Quick Airbrush Question

[ReneeCanady]

I have just recently started playing with my airbrush and I think it turned out pretty well, but I keep asking myself how much more likey is the paint or dye to scratch right off? I know that when I apply with daubers or other ways that it is seeping into the leather a bit. With the airbrush, it gets a more even coat, but seems to be on the surface. I am sure it seeps in a bit. I would hate to give someone something and my work be ruined in a few weeks. I am just being a chicken little I suppose.

[TwinOaks]

You are 100% correct that the airbrush method doesn't get as much dye INTO the leather. In my e perience this has not been an issue, but if you have a hard use item that you know will see a lot of abuse/wear, you minght consider dip dyeing it instead.

[JustKate]

Airbrushed dyes can stand up to mild abrasion. They do bond with the leather fibers, even if they don't penetrate as deeply, so it would take something to actually scratch or scrape into the leather grain itself to have much effect on the color, especially if you give it a durable sealing finish. I spray them on in multiple passes, and go pretty heavy on the final pass. Customers have sent photos of game boards I made them 10 years ago and the colors, though often faded slightly, have not scratched or rubbed off from being played on.

[JLSleather]

This question comes back around every so often, has for years. Mostly, someone heard from someone who heard from someone who heard ...

Here's two things ....

An 1/8 oz of dye applied with an airbrush is the same amount as 1/8 oz of dye applied with a sable brush.

If you really believe (at all) those who say airbrush - applied dye will 'come off', then get a piece of scrap and try it. This is a two-step process: 1.) Spray some dye on a piece of leather 2.) Take it off (if you can).

[Cyberthrasher]

There has been some proof posted here that airbrushed dye does not penetrate as deeply as dye applied with a brush or dauber. But, there is a way to help it along. I got this method from Spinner and it has worked well for me.

apply a light coat of oil to your leather and let it sit for a few minutes.

Spray on a 50/50 mix of your dye. If you're final color is 50/50, start with 25/75.

now go back over with your final mix.

The oil helps to pull in the pigments, and the lighter pass to start with furthers that process. Depending on how lazy I'm feeling or the complexity of the work, I'll sometimes skip the initial 50/50 pass and I still don't have any problems whatsoever.

[Dwight]

Several folks on here do holsters with a two tone effect, . . . or even three tone.

If I were doing that, . . . the base color, . . . the main color, . . . I would dip dye it, . . . then use the other for accents. As a matter of fact, . . . I have a project to do later this year, . . . and that is the process I plan on using on it. It will be a light saddle brown with black highlights.

May God bless,

Dwight

[tedmont]

I love my airbrush. It is an inexpensive model made in China. I have done hundreds of applications with it. You can get even coloring using it. You can move from a light shade to a dark shade in one application. (see pic). It works well with strong colors, ie. brown. It leaves a very weak color when used with greens, reds. blues, etc. It will not replicate the the colors achieved by dipping your project into dye or brushing on the dye. The airbrush will always deliver something weaker. Then again, you cannot attain the weaker effects by brushing on the dyes. If you don't have one, I recommend it. It is fun. It adds another dimension to your work. (be sure to wear a mask if you do. The colors are made with heavy metals and can make you very ill. ) They are inexpensive. I got a compressor and 3 airbrushes for $130.

[ReneeCanady]

Thank you all for your responses! I read so much about it, but wasn't sure who really had it down to a fine art lol. Spinner is awesome and helped me out so much when I first started and was ALWAYS correct with any advice he gave. You all gave GREAT adive/tips, thank you, I really appreciate it!

Jlsleather LOL "if you can"

Here is a pic of my air brush attempt. I used it for the full background of the white mask and the 3 colors in the hair. Don't mind the distorted photo. I seem to distort things a lot using photobucket.

[benlilly1]

Very nice job Renee! So was this a white piece of leather that you started with or did you spray acrylics?

[ReneeCanady]

Thanks benlilly! I thinned out and did multipule coats of acrylic leather dye. I was actually shocked that the white came out so WHITE lol. I just have a cheep airbrush from harbor freight that I can't seem to find extra paint containers to actually FIT the thing, but the ones they carry work, it's just a fight because they don't really go to that machine. I don't care what they tell me at the store, they are not the right ones lol.

[ReneeCanady]

For instance, I just put a little black acrylic in a new container and it dripped out the sided of the container all over my floor. The jars they gave me are plastic and have a little thing on the bottom to turn, and it spins the paint around in the jar to mix it together. Well, right where that little spinny thing is it ALWAYS leaks all over the darn place.

[Cyberthrasher]

For instance, I just put a little black acrylic in a new container and it dripped out the sided of the container all over my floor. The jars they gave me are plastic and have a little thing on the bottom to turn, and it spins the paint around in the jar to mix it together. Well, right where that little spinny thing is it ALWAYS leaks all over the darn place.

I have their deluxe model and always get dye dripping from the spout of the small paint cup. I've wanted to find additional jars, but never had. Since you're having such great luck, glad I didn't. I have a new Paasche on the way, so I know I'll have a good setup there. Then my HF deluxe will be assigned to acrylic/resolene duty

[benlilly1]

For instance, I just put a little black acrylic in a new container and it dripped out the sided of the container all over my floor. The jars they gave me are plastic and have a little thing on the bottom to turn, and it spins the paint around in the jar to mix it together. Well, right where that little spinny thing is it ALWAYS leaks all over the darn place.

Well good luck in it not splattering on you project...that's what I worry about too. I'm always anxious when I get started so I hold my hand on the jar. I'm afraid it's going to fall off.

