Sotar 20/20 issue

[amrogers3]

Having trouble with Sotar 20/20 with fine needle.

I read the black end means fine tip (which is what I am using) and my Sotar is spraying a wide pattern. Put a pen in for comparison. I have seen the Sotar paint a very thin line so not sure what I am doing wrong. Any suggestions?

 

[huskystafford]

 

[Robbyrockett2]

Are you using the matching nozzle and air cap?
How much is your paint reduced?

 

[Robbyrockett2]

Also in the picture you have a nice ton of tip dry on the needle.

All of this may sound obvious, but I have no idea how long you've had this brush or what if any experience you have, or anything you've already tried.

 

[huskystafford]

https://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/introducing-netiquette.8799/
https://www.airbrushforum.org/introductions/

 

[amrogers3]

Thanks for the reply.

Brand new, havent changed anything, all stock parts it came with. Paints thinned a bit but nothing so thin I am getting spidering effect. I have seen reviews where this thing painted super thin lines. Do you think maybe it is a bad brush?

 

[Robbyrockett2]

Between the extreme grainyness on your sheet and the wad of tip dry on your needle I'd say the paint is too thick.
Pick off the tip dry, thin the paint way more and drop your air pressure to suit the thinner paint.
I could get nearly literally hair thin lines from the krome ( same nozzle and such)
Try 3 parts reducer, one part paint and about 15-20 psi.
With the needle clean.

 

[amrogers3]

Actually using Vallejo air which is already AB ready to go and thinning it down even further to spray a glaze. It is as thin as it will get, anymore and I will get spidering. I am running 18 psi.

I broke it down, cleaned needle, washed inside out with water, AB cleaner, and more water. Made sure no clog in nozzle. Result = same thick lines.

 

[Robbyrockett2]

Ready to spray is with a .5 nozzle.
You're running a .2
Extremely fine detail is definitely possible w this brush and people often thin as much as 30 drops of reducer to a single drop of paint. Avoiding spiders is all in practice.
The lines I see tell me the paint is too thick and won't come out til you've pulled the trigger a good ways back and then spatters at the edges.

Could be wrong but all I have to go off of is a picture so it's just my best guess.

You aren't getting any bubbles in the cup are you?
The only other thing I can think of is the nozzle isn't seating well... But you'll get air bubbles in the paint cup if that the case.
Chapstick at it's base will fix that if so.

 

[JackEb]

Ready to spray is with a .5 nozzle.
You're running a .2
Extremely fine detail is definitely possible w this brush and people often thin as much as 30 drops of reducer to a single drop of paint. Avoiding spiders is all in practice.
The lines I see tell me the paint is too thick and won't come out til you've pulled the trigger a good ways back and then spatters at the edges.

Could be wrong but all I have to go off of is a picture so it's just my best guess.

You aren't getting any bubbles in the cup are you?
The only other thing I can think of is the nozzle isn't seating well... But you'll get air bubbles in the paint cup if that the case.
Chapstick at it's base will fix that if so.

To be fair, the website does state that the vallejo 'Air' paint (both 'model' and 'game' ) will spray undiluted through a .2 at ~ 15-18psi.
HOWEVER.
this is when one of the 1001 variables come into play.
how old is the paint
did you mix it thoroghly ( half a dozen shakes by hand often wont mix adequately
Is your compressor gauge accurate
does your compressor have a tank
(we dont know what compressor you are using)

from your picture above, I'd agree there is some tip dry issues judging by the spray patterns, and the crud on the needle tip.

you will need to either

up the pressure
up the reduction

make sure the airbrush is squeaky clean, then clean it again (we've all done the 'but its clean' route)

 

[Robbyrockett2]

Try it with food coloring. Are your lines at least as fine as Don's. That'll tell you better if it's a paint thing or a brush thing, or a control thing.
Could be a flared nozzle.

Yep, I got that wrong on the paint/ nozzle spec

 

[huskystafford]

He uses food coloring and a paper towel. Thin lines are a product of control, paint type, viscosity, air pressure. All of us have just about thrown our airbrushes through the wall in frustration trying to get hyper detail.

I practise on paper towel, so I don't waste money on t-shirts. There is no way you can get spiders on paper towel Maybe if you use 1 drop of paint and 30 drops of reducer with high psi -.-

 

[amrogers3]

Thanks this is very helpful Robby!

No bubbles in the reservoir. HOWEVER, I do see small bubbles outside the cap if I am not mistaken. I am not sure what it is called, but part 20-109. I can't remember if this is when I depress for air or pull back for paint.

I am beginning to think this is a flared nozzle situation. I think what I will do is replace the nozzle. If that works, awesome, if not, back to the drawing board. This paint is super thin, not quite but almost water consistency.

