Airbrushing Dye, Etc.

[Sixer]

For those of you that airbrush your holsters, what kind of set up do you use?

I'm starting from scratch here so...

What kind of compressor works best?

What kind of airbrush kit would you recommend?

Do you dilute your dyes, finishes, etc when airbrushing?

Any info to help me get started would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[Spinner]

Are you looking to do spirit dyes, oils, water based?

Multiple colors (two-tone, and detail spraying, etc) or just solid/single colors?

How many on average at a time?

All of those questions will reveal the answers you seek...

[jlaudio29]

I use a Paasche VL Dual action Air brush, and feibings die, I do not dilute it.

The Compressor im currently using is a Might Mini airbrush compressor which isnt the best but it works for right now. If I felt like spending the extra cash id get an airbrush compressor from Harbor freight.

My suggestion to you is to get one from harbor freight i think for $79.99 you can get the compressor with a deluxe airbrush included which is either a knock off of an Iwata or a Badger. Sometimes harbor freight quality come into play but an airbrush is a very basic thing so its hard to screw up. If your worried about the compressor breaking buy the protection plan and youll be good to go for years.

Just my two cents

[Spinner]

I use a Paasche VL Dual action Air brush, and feibings die, I do not dilute it.

The Compressor im currently using is a Might Mini airbrush compressor which isnt the best but it works for right now. If I felt like spending the extra cash id get an airbrush compressor from Harbor freight.

My suggestion to you is to get one from harbor freight i think for $79.99 you can get the compressor with a deluxe airbrush included which is either a knock off of an Iwata or a Badger. Sometimes harbor freight quality come into play but an airbrush is a very basic thing so its hard to screw up. If your worried about the compressor breaking buy the protection plan and youll be good to go for years.

Just my two cents

but an airbrush is a very basic thing so its hard to screw up

You'd be surprised...just like leatherworking tools there is a significant difference the higher up the price chain you go.

My Iwata Eclipse HP-CS is much smoother and can spray finer than my Badger 155 Anthem and both put my HF knock-off to shame.

However, each is good at what I use them for. All depends on what the purpose is.

[particle]

I use a Badger 150 that I've had since the mid 90's and mine works great for my uses. If you can afford it, you definitely want a dual action so you can vary the amount of dye you're laying down.

Regarding compressors - I use a cheap Craftsman compressor that I got on sale. It's very loud, but it does more than just airbrushing - it will run small to medium size nailers, air up car tires, blow off dust from my counters, etc. If you don't have a compressor, don't mind the noise and you're working in your garage, I'd suggest you go with a shop-type compressor. Personally, I'd recommend getting an "Oiled" compressor because they are MUCH more quiet than a "Oil-less" compressor - especially if you are in a residential environment and do most of your work at night and don't want to bother your neighbors. You will need to install a flow regulator, and adjust the pressure down to somewhere around 30-45 psi of constant flow. When you release the trigger, the pressure on the indicator will climb. When you depress the trigger on the airbrush to let air flow, the pressure will drop - the dropped pressure needs to be at 30-45.

If you already have a big compressor and just want something for your airbrush, I'd get a specialty airbrush compressor - very small, quiet, and pretty cheap - especially if you get the Harbor Freight model.

I don't dilute any of my dyes or finishes. As long as the liquid flows like water/milk, you're good to go with the airbrush.

When you do get an airbrush, read up on it and learn to properly clean it. It's very easy to damage the little bushings, gaskets, o-rings, etc., sometimes necessitating you send it back to the manufacturer for repair, depending on how hard the item is to repair/replace. And whatever you do, don't run a pipe cleaner through it.... Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

[Sixer]

Excellent info!

Right now I am using Feiblings Pro Oil dye... I would like to be able to adjust the flow and vary the amount of the dye I'm using.

It sounds like the "shop-type" compressor is what I should get. I need one anyway, so I might as well get one that can be used for more than just airbrushing. If I can find a compressor that will air up my tires AND spray dye, THAT would be perfect! On that note, is there any certain size or HP I should look for? Something bigger than "hobby" size but smaller than a "industrial" type?

Thanks again for the help!

