Holding Parts for Airbrushing

Tools 'n' Tips Article by John Kerr in 2002

 

Introduction

If you do a lot of airbrushing, regardless of whether you build aircraft, tanks, ships or cars, one of your main concerns before actually spraying major/minor part(s) OR a semi-completed/completed model probably include the following:

  1. "While spraying, how am I going to hold the part/kit without actually getting fingerprints all over it ?"
  2. "Where am I going to place the part/kit once I’ve sprayed it ?" - again without holding or touching !

Those new to airbrushing (and maybe those not-so-new) should consider these two simple questions when planning their next spray painting session. Here are a few simple suggestions using common kitchen and household items that may be used to hold small-to-medium sized parts for spraying and drying - without physically touching them !

 

Household Accessories as Airbrush Aids

Blu-Tack

Blu-Tack has many applications for airbrushing. Now there may be some readers who do not know what Blu-Tack is.  For your benefit, Blu-Tack (manufactured by Bostik here in Australia) is a flexible, re-usable adhesive synthetic “thing”.  According to the advertising blurb on the packaging “Blu-Tack has thousands of uses – it sticks, it seals, it cleans, it’s re-usable…”.  In modelling, Blu-Tack can be used to hold parts on sticks while painting or decaling, mask off interiors & complex shapes, define soft-edged demarcation lines/curves etc. etc. etc.

 

Ice Cream Sticks

Naturally after you’ve eaten the ice cream, and washed and dried the stick! These are great for holding small to medium size parts. Place a lump of Blu-Tack towards the end of the stick and then firmly place the part on the Blu-Tack. In the case of long parts, eg. flaps, you may need a couple of small lumps of Blu-Tack to hold the part firmly in place on the stick.

 

Pegs

Yes ordinary, everyday clothes pegs!  If you haven’t got ice cream sticks then use common pegs (again Blu-Tak part on). Pegs can also be used as clamps, depending on the size and shape of the parts being glued together.

 

Toothpicks & Medium/Large Bamboo Skewers

Very useful when spraying round shaped parts with holes in them (eg. wheels, spinners, spinner backing plates, bombs, fuel tanks, one-piece cowlings etc.). Use toothpicks for small items (eg. spinners, small bombs) and skewers for larger items (fuel tanks, one-piece cowlings etc.). If the toothpick or skewer point does not secure the part because the hole is too large, use a bit of Blu-Tack to reinforce the attachment.

An added advantage of using a "stick" to hold a part is that you can hold the part up at various angles to the airbrush paint flow. This will ensure good overall paint coverage.

But wait – where are you going to place the toothpick or skewer ! Now that you’ve sprayed the part attached to the toothpick or skewer, you now have to find a safe place to let it dry. Here’s what I do:

  • I Blu-Tack the toothpick/skewer to the side of my modelling table (for skewers -place the Blu-Tack about half way or just higher than halfway - remember gravity tends to make heavy ends tilt !

  • Next I tear off a strip of everyday masking tape (ie. don’t waste that precious TAMIYA masking tape !) and place it across where the toothpick/skewer is affixed to the table, this will ensure the toothpick/skewer does not move!

  • The part(s) can now be left to dry without coming into contact any surface.

 

Painting Whole models

OK so far I’ve mainly talked about painting small parts. What about whole airframes, car bodies, tank bodies? There are a couple of options in the case of an aircraft airframe to be painted in one overall colour:

  • Paint in stages, i.e. first paint the lower surfaces, allow to dry and then paint the upper surfaces, or

  • Paint the whole airframe in one session.

If you decide to paint the whole airframe at one sitting, how are you going to hold it? All external surfaces will be painted. Try filling the wheel wells with Blu-Tack, then firmly plug a piece of cut sprue, or something similar, about 3 - 5cms (or as long as you want/need to) in length in each wheel well. This will allow you to spray the lower surfaces and then place the airframe on your makeshift stand to spray the upper surfaces. Please note there are numerous variations to designing your own makeshift stand - a lot depends on the shape of the aircraft, jet intakes/exhausts, where the wheel well are located and so on.

 

Summary

One major benefit about the household items I’ve described in this short article is that they are damn cheap, thus saving your hard-earned bucks (dollars, cash, dough or whatever you want to call it !) for your next new kit, decal sheet or update set!

If you are new to airbrushing, you will soon become very adept at painting parts and whole models with practice and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to think laterally. If you think something will work then give it a try!

John Kerr

John Kerr
South Australian Plastic Modellers' Association (SAPMA)
Adelaide, South Australia

NB This article was originally published on HyperScale in 1998 (the original article can still be found in the HyperScale Reference Library) and has been revisited/updated for ARC.

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I just wanted to let you know that in Belgium and the Netherlands (and probably a few surrounding countries in Europe as well), there is a substitute for Blu-Tack, named Poster Buddies, by a firm called Pritt (a subsidiary company of Henkel).  This might be of interest to (new) modelers in this area.
 
Sven Van Loo

Photos and text © by John Kerr