![\"Citadel](\"http:\/\/wardisciple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/sprayGun-sized.jpg\")
<\/a>Citadel Spray Gun plus Propellant<\/p><\/div>\n
When it was released, this tool met with mixed reviews. \u00a0I knew there was a chance that I’d be purchasing a nicely packaged dose of frustration, but if there was a chance it could save me hours of dull, repetitive work then it just might be worth it.<\/p>\n
I spent three hours playing around with the gun, and at the end of it I managed to take three models (primed in black) to this:<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Finished Result<\/p><\/div>\n
Here’s what I think of the spray gun after my experience.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Pros<\/h1>\n\n- When it works, it can quickly cover a model in any of the available “base” shades.<\/span><\/li>\n
- It can be used indoors–a bonus for those cold winter months where I live. \u00a0It should still be used in a well-ventilated space, but it doesn’t reek of spraypaint propellant.<\/li>\n
- When it works, ho boy! \u00a0I saved a lot of painting time on my helbrute and the two Chaos “command” figures from the Dark Vengeance starter set.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cons<\/h1>\n\n- Flow is uneven and difficult to regulate. \u00a0Adjusting the paint valve even just a tiny bit too much can change a good mist into something blobby.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The model coat can be uneven, not that smooth finish that can come from manually painting.<\/li>\n
- The paint nozzle clogs easily and needs constant cleaning.<\/li>\n
- This uses a lot of paint. \u00a0Expect to cover less with a single pot than you normally would with hand-painting.<\/li>\n
- Pressure drops noticeably once the propellant can is 1\/3 full or less.\n
\n- I did have some success keeping pressure levels up by frequently shaking the can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The instructions are basic, and consist mostly of spray gun assembly, maintenance and troubleshooting.\n
\n- The section devoted to use really just consists of how far away the spray gun should be from the model.<\/li>\n
- There used to be a much more comprehensive article about using the spray gun on the Games Workshop site, but it (along with almost all the other articles) is gone now.<\/li>\n
- I don’t know if the Painting Citadel Miniatures book has any information on the subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Never](\"http:\/\/wardisciple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/skull-grad-avatar.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Lesson Learned<\/h1>\n
Did the spray gun do what I wanted it to do?<\/strong> \u00a0Yes. \u00a0But i<\/p>\n\n- t took a lot of fiddling, and wasted a lot of paint. \u00a0I was making a point of being patient with this, especially since if I could get it to work it would be a time-saver.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Would I recommend it?<\/strong> \u00a0I don’t know. \u00a0I’ve been reading up on other people’s experiences with this product and most seem to have gotten far more use out of the propellant than I did. \u00a0On the other hand, most people’s experience seems to be negative and tales of testing the spray gun usually conclude with “get a cheap air brush.”<\/p>\nI think at this point I may buy one more can of propellant and give it another go unless I can find a super-cheap airbrush+compressor that can do the same thing. \u00a0While waiting for the can to cool down at one point I did come out and start looking up prices and local availability for dual-action air brushes and compressors, but the best price I could find around where I live was approximately $250, which is too much more than I can afford at this point. \u00a0Unless I can find something closer to around half that price, I don’t see an air brush in my future.<\/p>\n
Important to Remember<\/h1>\n
If you are going to use the spray gun, here are some tips that should help get the best results.<\/p>\n
\n- This is\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0an airbrush. \u00a0Use it more like a can of spray paint:\n
\n- Keep the gun about 20-30 cm from the model.<\/li>\n
- Paint in short, controlled sweeps.<\/li>\n
- If you have multiple items to paint, try to coat several at once.<\/li>\n
- Rotate models as they are painted so that they become evenly coated.<\/li>\n
- Leave the models to dry between coats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Don’t let the can get too cold.\n
\n- The propellant is pressurized CO2, and the can temperature drops significantly during use. \u00a0As the can cools, the pressure drops significantly.<\/li>\n
- If I did let the can get too cold, it would start making noises almost as if something was falling off the walls inside. \u00a0The pressure would suddenly increase at that point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The paint\/water ratio is critical.\n
\n- Too much water and the paint runs freely on the model and collects in recesses and steep angles (the way washes are supposed to collect to highlight details).<\/li>\n
- Too little water and the paint becomes blobby and might not even flow through the valve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Check paint flow before starting, and frequently while painting.\n
\n- Make sure to prime a few test sprues to use for the testing.<\/li>\n
- If you don’t have sprues, even just a piece of paper will give you an idea of the spray gun’s output.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean regularly during use.\n
\n- Have a cloth or a toothpick to wipe off the end of the paint valve.<\/li>\n
- At various times, run water through the spray gun.\n
