Airbrushing Kits for turned work

[Lonsdale73]

Anyone using anything like one of these to add colour to their turned projects? I have some amazon vouchers I thought about spending on an airbrush and compressor kit and amazon has a number of options, many of which appear to be damn near indentical including the one linked to above plus a slightly cheaper version from RDG Tools (a name I at least recognise) and a dearer one from a company called Fengda. Key criteria is I do need to be able to get it from amazon and I don't have space for a full-sized workshop compressor nor do I want the noise of one. Anyone with any advice or pointers?

 

[AES]

I have NIL experience of turned work at all.

But I DO have quite a bit of experience of airbrushing for models & toys etc, both small and quite large (say an aircraft model of up to about 2 M wingspan).

The kit you linked to looks good for the price but I have nil experience of that make - all my stuff, including airbrushes and a small compressor are Badger brand, plus a DIY-shop cheapo compressor + tank with a SATA "touch up" gun for "big" jobs.

But I'll add that since I bought my gear in the 1980's there have been several Chinese & Japanese brands "new" to the market of which I've heard some good reports but have no personal experience.

I'll just add that the airbrush you linked to is a double action brush, and as a general rule unless you need to do VERY fine lines (less than 1 mm wide) and/or "effects like sea spray, clouds, fires, etc (like you see on custom cars for example) you don't really need double action - IME anyway. AND BTW, if you're new to airbrushing, a double action brush is much harder to learn to get comfortable with - you're adjusting BOTH "paint" flow AND air flow "separately but simultaneously".

BUT as said, I have no experience of spraying anything on to turned objects - I don't even know what medium you'd want to use. I don't even know if you'd do it with the job stationary or turning!

So all the above may be zero use to you.

BUT some years back I did go into some detail about airbrushing for a member here (NOT for turned stuff) and IF you think it could help I'll happily go through my old posts and find a link to those. But it could take me time - probably tomorrow afternoon.

So I suggest you wait for someone with the exact experience you need comes along and then PM if you like later on.

HTH

 

[Lonsdale73]

The kit you linked to looks good for the price but I have nil experience of that make - all my stuff, including airbrushes and a small compressor are Badger brand, plus a DIY-shop cheapo compressor + tank with a SATA "touch up" gun for "big" jobs.

Thanks for that. Oddly enough, when I first started looking into this, I did so after watching a youtube video in which the guy linked to a Badger kit. It was about 25% dearer than when he bought his but now, a few months later, they appear to have disappeared completely from amazon. Same seems to be true of single action brushes, of which I'd seen no mention before yours. I did wonder if the one I linked to was Swiss made.

I've watched Colwin Way airbrush various turned items but off-hand I can't remember if he had the lathe running. My thinking was to leave the item mounted and turn the lathe with one hand while the other controls the airbrush - all sounds simple in theory. I was also thinking they'd mostly be smallish parts, perhaps better suited to a modellers' type kit than a larger compressor better suited to nailers and the like.

 

[gregmcateer]

No experience of airbrushing, but when i wasnt sure what Colwin had done, i emailed him and he replied superfast and helpfully - so get in contact and he will answer your query I'm sure.

 

[Robbo3]

Of the several pro turners that have demonstrated airbrushing at our club, they have all advocated double action airbrushes.
Where they differed was whether the paint pot was on top or under slung.

 

[Lonsdale73]

No experience of airbrushing, but when i wasnt sure what Colwin had done, i emailed him and he replied superfast and helpfully - so get in contact and he will answer your query I'm sure.

I did ask him about compressor choice and his recommendation would have paid for four of the one I linked to!

 

[NOTTNICK]

I've got one of these and it works just fine for me. I have used it successfully quite a lot with my turned work. I have nothing to compare it to of course.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I've got one of these and it works just fine for me. I have used it successfully quite a lot with my turned work. I have nothing to compare it to of course.

Same one pf these as I linked to? I notice it has increased in price by £14 since I linked it!

 

[NOTTNICK]

Same one pf these as I linked to? I notice it has increased in price by £14 since I linked it!

I think I got mine on Ebay. I can see one for £92 with free postage.

