amongst other specialty painting mediums, cleaners and chemicals. Hopefully you will find it. It is weird how every Michaels store is different. Of the dozen or so here around the Minneapolis area, some don't even carry rockets.

 

[Scode68]

I had two problems.

1. Employees that don't know what they sell.
2. They are is the process of redoing this area so there a lot of empty shelves.

I actually talked to a manager and he said to come back in a week or two to see if they have it. He had no clue as to what it was or if it was going to be stocked or not.

Maybe I'll try another manager in another store. I'd hate to by it on line and pay as much if not more for shipping the stuff.

 

[RimfireJim]

I had two problems.

1. Employees that don't know what they sell.
2. They are is the process of redoing this area so there a lot of empty shelves.

I actually talked to a manager and he said to come back in a week or two to see if they have it. He had no clue as to what it was or if it was going to be stocked or not.

Maybe I'll try another manager in another store. I'd hate to by it on line and pay as much if not more for shipping the stuff.

Aren't discount mega-chain stores great?

I have a bottle of the Liquitex stuff, but I can't remember if I bought it at Michaels or the independent craft store in town. I do know that the last time I was in Michaels looking for it, forgetting that I already had a bottle , I didn't find any in the fine art section where the other Liquitex products are. If you have an Aaron Brothers art store nearby, you might check there.

 

[Scode68]

Only places I can find within 1-1 1/2 hour away is Michaels or AC Moore.

 

[mjennings]

Try A. C. Moore, I don't know if they have airbrush medium, I just did a quick look a few weeks ago, and didn't instantly see anything but I couldn't remember the brand names. At the one near me (Springfield PA store, don't know where you're at in Jersey) They had a wide selection of different mediums right under all the Createx paints. I'd give the store a call, if you can gt a SKU number or the number off the bar code they might be able to look it up in the computer. You could try a art store too. I don't know whats in the area, there is one on Lancaster in Wayne PA, but I've only been in it once and don't remember how much airbrush stuff they carried

 

[FatBoy]

I found two brands of the airbrush medium (Liquitex and Golden) on clearance at my local Michaels today. It looks like they are brand-specific (i.e., Liquitex is specifically for Liquitex brand paint, etc.) so I don't know if it would be compatible with Apple Barrel brand.

 

[Scode68]

I’ve checked the clearance areas in the Michaels near me but there isn’t any there either. I have a store manager supposedly checking for me but it’s been over two weeks now without a call. The stuff is cheap enough to at least give it a try if I can get either.

 

[whaam68]

Hi
I've just finished my first rocket (yet to fly) a Mountainside Hobbies V2. I used modellers Revell acrylics in my cheapo chinese airbrush. After reading some modellers sites they all recommended thinning acrylics with Windex type window cleaning spray. I used it & it's dirt cheap & worked really well. Worth a try! I do have some "proper" acrylic thinner that cost a lot more & if anything the window cleaner worked better...the blue colour didn't seem to show in the paint
Mike

 

[gpoehlein]

You know, I remember from my IPMS days that you could also use Windshield Washer Fluid to thin acrylics. The small amount of detergent and the alcohol in there is just about right for thinning them, and the blue color doesn't interfere with the stronger/brighter pigments of the acrylic paints. Actually, it works in your favor in that it actually makes white seem whiter (the same reason people used to add bluing to their laundry) - pure white looks kind of yellowish without it. Trust me - I painted an awful lot of Federation Starship miniatures back in my Star Trek: The RPG days. At the time, I was airbrushing the miniatures with a mix of washer fluid and Armory Paints - which were rather similar to the Apple Barrel stuff and were much heavier and thicker than modeler's acrylics like Tamiya.

 

[Scode68]

I tried water to thin and clear Windex but I'll have to try windshield fluid. I have the orange RainX kind at home now.


By the way the Michaels manager I think was ducking me but I caught up with him. He said he couldn't get the Airbrush Media. I don't think he even tried.

 

[gpoehlein]

I tried water to thin and clear Windex but I'll have to try windshield fluid. I have the orange RainX kind at home now.


By the way the Michaels manager I think was ducking me but I caught up with him. He said he couldn't get the Airbrush Media. I don't think he even tried.

Not sure I'd use the orange RainX - I've only had experience with the blue stuff, and you can usually get a gallon for a $ or two at the most. Not to mention that a little goes a LONG way. I'd be most concerned that the orange stuff will discolor/yellow the paint.

 

[Scode68]

I wouldn't even try the rainX brand and have to get the regular blue stuff. Since Rain X beads the water on windshields I wouldn't think it would be a good thing to mix with paint.

 

[Stymye]

You know, I remember from my IPMS days that you could also use Windshield Washer Fluid to thin acrylics. The small amount of detergent and the alcohol in there is just about right for thinning them, and the blue color doesn't interfere with the stronger/brighter pigments of the acrylic paints. Actually, it works in your favor in that it actually makes white seem whiter (the same reason people used to add bluing to their laundry) - pure white looks kind of yellowish without it. Trust me - I painted an awful lot of Federation Starship miniatures back in my Star Trek: The RPG days. At the time, I was airbrushing the miniatures with a mix of washer fluid and Armory Paints - which were rather similar to the Apple Barrel stuff and were much heavier and thicker than modeler's acrylics like Tamiya.

when painting small plastic models that has some type of shading.., you can get away with almost any paint and heavy thinning using washer fluid,water,alcohol, grandmas recipe...it's not a big enough surface to look odd..

when it comes to laying down a solid color on a bt-80 rocket...that old school thinking doesn't hold up at all ..also acrylic paints have advanced by several generations since they were first introduced 20 yrs ago.those are very wrong thinners to use..detrimental to your joy

if your willing to learn how to use the paint and don't settle for cheap or off the wall paints.. there is no limit to the paint job you can throw down.

rocket modelers are not painting small detailed plastic models that are not to be touched

 

[Jwhop3]

There is a product called "Air Brush Medium" (I can't remember who makes it, but it's also available at Michaels in the fine art/oil paint section) that is a liquid that mixes with acrylic paint to make it better suited for airbrushing. I have never tried it but it might be worth a shot.

It’s called windshield washer fluid.

 

[Hobie1dog]

It’s called windshield washer fluid.

to the forum. What made you respond to a 12 year old thread?