[particle]

Home Depot & Lowes have tons of compressors listed on their site. You'll want to look at "Portable" compressors. Beyond that, it really just comes down to how much noise and floor space you're willing to put up with. Do you have any use for nail guns? Brad nailers, staplers, finish nailers - you can buy combo kits that come with one or more of those, as well as a hose and required adapters. Brad nailers are great for small woodworking projects - you can glue and shoot a couple brad nails to hold it together while the glue dries. They're also great for installing crown moulding, so long as you nail properly and use long enough brads, and also caulk your crown to help 'glue' it into place. Finish nailers are better for larger woodworking projects, while the staplers are great for recovering furniture if you or your wife are into that sort of thing.

Pretty much any compressor you buy at the home improvement stores will be fine for airing up tires, water toys, rafts, etc. Some tools, like impact wrenches, larger paint spray guns, etc., require higher CFM (cubic feet per minute of air flow) to operate. Think about all the uses you might have, then buy accordingly.

And remember to take the noise level into consideration... Oil-less compressors are LOUD...

This is my compressor - it's pretty dang loud, but runs my medium size nailers (probably won't do well with a framing nailer because it'll run all the time), runs my Cobalt paint spray gun, etc., but it just doesn't have the CFM and capacity to run my impact wrench.

Edited March 16, 2011 by particle

[troop]

kinda along the same line.....has anyone applied dye, more particularly with an airbrush on english bridle? was curious how it takes dye before i start trying it.

Tony

[jlaudio29]

I forgot to add in my post, A good way to get a name brand airbrush at a good price is to print out a Joann Fabric's 40 or 50 percent off coupon (very easy to get by searching google) or Sign up for Michaels Crafts email alerts and they send you a 40 percent off, Either way if you get the joanns, Michaels will honor competitors coupons so you can go in Michaels and get yourself a Nice badger for 40-50 percent off.

Dont forget to check craigslist for some good deals on compressors or an airbrush setup.

Edited March 16, 2011 by jlaudio29

[particle]

That's a good point - Hobby Lobby is another good one. Don't know if they're up there or not, but we have them here in Texas. I believe I bought mine at Michael's.

[dickf]

I used to airbrush my dye because it was the only way I could seem to get an even shade of brown, but realized that holsters that get used hard will show scratches and scuffs very easily. The dye just doesn't penetrate the leather far enough when applied by airbrush only. When making holsters, one should take into account that adequate R&D isn't just you wearing the holster prototype around the house for a week. There are people that depend on this gear every day and most of them don't go easy on it. The more rugged you can make the holster function and the more refined you can make it look or keep it looking, the better.

I think the airbrush has it's place in the shop, especially for spraying topcoats, but not for applying dye.

My 2¢.

[particle]

I agree dickf - I recently received back a holster that need to remake because I left too much of the trigger exposed (1911 with a short trigger). The guy only had it for a few days, and it already had a scuff - looked like maybe his ring scratched it or something of the sort (it was airbrushed).

I recently applied some Fiebing's pro oil dye on the front of a belt - but this time I used a sponge. As I was applying it, the sponge slipped out of my hand and a LOT of dye soaked into the leather. I was ticked because I thought I'd totally screwed it up. A couple days later when I was able to work on it again, I noticed the dye had evenly dissipated into the leather and the dark spot was gone. That really got me to thinking about how I apply my base coat of color. So, I bought a section of wool to cut into squares so I can practice applying it by hand. I'm not sure I'm ready to dip-dye though, as I still like leaving the flesh side natural. Applying the dye by hand will probably make it pretty though to keep the backside from getting drips though...

Still learning.

[Fredo]

If you guys are willing to do a little work a money saving idea I used is to make your own set up (compressor). You can buy the HF airbrush compressor but the probelm with those is the lack of consistant presure. What I did was found a portable air taink on craigls list and plumbed my chepo HF compressor with an inline regulator to it. Now I have constant "regulated" presure for my brush. It made a world of difference in the ability to control the amount of dye being applied. Of course you can buy the smallest tank encluded set up from h0ome depot, lowes etc and be very happy with it also.

Never under estimate the value of used items like compressors and tanks on craigsllist.

[Relly]

I have been looking at airbrushing, too, thanks to the *crosses fingers* fat tax refund that I'm getting soon.

So here's the deal, I bought this book first:

"Airbrush: The Complete Studio Handbook" by Radu Vero

That book is not really optional reading. I needed to know what it contained.

