New guy from Seattle area.

S

Snorider

Guest
Hello folks. Bought an airbrush for some projects I have found. Been wanting on for a long time. Excited and clueless.
 
Welcome home. Have a look around there are loads of information that can be found here.
 
Welcome from Australia,
what do you plan on doing with the airbrush (and what brush did you get )
 
Welcome from the U.K. What kind of projects do you have in mind?


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Welcome from the UK Sno. When I started out I longed to be as far along as clueless, I was about a million steps behind that lol. So if I can do this, anyone can. Luckily you just joined the best forum, with the most talented and helpful people ever, so you will be up and running in no time. You will no doubt have the odd moment of frustration along the way (by which I mean, I totally lost my :poo: on the odd occasion lol), but the guys here will totally have your back

Let everyone know which AB you bought, what you hope to paint, and the type of paint you are thinking of using. Peeps will let you know if its suitable for what you want to do to get you started. Anything you need to know right now try using the search function for - many newbies have similar issues and your question may already be answered. If not, just shout out and someone in our world wide clan will be awake somewhere and get back to you soon. Enjoy!
 
I want to try painting helmets...like if you google "race helmets". I also need to spray some gunkote on my shotgun. I picked up an H&S evolution but haven't gotten it running yet. Still need supplies. I only have an air compressor.
 
Cool! I can recommend Wicked Paint by Createx for Helmets (you must use the 4012 reducer), it's great for auto stuff, and lightfast. I use the transparents as they look great after clear, and only opaque black white and red as opaques don't have the same pop. Another option is E'tac Private Stock, which people seem to love, but I am not too familiar with.

Just to bear in mind, there is a pretty fierce curve to helmets which can distort images very easily - something to think about when planning any ideas :)
 
Squishy...thanks a ton. Exactly the type of info I am looking for. What reducer should I get and is there ratio instructions? Do you just add it to the paint and swirl a stick around in it?
 
Squishy...thanks a ton. Exactly the type of info I am looking for. What reducer should I get and is there ratio instructions? Do you just add it to the paint and swirl a stick around in it?
The reducers they supply are 4012 and 4020. The 4012 is the all purpose reducer that most seem to work with. As for ratios, unfortunately that’s part of the mystique of airbrushing, there is no straight answer and Reduction is one of the most important things to learn when beginning. Hell, I’m still experimenting with it a year on.
But the way it was explained to me is to start with 1 drop and paint and 1 drop of reducer at around 20psi. Give that a try and see how it sprays. If it’s grainy and producing kind of broken lines, add another drop of reducer and try again. Keep going until the paint comes out nice and smooth. But to begin, just focus on getting some paint coming out and have fine making a mess lol. It’ll soon start to come together. There are some great beginners exercises on the Airbrush Tutor YouTube Channel.


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Yup, unfortunately as SiRoxx says, there's no magic formula. Why? Because different types of brushes, nozzle sizes, paints (even different colours within the same brand), the coverage/detail/air pressure needed, the way an individual likes to paint, the weather/conditions can all affect how much you need to reduce. There are too many variables for a definitive recipe.

But SiRoxx got your back, start 1-1 and increase your reduction until you get clean, unbroken lines, and smooth coverage, no grainyness. Spidering means you went too far, or pressure is too high. It's a balancing act, that sounds tricky, but becomes second nature pretty quickly. This then becomes your base ratio which you can adjust to suit colour/conditions etc as needed. As for mixing, I just cover the tip of the brush to backflush - force air into the cup - and let the bubbles mix for you.

Rule of thumb more reduction = less pressure, more control, more passes for coverage.. More pressure = less control, more coverage, less passes.
 
Oh man this site really is great. Thanks for so easily offering up info! Is there a list around of all the stuff I should have before starting? Like brush, hose, paint, reduce, cleaner, etc? I have to figure out everything I need and then choose products, source it, and of course buy it. I want to make sure I have the necessaries before I get the brush full of paint.
 
Oh man this site really is great. Thanks for so easily offering up info! Is there a list around of all the stuff I should have before starting? Like brush, hose, paint, reduce, cleaner, etc? I have to figure out everything I need and then choose products, source it, and of course buy it. I want to make sure I have the necessaries before I get the brush full of paint.
prozac, xanax, apaurin, bottle of whiskey, 5x6 packs of strong beer, and one vodka just in case :D
 
airbrush -> quick disconnect -> moisture trap -> hose -> compressor regulator -> compressor
Hope I didn't forget somethinkg, it's 3:30am my time in my defence :p
 
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