 

[SVB]

I use airbrushing quite a lot.

id advocate dual action- much more control, esp for smaller pieces.

I have a set of six from eBay that have siphon fed bottles underneath I keep for use with chestnut spirt stains.

I then have a couple of top fed (only need smallest resovior) I use to do work that is more detailed / not block spirit stain colour, typically with acrylic paints. The brush I started with was a cheap import with a code AB-135,

The paints I like most are made by Golden and come premixed for airbrush, are available in both transparent and opaque.

i use my workshop air compressor so can’t comment on the pump you link but I think these little airbrush compressors are pretty ubiquitous so should be fine.

I’d recommend‘Everything Airbrush’ down in Poole,Dorset who sell all brushes from entry level Chinese imports to professionals artist brushes.

Final bit of advice, bin the plastic hose that comes with the cheap sets and buy a braided one. Much more flexible and easy to work with. Less than a tenner and give so much more control and pleasure in use.

if you have any specific questions thenplease ask.

simon

 

[Droogs]

@SVB , that is a nice collection of brushes. Could you give us the details. Do you have the same size needle or a different one in each? they look much better than my old dual action badger, which i bought in the 80s but could do with replacing now

 

[SVB]

They are not special at all. They were about £90 for all six, in box delivered! Like these without silly postage charge. No idea of needle size as only use them for spirit stains but would estimate 0.35mm on how they paint.

Set of 6 Siphon Dual-Action AIRBRUSH KIT Hobby Temporary Tattoo Body Art T Shirt

My cheap AB-135 is I think 0.35 and is a good general purpose size.

Ive also picked up a couple of higher quality brushes from Iwata over the years. Their entry level Revolution I have is 0.5mm needle and good for heavier paints with little thinning like chestnuts’ irridesent range. My nice Iwata is one of the HP range and normally has 0.2mm needle for finer work. Will spray heavier paint but needs to be thinned, Golden airbrush paints spray fine out of the bottle.

Does this give you the info you need?

Simon

 

[Blister]

Anyone using anything like one of these to add colour to their turned projects? I have some amazon vouchers I thought about spending on an airbrush and compressor kit and amazon has a number of options, many of which appear to be damn near indentical including the one linked to above plus a slightly cheaper version from RDG Tools (a name I at least recognise) and a dearer one from a company called Fengda. Key criteria is I do need to be able to get it from amazon and I don't have space for a full-sized workshop compressor nor do I want the noise of one. Anyone with any advice or pointers?

I have the same sort of compressor , Does not take long to run out of air , I also have a set of 6 Sealey air brushes , not very good quality but I get by

 

[Lonsdale73]

I use airbrushing quite a lot.

id advocate dual action- much more control, esp for smaller pieces.

I have a set of six from eBay that have siphon fed bottles underneath I keep for use with chestnut spirt stains.

I then have a couple of top fed (only need smallest resovior) I use to do work that is more detailed / not block spirit stain colour, typically with acrylic paints. The brush I started with was a cheap import with a code AB-135,

The paints I like most are made by Golden and come premixed for airbrush, are available in both transparent and opaque.

i use my workshop air compressor so can’t comment on the pump you link but I think these little airbrush compressors are pretty ubiquitous so should be fine.

I’d recommend‘Everything Airbrush’ down in Poole,Dorset who sell all brushes from entry level Chinese imports to professionals artist brushes.

Final bit of advice, bin the plastic hose that comes with the cheap sets and buy a braided one. Much more flexible and easy to work with. Less than a tenner and give so much more control and pleasure in use.

if you have any specific questions thenplease ask.

simon

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Thanks so much for this, hope you don't come to regret the last part!

I had thought a workshop compressor would have been too powerful for use with an airbrush; that now opens a whole new can of worms. Would something like this be suitable? I like that it has two outlets, one of which could be used with regular 1/4" tools like a blower or sprayer and then could I use a hose like this to connect the second outlet to an airbrush? Then there is a Stanley model, very similar and comes with 1/4" coiled hose and accessories but only one outlet. I'd have to either live with continually switching airlines or adapting it somehow by which time I might be just as well with the Wolf and its two outlets? Would a workshop compressor be better suited than a typical airbrush compressor for use with a pressure pot should I ever decide to try resin casting?

