The Ramblings of a First Day Airbrush Owner.

[wrb222]

Prefix

So I've been wanting to airbrush for about a year now maybe. I work on cruise ships during tourist season and my grand scheme here is to hustle tee-shirts to the tourist at the ports we go to. I finally ordered this kit on a whim about a week ago KIT . Having watched hours upon hours upon hours of youtube videos on all types of airbrushing I was confident that I was going to hit the ground running and start banging out daggers strokes and shading as soon as I had the thing plugged in..... LOL

Chapter 1. The Trails and Tribulations of the Airbrush Newb.
WARNING : The following contains bitchy whining

Act 1. Go to screw in my water trap / regulator. Done. Wait. Why is it upside down ? How is water going to filter if the excrement is fighting gravity ? I taped the male threads like it said. There is nothing on google about this problem and I did everything the instructions said... **** it I'll worry about it later. I want to shoot paint.
(Was actually solved later on by putting like 15 times the amount of tape on the screw thread that I had already put so it stayed snug without having to screw all the way. Thanks to suggestion from the compressor forum.)

Act 2. Pour some paint into the cup and lets shoot some paint ! Yaaayyy.... Why wont it shoot ? Damn I thought 25 was the suggested psi but lets crank it to 40. Still nothing. Why is the paint only going half way up the tube. I never see anyone ad water to paint online but **** it I want to shoot paint now. Add water and success. My paper towel now has some dismal, dish water black color on it.

Act 3. Wow time for work already. I'd better shoot some cleaner through my brush now like I see on videos. But wait. The only feed cup that comes with the kit is currently filled with black paint. Wait I can currently shoot 1 color at time without taking it to the sink and washing it out ? How the well am I going to get anything done until I get more paint cups ? They couldn't at least hook a brotha up with at least 3 or 4 to start with ? 12 bottles of paint and 1 cup how much sense does th....**** I'm late for work.

Act 4. Ok. Done with work. I'm going to practice some red lines going from thinnest to largest. I'll just pull the trigger back smallest possible amount. Hmmm no paint . Pull more and more until it's nearly 40% back then an a faded and fuzzy looking line comes out. Where are all the beautiful, bold, and sharp lines that I have been seeing on youtube. The lines on the shirt I bought at the air brush place at the mall are twice as thin as mine but are still bright and clear enough that they even have dagger strokes at the end of them And I know he has siphon feed like me. My thinnest line looks like someone let a drop of cool aid dribble down their shirt.How am I ever going to create texture when this is the smallest I can go? I thought the eclipse was one of the best brushes.

Act 5. So whatever. I'm just going to pull out an old white tee and scribble some doodles and letters and have some fun. Go at the shirt for about 15 minutes starting to get used to this gun. This is fun. I think I'll mess with different PSIs on the compressor for experimentation. Damn this this has been running the entire time hasn't it ? I thought the tank was supposed to keep it from going non stop all the time. Wow it's hot as hell too. It's only been 15 minutes of use. How is this thing going to survived making tee shirts for a few hours straight in 90 degree heat ?

Act 6. What the hell is this thing for ?

It comes with no instructions and from what I can see it's only purpose is to shoot excess paint and cleaner from the brush. Why bother when you can just use a paper towel or scrap paper. That's like having a glass jar to catch and save your ejaculations instead of just throwing it out.


Epilogue. So there you have it. My first day of airbrushing. Please understand that I'm expecting answers to this problems or even to be taken seriously(Although any help or adivice is GREATLY appreciated.) This is just a recap of what has been running thought my head today. I plan to continue to pursue my dreams of selling cheap tee-shirts to tourists as treasured souvenirs. This is only the beginning of a long training and practice. I'm hoping that entering this piece into the world stage that is the internet will be another step forward in what I'm trying to do. Be sure to be on the look our my up and coming memoirs.

 

[Madbrush]

I can't possibly answer everything for you, working pressures, paint thinning and all the other things that make your airbrush work to your liking are all matters of simple trial and error.

I can however tell you that the "cleaning station" has more uses than you think, most importantly it is designed to catch your leftover paint and cleaning fluids which both contain volatile organic substances, these may not be introduced into the water system, it will maybe surprise you to know that cleaning your airbrush or any other form of paint application at the sink is actually illegal and carries hefty fines if you get caught, try dumping your used fluids into your garden and very shortly you will notice that you no longer have a problem with weeds, but you will also no longer have a problem with grass and flowers.

Besides being something to hold your airbrush when it's not in use, another of it's purposes is to protect your lungs against the afore mentioned volatile substances which incidentally are more volatile when being atomised through your airbrush, if your not working in a well ventilated area and or wearing a mask your health is at serious irreversible risk.

The general idea of this little jar is when it get's full you can empty it into a larger container and take that to your local council rubbish dump where it will be disposed of safely without adverse environmental consequences.

Generally just like batteries, fridges and some electrical items, all unused paints, thinners, cleaners and any other volatile fluids should be deposited at your local dump, I doubt that everyone here does that, but by not doing so, as well as the risk to your health (and that of others), you are risking substantial fines and in some countries prison time.

