Looking for tips for airbrushing in tight spaces. Currently priming my leopard C2 mexas build with mr surfacer black. I’ve gotten the turret mostly primed but there are some nooks and crannies I’m having a tough time getting primed. The main offenders being under the add on armor, cupola and rear bin. An example here of under the back bin
I’m not too worried if I can’t get paint in there. As the primer will give me shadow, but without primer the orange plastic sticks out like a sore thumb
Maybe, and this is a big maybe, put a straw (if one will fit or be trimmed to fit) over the end of the airbrush tip like a shotgun choke and see if you can direct enough of the spray into the nook to get coverage to make it less noticeable?
Or stick some black on a long skinny brush that you can get into there and try to slather some on that way?
Yeah might be time to use the K.I.S.S principle here and use the hairy stick
I’d suggest dialing down the air pressure, closing up the paint tip (needle) and adjusting the paint viscosity to perhaps a thinner mixture than usual. This should allow you to get the air brush in closer and mitigate the blow-back and over-spray.
Once you find the “sweet spot” with the air pressure and viscosity, you can try opening up the needle a little. The trick now is to avoid spatters and runs. (Which is why I generally go with multiple lighter coats rather than fewer heavier ones.
The main adjustment is with the air pressure, tho. Dial it down and if you still can’t get in tight, then cut down the paint flow, and if the low air pressure is not enough to atomize the paint and draw it from the tip, then adjust to a lower viscosity.
Also, I find that starting with the nooks and crannies (the “tight spaces”) first is a more efficient sequence since I can avoid too much paint on the main surfaces around those tight spaces.
Starting in the tight areas is a great idea that embarrassingly I had never considered!
One issue I am definitely encountering is trying to avoid the areas I already primed!