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I wouldn't recommend a workshop air compressor unless it's located in a soundproof room about 100 yds. away. they are very noisy indeed unless you buy something like an Hydrovane which is expensive also quality of compressed air needs taking into account. I've had a small air brush compressor for over ten years and initially tried spraying French polish but without a bit of success; it just blocked the airbrush; possibly down to my lack of experience; the compressor sits in its box under the bench but some day I'll try again. The air from the air brush compressor is suited to the air brush.

Years ago I bought a 3hp "V" twin compressor to power a soda blaster; boy it was loud and I had to wear ear defenders; after just one soda blasting job I sold the compressor and blaster; I couldn't put up with the noise.

Good luck.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[SVB]

Thanks so much for this, hope you don't come to regret the last part!

No problem, that’s what these forums are all about really. Not saying every bit of advice is 100% right or certainly not the only way of doing something, but I’m happy to share what I have or do that works for me.

Thanks so much for this, hope you don't come to regret the last part!

I had thought a workshop compressor would have been too powerful for use with an airbrush; that now opens a whole new can of worms. Would something like this be suitable? I like that it has two outlets, one of which could be used with regular 1/4" tools like a blower or sprayer and then could I use a hose like this to connect the second outlet to an airbrush? Then there is a Stanley model, very similar and comes with 1/4" coiled hose and accessories but only one outlet. I'd have to either live with continually switching airlines or adapting it somehow by which time I might be just as well with the Wolf and its two outlets? Would a workshop compressor be better suited than a typical airbrush compressor for use with a pressure pot should I ever decide to try resin casting?

Ok. I’ve not had time to look up the specific details of the ones you like to but couple of comments.

if there are two outlets then be aware it may be that only one will be a pressure regulated outlet, the other maybe just the compressor receiver pressure (typically most compressors of this size / spec will hold the air in the tank at about 110psi give or take a bit. The pressure you need for airbrushing will be between 20-30psi depending on airbrush and paint combo you chose. I use the main outlet which everything connects to - air compressors come with quick release/ self sealing fittings as standard so swapping is tool free and takes seconds - like plugging ‘ unplugging and electrical plug n socket. Mine I leave set to about 100 psi and then bought a second regulator (they are not expensive) I plug my airline into and regulate down to the pressure I need for airbrushing or running my small air piercing tool. This is mounted to a small bracket that locates into a dog hole on my bench.



At the price point of the machines you've linked to then yes, the compressors will be noisy when running. However, the actual volume of air you use when spraying is quite small / intermittent so once the compressor has charged the tank and switched off you have quite a bit of spraying ahead of you before the pressure in the tank drops enough for the compressor to auto-cut in and fill itself up again. How long? That depends on the size of tank. The small 20/25 litre ones will obvious run for shorter before pressure level dropping than a 100 litre or larger tank. I have a 50 litre tank on mine that works well for me. (As I have a small workshop I chose one of the vertical tank types as they have a smaller footprint - this is the equivalent current model of mine SIP 06243 Airmate 50L Oilfree Compressor V245/50 230V ). If you can run to it then a machine with 50 litre tank would be worthwhile as the extra volume really does help for short use of some more air hungry tools (see final para).

If noise is a massive issue, even if infrequent or intermittent, there are a range of pretty much silent compressors made by company called Bambi as well as a few others but are significantly more expensive spec for spec.

While talking about compressors more generally - there are two main variables when selecting - how much pressure and how much flow. They all (with exception of the small dedicated airbrush air pumps similar to the one you were previously looks at - these are airbrush specific so whilst adjustable iiirc don’t go much above 40 psi ish) give around 110psi so for ‘static’ pressure such are pressure pots, any will do. Flow is a different beast. For airbrushing, air blowers, small 1/8” die grinders for carving, dental drills etc then something that produces 4-5 cfm (cubit feet per minute) at 90psi will be more than enough. However, if you want to use professional air tools such as air drills / sanders etc then youll need 11-13+ cfm and are into a very difference spec machine with potentially a 200 litre+ tank.

