Mother of all Airbrush threads - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

numbskull · 01-12-2008, 02:43 PM

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'll go first (only had one 2 years).
Got a Badger 150. Works OK, have to clean it often (easy to do), lousy for detail work (in my hands). Needs some kind of lubricant, but I'm afraid of contaminating the paint and causing more epoxy nightmares.

Got a Makita MAC700 compressor. Like it a lot. Doesn't run too much.

Got a water trap...unnecessary as far as I can see. Use a remote regulator so I can adjust pressure while I work.

Use Createx....so so. Thin with Liquidtex airbrush medium, because I couldn't find Createx's equivalent. Thinner is better. You need to cook this paint in the oven (180-200 degrees for 20"??) to set it.

Blow it at 15-25lbs, usually@20, less for detail

Keep the brush wet while working by using a paint bottle with water in it and flushing the brush between colors. If you leave the brush unflushed while you mix a new color it will dry in the gun and clog. At the end I use Bernzy's cleaner mix (water, simple green, and ammonia) and blow some through the gun and flush with water (makes me wheeze). Don't use in the middle of painting because again I fear epoxy problems. Means I have to waste some paint to fully clear the last color (still diluted in the water) before spraying the plug. End up having to break down the gun and clean it every 2 sessions. Buy some cleaner brushes.

That's all I know. Lets here what you do. Thanks

Backbeach Jake · 01-12-2008, 03:41 PM

My brush is an OSJL 6buck special.
Sears 99 dollah air squeezer with 2 regulators.
@ 30 psi works good
Traditions or Anita's from ACMoore latex acrylic, water thinner
Hot Water cleanup.
the fixture on the brushes where the paint comes out can be screwed in and out to vary the density of pattern, pressure can be varied for control, too.

BigFish · 01-12-2008, 03:53 PM

I have 3 Badger 360's......I like them! Gonna try a few other models though for finer detail! Compressor is a pancake compressor......more than I need but it works so why buy another? Water trap at the tank but I never get any! I spray Createx at about 30-35 psi.....15-20 for detail work.....I don't thin much but if I need to I just use water! Cleaning I use the water/simple green/windex mix! When I am spraying I keep a 5 gallon bucket handy and when I need to clean or color change I have 2 spray bottles...one with warm water and one with the cleaning mix! When I change colors I spray the water into the cup and spray it into the bucket! Depending on what color I am changing to (dark to light specifically) I will clean with the mixture and flush with the water before I change! End of painting I will disassemble and soak for an hour in the cleaning mixture and then clean the tip and needle quite well!

Best tip I can give is use the 5 gallon bucket and the 2 spray bottles.....its easy cleaning!

Woodbuster · 01-12-2008, 04:58 PM

OK- Lets see if i can remember all those questions without looking.

I use an Iwata Eclipse and like it so much I got a 2nd.
I use Createx paints.
Compressor is a 10 gal unit I already had with a water trap & regulator. I spray around 25-30 psi.
Helpful note: If you hold your finger over the cap & spray just air the paint will flush out of the gun back into the bottle in theory. In actuality, you will have a very interesting color sampler on your ceiling!

I use airbrush cleaner after a painting session and just water in between colors. (neither of which will remove paint from the ceiling!)

I find that keeping the bottles in warm water as I'm painting eliminates the need for thinning most of the time.

I absolutley cant stand painting just one plug at a time due to changing colors so I made a stick that holds 12 plugs and each one can be individualy rotated. They all get white first to even out the primer color and then I make them whatever color I want.

Charleston · 01-12-2008, 05:41 PM

I have an Iwata

Woodbuster · 01-12-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charleston

I have an Iwata

Bill, I think the question was, "what do you USE"

gldnbear93 · 01-12-2008, 04:41 PM

What kind of brush?
Badger 155, now have a 3260 and an airbrush city top feed-have not tried either of the new ones yet
What kind of compressor?
Iwata airbrush compressor-constant run, but VERY quiet
Water trap? Remote Regulator?
yes on the water trap in the airhose-never any water in it though
What kind of paint?
createx and jaquard
What kind of thinner?
water
What pressure?
15-25lbs on the uooer end of that when shooting metalics
What cleaner?
the Bernzy special
Any tips?
keep them clean! the metallic particles build up fast so run a pipe cleaner or q tip through it after dissassembly

spence · 01-12-2008, 04:48 PM

I should find the old airbrush paintings I did in school. Geeky but cool..

-spence

EricW · 01-12-2008, 11:36 PM

Quote:

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 · 01-13-2008, 06:22 AM

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 · 01-13-2008, 09:09 AM

Gotta love a good vermiculation Flap!

Honey!! Where is the damn Websters???

Backbeach Jake · 01-13-2008, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Gotta love a good vermiculation Flap!

Honey!! Where is the damn Websters???

It means that Flap has worms...

