Air brush on metal

Creative Arts
#1

Can anyone recommend some paint to airbrush onto metal? (at home - so the “water-based” restriction of the CA airbrushes isn’t relevant here). I’m assuming I need an enamel paint … I would have thought the old FloQuil enamels would be perfect with their ultra-fine pigment but alas they haven’t been made in awhile.

Also, if I need to prime this, with what would I do that?

I only need one color so it doesn’t particularly matter if it’s a little pricey.

Also, could I use the Vallejos masking fluid with this?

#2

I’d be inclined to use use a rattle can of automotive sandable primer and then airbrush acrylics onto that.

I don’t use an airbrush, but I do use the sandable primer on ABS and PLA 3D prints: the primer provides excellent “tooth” and acrylics bond just fine to it.

#3

I’m really bad with rattle cans. And this item has a lot of very fine details.

#4

What’s the intended purpose of the piece? Will the paint need to be durable for handling or exposed to sun/outside? What kind of metal?

#5

It’s a non-functioning miniature stove/oven for indoor display (i.e., it’s conceptually a statue). Although the doors will open on hinges, the knobs/latches will not be painted. It will need to be durable enough for someone to pick it up and examine it a dozen times during its lifetime and that’s all.

It will be a combination of cast bronze and machined brass, soldered together.

#6

You can get a primer for airbrush as well. Primer will be your friend. Createx has good paint and primer you can thin for an airbrush.

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#7

If you clean it really well (lacquer thinner to remove the solder flux) you might be able to airbrush acrylic without primer. Several light coats, with the first being just a mist coat to give it some “tooth.”

I was always partial to Gunze Sangyo “aqueous hobby color” paints. Might be able to find them at a HobbyTown that still caters to scale or train modelers. It can be used on metal. For airbrush dilute at least 50/50 with distilled water & isopropyl alcohol. The proportions of the thinner kinda have to be worked out for your paint color, temperature, humidity. It can be anywhere from 25/75 to 75/25. Some folks just stick with 50/50 alcohol/water for the thinner and 50/50 paint/thinner to airbrush.

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#8

Oooh … I foresee a trip to Wild Bill’s!