Weekly Discussion Topic - Week 1 - Airbrushing

[SVB]

Hi folks,

I’ve noticed the traffic over the last six months seems to have slowed quite a lot on this section so wondered if there was an appetite for a weekly theme to share views / thoughts / techniques outside of the direct how do I solve kit problem xyz questions that are useful to the individuals but perhaps less so to the general reader. It could be a separate thread might allow folks to put forward topics but as I’m interested in airbrushing I thought I’d have a go this week and kick something off and see if it works.

I’ll start it off looking at what products we use and why. Not really intending to have a manuf review (this airbrush @ £400 is better than that @£25, this acrylic is better then that) but that may follow, more to look at the broader options to understand what choices folks have made and why.

I’ve sprayed both spirit stains (Chestnut only) and various acrylics and both seem to give the same effect (as transparent acrylics anyway). The spirit stain looses the penetration that is normally a feature of this product so ideal if you’re looking to avoid bleeding or want to carve through to the nature colour timber beneath. Acrylics just sit on surface as normal.

I’ve also mainly only sprayed transparent colours with the exception of white. Translucent colours are lovely to use and easy to swap between. The opaque white is a nice product but pita as needs a full airbrush clean before swapping colours due to the solid / pigment content.

So, my Question -
Do you want a topic of the week?
Re airbrushing, what products / types of colours do you use for what effect and why?

Simon

 

[marcros]

Topic of the week sounds interesting. I have no experience of airbrushing but will try and learn something.

 

[Chris152]

Sounds like a good idea Simon - I know nothing about this week's topic so plenty to learn.

Maybe I could ask a question. I often mask off and paint straight bands on the wide rims of bowls using acrylic paint and a brush. With plenty of burnishing I can usually get the masking tape tight enough to the wood to not allow the paint to bleed into the grain of the wood, but sometimes it does. Would a few light passes with an airbrush be better for the job?

 

[SVB]

Would a few light passes with an airbrush be better for the job?

I would think so. It is very much a surface only coating as the paint is pretty much dry seconds after it hits the surface. Upside is that the paint only really goes on line of sight so no need to ‘burnish’ the mask down, downside would be risk of overspray so you may be will advised to mask a wider area than you would if your applying paint with a brush (although that may be my lack of skill!).

See you only in cardiff - welcome to come over any try my kit if your in the Glos / GL6 area at anytime.

BRgds

Simon

 

[Dalboy]

As some have seen I use an airbrush in some of my work. At present I own 5 airbrushes ranging from cheap ones up to an expensive one this gives me a selection of brushes to spray various stains and paints. Quite often the dearer ones have the option of being able to buy extra needles and nozzles again this is handy for some of the different paints.
Some paints will need thinning quite a bit and a handy tip is nick the wife's tights or your if you are so inclined to wear them :twisted: and use them as a filter before using the paint in the brush.
Tip dry is something to be aware of as well especially when using acrylic paints this is where the paint dries as it exits the brush and may need cleaning off on a regular basis.
In front of me when I spray anything I hang a sheet of paper this is my test bed and give a quick spray to make sure everything is OK before spraying it also allows me to just do a certain stroke before committing to the item to be sprayed.
With airbrushing there is a learning curve so practice when you can or at least before a project it about to be painted
These are just a few things that some may be interested in and there are many more

Sounds like a good idea Simon - I know nothing about this week's topic so plenty to learn.

Maybe I could ask a question. I often mask off and paint straight bands on the wide rims of bowls using acrylic paint and a brush. With plenty of burnishing I can usually get the masking tape tight enough to the wood to not allow the paint to bleed into the grain of the wood, but sometimes it does. Would a few light passes with an airbrush be better for the job?

Trying to get the tape flat onto a curved surface is not the easiest thing to do. You can buy very narrow tape which also allows for quite sharp curves from an airbrush supplier then use the normal tape to mask over that.
Another trick which does work and I have done in the past is to spray the colour or sealer that you used below the tape so that creeps under the tape once dry then add the colour of choice. This only applies to paints rather than stains.

