Airbrushing Leather (Buying An Airbrush)

[20benji]

I'm looking to buy an airbrush for single color sprays onto leather. The one airbrush that seems to be the best fit for my work (cuffs, belts, and other small items) is the Thayer & Chandler T89K Omni 4000 http://goo.gl/MCGpT. With this I plan on using fiebings leather dye http://goo.gl/K59Ut. If someone can confirm this as the correct choice or point me in the right direction that would be great.

Cheers,

Benji.

[JLSleather]

The Fiebing's dye is pretty good, lots of folks around here using it.

The airbrush is a quality tool. It will work for small projects,but if you think you'll be doing larger projects in the future, you might consider a siphon feed model. The gravity feed will not hold much dye, and you may find yourself filling it more than you wanted to.

Whichever way you decide to go, consider a strainer for the fiebing's dye -- you can spray without one, but it'll save you some headaches in the long run.

[20benji]

Thanks for the help.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Check Craigslist, thrift stores, etc. I found a nice Paasche complete with compressor, and a milk crate full of stuff for $60 at a flea market, and another at a thrift store in the box for 99 CENTS! . Found an Iwata w/comp for $50 at a thrift store. Get quality, and stay away from Harbor Freight.

[20benji]

Harbor Freight really is bad... thanks for the advice.

[Gump]

I purchased a touch - up paint gun, about a 4 oz. resovoir hold enough dye to do 4-6 belts at once. Cost $25 and will run fiebings with no problem. I have a Paasche high end airbrush but it is to fussy to use and hard to keep clean and the siphon jars are a nuisance. JMO Gump

[Art]

Chuck Baumann on airbrushes:

I didn't believe so I got a few of the different Veda brushes, they are very very good.

If you do large areas, a siphon model like the 134 (a 130 with a side sucker, which can be either gravity or siphon) might be a better investment. You can buy all three models and still stay under $100. When I got mine, they paid the shipping, maybe still.

http://www.pecoglobal.com/category_s/48.htm

Using Fiebing's Pro or spirit dyes, you need to cut them half and half at least with DEA, you can always add color, but you can't take it away. Fiebings is known for putting more dyestuff than will go into solution so don't be afraid to dilute.

Art

[20benji]

Thanks for the help.

Edited January 5, 2013 by 20benji

[Art]

As far as air hoses go, the airbrush uses a 1/8" coupler and the compressor is usually a 1/4" coupler. If you get an Iwata hose off of Amazon it will work. I like the thin hoses as they are lighter and don't restrict the airbrush as much. You can find all manner of hoses at Dick Blick or on Amazon. Just don't get a Badger hose as they are 1/4" -- 1/4" and you would have to get a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter to solve that problem.

Art

[Cozee]

I know this thread is old, but just in case someone is searching the site about airbrushing, I will add this. I have been airbrushing in one way, shape, or form for 40 years. I have supplemented my income with the airbrush and for a handful of years, lived off my brushes. With that i am going to step up and say that i know a little something about airbrushes. High dollar airbrushes are awesome, but if you are simply spraying color, the HF airbrushes that seem here to get a bad rap will work great. In fact, with a little experience, they can come real close in giving you the detailed work of a high end airbrush. I had always been one to promote the use of quality brushes, mainly because anything less was pure junk. I hang out on a chopper board where low cost is the theme, including tools. I decided to try the HF brushes to see if they could do what some were looking for so I started playing around. The pic below is of a t-shirt design I did earlier this year to put the HF brush through it's paces. It is done on a pellon with a Harbor Freight double action brush I got on sale for $17.99. After completing this design, and a few others, I went back to the store and bought 2 more just to have them around!!!

Edited January 6, 2013 by Cozee