BigFish · 01-13-2008, 09:38 AM

ProfessorM · 01-19-2008, 07:14 PM

Here goes nutin
Brush- Iwata Eclipse BCS and a Peak
Compressor - Sears Compressor, oil , 12 gallon tank. I can usually paint everything on one power up. If you hate hearing them run the large storage tank is the way to go.
Water Trap- yes but never been any water in it. I run 2 dehumidifiers year round in my cellar so that must help. I also run a long, 50', length of hose to the water trap,. Helps in keeping steady pressure.
Regulator - Yes , not the boat, I wish
Paint - Createx, Wildlife, Golden, and anything that gets my fancy at Micheals
Thinner - would be Liquitex
Pressure - variable
Cleaner- the john huff special sauce
Tips - do the opposite of what I do

ProfessorM · 01-19-2008, 09:47 PM

When I mix up colors I like to write down the recipe with how many drops of each color to make the end result. I then take an index card and put those drops on it and mix up by hand. I then let it dry and file it away in a clear plastic folder so when ever I need it I have the script with a color blotch right there to see. Helps when you are forgetful like me. I can then make up a 2 oz bottle if I really use the color a lot by mathematically figuring out how much will fit into 2 "of the bottle so I'm not counting 200 drop here and 50 there. I know that description is vague but it is easy if you think about it.

Tagger · 01-19-2008, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

When I mix up colors I like to write down the recipe with how many drops of each color to make the end result. I then take an index card and put those drops on it and mix up by hand. I then let it dry and file it away in a clear plastic folder so when ever I need it I have the script with a color blotch right there to see. Helps when you are forgetful like me. I can then make up a 2 oz bottle if I really use the color a lot by mathematically figuring out how much will fit into 2 "of the bottle so I'm not counting 200 drop here and 50 there. I know that description is vague but it is easy if you think about it.

must suc being a machinist ,, too much thinking ... you guys ever just wing it ?

ProfessorM · 01-19-2008, 10:04 PM

All the time. Most of being a machinist is winging it and painting yourself into corners. You basically become a good machinist if you can get out of those predicaments. I screwup everyday, I just know lots of different ways to get out of them. Problem is when you think like I have to every day for 30 years it is hard to do things half assed. I sometimes envy people that can just say %$%$%$%$ it and do it just good enough.

Bernzy · 01-20-2008, 12:26 AM

I have 4 Iwata's, a Paashe VL, a Richpen Spectra and 2 Peaks.
For me, the Iwata's and the Peaks are interchangeable. Both fine brushes with the Peaks being more affordable.

They are all good brushes, but the best of the bunch might be the Richpen. It has some weight to it and feels good in my hand. It also has a pre-set feature that allows you to set your spray pattern as fine or as heavy as you like.
It also has a removable thumb screw on top for cleaning. I really like that.

For cleaning I use 25% Windex, 25% Simple Green and 50% water.
I mix 1 gallon at a time. I always flush with plain water after cleaning.

For paints, I use them all. I custom mix most of my paints. As Numbskull said "Get a color wheel".

For thinning of thicker paints like Delta Ceramcoat or Golden I use approx. 50% water and 50% liquitex airbrush Medium to get your paints to a milk like consistancy

Hug your airbrush today!!!!!

Bernzy

Diggin Jiggin · 01-20-2008, 01:52 PM

I'm pretty boring when it comes to painting. Most of the colors I spray are straight out of the bottle createx.

I do mix 3 colors. White pearl with a few drops of opaque red makes a nice pink pearl, I like to shoot this down the side of a pearl white plugs.

A couple drops of red in opaque yellow gives you a nice school bus color that I really like on topwater and danny's.

A few drops of black in some yellow gives you an olive.

I have one brush, an iwata eclipse bcs. For cleaner I just pour about an inch of windex in a empty gallon water jug and fill up with water. I break the brush down and try and clean it pretty well each time I use it. I try to organize a few groups of plugs so that they are primed at the same time so I can just get the paint stuff out once and then paint em all in one marathon session.

When painting I keep one of the bottles with a blast cap full of the cleaner. I set an upside down trashcan lid on a 5 gallon bucket where I paint. It catches the overspray and its where I spray water when I clean the brush by spraying the water between colors. In between colors I spray the water, then remove the water bottle from the gun, put my finger over the tip and shoot, and that backflushes the color out of the port and into the lid. Then i do the water again. Do this 2 or 3 times, takes like 20 seconds, then start with the next color.

I haven't been thinning the paints. My yellow and pearls are sometimes thick and don't shoot well. Old paint also tends to get thicker. When I spray thicker paint like those I back the nut off that holds the needle and I slide the needle back from the cone a tiny bit and tighten it back up. This makes a wider opening so the thicker paint shoots ok at a lighter pressure.

