Mother of all Airbrush threads

[EricW]

Originally Posted by numbskull

OK bigshots, lets hear how you do it (will help guys starting out)
What kind of brush?
What kind of compressor?
Water trap? Remote Regulator?
What kind of paint?
What kind of thinner?
What pressure?
What cleaner?
Any tips?

I have an Iwata Eclipse BCS, a badger 350 (Thanks Michaels 50% off coupon),1/2 a dozen single action Cal Hawk 5.00 specials, and a no name badger 150 style. If you play with them the 5.00 ones actually paint really well with unthinned thicker acrylic paint like folk art,l and anitas. Takes some tinkering with pressure etc but you can get a nice fine spray, no super fine lines but paint your basic plug pretty well. The badger bottles fit too,makes things easier.

I have a big oil type speed aire compressor in the man cave for summer time work and a campbell hausfeld small one in the basement for winter painting. Add a good regulator and those little ones work great. Although a little noisy.

I haven't tried a water trap yet. Will probably get one to see if it makes a difference.

I use Createx, Folk art, Anitas and some other acrylic paints.

I use liquitex medium to thin.

I spray between 15 and 40 lbs.

I have used createx and badger cleaner, as well as the Simple green, windex and water solution, that has been talked about here.

[Flaptail]

First up I use a Badger 155.

My favorite quote on airbrushes is from NIB,"It will shoot pebbles"

You have to have a steady hand and very fine touch control ( something I learned early with girls and now have been able to apply to airbrushing) Being ham handed (George ) will not serve you well with an airbrush.

I use Createx paints, thinned and un-thinned, Daler & Rowney Pearlescent inks, which some say are not for airbrushes but I have never had a problem with them both spraying or cleaning. I have also used Testor Oils and Luminaire pigments as well with no problems.

I have an old beat up compressor that sounds like a Model T but works fine and have not yet had the need for a water seperator, I have one but never installed it. The compressor has a built in pressure regulator which helps when doing fine or production painting.

I am looking for something which will give me more detail as I like to free hand effects like vermiculations and such.

I have serious trouble though scale painting with the 155 and that's a main reason why I would like a strictly detail oriented brush.

[BigFish]

Gotta love a good vermiculation Flap!

Honey!! Where is the damn Websters???

[Backbeach Jake]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Gotta love a good vermiculation Flap!

Honey!! Where is the damn Websters???

It means that Flap has worms...

[BigFish]

[BigFish]

Best deal of the century is when you use those AC Moore/Michaels 40-50% off coupons to buy your airbrush!! You save a bundle!!

[Tagger]

Brush #1 ,,,, Badger 350 .. very inexpensive ,, I think about $40.00.. I started with one of these . I bought this one a few years ago because I was going to change to oil paints .. This syphon feed brush is the best choice for that because the paint doesn't go thru the brush .Just gets in syphon tube .. I bought quarts of paint in all the primary colors then never did it . Mac was doing it at the time and its still messier than the water base . I don't think oil paint is what it use to be either, say in the Pichney days . I think all the bad stuff that made it good has been removed .. " user freindly" ..

Brush #2 is a Badger 200 sg detail brush .. It has a very small reservoir at the top . Maybe its just me ... seems to be a clogfest with createx . I didn't try thinning .. I was thinking about inks lately ,, I'm glad I didn't dump the brush . I think it may be good for inks ..

Brush #3 is a Badger 155 Anthem ... served me very well .. used this one a ton . I rebuilt it once . Parts were inexpensive .. piece of cake .. But I wanted more detail .

Brush #4 is a Peak 3 .. Alot of Iwata guys are going to these because they are very inexspensive and seem to be the same brush as the Iwata Eclipse I think it is .. I get better detail but I seem to be developing a sticky spot right when the paint is about to spray .. I feel plunger sticking ..

My compressor is an old sears type laydown thats under the crawl space . It has a water trap but never any water in there. I set it at about 35 lbs. or what ever the kids left it on when they were filling thier car tires .. I would like to put a air pressure control where I'm working .. On the hose or something so I wouldn't have to crawl under there.

I hate cleaning my airbrush and will try to get thru a session with it sputtering and puking paint .

I work with a 5 gallon bucket of warm clean water next to me . I keep all my paints in 2 ounce glass bottles . Blast caps were expensive when I started and a glass jar was $.80.. In between colors I unscrew paint jar I've been using ,, take off tube from brush and blow the paint out .. Then submerse the whole thing in the bucket of water and blow water thru the brush until clean ,, then screw on next color ... Works for me .. I use airbrush cleaner at the very end ,, when finished .. I would like to try that airbrush lube ,, heard it was good..

I always spray bomb /rattle can a plugs base coat color first ... white/yellow/whatever ... I dot eyes ,,red chin,, with airbrush .. not as much into scale at the moment ... My paint has become very boring .. Not that the thrill is gone ,, but only trying to impress fish not fisherman .. white,,black,,yellow ,,olive,, blue/white... thats about it for me . some I leave naked and put a skin on .. sorry for late response .. looking for time to 2 finger type all this ..