Speaking of painting car bodies....

[sykotyk]

Speaking of painting car bodies....(pics added)

Anyone have any good tricks or tips on airbrushing? I just bought a new airbrush gun and a body for the T-Maxx. After talking with a guy at the HS and playing with it on a cardboard box, I feel pretty good about using it. I am far from an artist so I wont be doing anything really fancy just yet, just looking for any insight I can get.

Thanks....

 

[FastEddy]

Lots of tips.
1, Practice on a clear 2-liter soda bottle.

More to come.

What brush did you get?

 

[Candyman]

Practice, practice, practice.

My biggest problem the first time I airbrushed a body was keeping consistent pressure from the propellant. Make sure you keep it warm. That should help a lot!!!

And don't forget to practice. Lines. Swirls. Curves. Blends. Fades. Did I remind you to practice??? LOL!

 

[sykotyk]

Originally posted by FastEddy
Lots of tips.
1, Practice on a clear 2-liter soda bottle.

More to come.

What brush did you get?

Hey the soda bottle is a good idea! It will give me practice on the same type of material.

I'm not quite sure of the model number, but it is a dual action Paasche. It came with all sorts of attachments and goodies. I will look when I get home tonight.

One more question.... should I practice a little first?

 

[Candyman]

Yeah, I think practice is a good idea. Really. J/K!!

And they are indeed a big step in painting ultimately cool shells!!!! If you look around, you'll see a number of good pics on this forum. I believe most of us are using airbrushes on ours. They rock.

Oh yeah, and mad props to So-Cal. I lived in Santa Ana for 2 years. OC rules!!!!

 

[Çh®i§tiªñ]

Well now why didnt I think of the soda bottles?!?!?!?!

Looks like I have something new to do! Yeeehaaa!

I also have a dual paasche and compressor. Very nice setup. I have been practicing my freehand on posterboard. Boring! Now taking 2 liter bottles and lopping them in half will be more like the real deal!

Thanks for the Tip!!!!!

 

[sykotyk]

Being the first body I was ever going to paint, I was actually going to do this body with the spray cans. My wife was the one who talked me into the airbrush. Just from shooting it onto an old cardboard box you can see the difference in the quality.

Candyman, I live in the Thousand Oaks area. You can't beat the weather here. I am 30 minutes from everything, L.A., the ocean, the mountains just depends on which way I drive when I leave the house. I can also hit a canyon on my sportbike in any direction within 15-20 min. Ya gotta love it here....

 

[FastEddy]

I have a single action paasche it’s more than good for me.
Play around with your tips and the air pressure, they make a big difference.

 

[Çh®i§tiªñ]

The #3 is the one for big broad areas and 1 for fine detail. And so on. Bigger=Broad Smaller=Fine

I've been told anywhere from 18-22lbs of air depending on how thin of paint and what size needle you are using.

Always "roll" the needle in and stop when its taunt.

Dont overtighten the hoses either or you will need a new fitting sooner than later.

 

[SkyMaxx]

I'm glad someone started this thread...I have two Urban Hum V bodies awaiting a paint job. Keep the tips coming...right now I have some spray cans, but may upgrade to an airbrush if that is the way to go.

 

[FastEddy]

Wash the inside with soap and water and let it dry for a long time.
The cleaner the better.

 

[NCNitro]

Sky, I was using spray cans at first, I could not afford a high quality air brush and compressor right away so I have been usin an $18 airbrush from wal-mart, it works great if you warm the propellant can in warm water or a hot garage. I have done all the bodies you see here with it and until I do get a better set up this thing works great! I will eventually get a better setup but for now I am in no hurry. this is way better then spray cans. And yes wash the inside good or the paint will not adhere well.

 

[FastEddy]

Take your time.
Use thin coats of paint and let each one dry completely before applying the next.

 

[SkyMaxx]

Time, I have plenty of (or at least I'll make the time to do this right).

Thanks for the tips; maybe I'll try the spray cans and see if I am good enough to move on to an airbrush...

 

[El Pirata]

Originally posted by SkyMaxx
I'm glad someone started this thread...I have two Urban Hum V bodies awaiting a paint job. Keep the tips coming...right now I have some spray cans, but may upgrade to an airbrush if that is the way to go.

A few things about using an airbrush vs spray cans:
You get a better choice of colors and can mix to get custom colors
You can adjust the flow for hard to reach places
You have to clean up after each use

 

[SkyMaxx]

I'm liking those advantages and don't mind the clean up...with three kids, it seems that clean up is a full time job...a little more can't hurt.

 

[sykotyk]

OK, using all these tips I painted the body last night. I will post pics when I get home tonight. I learned of the uses of the different tips too late. But it still turned out looking pretty good. Not exactlly what I had envisioned, but not bad at all. Being that all the paint it water based, clean-up is really easy.

Another thing I learned is... make sure the mask you are using is completely, 100% stuck down on the car. If it lifts just a little, the paint is so fine it finds a way to creep under the mask.

Oh yeah.... patience is a virtue!

 

[SkyMaxx]

Patiently awaiting pictures

I'll probably pick up an airbrush this weekend...someone is bound to have one on sale.

 

[FastEddy]

Use blue painters tape. Great stuff. Only get 3M.

 

[sykotyk]

OK here are the pics, be nice to the new guy....

pic1

pic2

pic3

pic4

This was my first time using an airbrush, not bad I guess.