Air Brush

[trackman]

My wife is getting into using a airbrush for her stained glass painting. Got me thinking if an airbrush can be used for putting on a finish?  Any of you use one for anything?

[Jim McDonald]

In the past, I used one for paint. Don't know about topcoats.

I want to get another. This time I will get a better one. Gravity feed versus a venturi/siphon.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Jim McDonald

[nrscroller]

Hi

I never got into it so I use my compressor that I have for it hooked up as a blower on my scroll saw. Been using it for years and it beats bellows and aquarium pumps by a long shot

Bill

[John B]

I have used and do use one for detailing some of my larger toys, but they are a bit small to lay on a finish. They do not hold enough or put it out heavy enough.
 

 

[BadBob]

You can spray at least as wide a pattern with an airbrush as a rattle can. I have a bunch of airbrushes. I make mostly toys. My favorite and the one I highly recommend is the Badger 155 Anthem. It will spray as fine as most of us are likely to need and wide enough to cover larger areas using the same tip. I spray mostly acrylics and shellac, but Badger airbrushes will spray anything while the China airbrushes will not hold up to things like lacquer. The China airbrushes are cheap until you break something and need parts, as I discovered when I broke a tip. The replacement parts cost almost as much as I paid for the airbrush, and they were tough to find. I can buy Badger parts direct from Badger, Amazon, and many other places on the internet. Badger will rebuild your airbrush for the cost of the parts.

 

 

[Rockytime]

I've had a half dozen different air brushes because of building models for my railroad. I love them but would not use them for anything but detail work. I still have some of them but have been unable to use them for quite a few years. I have several Paasche and Aztek. Never had a Badger but had friends that used them who loved them. Lots more to choose from these days.

[meflick]

Thanks for sharing Les and Bob. One day I want to learn how to use one. 

[teachnlearn]

Airbrushes have really branched out. Depending on the use there is a designed air brush. Art, Auto detail, Models, Tattoo, Spray on Tan, Makeup, 'there is the cheap on on TV, but professional models are out there'. if you decide to get  into airbrushing go with  its own compressor. Some have adapted regular compressors but the airbrush fitting and regulator is different. I've seen articles of people searching to find the adaption fitting. The mgrs have designed larger sprayers for the artists that do  custom wall art. There are plenty of youtubes on it and a variety of YouTubes on the different fields. RJF

Edited December 16, 2020 by teachnlearn

[Scrappile]

What kind/big if a compressor do you need with one.

[teachnlearn]

They are basic tabletop units also look at complete kits. RJF

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=airbrush+compressor

 

 

[Rockytime]

My father was a dentist and upon his passing I kept his dental cabinets and a belt driven dental drill and the air compressor from one of the dental chairs. The compressor, which I still have, is whisper quiet and was perfect for my air brushes.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Rockytime
Typo

[John B]

On 12/17/2020 at 4:07 AM, Scrappile said:

What kind/big if a compressor do you need with one.

I have a regulator set up of my main compressor so I can just plug the airbrush in or any other item that uses low pressure. I also have another regulator for my spray guns and for nail guns etc.

[clocks and more]

I use an air bruch for spraying stain on fret work it helps to get stain into the frets.

 

[crupiea]

I have used an airbrush before on my stuff. Works good. My deal is its a hassle to get dialed in just right to work well so I spend more time fiddling with it than I do actually painting. 

[Arnold]

I use a Harbor Freight air brush for top coats. For me it works great. Easy and fast to clean.  

[Dennisfm56]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:03 AM, clocks and more said:

I use an air bruch for spraying stain on fret work it helps to get stain into the frets.

 

This is exactly what I was wondering. Any tips about the stains you use, do you need to thin, etc? Thanks in advance.

[teachnlearn]

Using an air brush for stain is going to depend a little on the type air brush. Finer tips might clog a bit. Manufacturers have charts on recommends uses. Stains are pretty well thinned, so its more of a matter of getting the stain well mixed.'Always check with the folks that manufacturer your tools and supplies. They will know the designs and limits of what they make. Helps with buying decisions. RJF

Edited March 7, 2021 by teachnlearn
Added content

[clocks and more]

I use a airbrus  to stain my fret work. gets  down into the cutouts.

[ben2008]

25 or so years ago, I had a Badger air brush and compressor kit I bought at a local hobby shop. I used it for my toys that I made. Mostly children's  musical banks. It played a tune every time you dropped a coin in it. 