[David8386]

If they have a hobby lobby around I found glass jars that fit in the harbor freight air brushes okay.

David

[ReneeCanady]

Thanks for that tip David! There is one about an hour from here in my hometown. Well worth the trip! LOL Benlilly you and I both! Cyber~ let me know how the new one works out for you Eventually I will get a better one than I have, but I guess I should master even coating before I worry about getting one that I can actually do tiny lines and such with. I think the smallest line I can get with the one I have at the moment is about the size of the smiley face emotes on here. I tried taking the cap off assuming that was the part that made the lines thicker and that didn't work. I guess it's just that brush I have *shrug*....(Most likely just the operator LOL)

[Cyberthrasher]

I guess it's just that brush I have *shrug*....(Most likely just the operator LOL)

Do you have a link to which one you bought? I have the HF Deluxe model - dual action with cup and bottle. It's a Badger knock off and has been pretty good for me for $20. The one that's on the way is a Paasche VL for $58 from TCP Global's ebay store (comes with hose, 2 bottles, cup, different size tips). It's another highly recommended one. There are lots of parts easily available for it too. Springfield even carries some of them. There have also been some articles by skilled leatherworkers (I believe I read them in LC&SJ) who have been using them exclusively for decades. I figured that was good enough for me - that and Spinner's endorsement

[ReneeCanady]

This is the kit I bought http://www.harborfreight.com/1-5-hp-58-psi-compressor-and-airbrush-kit-95630.html and these are the little containers they talked me into that are just so bad! http://www.harborfreight.com/airbrush-paint-jar-with-built-in-mixer-66446.html By the way, I was stalking your Facebook page earlier......pretty nice items you have on there!

[Ryan Barto]

I just bought the Harbor Freight airbrush compressor (just the compressor, not the kit) and am using it with my old Paasche Millennium airbrush that I've had for about 3 years now. I used to use a big compressed air tank to spray acrylic paint on masks, but now I plan to use the new compressor and old airbrush for leather dye. The first tests that I've done with it are giving me really great and even results. I wanted to spray my diluted resolene through the airbrush too, but I was too worried about messing up the airbrush. I went back to Harbor Freight and picked up their Quickchange Airbrush Kit because it is external mix, so I wouldn't need to worry about deep cleaning if I really gunked it up. Here is the one I bought. This cheap little brush is really good at laying down an even spray of 50/50 resolene and it comes with 5 bottles. Just make sure you adjust the cap on top of the bottle to find the right height for the best flow of liquid.

Sorry, I have nothing to add to the original question about durability. I didn't notice a difference between the airbrushed and hand dyed ones I did, but I only messed around with them after I had applied resolene to both. I will say that I no longer have any streaks in my resolene, which is what I was most concerned about.

Edit... addition. If you try the quick change kit that I mentioned, make sure you only use acrylic or water based liquids/dyes/sealants in the bottles. I hear that some other types of paints and liquids can melt the plastic.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Ryan Barto

[tedmont]

Ryan,

What a wonderful idea. I didn't even know they had airbrushes that didn't take the liquid internally. Wow.

I hate resolene. I always have some streaking and/or brush marks. It is so nasty to work with. An air brush finish will be the cat's meow.

ted

[ReneeCanady]

Thanks Ryan! I did see that kit and was very curious as to if it would work well, now I know! I think I will pick one up for that price shoot. Then maybe I will use resolene more like I should lol. I resolene most of the time unless I am using it as blockout. I either use tandys spray resolen or sometimes even just use the Aussie Conditioner. I know that the Aussie really isn't a "finish" but it repels water, doesn't take off the dye, and it has beeswax in it so it kind of is a finish (girl thinking). I only see an issue with the Aussie being that you would probably have to apply it later to continue its purpose as to where resolene is there forever.

[Cyberthrasher]

This is the kit I bought http://www.harborfre...-kit-95630.html and these are the little containers they talked me into that are just so bad! http://www.harborfre...ixer-66446.html By the way, I was stalking your Facebook page earlier......pretty nice items you have on there!

Thanks , I just wish I had time to get more of the stuff in my head put onto leather and then added to the page!!

Now, get rid of those bottles. They're just a gimmick. For spirit and oil dyes, you'll never need to mix it. But, the main reason is you'll probably hardly ever need that much dye at once. I can't even use up a full load in the metal paint cup on a full length guitar strap. The one jar I have that's a standard jar just has my 50/50 resolene mixed up in it. Unless I spill it, that last quite a while itself.

There are lots of external mix airbrushes out there, but for finishes, I don't see why the HF model wouldn't work just fine.

[tedmont]

I discovered I have an external mix brush. It was part of a package where I got a compressor and 3 airbrushes. I didn't know what it was for or how to use it until I read this column and saw the suggestion to use it for resolene.

Sure enough, 30 seconds after I started using it, it was clogged. Aaaarrrrrggg! I back flushed it by holding my finger over the tip. Lots of nasty semi-hard stuff was flushed back into the bottle. After a few times, it was working again. Now this is a really cheap piece of c*#p. I guess it is only $10 tops. I found I could regulate the flow. At lower flows, it didn't spray. At the lowest setting it would spray, it was too strong. I was able to do it only by spraying bursts. I'll continue you playing with it. If I get it to work right, perhaps I'll report. I was really excited to think I could use the air brush to spray resolene. hmmm.

[Cyberthrasher]

I was really excited to think I could use the air brush to spray resolene. hmmm.

I use it to spray resolene all the time, with an internal mix. But, you HAVE to thin it 50/50 and turn the pressure up on the compressor. I usually set it to about 40 - 45 PSI depressed.