Hello and welcome to the nut bin!
I enjoy airbrushing too-
I would stay with the enamals myself, unless you can put a very thin coat of primer that will counter-act the "hot" laquer. Then, that comes to experimenting with the primers-
Although Bill mentioned having dire results using water based paints- I've found different results.
This is good for a thin coat if you want a "weathered" look, or if you plan on clearing it later.
I do use oil-based paint the most, though-
Speaking of watered or thinned down paint brings up another point:
Be careful as to keep the airbrush clean after each use, and depending on the paint- don't let it sit out too long between coats or it will thicken and clog the gun.
For painting slots, I go with a milky consistency for the body of the paint.
I can add another good tip:
Save all the directional tubes that attach to the spray nozzles that come with carb’, brake cleaner and ether (starting fluid). There are a few versions so save them all—you will find one that will work…
Clean the nozzles and tube out- I let them soak in mineral spirits overnight to soften up any dried up remains. I do this twice.
Take an old Testors paint bottle with little paint left that’s still in liquid form. Clean it out- again using mineral spirits until it’s spotless.
Drill a hole just larger than the spray nozzle in the paint bottle lid.
Insert the correct spray nozzle into the spray paint can of your choice.
You can now spray the paint into the bottle without creating any mess, over-spray, or fumes. Plus, you can mix it (or thin it) in the bottle.
It’s also really easy to get the paint out—I use an eye dropper.
When you are done, just replace the cap with the hole in it with another cap and you can save the paint.
Just be sure to clean the nozzles and directional tube after each use.
Cheers..
