Air Brush Questions.

[BackYardHaunter]

Originally Posted by haunted canuck

this is totally a single action airbush, and by the looks of it you dont want to use any kind of solvents in this one ads it'll melt the plastic. to clean you can use a windex or a non cemical based cleaner will be good to clean with , these are probably the most tricky airbrushes out there I had to use one at first and when I got a dual action brush it was like day and night. single action aibrushes are touchy you always are ajusting the needle or the air or both to get the right thing to paint , good starter brush but if you are getting into details get a dual action, you'll have an easier time with it

this is so true. its so touchy. i was always changing the needle

-BYH

[Erebus]

Originally Posted by joker

I've been invited to an air brush makeup demo in a couple of weeks. I just picked one up last week as recommended by the guy doing the demo. I've yet to use it, but here's what he said about it.

Good, so when I come out your way, you can show me how to use mine?

[DarkLore]

Originally Posted by NTX JK

Good, so when I come out your way, you can show me how to use mine?

Watch for the NTX/Okie M&T events. Yes - we'll show you.

[Erebus]

I was looking at the recent post about that. I will go post in there.

[HauntCast]

I bought one of those cheep CP Airbrushes last year, but haven't broken it in yet. I'll going to play around with it this summer though. I wish airbrush paint wasn't so expensive.

[howlin mad jack]

Originally Posted by HauntCast

I bought one of those cheep CP Airbrushes last year, but haven't broken it in yet. I'll going to play around with it this summer though. I wish airbrush paint wasn't so expensive.

HauntCast, acrylic paint thinned down works wonders. I've been airbrushing for years now, and I've used all kinds of paints, and I always come back to the acrylics. they're cheaper than airbrush paints, and you get the same results. As someone else pointed out though be diligent about cleaning them out or they'll get clogged with dry paint and you'll have to have it cleaned, or worse be totally useless.

[fontgeek]

Speaking as a long time airbrusher and teacher...
If you can make it a liquid it can be sprayed through an airbrush.
As to what you can and should spray through your brush, you need to look at what your needs are for the paint. The brush can probably handle water or petroleum based paints without any problems. A word of warning, Always wear a respirator when you airbrush, even if it's just something as simple as food coloring. Anything you take into your lungs other than clean air can and will cause problems.
Never use ammonia or ammonia based products in or on your brush.
Never submerge your airbrush in paints or solvents. Many areas of the airbrush were never intended to be exposed to those kinds of things, and they can stop functioning in a real hurry.
The downside to the throw away brushes like the ones at Harbor freight is that you can't get replacement parts, they change specs and manufacturer's on a real regular basis, and the quality is generally so in consistent that you could buy 5 brushes at the same time and no two will perform the same way. In the end they end up being expensive paperweights or landfill.

Air doesn't push the paint it pull it by a suction/siphon action.
Single action brushes are okay for production work where you have to do the same stroke or volume of paint for long stretches, but if you want fluid control over the volume of paint you spray then a double action brush does a much better job for you.
For acrylic, by far the easiest to learn and paint with are Golden Airbrush Colors. They are ready to go from the bottle, no muss, no fuss.
IF you want your finished pieces to last you may want to cover them with a clear acrylic varnish or a clear enamel protective coating.

[bentneedle]

I've found a lot of help from everyone at www.theairbrushforum.com. There's a TON of tut's and help for almost every kind of AB that has been produced. Fontgeek nailed just about every point, but more info can be found there. PLus, they're a group much like this forum, always willing to help out.

[Sawtooth Jack]

I haven't airbrushed in quite a few years, so I'm not sure if this is such an issue now, but it's probably not a bad idea to consider whether you prefer a paint cup on the top of the brush or attached to the bottom. Top cups used to be messy if loosely sealed and sometimes didn't hold as much paint, but they were my favorite once i got used to them.