What's the best way y'all have found to apply liquid mask? When I use a brush it seems to pull on the layer before and starts making it messy. Can this stuff be air brushed on or is there a better type of brush that would be recommended?
Liquid mask can be airbrushed (or so I've read) but I have no experience with doing it myself. I've been using an old make up brush that my wife had that it big and bushy. It spreads the mask on fast and fairly thick. When I'm done I just wash it out with liquid hand soap and water. It washes completely out.
SlowG is right as long as the previous layer is 100% dried it shouldnt pull at it at all. I've also read that you brush strokes should go in alternating patterns. In other words do the first layer with brush stroke that go the lrngth of the body and then the next layer make your brush strokes go the width of the body....rinse and repeat until you feel like you have enough mask on the kit to start painting.
I don't think I'm going to try the airbrush method. I believe I'll try some of the brushes you suggest Slowgreen, Harbour Freight is right down the road. I've tried some brushes from Lowes "foam and bristle" just wasn't satisfied.
Even a bristle bristle brush will pull on a previously dried layer if you mess with it too much. If you're going to brush on LM you want to do it fairly quickly without much fuss. If you repeatedly brush over the same area you'll begin to notice it will start pulling and tearing the previous layer.
I've just recently brought up the subject of spraying LM on another board and reviews are mixed but it seems like the people who have figured it out are very happy with the results. Your general use airbrush is not going to do this very well at all. Even if you get it thin enough to spray the end result is a weak mask which will be very difficult to work with later. All of the pro (vs. cons) responses I got indicated an HVLP spray gun with a larger size nozzle works very well. Somebody mentioned a $60 gun @ Harbour Freight.
BTW- I've been using a fan brush for years. It's not the most efficient becaue it does not "hold" a lot of product but it does provide consistant results as far as layer thicknes is concerned. I generally do three coats.
With the big bushy make brush that I've been using It holds a ton of mash and I can just slather it on pretty quickly. IDK for sure but maybe thats why I havent had any problems with it pulling. I'm not sure but i havent experienced that. Then again I've only used it twice now.
