Hi From Pennsylvania

[JackEb]

Haha! Fair enough. I'm sure Don does have years and years of experience. I can tell after one attempt that the learning curve is much steeper than I ever anticipated!

I think pressure is one of my issues. The regulator on my air compressor won't go much below 40 psi and I'm not sure why. Even with it all the way open it still sits around 40 psi.

I think we were all a little guilty of 'how hard can it be?'
You need to get your pressure lower if you're wanting to do art works. When you look at a new compressor it absolutely has to have a tank or it will run hot and burn out.
Also look at an external quick disconnect attachment (QD Mac valve) it will allow you to lower the pressure that bit more without running over to the compressor each time

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I think I always have the 'how hard can it be?' attitude! Call it overconfidence, but then I am easily humbled! ::

This is the first I am hearing of this valve. Awesome!

I think I'm going to order that TC-20T compressor unless somebody objects. It seems like a decent start that will allow me to spray indoors as well as offering me better pressure control.

 

[JackEb]

If you get one of these (this one is by Grex) you then just need to get some additional male connectors to go on your additional airbrushes when you get them.
this way you have control over any airbrush you plug in and don't need to worry about spending extre $$ for the brushes with the built in MAC valve.
I did start with the iwata Mac valve but it wasn't a quick disconnect, and the valve itself isn't overly wonderful.



I also have one of the water traps on the airbrush end of the hose, again, it eliminates multiple filters for each brush.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I had about 10 minutes to spray today - food coloring on paper towels. I had a better result, but I spilled food coloring on that so this was take two. I believe I sprayed over most of the letters twice. I was getting some on-off pulsing in my lines despite not noticing a fluctuation in the flow.


How far should the needle be sticking out of the brush?
I pushed the needle lightly towards the front of the brush until it stopped. Then I adjusted the setscrew so the trigger is just off of the upright. I did this after spraying today. I'm thinking it might make the brush spray tighter.

 

[JackEb]

I personally wouldn't tighten the needle tensioner while the needle is 'locked' in by the screw.(the one the 'grabs' the needle). Set the trigger to the tension you like then 'lock' in the needle, but yes, the needle goes in as far as it can - without force obviously.
if you're tightening what I think your tightening then all you are doing is giving more resistance the more you screw it in. Some like definite resistance when they pull back on the trigger, some like minimal.
it shouldn't make any difference to your spray pattern, just the resistance of the trigger.

If you're wanting to do finer lines then you need minimal PSI, appropriately reduced paint and get in close to the paper. be very careful about getting close without the nozzle cap on, needles will bend at the tip if you 'hit' the paper with it. Not always noticeable with the naked eye, but you'll notice your spray pattern is off centre- spraying water and looking at the spray pattern it should be equal all the way round, if its not then you have either a bent tip, a blockage or a damaged nozzle....
see........ isn't this fun, all this learning and you have barely started

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Before I forget, thank you for the image of the MAC valve. I will definitely get one of those.

I don't think we're on the same page. Sorry for the confusion. I tightened 12 while 15 was loose. 14 doesn't exist. I then loosened 9, pushed the needle all the way forward, tightened 15 back up and then turned 9 in the slightest bit so that 10 wasn't resting directly on the upright "post" on the airbrush body (#8).

Also, I wasn't spraying with #2 the "nozzle cap" (as you call it) off. I only took it off to take that photo. Should I spray without it on?


Learning is fun. There is a ton more to learn than I realized. It seems that half of the battle is setup! LOL

Are the Airbrush Tutor worksheets available for free download? I see them in videos and I registered for the site, but I can't find them anywhere.

 

[JackEb]

despite the terminology confusion it seems you've done it the 'right' way round but I wouldn't have touched #9. Iwatas don't have that stop.
I only ever adjust (12-14) for trigger resistance
yes you can spray without the nozzle cap / crown / #2 if you need to get in close to the paper to do fine lines. until you're comfortable with the brush I'd leave it on.

I will put my hand up and admit that there was more to learn than I realised, but I'm getting there, and as they say around here . . . 'if I can do it then anyone can' - I don't have any art background at all, apart from the odd doodle on the corner of the test paper at school.

as for the tutorials, they're all listed on the left hand side of this page, close to the bottom.

http://www.airbrushtutor.com/tutorials

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I don't exactly understand the purpose of 9. It prevents you from fully closing the needle. Not sure why you'd want a constant paint stream.

I found the tutorials in your link, but I found the practice sheets under the downloads midway down the page on the left. Not sure why I didn't see them earlier.

 

[JackEb]

LOL, if youre anything like me you forget to scroll down !! sometime what you initially see looks like the whole page

now you've found them, print them off and let the fun and games begin

 

[Mr.Micron]

As long as you are not spray urethane you should be fine just setting up a clean space to

Can you get a "real" compressor for around $100?