\n- Unscrew the glass paint jar.<\/li>\n
- Fill a container up with water.<\/li>\n
- Place the exposed paint hose into the water and spray until the water runs clear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean promptly after use.\n
\n- If that paint dries in the gun, good luck getting it out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The usage ratio seems to be one can of propellant for one pot’s worth of paint.\n
\n- Unfortunately, I still don’t have a good idea of how much specific coverage can be had with a single pot. \u00a0I spent a lot of paint on test sprues and playing with paint flow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am looking for a way of speeding up the mundane aspects of painting minis (like getting a good, solid base coat). \u00a0I’m not interested in purchasing an airbrush, as they’re really expensive and I’m not sure how much use … Continue reading
Cons<\/h1>\n\n- Flow is uneven and difficult to regulate. \u00a0Adjusting the paint valve even just a tiny bit too much can change a good mist into something blobby.<\/span><\/li>\n
- The model coat can be uneven, not that smooth finish that can come from manually painting.<\/li>\n
- The paint nozzle clogs easily and needs constant cleaning.<\/li>\n
- This uses a lot of paint. \u00a0Expect to cover less with a single pot than you normally would with hand-painting.<\/li>\n
- Pressure drops noticeably once the propellant can is 1\/3 full or less.\n
\n- I did have some success keeping pressure levels up by frequently shaking the can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The instructions are basic, and consist mostly of spray gun assembly, maintenance and troubleshooting.\n
\n- The section devoted to use really just consists of how far away the spray gun should be from the model.<\/li>\n
- There used to be a much more comprehensive article about using the spray gun on the Games Workshop site, but it (along with almost all the other articles) is gone now.<\/li>\n
- I don’t know if the Painting Citadel Miniatures book has any information on the subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Lesson Learned<\/h1>\n
Did the spray gun do what I wanted it to do?<\/strong> \u00a0Yes. \u00a0But i<\/p>\n\n- t took a lot of fiddling, and wasted a lot of paint. \u00a0I was making a point of being patient with this, especially since if I could get it to work it would be a time-saver.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Would I recommend it?<\/strong> \u00a0I don’t know. \u00a0I’ve been reading up on other people’s experiences with this product and most seem to have gotten far more use out of the propellant than I did. \u00a0On the other hand, most people’s experience seems to be negative and tales of testing the spray gun usually conclude with “get a cheap air brush.”<\/p>\nI think at this point I may buy one more can of propellant and give it another go unless I can find a super-cheap airbrush+compressor that can do the same thing. \u00a0While waiting for the can to cool down at one point I did come out and start looking up prices and local availability for dual-action air brushes and compressors, but the best price I could find around where I live was approximately $250, which is too much more than I can afford at this point. \u00a0Unless I can find something closer to around half that price, I don’t see an air brush in my future.<\/p>\n
Important to Remember<\/h1>\n
If you are going to use the spray gun, here are some tips that should help get the best results.<\/p>\n
\n- This is\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0an airbrush. \u00a0Use it more like a can of spray paint:\n
\n- Keep the gun about 20-30 cm from the model.<\/li>\n
- Paint in short, controlled sweeps.<\/li>\n
- If you have multiple items to paint, try to coat several at once.<\/li>\n
- Rotate models as they are painted so that they become evenly coated.<\/li>\n
- Leave the models to dry between coats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Don’t let the can get too cold.\n
\n- The propellant is pressurized CO2, and the can temperature drops significantly during use. \u00a0As the can cools, the pressure drops significantly.<\/li>\n
- If I did let the can get too cold, it would start making noises almost as if something was falling off the walls inside. \u00a0The pressure would suddenly increase at that point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The paint\/water ratio is critical.\n
\n- Too much water and the paint runs freely on the model and collects in recesses and steep angles (the way washes are supposed to collect to highlight details).<\/li>\n
- Too little water and the paint becomes blobby and might not even flow through the valve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Check paint flow before starting, and frequently while painting.\n
\n- Make sure to prime a few test sprues to use for the testing.<\/li>\n
- If you don’t have sprues, even just a piece of paper will give you an idea of the spray gun’s output.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean regularly during use.\n
\n- Have a cloth or a toothpick to wipe off the end of the paint valve.<\/li>\n
- At various times, run water through the spray gun.\n
\n- Unscrew the glass paint jar.<\/li>\n
- Fill a container up with water.<\/li>\n
- Place the exposed paint hose into the water and spray until the water runs clear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean promptly after use.\n
\n- If that paint dries in the gun, good luck getting it out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The usage ratio seems to be one can of propellant for one pot’s worth of paint.\n
