# Grex Airbrush



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

What do you guys use to Thin Paint? What do you use to Clean it when finished?

What Paint do you use? In general


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi John... For the most part when weathering, I use acrylics. Wrougth Iron Black, gray and various shades of brown and tan. I get them in the craft section at Wal-mart. I think they come in 4 ounce bottles. The brand I'm using right now is "Apple Barrel". 

There's one other brand that I use but don't have the bottle handy to check the name. I've generally paid 99 cents for them.

I use plain old bottled water to thin the paint. For cleaning the brush, I run water from the tap through the brush until it runs clean, then I take the needle out and clean it with a soft cloth, put it back in and run more water through it. When I'm done with that, I'll fill the cup 1/2 full with Isopropyl alcohol and run it through to help keep the water out.

Works for me..









Bring the brush up some day and we'll play with some weathering.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I usually use Floquil solvent based paints JJ (not the Polyscale acrylics). In general, I don't thin it, but use it right from the bottle. If I do thin it, I used to use Floquil DioSol, the thinner recommended for Floquil solvent based paints, but that isn't available anymore. Instead, I use lacquer thinner. I have a bottle filled with it and spray it through the airbrush until it comes out clear - i.e. no color or paint left. I then run a pipe cleaner dipped in thinner through the brush. 

Generally speaking, use whatever thinner is recommended for the paint you're using.


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ

I've had pretty good luck with cheap craft store acrylics (Folk Art, Apple Barrel, etc.). I thin them to a watery consistency with Liquitex Airbrush Medium which seems to improve adhesion on smooth surfaces. For cleanup, plain old water works if done promptly; if I wait too long, then Badger's airbrush cleaner solution softens things up. 


Dawg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

They guy at the show knew how to sell. He had a ezle there and you could play with the air bursh. You could just walk up to it and play. I played for about 15 minutes. Then ontop of that it was a smoking deal for a show price. This one seems to fit so comfortably in your hand.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I like the Grex brushes, I need to invest in one I suppose. Glad to hear that you are enjoyng yours. 

Like mentioned above, I use Floquil paints and thinners. For clean up I just fill the reservoir with thinner and blow it through till clear.. If I'm doing a lot of work over a few days I'll stop at that. If I'm putting it away for a while, I'll dissasemble the airbrush and clean and wipe down the internals with clean thinner as well. 

Mine is a central pneumatic two stage.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Dawg, thanks for the tip on the thinner. I've not had the best of luck thinning the acrylics with water--they still tend to clog the brush on me. 

I've started using Badger's "ModelFlex" line of paints, which don't need thinning. A night and day difference between that and the acrylics, to the point where it was one of those "oh, _that's_ how an airbrush is supposed to work" moments. 

Later, 

K


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ, 

I attended the show on Saturday. Which model number Grex brush did you buy? How much was the show price?


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Garry 
This is the airbrush I bought 

I think the show price was 209 bucks. I bought some other sutff with it. Hose Regulator Paint to practice with.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

THX JJ. I really need an airbrush to properly paint these Rio Grande Models UK combine kit.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I really like that brush.. I need to invest in one sooner or later..


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I played with it at three shows before I bought it. When I was at the fairplex I played with it several times on sat and 4 times on sunday morning before I bought it. 

He had some that were like last years model. Then there is a different version of the one I bought and the differance is the cups. This is like the high end one


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## dawgnabbit (Jan 2, 2008)

You're welcome, Kevin.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I've used both ModelFlex (great stuff) and craft store acrylics thinned with airbrush medium instead of alcohol or water. I really can't tell much difference in how they spray or cover or adhere, but I sure can in the price.

The Grex airbrush IS a nice product. I very nearly bought one. But I got sucked off into Badgerland instead.

Cheers,

Dawg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I got a badger I got at TBTS when it was on the Queen Mary. It was after I went to a wheathering demonstration. I played with it a couple of times. I like this trigger one.


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

I well remember standing with you JJ at the last BTS, while we both "played" with the Grex. I was really impressed. The one like you have, is my next major purchase. But it will have to wait for our next trip over. For some reason those trips over, always seem to coincide with a train show?????








BTW I cannot get my dual action brush to work as well as that Grex pistol grip did.

Rod


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

" . . . use to Thin Paint? What do you use to Clean it when finished? What Paint do you use? "


I don't thin paint . . not for use in airbrush anyays ! 


Clean my badger with water first, and then at end of day use the badger cleaning fluid. Tear down and rub things down before putting a drop of goop on the needle end . .


Badger Modelflex !
. . . . even though it is unavailable directly off local hobby shop shelves, but can have it ordered in thru the local distributor !! 


doug c


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

I got my Grex kit about ten days ago and love it. Just painted an undecorated GP-30 with it and used black acrylic emamel purchased at Sherwin Williams. Cut it 1-1 with water and it covered like a champ.

Love the gun. Easy to operate and very easy to clean. Clean with water, take the needle out, clean with more water, put needle back in, clean with a cup of denatured alcohol. 

Ready to go for next time.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Dave F - 

What model Central Pneumatic do you have? I have plenty of garage-size air tools from CF and my son just gave me a 20% off coupon from them. Might as well start with their stuff and see how I do. 

jack


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

This is the specific airbrush that I have.. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95810 

It came as part of this whole kit.. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95630 

I've been very pleased with it.. But I really like that Grex.. it's on my short list for Santa.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Used my 20% coupon and got the 95810 brush. Should be a good starter unit; I'll practice on some cans and jars from the recycling bin and see how I do. Maybe it's all I need. I'm sure Rembrandt could paint great pictures with fingerpaints, but if ya got no talent, the most exensive brush in the world will still give you trash. (I have a tendency to keep spraying until I see a big drip forming. Gotta break myself of that habit.) 

Anybody ever try this? Instead of buying a new compressor I just bought the HF 5 gallon air tank, figuring I can just fill 'er up from my big compressor in the garage and take it down to the basement. Not knowing how much "air per minute" the brush uses, it might be all I need or might mean a lot of trips up to the garage for refills. 

Yet another adventure in the key of G. 

Thanks for all the advice, guys. 
jack


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## Lawrence Wallace (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been thinning acrylic-latex paints with window-washing fluid for a coupe of years [alcohol base] then run a couple cups through to clean out most of the paint. Run some alcohol through before taking apart and giving the gun a final cleaning. 

Depending on what I'm painting I go 1-1 thinning. 

The kids bought me a top end badger a few years back to replace my old airbrushes. I have two Bink's airbrushes an "A" and "B" I bought in 1964 
and still use them more than the new brush.


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