Question though, what is the best way to clean the nozzle to avoid damaging the nozzle? I am pretty careful with it but maybe not being able to clean it thoroughly is part of my problem. What method do you find works best? I am sure this is area to pay extra attention to in order to avoid paint clogging up and preventing paint flow.

 

[JackEb]

Check the troubleshooting section, quite a few ‘cleaning’ threads in there, from memory one is pinned so it will be at the top

 

[SiRoxx]

It does look like it’s a paint issue as much as anything. A small nozzle doesn’t guarantee thin lines, it is down to the use more than anything. You can watch videos of pros pulling very thin lines using larger nozzle brushes. Because trigger control and a ton of other factors play their part having “thinned for Airbrush” written in a bottle doesn’t mean it will be the case. I watch people use Wicked paint straight from the bottle with a small nozzle brush and find that I can’t get it through a larger one. It is down to the individual and just comes with practice and experience. The paint will still build up if it’s super thin, it will just take more coats and the Spidering will get less and less with practice. Apologies if you already know this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Robbyrockett2]

There's lots of cleaning tricks.
I think I used a tiny sliver cut off a toothpic but a .4mm mechanical pencil lead would be an idea.
Now I'm much more dangerous with what I usually do.

Flaring the nozzle is more likely to happen during re assembly, putting the needle in after the nozzle.
On that type I'd leave the needle chuck loose, put the nozzle on over the already installed needle, then put the hold down ring on, pull the trigger back a hair then tighten the chuck.


The bubbles outside the cap....is normal for badger, you can seal w chapstick but it won't hurt if you don't.
I did bc after a color change it would force water out of the threads til it formed a little bead that ran down the outside into the airstream and all of a sudden...splat.

 

[Robbyrockett2]

.4 wasnt a mistake btw. AB nozzle sizes are given in radius instead of diameter.
With the crazy high resolution your camera seems to have I'm sure we could probably see if it's a flared nozzle if you post a pic of it.

 

[Malky]

https://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/introducing-netiquette.8799/
https://www.airbrushforum.org/introductions/

I'm just a little bit concerned about the constant nagging for introductions here, unfortunately introduction threads just like every other thread soon disappear under a blanket of many many newer threads and ably a visit to a user's profile would help to find any introduction made by that user, many people logging on here for the first time do so because they have an issue which they think needs addressing and they seek urgent help, so the last thing on their minds is an introduction, it's nice when they do but not entirely necessary.

It woukd be far better for new users to take a few moments to edit their prifiles and signatures with their approximate locations, art preferences and equipment since all this shows all around the window containing each post they make, if you look at Robbie's posts above and anywhere else for that matter we can all see at a glance his location and what equipment he uses, thats what I would rather encourage with an introduction simply being optional for a new user should they wish to provide more information than they already have.

If a user asks a question, under their avatar and their signature are first places I look, if the same user has 1000 posts I definitely will not root through them all to find more information, if a user has no information anywhere and is vague about their current issues I will either ask for more information relative to their issues or just not respond at all.

Notice that Robbie will go out of his way to to respond to someone in need whether that person has posted an introduction or not, like me, he understands the urgency that caused a new user to log on just hoping for a solution to a problem they might struggling with, I think that is more of what the forum is about.

 

[JackEb]

we do offer help, I can’t think of a single instance were help has been refused unless an intro has been done.
We offer assistance.... and ask for an intro so we can get to know them.
Yes all the info could be put in a signature/profile, but how many do the basics of a location in their profile? . Most don’t even bother with that. I often add the locale once they’ve divulged it in the posts.

 

[huskystafford]

I'm just a little bit concerned about the constant nagging for introductions here, unfortunately introduction threads just like every other thread soon disappear under a blanket of many many newer threads and ably a visit to a user's profile would help to find any introduction made by that user, many people logging on here for the first time do so because they have an issue which they think needs addressing and they seek urgent help, so the last thing on their minds is an introduction, it's nice when they do but not entirely necessary.

It woukd be far better for new users to take a few moments to edit their prifiles and signatures with their approximate locations, art preferences and equipment since all this shows all around the window containing each post they make, if you look at Robbie's posts above and anywhere else for that matter we can all see at a glance his location and what equipment he uses, thats what I would rather encourage with an introduction simply being optional for a new user should they wish to provide more information than they already have.

If a user asks a question, under their avatar and their signature are first places I look, if the same user has 1000 posts I definitely will not root through them all to find more information, if a user has no information anywhere and is vague about their current issues I will either ask for more information relative to their issues or just not respond at all.

Notice that Robbie will go out of his way to to respond to someone in need whether that person has posted an introduction or not, like me, he understands the urgency that caused a new user to log on just hoping for a solution to a problem they might struggling with, I think that is more of what the forum is about.

I didn't won't to nag and it won't happen again. But I do like to post dragons