airbrushtech

ACRYLICS: Group of paints that cure to form a tough plastic skin.fine art acrylics are all water based

CUTTIN MAT: Mat used for cutting stencils

CFM : Cubic feet per minute (of air )

FRISKET: Contact masking made of thin plastic film

Hard masking : Masking that adheres to the surface to produce a sharp line when airbrushed

HOLDING TANK or RESERVOIR: Air container attached to a compressor

MANIFOLD: Allows the use of multiple airbrushes from one air source

MEDIUM: Liquid in with dyes or pigment are dissolved includes water,oil & acrylic paints

MOISTURE TRAP: Stops water and oil from compressor from getting into airline / airbrush

OVERSPRAY: Any spray which does not end up on the substrate where you want it

PIGMENT: Finely ground solids which are the basis of color in paint

PRIMING: Preparing a substrate so it will accept a given medium

PSI: Pounds per square inch (output of a compressor )

PULSING: Pulsating airflow from a compressor (usually from a diaphragm compressor )

REAMER: Used to clean airbrush siphon ( a flat needle with a tapered end )

REGULATER: Controls air pressure from a compressor (or a co2 tank )

REPOSITIONABLE ADHESIVE: Adhesive used to hold stencil and / or T-shirt in place

RESPIRATOR: Mask like breathing protection,usually with an activated charcoal filter

SOLVENTS: Used to loosen dried paint and / or to clean airbrush

SPIDERING: Where paint spiders out from line like a centipede

STENCIL BURNER: Used instead of a knife to cut stencils from plastic

SUBSTRATE: Ground: Any surface on which you spray

TACK: Strength of adhesive

CHOOSING & BUYING AN AIRBRUSH

IN THE WORLD OF AIRBRUSHING,EVERYONE FINDS WHAT WORKS THE BEST FOR THEM.THIS IS JUST A RULE OF THUMB TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY

BUYING AN AIRBRUSH IS MUCH LIKE BUYING A CAR.

COST AND USE,YOU LOOK AT THEM ALL,THEN

BUY WHAT YOU HOPE WILL SERVE YOU BEST

CHOOSING AN AIRBRUSH

There are three kinds of airbrushes,SINGLE ACTION, DOUBLE ACTION,and TURBO.

The SINGLE ACTION is limited in use.The TURBO is the hardest to learn how to use .

The DOUBLE ACTION offers the best spraying options ,it lets you create a great range of effects,just by controlling the airflow by moving the trigger back and foreword.You push down on the trigger for air and pull back for paint flow.The further you pull back the more paint is delivered to your work site. DOUBLE ACTION airbrushes come in siphon feed, gravity feed and side feed.Gravity and side feed airbrushes are used mainly by illustrators .

However the gravity feed airbrush is ideal for fingernail painters and is their main airbrush.

Some airbrushes come with a choice of three needle sizes .

#1 SMALL #3 MEDIUM AND #5 LARGE

EXAMPLES ARE

PAASCHE VL, T&C VEGA 2000 , BADGER 150 and CRESCENDO

When changing a needle to one of another number, you must also change the tip and air cap,or the airbrush will not work correctly .

The needle size should be selected according to the flow of paint.The thicker the paint,the larger the needle. The number #1 needle is fine for water colors, the number #3 is fine for acrylics and automotive paints,the number #4 is great when you want a wide line that will still come to a fine point

DETAIL AIRBRUSHES

Just as the name imply's,these are for fine detail work .They come with only one needle size . Several of these can be used like a standard airbrush, as they can go from a hair line to a wide spray

EXAMPLES: IWATA ECLIPSE, BADGER ANTHEM,

SOTOR and T&C OMNI

AIRBRUSH TECH PAGE

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COMPRESSORS THAT PLUG

INTO A CARS POWER OUTLET, ANY COMPRESSOR WILL WORK FOR AIRBRUSHING. YOU SHOULD HAVE A PRESSURE REGULATOR, MOISTURE TRAP AND A HOLDING TANK. YOU CAN BUY A 2hp or HIGHER AT MOST HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES.