Is this Master Model TC-20T decent?
http://www.tcpglobal.com/ABD-TC-20T.html

Question is noise an issue?
If not looking into the job site compressors that most construction folks use for their air tools (air nailers ) They are a lot less noisier then the Craftsman style and work pretty good .
or look for a California Air compressor .

 

[JatoTheRipper]

As long as you are not spray urethane you should be fine just setting up a clean space to

Question is noise an issue?
If not looking into the job site compressors that most construction folks use for their air tools (air nailers ) They are a lot less noisier then the Craftsman style and work pretty good .
or look for a California Air compressor .

Yes, noise is an issue because I want to try to use this indoors. I'm a night owl while others are not so I don't want to wake them.

The cheapest California compressor I can find is about twice the price of the Master compressor. Is it really worth it?

 

[Greg Geilman]

If you want it quiet, consistent airflow and last...

 

[MeeshellMP]

Welcome aboard!!
Small projects I do in my studio (sun porch), with a small fan, I have designed to shove in the window. Big projects are done out in my heated garage (shop). I use Wicked paints on.....well everything Cept for the albums I just did, I used Createx Illustration paints on those, cause I was dying to try them!! As far as reducing, you will get the hang of it, after several times of swearing, and figuring it out

 

[JatoTheRipper]

So all this talk about me starting with a better brush has me thinking. When I have issues I'll always wonder if it's me, my setup or if it's the brush. So I was thinking maybe I'll get a decent brush as well. I have tons of thoughts though and my mind always changes!

I found a new Badger 155-7 (whatever the -7 means) for $65. Is that a good starter and is $65 a good deal?

I'm still considering a new compressor as well. I'm looking for suggestions around $100. As of now I'm leaning towards the Master TC-20T.

Thanks!

 

[Nada]

So all this talk about me starting with a better brush has me thinking. When I have issues I'll always wonder if it's me, my setup or if it's the brush. So I was thinking maybe I'll get a decent brush as well. I have tons of thoughts though and my mind always changes!

I found a new Badger 155-7 (whatever the -7 means) for $65. Is that a good starter and is $65 a good deal?

I'm still considering a new compressor as well. I'm looking for suggestions around $100. As of now I'm leaning towards the Master TC-20T.

Thanks!

I ha e a couple of those harbour freight airbrushes. I can make them perform ok, but only because I have experience with other brushes.
They really wont work below 25 psi on their best days. I haven,t fired mine up in a while and when I do it is because I want to spray something large with thinned craft paints that I wont run through my good brushes.

It is important to understand airbrushes are not one size fits all, an airbrush that is great for t shirts is not ideal for fine art, although in capable hands it can produce amazing results... I now have an olympos micron, but I dont see me ever using it on t shirts or poster sized works (other than a few details) I also have an iwata hp cs that I have used for everything from t shirtz down to 5x7 full color paintings (my avatar is one such 5x7) but the micron would hsve done a better job at some of that detail.

Spraying indoors no problem, I now have a room for just art but started on my kitchen table. Put an air filter on a fan and overspray will be sucked into the filter no toxic fumes from waterbased paints. Not sure on the badger 155 but I like gravity feeds for starting out.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I realize they're not do it all tools. I would like a "do most" airbrush. My goal is to eventually paint 1/10th scale lexan RC car bodies and that would be my focus for my first brush.

 

[Nada]

I seem to always recomend an iwata hp cs as a do most airbrush. Their is also the hp sbs which is a side feed of the same airbrush. Many here do 90 percent of their work with those, even those of us with multiple airbrushes. They are easy for a beginner, and last forever. And pretty darn capable. Most likely it is the most recomended airbrush on this forum.

 

[Nada]

Ohhhh and welcome to the forum, you found the right place! This place took me from no art experience, no airbrush experience to where I am now. Been a year and a half and 6 months of that was rehabbing an injury which left me unable to paint or use the fine motor skills required to do so. Do. Ot be intimidated by ghe amazing art you will see on here, and never apologize for not knowing something. Everyone started at ground zero just like you.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

So what's Badger's do it all brush? The Iwata prices just turn me away.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Before I forget, thank you for the image of the MAC valve. I will definitely get one of those.

I don't think we're on the same page. Sorry for the confusion. I tightened 12 while 15 was loose. 14 doesn't exist. I then loosened 9, pushed the needle all the way forward, tightened 15 back up and then turned 9 in the slightest bit so that 10 wasn't resting directly on the upright "post" on the airbrush body (#8).

Also, I wasn't spraying with #2 the "nozzle cap" (as you call it) off. I only took it off to take that photo. Should I spray without it on?


Learning is fun. There is a ton more to learn than I realized. It seems that half of the battle is setup! LOL

Are the Airbrush Tutor worksheets available for free download? I see them in videos and I registered for the site, but I can't find them anywhere.

#2 is needed for proper airflow without it on you will not get paint to move through the airbrush .
the number 2 on your brush act like the #1 and 2 on the Eclipse

But you can remove the #1 without any spray issues . Which allows access to the needle and very tip of the nozzle when tip dry occurs .