I liked it a lot but found I was spending way too much time on  making toys, working 6 days a week, and just worn out. I did that for about 2 years and finally quit doing that and gave my scroll saw and other power tools a rest for about 2 years or so.. I finally sold my Badger compressor and all the spray equipment. About a year later i was sorry i did. I loved that little sprayer and very quiet compressor. I wish I still had it today.

Edited June 4, 2021 by ben2008

[TAIrving]

So, in what way is an airbrush better than a rattle can?  

Advantages of a rattle can include:

wide availability of paints, finishes, etc

easy clean-up (none required)

when it breaks, throw it away and buy a replacement (inexpensive)

...

Advantages of an airbrush include:

(looking for input here)

[CharleyL]

I have several air brushes and frequently use them for stain on small projects like scroll sawn projects. The oil stains can usually be used right out of the can if mixed well. The latex finishes and stains tend to need a slight thinning to work well. I use turkey basters and large syringes when mixing to get just the right amount of finish and thinner (water in this case) out of larger containers. They minimize the mess and aren't expensive. Being diabetic, I have an unlimited supply of small syringes. Much of what I make is too small to use rattle cans for, so the air brushes have been ideal for what I do. 

I usually just use compressed air from my 18 cfm shop air system for air brushing and power carving through an additional regulator, but I have a 4 cfm pancake style air compressor that I use when out of the shop. It's made by Junn-Air and makes about as much noise as a small refrigerator when it's running. The first time that I turned it on, the light on it lit, but I didn't hear anything of the motor running, because I was in a large area with other machines running. I was about to unplug it, but my hand went past the tank drain and I realized that air was coming out of it. When I closed the valve, the tank gauge started rising. It was running !!  It only took about 2 minutes to reach full pressure and shut off. I still grin whenever I run it, still amazed of how quiet it is.

An air brush only needs about 4 cfm, and only at about 40 psi, so most any small air compressor will provide enough air for one.

My small power carver uses about the same volume and air pressure. It is a modified dentist drill that uses the same 1/16" diameter bits as the dentists use, so my dentist sterilizes and saves me some of the bits that I like to use, since he discards the bits after using them on a patient. I can buy them for $2 each, but what he gives me saves money and he can't wear out a bit when using it on only one patient. For additional hygienic safety, I also soak any bits that he gives me in a small bottle of alcohol for a while before putting them in my carving kit.

I have an air powered die grinder that I use for my heavy power carving work, that uses the same bits as the Dremel and other brands of similar tools, but the air power allows for a smaller, higher speed, and more powerful carver. It uses about 7 cfm at up to 100 psi, so it only works on air from my shop system. 

Attached is a cross that I have made 16 of over the last 20 years or so. This is the first that I made and it's hanging on my dining room wall. I used my scroll saw to cut it out, but then carved the vines and leaves to provide some shape and texture, as well as some relief back below the cross to give it a more 3D look. Each of these has taken me almost 12 hours to make and finish. The finish is Rub N Buff Antique Green for the leaves, then satin poly on the whole cross. The wood in this one is a single piece of mahogany. I have used other woods for many of them, but like the mahogany because it carves easily. My extended family has consumed every one of these that I have made so far, except for one, that I gave to a very special minister friend who gave me the strength to get through my heart surgeries (7 so far) when I was convinced that I was not going to survive.

 

Charley

 

 

 

[FrankEV]

On 12/16/2020 at 8:07 AM, BadBob said:

...I spray mostly acrylics ...

I see in your pic you are using Createx AB specific paints.  Is it necessay to use paint that is specifically intended for air brush work.  

I just purchased a relatively inexpensive AB kit with compressor that came with a gravity fed pen.  I plan to only use with Acrylics.  I have a ton of Acrylic Art Paint that come in bottles that I use for brush work. Can that be used? 

Thanks

[BadBob]

17 hours ago, FrankEV said:

Is it necessay to use paint that is specifically intended for air brush work.  

No, I spray house paint and cheap craft acrylics.

You will need a larger tip size and thin the paint some. I only use distilled water to thin. Chemicals in the water can react with chemicals in the paint and cause problems.

[puzzleman]

What paints are recommended for wood, i.e. wood puzzles. Looking for a one time spray application with no further top coating.

bb

[Rockytime]

13 minutes ago, puzzleman said:

What paints are recommended for wood, i.e. wood puzzles. Looking for a one time spray application with no further top coating.

bb

I have not found one coat solutions. For me it's spray, sand, spray, sand spray. That's a minimum for me. The first layer raises a bit of wood fiber. Subsequent layers are smoother. I usually have a terrible time with finishing. Guess I'm not patient enough.