THEY ARE NOISY BUT YOU CAN ALSO RUN POWER TOOLS WITH THESE. YOU WILL STILL NEED A MOISTURE TRAP.

IF YOU INSTALL MILTON QUICK RELEASES YOU CAN CHANGE

HOSES OR DISCONNECT,AND PUT EVERYTHING AWAY

SILENT COMPRESSORS

EXPENSIVE , BUT IF NOISE IS A PROBLEM, THEY ARE

WELL WORTH IT.GREAT FOR WORKING IN A SALON OR ANYWERE NOISE MAY BE A PROBLEM ,THEY USUALY

COME WITH A REGULATOR / MOISTURE TRAP,AND A

SMALL HOLDING TANK

DIAPHRAGM COMPRESSORS

INEXPENSIVE,BUT NOISY AND THEY PULSATE AND WALK AS YOU USE THEM.THEY WILL BURN UP IF USED FOR LONG PERIODS. NOT FOR PAINTING T- SHIRTS .MADE MORE FOR HOBBYISTS RATHER THEN AIRBRUSH ARTISTS

BADGER 155 ANTHEM

BADGER 360 UNIVERSAL SYPHON OR GRAVITY FEED

THAYER & CHANDLER VEGA 2000

PAASCHE AB TURBO

PAASCHE H SINGLE ACTION

D 500 DIAPHRAGM COMPRESSOR

SILENTAIRE 50-TC

PANCAKE

COMPRESSOR.

COMPRESSOR

WITH 15 GAL. TANK

WITH ONE OF THESE A PIECE OF ART OR A SKETCH CAN BE PROJECTED ONTO THE WORK SURFACE AND COPIED.THE COPY CAN BE ALMOST ANY SIZE YOU WANT.GREAT FOR WORKING IN LARGE SCALE LIKE A WALL, VAN OR MURALS

A LIGHT BOX OR LIGHT TABLE IS A GLASS OR PLASTIC TOPPED BOX WITH A LIGHT SOURCE INSIDE.YOU PLACE YOUR ART WORK ON THE TOP OF THE BOX AND THEN PLACE ART MATERIAL ON TOP OF THIS AND TRACE

Regulator: used to change air pressure (psi ) at the airbrush

Different pressure is used in painting different items

The following is only a rule of thumb

Cakes...............................5psi

Body painting .............. 7- 20 psi

Finger nails...................10 - 20 psi

Fine art...........................20 - 30 psi

Metal , plastics..............30 - 40 psi

T-shirts...........................45 - 80 psi

SOME FREQUENTLY USED TERMS

The Spectrum is a all in one work station complete with nine separate 2oz bottles for color and /or cleaner.All colors connect to one manifold with braided lines leading to one airbrush.A dial below the gun lets you switch colors.The unit is pressurized forcing the paint though the lines to the airbrush.The airbrush itself is also attached to a compressor.To use the spectrum you have to have an airbrush with a back seal, Badger 150 ,Badger Anthem, Iwata's syphen feed with the exception of the Eclipse

AIR CANISTERS ARE A WAY TO HAVE AN AIR SOURCE WHEN THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY AVAILIBLE. MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE ONLY CO2 CANISTERS.THESE ARE AVAILIBLE FROM WIELDING SUPPLY AND FOUNTAIN SUPPLY STORES

Badger 175 Crescendo

THAYER AND CHANDLER OMNI 3000

BADGER 480-1 SILENT COMPRESSOR

PISTON COMPRESSORS

COMPRESSORS LIKE THIS THAYER AND CHANDLER AIR STAR V

USE THE COMPRESSOR ITSELF AS THE ON OFF SWITCH.

PUSH DOWN ON THE TRIGGER AND THE AIR TURNS ON,

LET UP ON THE TRIGGER AND THE AIR TURNS OFF