Hope this helps (but maybe just prompts more questions - that’s fine!)

simon

 

[AES]

P.S. Added after posting: My post (below) was added before I saw Simon's post (above). No matter, we're both saying much the same thing most of the time.

@Lonsdale 73: I'll jump in again, but again, DO remember I have nil experience of spraying turned work. Especially I have NO idea what medium ("paint") you'll be wanting to spray.

1. Compressors & hose:

What someone says above about shop compressors and airbrush compressors delivering "different" types of air is "half right" (but a bit confusing).
First consider air pressure itself: For shop jobs like air staplers, "big" spraying", etc, etc, the machine you linked to is capable of - if I remember - 2. 5 Bar (36+ psi). That's fine for such "general" jobs.
2nd, it/they have tank capacities of 25 & 50 Litres & more. Again fine for the shop, and the bigger the tank (within reason) the better, 'cos that limits the running time - as 1 or 2 have said above, such compressors are generally loud - VERY loud! So the bigger the tank the less often the motor/compressor runs (as I guess you know, when setting the pressure regulator on such compressors, you're actually setting the the "trigger point" at which the compressor starts to run).

All of this is fine for the "general usage shop compressor.

But consider my Badger airbrush compressor - it runs with just a gentle background "hum". It has NO tank, so it runs all the time but because the noise level is so low, that's not a problem - it sits on the floor at my feet in my indoor shop when I'm airbrushing (my "big" compressor is outside in the garage).
2nd, though my airbrush will reach about 30 psi, I very seldom use anything more than about 15 to 20 (roughly) regardless of what medium I'm spraying.
3rd, a long braided hose (like the one you linked to) is great, but make sure it's about 8-10 M long. Reason is that because there's no tank, you can get a bit of "pressure pulsing" in the line, (especially noticeable if you start off with those awful thin stiff plastic hoses that often come with the airbrush kit).. The long braided hose eliminates any pulsing (which is less than the pulses from a "general shop compressor" because they are generally the piston type, airbrush compressors are generally the diaphragm type (that's why they can be used indoors in places like artists's studios, tattoo shops, sun tan parlours, and the like).
4th though, for airbrush use, a combined moisture trap/pressure regulator as near as possible to the airbrush end of the braided hose is ESSENTIAL. Again I have no idea what medium you'll want to spray but no "paint" is going to react at all well to "big" globs of water being randomly distributed across a still-drying "paint" surface!

In short it IS possible to use a "general shop" compressor to power an airbrush (provided you make the above "adjustments"). But a small diaphragm airbrush compressor like my Badger will REALLY struggle to do general shop work - may be not work at all. So IF the budget allows, and if you want to do all the above jobs, you really want one of each. If the budget allows only one, then it will need to be the "big tank general shop" type (making the above adjustments when in airbrush use).

2. Airbrushes:
If I gave the impression in my first post that I'm against dual action airbrushes that was NOT my intention, sorry. I'm "only" saying that they're quite a lot harder to learn to use really effectively (for cloud effects, etc) as I said in my OP). But a good single action brush (with ability to change needles, like my Badger) will do up to roughly 80% of what a dual action brush will do, and is much quicker/easier to learn (or was in my case anyway).

HTH

 

[Lonsdale73]

3rd, a long braided hose (like the one you linked to) is great, but make sure it's about 8-10 M long.

8-10m or feet?

 

[AES]

Sorry Lonsdale 73, typo, well spotted - FEET!!!!

ALSO: (down the bottom of the above), QUOTE: But a good single action brush (with ability to change needles, ....... ) UNQUOTE:

Should read "with the ability to change needles and/or nozzles".
(MUST learn to engage brain before operating fingers)

 

[Lonsdale73]

Sorry Lonsdale 73, typo, well spotted - FEET!!!!

ALSO: (down the bottom of the above), QUOTE: But a good single action brush (with ability to change needles, ....... ) UNQUOTE:

Should read "with the ability to change needles and/or nozzles".
(MUST learn to engage brain before operating fingers)

It's getting closer these days but I still think faster than I can type and often omit words 'to compensate'. Sadly, the narrowing of that gap isn't down to my typing getting any faster!