Just Got An Airbrush And Have A Couple Of Questions....

[hestes]

I just bought my first real airbrush. I didn't go expensive and just got the Harbor Freight kit. I have been using the preval canned air to dye my leather until now. I have a question or two for those are you that are more experienced with them before I get busy learning how to use it.

First, do you clean or rinse your airbrush between each color or just after every use?

Second, I have ordered some of the airbrush cleaner from amazon because there is so much information out there on what to use, I felt a little overwhelmed. I am using oil based dyes, and resolene/water as my final finish. I am curious on what you all use to keep your airbrush clean. I've seen some people use things like denatured alcohol or windex, etc. I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot and mess something up.

Thanks in advance for your time and any tips you can offer.

Edited February 23, 2014 by hestes

[JLSleather]

Same solvent you use to thin the dye. I 'rinse' between colors and 'clean' between uses - short version.

[hestes]

Thanks for the response, JLSleather. However, I haven't thinned any of my dyes. To clean my preval sprayer before, I just ran rubbing alcohol through it between colors, etc.

[BigJake]

You say you're using oil based dye and I assume that means Feibings Pro Oil Dye. All of the Feibings and Angelus solvent dyes use denatured alcohol as a reducer/solvent. Water based dye, of course use water for the reducer. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a gal. of denatured alcohol for major savings over the same thing packaged under the Feibings label. Rinsing between colors is good practice, but a complete clean should be done at the end of the day. As for the cleaning when using acrylic based products such as Resolene and many others, you may find that cleaning during the day may be required. I usually close off the tip on my Badger air brush by screwing down the adjustment nozzle. This helps keep the tip from clogging since the acrylic sets up pretty quick. At the end of the day when using acrylic be sure to give your air brush a complete detail cleaning with water otherwise you will have problems in the near future with clogged nozzles.

I use a premix of 50/50 acrylic topcoat either Resoleen or Angelus Satin Sheen and water for my top coat and the shelf life is long on the mixture but you will save yourself some grief if you go by you local automotive paint stone and get some paint strainers which should be free or just about. I always strain my 50/50 mixture of acrylic when loading my airbrush bottle due to the lumps that can accumulate in the mix bottle which will clog the airbrush in a heartbeat.

All my gun leather is dyed using an airbrush and Feibings Pro Oil Dye, except for black which is dip dyed. My top coat of choice is Angelus Satin Sheen mixed 50/50.

I'd like to see some of your work, send a photobucket link or a link to Leatherworker Gallery, or send me a PM with a link.

[hestes]

Thanks for the info, BigJake! I appreciate it. It sounds like you also use the denatured alcohol to clean the brush up after you use resolene, as well?

I really appreciate the info! Thanks again.

Edited February 24, 2014 by hestes

[tiggertlee]

I love my airbrush, once I started using it I learned I may never use a dauber again!

I use the Feibing Oil Dye, thinned 50/50 with denatured to shoot out the brush with. I also picked up an airbrush cleaning station, basically a big heavy glass jar that you can rest your brush in. It has a filter and a hole in it, you can shoot all you want into the jar and it stays in the jar, pretty neat.

Between colors I run denatured thru the brush (keep some in a separate jar) just pop off the color I was using slap on the denatured run a few good blasts into the cleaning jar, then pop on the new color, couple quick blasts into the jar to get it primed, then a quick test on some paper to make sure before heading to the leather...and I try to go from lighter to darker during my sessions anyway...ending in black if at all possible...

When finished run denatured thru really well into the jar....quick teardown and wipedown with denatured usually has me spic and span. I have a ultrasonic cleaner I'll tear the brush all the way down and toss it into with 50/50 simple green and water and give it a couple cycles, all clean!

For Resolene same process just use water instead of denatured.

Dye is very easy to clean compared to some paints I've shot before

[hestes]

Thank you all for the tips! I appreciate it!!