In a nutshell, this little jar, as innocent, pointless and ridiculous as it seems, could actually save your life.

 

[AndreZA]

Okay you sorted out the compressor. Also know that not all compressors can maintain a constant pressure of 30psi-50psi required for t-shirt painting.

I don't know what brand of airbrush you got but read it's a bottom feed. They only come with either 1 bottle or one cup. If you do many colours, you will either have to dump the paint in a separate little storage unit or have multiple cups or bottle which is recommended for t-shirt painting. Also you do not mention the size of needle/nozzle. This determines what kind of paint you can shoot.

If your airbrush is nice and clean and everything tight and fits well, then it can only be the paint that is too thick. You don't say what paint you are using either. If you are trying paint from tubes, it will never work unless you thin the holiness out of it. The stuff must be like milk or even thinner if the nozzle is around .2mm.

The cleaning pot was covered by Madbrush.

 

[Seamonkey]

Lmao!!!! That right there is how you throw a fit!!! I thought almost every single thing that you did when starting out!! Finally someone said it out loud!! Lmao, I'm not laughing at you only with you on this! It is frustrating starting out. The two fine gents above have got you on the right track to start, and andreza's questions need to be answered for further help. When I get off of work I will come back to this to see if I can further help. Love the novel feel to you story and the disclaimer is priceless, !!


Josh

 

[Strictly Attitude]

If you can let us know what airbrush you are using this will help greatly. You have a goal of doing production t-shirts so my suggestion is learn the skills and start saving the compressor you bought is great for just starting out and learning but when it comes time you need to blast out some Tee's at a busy port your gonna need better equipment to do the job. Your also gonna want to save up and get your self more air brushes as you are not going to want to do bottle switching every time you change a color. Which would include cleaning out in between colors. Your current set up should serve you well for learning and making some t-shirts on the side to start saving for a production setup. Paints are gonna play a major importance to you also get more AB bottles asap enough to load your colors up and have one with cleaner for quick clean between colors. There are tons of great paints out there for textiles I would pick a system and learn it I'm not a t-shirt artist but I personally like e'tac and wicked paints both can be used for t-shirts. I know badger also has textile paint. Reduction of your paint is going to give you the flow you need and a good paint will allow reduction and still keep it's color. Other tools of the trade you are gonna want to purchase a heat gun, a heat press for when you are doing production. I have heard you can use an iron also but again no familiar with the process. And of course tons of practice lots of beach scenes and palm trees and different style lettering learn those dots and dagger strokes. Createx has allot of videos and of course you found many on you tube. Terry Hill is an amazing t-shirt artist pay attention to his work see what videos he has. And again practice practice practice

 

[Strictly Attitude]

When you gonna start working LOL oh yeah I'm at work too oops

Lmao!!!! That right there is how you throw a fit!!! I thought almost every single thing that you did when starting out!! Finally someone said it out loud!! Lmao, I'm not laughing at you only with you on this! It is frustrating starting out. The two fine gents above have got you on the right track to start, and andreza's questions need to be answered for further help. When I get off of work I will come back to this to see if I can further help. Love the novel feel to you story and the disclaimer is priceless, !!


Josh

 

[Madbrush]

@Josh, Andre and Strictly Attitude, all the info is in the link he posted, , everything he got is here;

View attachment 8510

So it's an Iwata eclipse HP-BCS and Createx paint, I'm sure Josh knows what size tip on the eclipse,

 

[Strictly Attitude]

Thanks don't know how I missed that but that is a great starter kit. Quality AB also great for t-shirts

 

[Madbrush]

Thanks don't know how I missed that but that is a great starter kit. Quality AB also great for t-shirts

No problem, I do the reading so you don't have to,

 

[wrb222]

Wow thanks for all of the replies.

What I've learned

1. I had no idea about all the precautions that need to be taken with the paint and cleaner. I definitely will not be dumping anymore paint into my sink. ( my poor poor septic tank). Not really sure what the dropper and 3 cotton round pads included in it are for but whatever.

2. The next thing I buy has got to be more iwata big mouth airbrush bottles. I wondered why they don't include more. O WAIT. They cost about $5 dollars each ! So If I just want Black/White, 6 basic colors, and another for backwash cleaner (my original bottle can be for fresh cleaner), I'm going to need to shell out $45 just so I can have the same color range as a Crayola 8-pack...WOMP WOMP WOMP.

3. Time to experiment some more with my paint thickness and PSI settings to try and figure out how to get the results I want. Also, my mistake for not being very clear on what I'm working with. I'm using an Iwata Eclipse HP-BCS with 0.5 mm needle and Createx paints. Here's some of the ideas.
A. Try taking needle cover off
B. Make the paint more thick and keep cranking up the PSI until it comes out to see if that will make my lines more sharp. Maybe my brushes lack of paint flow at the front portion of the trigger had to do with the paint being too thin ? Is it unreasonable for me to expect a nice, bold, thin stream of paint to come out as soon as I start to pull back on the trigger ?
C. Maybe try some of the transparent paints. I figure that opaque was I needed for excrements and transparent is mainly for shading and high detail work but I'll give it a shot and see what the transparent are all about. I got 6 bottles of the excrement so I might as well.