 

[Chris152]

Thanks fellas, I'd been wondering if it might be a good route to try, really helpful. And thanks Simon - I sometimes take my son cycling in the Forest of Dean, so not so much further to get out your way. Next time we're heading out there, I'll pm in case you're around?

Another thing I'd been wondering is about signing the bottom of turned pieces. Good options that are permanent for utility bowls (so could get washed away) aren't cheap as far as I can see. Could it be an option to make up a template/ stencil of a signature and spray through that?

 

[Dalboy]

Another point on painting after masking with an airbrush. When spraying point the brush so that you spray from the masking tape side towards the area to be painted that way you are not spraying towards the tape which can force the paint/stain under it

 

[Honest John]

I use an airbrush on occasions, more as a small spray gun rather than a writing or drawing tool. I like the way I can merge colours on bowl and platter rims. I use Chestnut spirit stains and Majic acrylic inks. Both work well. I bought a simple kit from RDG tools at Harrogate Show many years ago. The kit included two brushes, one being a gravity feed and one a siphon feed. I almost always use the gravity feed. Both are double action. The included mini compressor is nice and quiet and (I think) does the job, but I have some reservations. The compressor is a single cylinder and does not have a tank. Maximum pressure when not using a brush is about 60psi on the simple gauge, but drops to a little under 20 when in use. The adjustment knob can reduce this further but not increase it. I wonder if I would have a different experience if I bought and used a twin cylinder pump with a reservoir tank, I’ve seen some that can be had for about £120. Since my experience is all self taught, and I’ve never used any different equipment, I have no way of knowing what a good setup would produce. It seems odd to me that my compressor seems to be running flat out all the time that I’m using it, and the pressure controls are completely superfluous. What for instance would you expect to be the optimum pressure to use when the brush is actually being used. What would be the consequences of over or under pressure? The more I think about it, the more I realise I know nothing of this process!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

http://www.airbrush-paint.co.uk/content ... /d133.html

I'm going for the BD 280, just on the theory that the different guns and different nozzles will give me some experience and knowledge. After 50+ years of buying tools I am under no illusions that the kit is first class gear, but if if I find it useful, I'll upgrade. I already have a decent fairly large compressor.

 

[Dalboy]

http://www.airbrush-paint.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d133.html

I'm going for the BD 280, just on the theory that the different guns and different nozzles will give me some experience and knowledge. After 50+ years of buying tools I am under no illusions that the kit is first class gear, but if if I find it useful, I'll upgrade. I already have a decent fairly large compressor.

I am not saying that the cheaper airbrushes will not do the job but when you get one of the known brand brushes the difference is like chalk and cheese.
I have 4 cheaper brushes and the last one is this ONE which is the cheapest of that range.




I get most of my stuff from THESE people now very good service also by buying a good quality brush you can buy different needles and nozzles which will allow for different mediums to be sprayed.

My compressor is a single piston type but comes with a tank I have found that it will hold 30 PSI while spraying not tried ant higher as most of my work is done between 5 PSI up to the 30 PSI. I think that you can buy tanks as a separate add on this does help as once filled the compressor turns off and take a little while before kicking back in.

Compressor with tank

My cheap airbrushes

And a good airbrush

 

[stewart]

Nice thread!
I have only used cheaper airbrushes. I use Chestnut stains and have a suction style airbrush for each colour as I find it a pain cleaning the brushes out! The intrinsic colours and Chestnut iridescent paint also go on nicely with an airbrush. Maybe one day I'll get a more expensive brush but the cheaper ones have served me well for overlaying colours and with stencils and templates.

 

[Dalboy]

Nice thread!
I have only used cheaper airbrushes. I use Chestnut stains and have a suction style airbrush for each colour as I find it a pain cleaning the brushes out! The intrinsic colours and Chestnut iridescent paint also go on nicely with an airbrush. Maybe one day I'll get a more expensive brush but the cheaper ones have served me well for overlaying colours and with stencils and templates.

