Cleaning and Maintenance

To clean the airbrush;

1. Pour about 2 to 3mls of an appropriate thinner

(See Paint and Thinners from the previous

page) into the paint cup.

2. Using a co on bud scrub the inside of the

paint cup and !p of the airbrush.

3. Spray the dirty thinners out into a old rag or

be er s!ll into an airbrush cleaning sta!on.

4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 !ll the thinners coming

out of the airbrush is clean.

For thorough cleaning and maintenance the AB-

120 airbrush is designed to be dissembled. Please

refer to the AB-120 parts diagram.

The HS08AC Compressor does not require any

maintenance and should not be dissembled.

Where to for more informa�on

Your Local Hobby Shop offer great advice and carry

many products for building and finishing models

There is usually a model club in every city and

major regional centres. They have many knowl-

edgeable person who are happy to teach and

share their skills.

The Internet is great source of informa!on on

airbrushing with much of it available for free. Just

search for airbrushing at www.google.com or

www.youtube.com for informa!on, forum discus-

sions and instruc!onal videos.

Accessories and Spare Parts

Your Runway 13 Reseller carries a great range of

accessories and to help you achieve great results

with your airbrush.

Airbrush Cleaning Brushes

BD-430

The BD-430 cleaning brushes are

impervious to most solvents and

comes with 5 different sizes brush-

es to get to all the hard to reach

bits.

Airbrush Cleaning Sta�on

BD-777A

Ideal place to spray into solvents

whilst cleaning an airbrush. Doubles

as an airbrush holder.

Paint S�rrer & Pale�e Set

BD-410

2 Metal Paint S!rrers

2 Colour Pale e (Mixing Bowls)

Ki�y Grips” BD-400

Great set of extra “hands for hold-

ing all the small part for airbrush-

ing.

6 arms and clips are included and

the arms can be bent to any angle.

HS-F4 Mini Moisture Trap

Removes water droplets before it

reaches your airbrush. 1/8” con-

nec!on fits directly to the bo om

of airbrush.

AB-120 Nozzle/Needle Sets

CDE-AB-119NS-2 0.2mm Nozzle/Needle Set

CDE-AB-119NS-3 0.3mm Nozzle/Needle Set

CDE-AB-119NS-5 0.5mm Nozzle/Needle Set

www.runway13.com

Getting Started with

AB-120HS08

Airbrush and

Compressor Kit

www.runway13.com

Introduc�on

The AB-120HS08 Airbrush and Compressor Kit is

for people wan!ng to get into airbrushing at an

affordable price.

Great for light duty airbrush work such as pain!ng

small scale plas!c model kits, model railroad and

wargaming miniatures.

Content

• AB-120 Double Ac!on Airbrush with 0.3mm

nozzle/needle, 7ml colour cup & storage

pouch.

• HS08AC Mini Compressor with Power Supply

• Braided Air Hose and adapter

• Instruc!ons and Airbrushing Guide

AB-120 Airbrush - Basic Edi�on

The AB-120 Double Ac!on Airbrush is a favourite

amongst hobbyist. Its 0.3mm nozzle handles fine

work with ease, and the gravity feed cup allows the

spraying of even small amounts of paint without

wastage.

A double ac!on airbrush is harder to learn at first

but it is capable of greater control and detail.

HS08AC Mini Air Compressor

The HS08AC is quiet in opera!on and is very com-

pact. It automa!cally turns on/off as you require

air and has an adjustment to control the air pres-

sure to your airbrush.

Unlike compressed air cans which are a con!nual

expense, the HS08AC has virtually no running costs

making it far more economical.

Pu0ng it all together

1. A ach the Colour Cup onto the airbrush body.

2. Connect the air hose on the bo om of the

airbrush and ensure it is hand !ght.

3. A ach the other end of the air hose to the

compressor and ensure it is hand !ght.

4. Connect the lead of power adapter to the

compressor and plug in the power adapter to

a mains power socket.

5. Remove the Needle cap from the front of the

airbrush.

When you are not using the airbrush always put

the needle cap back on to protect the airbrush

nozzle and needle from damage.

Paints and Thinners

All hobby paints must be thinned down with an appropriate thinner so it has the right consistency for

airbrushing. Even paints which are “airbrush ready” may require a li le extra thinner added to spray

more smoothly. The amount of thinners to add is not an exact science but will vary depending on the

equipment and paint you are using, the work you are doing and your technique.

Note: The HS08 Air Compressor does not have an air pressure gauge but you can adjust the air pres-

sure to approximately the values suggested here.

Work Nozzle/Needle Size Air Pressure Paint/Thinner Ra�o

Detail and

Fine Camouflage

0.3mm Low

(8 to 12 psi)

40% paint: 60% thinner

General Coverage 0.3mm Med

(10 to 15 psi)

50% paint: 50% thinner

As to what thinners to use, “If you don’t know be er, s!ck to the paint manufacturer’s recommended

products”. Using the manufacturer recommended products for thinning to ensure good results, but

you can use a cheaper household subs!tute for cleaning the airbrush.

Note: Lacquer Thinners are very strong solvents and can damage or even dissolve some plas!cs.

Paint Type Thinner Cleaner

Tamiya or Creos

Mr Hobby Acrylic

Acrylic Tamiya Acrylic Thinner,

Isopropyl Alcohol

Methylated Spirits

Testors, Model Masters,

Humbrol or

Tamiya Enamels

Enamel Model Master Airbrush

Thinner, Tamiya Enamel

Thinner

Mineral Turpen!ne or

Lacquer Thinner

Floquil and Creos Mr

Hobby Lacquers

Lacquer Floquil or Creos Mr Thinner

for Lacquers

Lacquer Thinner

Basic Opera�on

Choose a work area with good ven!la!on and

ligh!ng. If you new to airbrushing we suggest you

prac!ce with a mixture of water with a li le food

colouring added.

1. Pour about 2ml of water/food colouring mix

into the paint cup.

2. Press the red bu on to turn the compressor

on.

3. Adjust the air pressure by turning the regula-

tor clockwise to increase and An!-clockwise to

decrease.

4. To start spraying first press the trigger down

to let air out, and then pull the trigger towards

to back to increase the paint flow.

See how the airbrush can achieve different effects

by varying;

• The amount you pull backward on the trigger

• Air pressure

• Distance between the airbrush and the paper.

Once you are familiar with the basic opera!on

then progress to using hobby paints. See Paints

and Thinners below.

The compressor will get warm with use. It is best

to stop and take a break aNer 10 to 15 minutes to

let the compressor cool down.