4. Seems that my compressor might have a tough time with the PSI I will need to make shirts. When I picked it I was thinking more about size since I'm going to have to bring the thing on an airplane with me. I was originally going to just get a tank-less one but then decided it would be worth the extra size to not have it be running all time time. But the silver lining here is last night I was cranking it at like 45 PSI and basically just scribbling and spraying like crazy. I'm sure once I'm doing some real work with it my strokes will be much more calculated and sparse. This tank should be fine for me to learn and if end up doing so much work that I need something bigger that is actually a good sign that my work is selling.

 

[Madbrush]

Wow thanks for all of the replies.

What I've learned

Not really sure what the dropper and 3 cotton round pads included in it are for but whatever.

The dropper can be used for measuring, 5 drops water/thinners to one drop of paint for example, I suspect the 3 pads are spare filters for you cleaning station, you'll probably find that these fit snugly under the lid, I can't be totally sure without seeing them, they might even be for applying make up over the black eye you get from your wife the first time get paint on the carpet,

 

[wrb222]

LIVE UPDATE !

So about 10 minutes ago I set up myself a nice little work space in the corner of my bed room. I put my compressor on the space I had cleared for it on top of my dresser so the cord could have more reach . Turned it on and then went to go mix my paint while it fills. As I am meticulously counting the drops of water and paint that I ad to the bottle I hear a crash from behind me....

Yup compressor on the floor. Damages include:

-One side of the handle on top broke off

-Small opening where the round metal plate screws on to end of the cylinder of the compressor. I can feel a small amount of air coming out while it's running

-It will not stop running now matter how long I give it to fill up. I have placed it inside of a box with 2 open sides facing away from me in a feeble attempt to protect myself in case the thing decides explode like grenade and shoot shrapnel all over. I'll make sure to use a lot of air while it's running so that it won't get too full


But the show must go on. I think I am starting to make some progress on how to mix my paint better and how to get the sharp contrast lines I'm looking for. Back to the grind !

 

[Squishy]

Ah you've discovered the joys of ABing! I think we've all been there to some degree or another. You got the end of day one with a head full of WTF!!!!!!! BUT, you went ahead and there was a day two!!! So you're gonna be fine. Just remember those brief moments when you think it's fun, and that head full of WTF, will eventually give way to a few Hell Yeahs!

 

[wrb222]

I just finished practicing for about an hour. I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I got my lines and dots down pretty well. The dagger stroke is inconsistent but I'll get it tomorrow.

Right now my major problem is still with equipment. Having only 1 siphon feed jar is making it nearly impossible for me to clean my brush after I'm done using it. I can't get rid of all the black paint inside of the thing without using the sink which I've found out is a no-no. I've tried shooting the cleaner into the thing with a dropper but I don't think it worked very well. I've just been blowing at the excess paint and leaving the brush so I know that I'm going to have to take it apart and clean it sooner or later or else it will clog. Do you think I'm doing any permanent damage to the brush by doing this ?

 

[Madbrush]

I just finished practicing for about an hour. I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I got my lines and dots down pretty well. The dagger stroke is inconsistent but I'll get it tomorrow.

Right now my major problem is still with equipment. Having only 1 siphon feed jar is making it nearly impossible for me to clean my brush after I'm done using it. I can't get rid of all the black paint inside of the thing without using the sink which I've found out is a no-no. I've tried shooting the cleaner into the thing with a dropper but I don't think it worked very well. I've just been blowing at the excess paint and leaving the brush so I know that I'm going to have to take it apart and clean it sooner or later or else it will clog. Do you think I'm doing any permanent damage to the brush by doing this ?

You can use your sink, , you just can't lob loads of paint and cleaners into it, if you empty out as much paint as possible before cleaning, then use your little jar and and cleaning fluid to get as much out your gun as possible, you can finish off at the sink.

And to avoid you any further frustration, a little tip, be careful with any very small removable parts, like your tip protector and that sort of thing, you cold easily lose these for ever in the plug hole.

It might be a good idea also to look into getting some quick change bottles, these will allow you to quick change colours in an instant, all my brushes are gravity feed so I have little experience with this system, but some of the other guys will help you with this if you ask, feel free to start another thread with your questions or simply root through the archives.

Also if you check out Don wheelers website, you will find tips on everything from maintaining your equipment to tuning, I suspect your inconsistent daggers are a result of not filtering your paint or tip dry or even a mixture of both, either way you may consider that a slap on the wrist,

One last very important observation, a cosy little work space in the corner of your bedroom is not a good idea, airbrushing, no matter what pressure your pumping creates an incredible amount of dust (over-spray) which is also dangerous dust, you will find that very quickly everything in your bedroom will be covered in dust and you might just need those make up pads sooner than even I had thought,