Controlling the Airbrush

[Lt4-396]

That's how my grex xgi is, I feel like I never know when and how much paint to going to be released. I ended up buying a cm-sb and it is 100% predictable every time. Test out the your h&s brush. Also as a test put 10 drops of water/reducer or more to 1 drop of paint and see if it still acts that way.

 

[Lt4-396]

I like the analogy to the gas pedal, but in my vette it's idle or WOT

 

[Rick Martin]

I understand not all airbrushes are the same, i just want a consistant needle throw ive worked with this airbrush long enough i should know it already. This ones about to be crushed in a press.

 

[Jurien72]

Sadly I think you have discovered the difference between a $50 airbrush and a $500 airbrush Ive spent the last week playing around with my various airbrushes, and it was quite amazing the difference between them. I was getting some very nice even dots out of my Infinity... yay! Who knows, someday those little dots might end up looking like portholes. It just takes lots of practice, a lot of patience, and honestly I think somewhere in all this you need to relax a bit more. It'll all fall into place when you least expect it!

 

[Rick Martin]

Im just venting. Better to vent than to slam the airbrush up against the wall as im sure most all new people feel like doing, and i know the difference between a 50 and a 500 dollar airbrush but im not going to spend 500 on a airbrush until i know i can paint something. A airbrush is only good as the person using it. Some of you could take a harbor frieght airbrush and make a masterpiece with it.

 

[JackEb]

Im just venting. Better to vent than to slam the airbrush up against the wall as im sure most all new people feel like doing, and i know the difference between a 50 and a 500 dollar airbrush but im not going to spend 500 on a airbrush until i know i can paint something. A airbrush is only good as the person using it. Some of you could take a harbor frieght airbrush and make a masterpiece with it.

Vent away if it saves your airbrush from being used as a dart.
As for some members being able to take a cheap brush and paint a masterpiece with it, you're right, but they've been painting for many many years, that's the only difference. Time, patience and practice, you can't buy any of the three so it's all down to you.
You have proved you have the patience so keep going, you'll find the sweet spot.

 

[Rick Martin]

Well i think ive got the time ( only the man upstairs knows that) the practice ive have practicing 4-6 hours a day. The patience ehhhhh not so sure about that one..

 

[JackEb]

It's a fine line between patience/persistence/stubborness. I've got all three !

 

[Rick Martin]

So do i but im not sure i have them running in sync with each other.

 

[MarcosD]

Im just venting. Better to vent than to slam the airbrush up against the wall as im sure most all new people feel like doing, and i know the difference between a 50 and a 500 dollar airbrush but im not going to spend 500 on a airbrush until i know i can paint something. A airbrush is only good as the person using it. Some of you could take a harbor frieght airbrush and make a masterpiece with it.

You have good brushes, the Evo is a very nice and it works well, the neo it's a good one too, just don't try to be a Messi from the night till dawn, it takes years to do thing that you want to do in a week, if both brushes gave you the same issue, it is clear that are not the brushes, all of us (ofcourse i'm included), believed at the beggining that the airbrush was the problem and ofcourse it wasn't they fault it was our fault, fill the cup with water is the airbrush works well add a drop of paint, if continue working fine add another drop and go on until it stop working fine, and there you have the limit of that brush paint and psi combination.
What worked for me at the biggining was use drawing ink (rotring, pelikan, etc), the ones used in technical drawing, or W&N inks too as they don't need reduction.

 

[Rick Martin]

Marcos im posoitive its not the brushes. I know its me. Im not blaming the brushes altough after i read back sounded like i was ( going home to apologize to airbrushes ). I just need to settle down. I will try your suggestion tonight.

 

[Jurien72]

I do think its possible that you are expecting more from the brushes than they can give? Like you were saying about wanting immediate paint flow when pulling back on the trigger? I think thats what leads people to blame the equipment, because its not that we are doing something wrong ourselves.

 

[Malky]

I do think its possible that you are expecting more from the brushes than they can give? Like you were saying about wanting immediate paint flow when pulling back on the trigger? I think thats what leads people to blame the equipment, because its not that we are doing something wrong ourselves.

When I started airbrushing I was perfect but all my airbrushes were crap and they made me bad, it's just a coincidence that 25 different brushes all had the same problem, it can happen you know, really it can.

All of those brushes suffered from fumbling tit syndrome, I know cos I was that tit

 

[Jurien72]

Lmao I have been very lucky over the years with my airbrushes. Then again, I was lucky to have a brother that showed me what to do and what not to do! By the time I got on my own with things, I understood what was going on, so not a lot of frustrated struggling for me.

I can just imagine what its like for somebody tryimg to figure this out all on their own geez!

 

[Rick Martin]

Its time for me to take a chill pill and settle down and see what the brush can do for me and not try to push it beyond my capabality.

 

[Rick Martin]

Ok i did a test when i got home.
Test as follows
PSI : 18psi
Paint : com art opaque black
I did this test starting out with 10 drops of water in the cup. I add 1 drop at a time until the brush quit behaving the way i wanted it to. I ended up with 10 drops of water and 5 drops of paint so that figures out to 2:1 ratio for this paint. Planning on doing transparent test later tonight

 

[MarcosD]

Ok i did a test when i got home.
Test as follows
PSI : 18psi
Paint : com art opaque black
I did this test starting out with 10 drops of water in the cup. I add 1 drop at a time until the brush quit behaving the way i wanted it to. I ended up with 10 drops of water and 5 drops of paint so that figures out to 2:1 ratio for this paint. Planning on doing transparent test later tonight

Remember to clean the tip from time to time to avoid the Tip-Dry or Dry-Tip never know which is the correct one!!

 

[JackEb]

See, the logic is starting to kick in, if you're mixing in the brush always add the reducer (water in this case) first. then add paint. Backflush to mix, remembering to put the lid on or at least cover it with the palm of your hand.

By being methodical at this stage it will help lessen the stress, minimise the variables.
so you currently have 2:1 working well at 18 psi (with what brush)
That formula will probably not work with the other brushes. This is why we often tell newbies to pick 1 brush, 1 brand of paint and learn to figure out the sweet spot so you can spray consistently and therefor have more fulfilling practise.
Once you have the basics done, then you can gradually add new variables eg, keep the same formula but change the brush - you'll be surprised at the difference .

and as Marcos says, start cleaning the tip regularly, you'll start to just 'know' when it needs cleaning, the paint will spray different, it will sound different.

again, its frustrating but all part of the learning

 

[Rick Martin]

Yeah i did..i did get to much at that ratio. After 5 drops of paint it started going back to what we were doing, but at 5 drops and below it did anything i wanted it to do within my means. I forgot to mention this test was with the neo

 

[JackEb]

enough typing, you've got this one dialled in for the moment.... go and paint