I brought a pack of 10 bottles to fit the cheap airbrush and use one for each colour saves keep poring back and forth and like you all I need to do is unscrew the top and replace it with the suction top just flush through with meths when changing colours

 

[SVB]

Nice thread!
I have only used cheaper airbrushes. I use Chestnut stains and have a suction style airbrush for each colour

I brought a pack of 10 bottles to fit the cheap airbrush and use one for each colour

Same here - for spraying spirt stain I’m generally covering an area / stencil so don’t need to control / define 1mm lines. I got a very similar set to these - at less than £8 per airbrush + fitted case you can’t really go too far wrong.

I also bought some of the automotive silicon hose caps designed to prevent muck getting into hoses then they’re being stored / worked on that are ideal to go over the end of the bottles in the case to prevent the stain drying out or spilling in storage.

Simon

 

[SVB]

One thing I’ve done is to make myself up sort of a colour chart for the colours that suit my eye. Helps both ideas for colour when I’m spraying as I’m not super arty. Also interesting with the blue purple combos, started all the same and one left plain, one ‘misted’ with titanium white and the other sprayed with a shading grey (sic).

I also had a go at a kimono Binh Pho style. Not sure if is was the (cheapish) ply I was using but I found real problems getting the ‘frisket’ Masking plastic to stay still so when I cut the waves it was less than a smooth curve but only a test and was my first go - I’m a little better not but still not 100% happy with the stickyness of the mask but bought a pack so just need to bite the bullet, bin it and try something else i think.

Again, in the interest of sharing, these two are both sprayed with masks but different effects. The birds are simply cut into an acetate sheet and spray / move / spray etc. The other sample was using a piece of ripped kitchen roll as an edge and spraying at 45deg across it / move / rip / spray etc. Gives a really misty / atomspheric look that I want to work into a water related piece sometime.

So, my 2c - really interested in people’s kit experience but also in the outcomes we’re getting and good ideas to create effects**

Simon

** BTW - I’ve agreed with the Internet Royalty - anyone referring to any idea / technique as a ‘Hack’ will be instantly barred for life. YouTube is full of so called ‘hacks’ - “twist the lid on top of a milk bottle to get the milk out easier”. NO, REALLY?!?! It is not a Hack, it is just how you do something. Hack implies deceit / cheating / even illegality. Not just a good idea. Rant over but I feel better now!

 

[CHJ]

Regarding colour bleed into adjacent fibres, if using paints or lacquers; try applying compatible sanding sealer before masking.

 

[Dalboy]

Like the brush set Simon even colour coded for the paints :lol:

Great tip about the hose end covers on the top of the bottles.

The problem with wood is it needs to be completely dust free for some mediums to stick to it like the frisk masking would be better if the wood is sealed first a bit awkward if you want to use stains

 

[Lazurus]

I have a similar compressor to DALBOY and it runs my Iwata Kustom at up to 40psi no problems. What I did do is add a twin fan arrangement that runs all the time as if doing a lot the motor can get hot and the thermal overload cuts in, always at the wrong time. With the twin aquarium fans it can run all day and not get hot.

 

[Chris152]

What kinds of work can be done with an airbrush on turned pieces? Maybe some pics with a brief account of how they were done?

 

[Dalboy]

What kinds of work can be done with an airbrush on turned pieces? Maybe some pics with a brief account of how they were done?

Have a look at Stewart Furini on u tube for one type of use of and airbrush.

Then there is the type that I have done

This was done using only blue and white airbrush paint after painting a white background, simply done using masking tape to get the effects

A very simple use of airbrush using spirit stain and very lightly misting the different colours at a little distance this feathers the edges

Not on turning but goes to show the use of a home made multi part stencil

This is a case of some free hand airbrushing for the background masking tape for the lines and a simple hole in a piece of paper to aid forming the rivets

This latest one I used stencil for the poppies and soldier and freehand the sun around the stencil the sun needed a opaque white background and then transparent yellow and orange. The poppy stencil is a two part one again hand cut for this project as was the soldier

 

[SVB]

This is a largish piece I did a while ago - approx 20” tall x 15” diameter.

Coloured and then hint of fir cones applied via stencil.