Painting Table Update - Elephants and an Airbrush

Over the Christmas break I took the time to get setup for some airbrushing I want to do for German camo. I've had some serious approach avoidance regarding this since, well, I've never done it before, and based on forum posts on the subject, the process can be wrought with problems it seems.  Christmas was five months ago...really?  This year is going cliche fast!  Here are the results of my first try with my budget airbrush setup. Elephants for my HG force.

Around ten years ago I received a nice gift from my friends of an an Aztek airbrush set.  And I must admit that I'm embarrassed it took this long to use it.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something I had some reservations about doing so I took the budget route.  Fortunately for me, I had resisted the temptation of selling the airbrush a few years ago. So a good start, no initial airbrush investment for me.  I know Aztek isn't a preferred option but for a beginner I figure it was a good starting point.  I picked up a few accessories from Harbor freight, a $40 compressor, a $7 braided air hose and a $8 airbrush cleaning bottle with coupons.  I already had a moisture trap and an air pressure regulator from an old air compressor a friend had.  I didn't want to mess with it so I just stuck the whole thing on there even though the new compressor has a regulator already.  The air hose didn't fit the airbrush but some google-fu found an adapter at Airbrush-Depot.  I think it was around $10 to $12 with shipping.

I bought some Vallejo Airbrush paints and some thinner just in case and I gave it a shot while listening to the WWPD and Breakthrough Assault podcasts.  With some minor effort I got it done and have enough confidence to continue.  I'm looking forward to doing more.  I would like to purchase a finer tip than the smallest tip in my kit, a 0.35 mm tip.  I'm thinking around 0.20 mm.  I'll practice more with what I have now, though.

Of course, it has been a distraction from my Desperate Measure soviet commitment.  I glued and primered some Panzer III Ms, too.  Is it me or are the books coming out too fast?  I already impulse bought some Jagdtigers for the Bridge at Remagen book. Darn those previews.  I'm probably two full rounds of book revisions away from having a list I can actually play in the Europe theater.

Here's my painting table as of today:

Arggh, there is nothing worse than dropping a fully glued vehicle on the garage floor!  It's a gonna.

Making some solid progress all around lately.