\n- Unfortunately, I still don’t have a good idea of how much specific coverage can be had with a single pot. \u00a0I spent a lot of paint on test sprues and playing with paint flow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am looking for a way of speeding up the mundane aspects of painting minis (like getting a good, solid base coat). \u00a0I’m not interested in purchasing an airbrush, as they’re really expensive and I’m not sure how much use … Continue reading
- \n
- I did have some success keeping pressure levels up by frequently shaking the can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The instructions are basic, and consist mostly of spray gun assembly, maintenance and troubleshooting.\n
- \n
- The section devoted to use really just consists of how far away the spray gun should be from the model.<\/li>\n
- There used to be a much more comprehensive article about using the spray gun on the Games Workshop site, but it (along with almost all the other articles) is gone now.<\/li>\n
- I don’t know if the Painting Citadel Miniatures book has any information on the subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
The Lesson Learned<\/h1>\n
Did the spray gun do what I wanted it to do?<\/strong> \u00a0Yes. \u00a0But i<\/p>\n
- \n
- t took a lot of fiddling, and wasted a lot of paint. \u00a0I was making a point of being patient with this, especially since if I could get it to work it would be a time-saver.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Would I recommend it?<\/strong> \u00a0I don’t know. \u00a0I’ve been reading up on other people’s experiences with this product and most seem to have gotten far more use out of the propellant than I did. \u00a0On the other hand, most people’s experience seems to be negative and tales of testing the spray gun usually conclude with “get a cheap air brush.”<\/p>\n
I think at this point I may buy one more can of propellant and give it another go unless I can find a super-cheap airbrush+compressor that can do the same thing. \u00a0While waiting for the can to cool down at one point I did come out and start looking up prices and local availability for dual-action air brushes and compressors, but the best price I could find around where I live was approximately $250, which is too much more than I can afford at this point. \u00a0Unless I can find something closer to around half that price, I don’t see an air brush in my future.<\/p>\n
Important to Remember<\/h1>\n
If you are going to use the spray gun, here are some tips that should help get the best results.<\/p>\n
- \n
- This is\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0an airbrush. \u00a0Use it more like a can of spray paint:\n
- \n
- Keep the gun about 20-30 cm from the model.<\/li>\n
- Paint in short, controlled sweeps.<\/li>\n
- If you have multiple items to paint, try to coat several at once.<\/li>\n
- Rotate models as they are painted so that they become evenly coated.<\/li>\n
- Leave the models to dry between coats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Don’t let the can get too cold.\n
- \n
- The propellant is pressurized CO2, and the can temperature drops significantly during use. \u00a0As the can cools, the pressure drops significantly.<\/li>\n
- If I did let the can get too cold, it would start making noises almost as if something was falling off the walls inside. \u00a0The pressure would suddenly increase at that point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The paint\/water ratio is critical.\n
- \n
- Too much water and the paint runs freely on the model and collects in recesses and steep angles (the way washes are supposed to collect to highlight details).<\/li>\n
- Too little water and the paint becomes blobby and might not even flow through the valve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Check paint flow before starting, and frequently while painting.\n
- \n
- Make sure to prime a few test sprues to use for the testing.<\/li>\n
- If you don’t have sprues, even just a piece of paper will give you an idea of the spray gun’s output.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean regularly during use.\n
- \n
- Have a cloth or a toothpick to wipe off the end of the paint valve.<\/li>\n
- At various times, run water through the spray gun.\n
- \n
- Unscrew the glass paint jar.<\/li>\n
- Fill a container up with water.<\/li>\n
- Place the exposed paint hose into the water and spray until the water runs clear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Clean promptly after use.\n
- \n
- If that paint dries in the gun, good luck getting it out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The usage ratio seems to be one can of propellant for one pot’s worth of paint.\n
- \n
- Unfortunately, I still don’t have a good idea of how much specific coverage can be had with a single pot. \u00a0I spent a lot of paint on test sprues and playing with paint flow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am looking for a way of speeding up the mundane aspects of painting minis (like getting a good, solid base coat). \u00a0I’m not interested in purchasing an airbrush, as they’re really expensive and I’m not sure how much use … Continue reading
- Unfortunately, I still don’t have a good idea of how much specific coverage can be had with a single pot. \u00a0I spent a lot of paint on test sprues and playing with paint flow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
- This is\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0an airbrush. \u00a0Use it more like a can of spray paint:\n
- t took a lot of fiddling, and wasted a lot of paint. \u00a0I was making a point of being patient with this, especially since if I could get it to work it would be a time-saver.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n