Knowledge is power.

... and based on that, here's what I am going to want for my rig.

1. a foldable, portable spray booth.

2. a face shield or goggles (probably goggles)

3. a face mask (okay, I lie ... probably not going to use that unless I am indoors)

4. a pressure regulator

5. a pressure gauge

6. a dehumidifier

7. a compressor and maybe an air tank

8. a dual action airbrush

My thinking is that, if I am going to get a rig, I want the necessary tools to make it work, and work well.

FWIW.

Relly

[The Grizzly]

Are you guys using an oil/water seperator inline before the airbrush to keep compressor oil and condensation out of the airbrush and subsequently the finish?

[Relly]

Are you guys using an oil/water seperator inline before the airbrush to keep compressor oil and condensation out of the airbrush and subsequently the finish?

I plan on doing that, yeah.

[Tree Reaper]

I use one at the compressor and one at the gun.

Are you guys using an oil/water seperator inline before the airbrush to keep compressor oil and condensation out of the airbrush and subsequently the finish?

[The Grizzly]

Another question: how good is the dye penetration into the leather using an airbrush?

[particle]

Not great... However, I think the penetration is directly proportional to the amount of coats you put on it. You'll probably never get as thick an application as you would by dipping/daubing it, but with the headaches I've had the last 3 days resulting from applying dye with wool patches - I'll take an airbrush application ANY day!! I'll just start putting it on heavier, or using more passes. I was using 3 passes on my previous work. I'll double that, if not more.

[The Grizzly]

For single colors like black and dark brown, I may stick to my wool daubers. For lighter browns and 2 tones I'd like to use an airbrush. I really like the look of a lighter center with dark brought in from the edges

[Eaglestroker]

Not great... However, I think the penetration is directly proportional to the amount of coats you put on it. You'll probably never get as thick an application as you would by dipping/daubing it, but with the headaches I've had the last 3 days resulting from applying dye with wool patches - I'll take an airbrush application ANY day!! I'll just start putting it on heavier, or using more passes. I was using 3 passes on my previous work. I'll double that, if not more.

Did I miss a post? Are you having issues with that not holding up or is it just a preventative thing?

[particle]

I haven't any complaints from my customers, but I did receive one back recently that I needed to remake for another reason. He'd had it for a few days, and somehow managed to scuff the the trigger guard area in one tiny spot - it looked like maybe his ring was turned around and the diamond scraped it or something along that line. Or perhaps it was his watch band - don't know. That scuff, along with other comments on this board about dye penetration while airbrushing got me to thinking I need to try a different method. I tried a couple other methods (wool patch, and also dipping), but I'll stick with airbrushing and just put it on heavier. For my base coat, I usually use 3 fairly heavy passes (with my dual-action brush, I spray about 3/4 flow of dye). I'll probably use 100% of the flow now, and 4-5 or 6 passes.

[Eaglestroker]

I had been having a conversation with someone elsewhere pertaining to this so I'll put it here as well. Obviously I'm no pro but it seems to me that the dauber penetration is so inconsistent I'm not sure if it really wears any better or worse than just the airbrush assuming all else is the same. This picture is a few test pieces done, then cut in half. Top is the brush with 3-4 heavy coats, middle is a dauber and bottom is bare:

Now that I've ended up with an airbrush you'll be hard pressed to get some sort of sprayer out of my hands, it just looks better!

Edited March 30, 2011 by Eaglestroker

[particle]

Interesting photo. It's hard to tell how much the airbrush is penetrating. The dauber certainly seems to have penetrated much deeper, though it obviously comes at a price (uneven application).

You might take that same airbrushed sample and do one third with twice as many passes, and another third with triple the passes. Leave one third just like it is already. Then cut it again to see if you can tell a difference in penetration with increased passes.

Not sure - this test might need to be initially when you start with natural, undyed leather. I don't know if it will penetrate the same now that it's completely dried...

[Eaglestroker]

My workspace is limited to a kitchen table - but next time I have the airbrush set up I'd been happy to oblige as I was going to attempt the same thing anyways! I'd be interested in seeing other methods such as dipped or your wool. I haven't attempted dipping for the simple fact of mess/clean up in my little area. Without a doubt the dauber has better penetration though. I recently tested some coffee based dyes and will include a sample of that as well.