When the gun gets gunked up in the middle of a session, I just put the water bottle on and crank the pressure up to like 40-50 lbs, and spray the water till it comes clean, then backflush it a few times, it usually only takes a few seconds. if the tip gets gunked up, I have a coffee can of water next to me and I just submerge the tip and blow bubbles. That seems to help too.

I have a regulator right at the end of the hose where I work, when I change colors I turn the pressure down and just turn it up until it sprays that color ok. Seems like different colors sometimes need more or less pressure and I make less of a mess when I use low pressure so I start low each time...

Rockfish9 · 01-21-2008, 12:42 PM

I hate painting... one of these days, I'm gonna stop painting and just seal 'em!

I have 3 Brushes... The "starter" brush I bought when I decided to give up rattle cans, is a Badger 350...I like to lay a white base over my primer ( Binz shelac based) to start the process...I still use this for that.

I have a badger Anthem 175... It's a good gun, a little heavy but it will do fine detail, it's biggest draw back is the external needle point.. the damn thing always finds a way to find a hunk of clothing or your hide, thus bending the needle...if paint begins to dry on the tip, it's a simple matter to "pinch " the paint ball off with your finger nail...

My third brush is a Badger 150, it's OK but extremly fussy about paint mix.. the other thing I dis like about it is the "O" ring that seals the tip... too easy to loose....

I run an Ingersol Rand pancake compressor, I have built a sound reducing box around it and hooked a computer fan into the pressure switch, when the compressor turns on, so does the fan, fresh air is provided by a pair of screen/filters in front to the box, it is hard piped through the shop, there is a water trap ( never an issue in the winter) mounted on the wall... at the painting station, there are two regulated ports, run through true pressure regulators ( no drop across the control ports).. atached to each of these is a disposable . micron filter... over kill but I get them from work

For paint I use mostly Delta Ceramacoat, I've marked all my paint jars with tape, I use a 50/50 mix of paint and water, I've never had a real issue witht the plain water... I think I have every color Delta makes( always looking for the perfect color).. but pobably use maybe 6 different ones...with pearl white and black the most popular.

I keep a bucket of warm soapy( lemon Joy) water near the bench
this is for rinsing the paint cups and jars, final cleaning is with the lemon joy and fresh water......

patswin · 02-14-2008, 08:45 AM

I would like to thank Tagger for recomending the Peak air brush to me, I spoke to you at M&D's one Sat morning in the fall and you recomended the Peak air brush. It is a cool little brush now I need to stop painting my bench and finish some plugs so I can paint them.
Thanks again.

blondterror · 01-10-2011, 05:25 PM

thanks for bumping this...

stripermaineiac · 01-10-2011, 07:53 PM

To all of you that put this info up. Thank You Thanks You Thank You.The number of questions you've answered is unbeleivable. The books I've been pawing through don't even touch on a lot of this. Thanks again Ron

Rockfish9 · 01-11-2011, 07:58 AM

I've changed some things since the start of this thread...i sitll hate painting...

I now run a Craftsman oiless compressor with a 17 gallon tank with automatic water ejection... with an in line coelescing filter/water trap ( extreme overkill) .... the only Badger left is the cresensda 175... i do all my metalic spraying with it.. and single color coverage as well..I now have a pair of iwata top feeds for detail work... all run off of a manifold with individual regulators and disposable filters.. presure is 30psi for all but metalics.. metallics are sprayed at 40... I now starin all my pint through a paint filter and most nights it goes off with out a hitch... but I still hate painting....

Backbeach Jake · 01-13-2011, 08:37 PM

I'd forgotten all about this thread...pure gold and a ton of fun.

JohnR · 01-11-2011, 11:17 AM

Sometimes you can find a deal on a Badger refurb / demo at Garage Sale

I got a 200 for 25 plus shipping a month ago

Sgt Striper · 01-11-2011, 10:40 PM

What kind of brush?
Iwata HP-CS (top cup,gravity feed)
What kind of compressor?
Craftsman I got from friend for $40..25gal tank, fill shut off and paint all day!
Water trap? Yup Remote Regulator? Yup
What kind of paint?
Createx, and the Michaels house special! fitty cent a bottle!!
What kind of thinner?
H2O, but have to get something better!
What pressure?
15-25 psi
What cleaner?
water and ammonia in a bucket, dunk and on to the next color!
Any tips?
I also have a hair dryer handy..quick dry!
Don't clean your brush in pure ammonia, left a cup in it over night and it took the chrome off!!!

johnny ducketts · 12-28-2011, 11:53 AM

Bumping this one up, I got an airbrush for xmas, really helpful stuff in here. thanks Guys!

O.D. Mike · 02-28-2012, 12:40 PM

Bump, good info here..... Thanks Numby for starting this!!!

nightfighter · 02-29-2012, 09:00 AM

Anyone feel like doing a demo at Plugfest for us rattle can guys?