air brush paint

Thanks for the reply on if airbrushes are worth the trouble.
What size of compressor should I start with? Most things I read say 20psi but some require higher.
Can I use an airbrush in my enclosed basement? What about the fumes.

Thanks
Dave K

[AlArchie]

Dave, if you are using acrylics, you don't have to worry about vapor inhalation, but it is not a good idea to breathe the airborne paint, so a mask is in order. I use a hooded vent that filters the air and returns it to the shop, and also have a ventilating duct to the outside. I'd really be concerned with using lacquer or enamel based paints without a LOT of ventilation capacity, and maybe even a respirator made for fumes (one with a carbon cannister).

As far as compressors go I use two, one is a big 2 cylinder 1 hp garage style with a 20 gal tank. It has a pressure regulator on it that can be set from 0 to 150 PSI. The other is one of these little vibrator types from Campbell Hausfield. Picked it up for about 80 bucks and it works great. It also has a presure regulator on it, but because it is tankless and noisy, I have wired a remote switch to it so I can turn it on and off from my bench. You can buy these compressors dedicated to airbrushing, but they are a bit more pricey and if you use it only for personal use, and not professionally, they are a good way to go. Either way, make sure you get to the auto supply store and pick up a dryer filter, so you don't get a lot of condensation in the air supply. There are two kinds, and I use both. first the mechanical separator bowl, that collects water and oil residue, and finally an in-line chemical dryer. these are cheap and replaceable when the medium turns a bluish green color. differnet brands may have different color indicators.

The big compresor runs extremely noisy, but due to the big tank, it only kicks on once every 10 to 15 minutes, while I'm using it. with a 50 foot supply hose, it sits across the basement from me so it doesn't startle the heck out of me when it kicks on.

check you hardware stores and you should be able to find one of these for between 150 and 400 dollars. Or check the art supplies for special airbrush units, they are quite, smooth and dependable. Oh, ya, did I mention EXPENSIVE!

Al

Hi
If you will go to Wasco (Taxidermy Supply) they carry airbrushes at a fraction of the cost at Hobby stores like HObby Lobby or Michaels. Â*They have water based and petroleum based airbrush paints. Â*You can buy basic fish kits of paint that have small containers of an assortment you will need to paint several fish or a large assortment which will paint most fish. Â*I think I even got some paint schedules from them for 4-5 different fish. Â*A single action airbrush is a good one to start with and I use the water based paints since they are easy to clean and I can't 'do' the other kind any more. Â*Get a pad of paper or a white poster board and start practicing painting and blending.

You can also get good quality eyes and lots of other crossover supplies that work for taxidermy and carving.

Some things I like to airbrush (and I'm not good at it yet) because of the soft look you can get and blending without brushstrokes showing. Â*I mostly use it for fish but have also used it for smooth, stylized carvings where I don't want the wood to show through. Â*Kinda neat painting effect depending on what look you want.

Donna T

[AlArchie]

Donna, can you put up some pics of your fish?


al

Sorry,
I don't have a digital camera and don't have closeups of my fishes. Â*Maybe Santa will bring me a surprise camera for Christmas!!
Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas
Thanks for asking. Â*I finish grad school about Christmas and maybe then I'll finally have time to learn how to use my scanner and have time to carve and paint again. Â*Yipee! Â*Then I'll share.
Happy Holidays!
Donna T

I bought 'Chroma' paint for the airbrush, it is designed for airbrush and was recommended to me by a national award winning bird carver......but alas..haven't tried it yet!

[woodenleg]

I hate to even bring these two ideas up but:

I have a very tight friend (his description) who uses regular Home Depot water-based house paint in his air brush. For a compressor, he uses the small can of air.

I figure this will either get a load of comments or no comments at all. ???

check out WASCO on the net they have some xcellent airbrush ready paints. The paints are all ready thinned to paint but still need to be strained.

I use windex and distilled water to clean my airbrush.Windex is a hell of a lot cheaper than commercial airbrush cleaner,especially up here in Canada.The distilled water doesnt
have all the metals and chemicals that gum up the airbrush.And I use Liquitex Acrylic Medium Viscosity paint which is made for airbrushes.But keep it thin and use an airbrush medium to thin it or use a combination of medium & distilled water. The airbrush i use is an Iwata Eclipse Bcs which is under 140 dollars in Canada,probably half that price in the States.I bought my compressor at Home Depot.Its got a 1.5 horse motor and a 3gallon tank all you really need for airbrushing. I hope this helps. Practice,practice practice.

Just thought you all would like to know that you can buy attachments to use other propellants.
One of the most popular is CO2. It can be bought at a nearby welding shop. It is fairly cheap and last for a long time. The best part is it is quiet.
Little canisters of air can be purchased at a craft or hobby store. Even K-mart and Wal-mart have them in the model section. These may last you through one or two projects.
The oddest and rarely used item is inflated tire tubes. The only good use for these are when you are camping and need an environmentally friendly way to paint.
By the way double action airbrush is the way to go. A little longer to practice, but allows for very fine and accurate paint coverage.

Brad