Introduction to Airbrushing with Ken Schlotfeldt

[Cave_Dweller]

Very informative video, thanks for posting. This is gonna help me decide what to get.

I know a lot of people use spray booths...are they necessary? Like, will I get paint dust all over my room if I don't use one? Or are they more for heavy amounts of spraying?

Thanks!

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Hold the airbrush far away from the surface and spray heavy volumes of paint at high pressure and I would say yes, a spray booth is absolutely necessary. Or, if you use enamels, lacquers etc, I would highly recommend it.

I personally don't use a spray booth but I use acrylics only, have my pressure set really low, spray within literally inches of the surface and only pull the trigger back enough to release the paint needed to cover a small area. I have very, very little over spray due to this and have not found it to be warranted in my case.

 

[Just Mike]

People, turn off your darn phones!

I''ve been listening to this for roughly 45 minutes and this guy sounds like Jimmy Kimmel!

Seriously, excellent video! I's learning a lot!

 

[Grendels]

I use a spray booth for a couple of reasons. One, I don't want my wife and child to smell the paint, not once.

Second, I sometimes spray lacquer paints. I do not want the fumes to that in the house. I have three cats, and they are more sensitive to chemicals than their human counterparts.

Third, I live in a very hot damp environment: South Texas In the summer it can be 100F outside at 85% humidity. Can't paint with that outside. So if I decide to spray with a rattle can, I have to wait until night and I am still worried about the humidity. But with the spray booth I have, I can actually use rattle can in it.

 

[Jeeves]

For cleaning acrylics...is the ammonia based cleaner he was speaking about basically Windex or is there something better?

 

[Glorfindel]

For cleaning acrylics...is the ammonia based cleaner he was speaking about basically Windex or is there something better?

Their cleaner has ammonia in it but Windex should work just as good.

 

[hooterville75]

If memory serves me from watching this when it was originally posted, Ken recommended not doing a full tear down or clean job unless you have a problem in an area requiring a full break down OR you dont use your airbrush for a lengthy period of time. What is classified as a long period of time ? I havent used my airbrush for say a month and a half. Its sat in my top desk drawer wrapped up like a McDonalds cheeseburger in a paper towell.

Would this classified and require a full break down and clean job ? Or should I just take the needle out, clean the needle, spray some alcohol through it and be off on my next paint job ?

 

[Grendels]

I don't clean mine with ammonia unless I have been spraying future through the air brush. I use alcohol for acrylics other than vallejo. I only did that once and will NEVER do that again. Enamel thinner for enamels, and then lacquer thinner for everything else.

Then I hit it with some airbrush cleaner from createx. That removes the solvent from the airbrush.

Hooterville75: I bet you have to pull the needle at the minimum.

 

[Gern]

I was very impressed with Ken and his gracious treatment of the competition. He said they all make great brushes. He never once took a shot.

Yup. Super guy all around.

Way back in 1995 I sent a snail mail letter to Badger complaining about some defect in a badger airbrush i owned. Never got a reply so if I remember correctly I actually called them about it. Lady took a message and lo and behold I got a phone call back from the Pres who apologized and then a couple of weeks later in the mail i received two (!) brand new badger airbrushes! What service!

 

[hook1169]

I use alcohol for acrylics other than vallejo. I only did that once and will NEVER do that again.

@Grendels - what happened when you did this with Vallejo paints? Gum up? Also what do you use with Vallejo then?

 

[hooterville75]

If a person offered either of you a full set of Tamiya 23ml bottles OR Vallejo Model Air paints BOTH at the same price of $2.39 per bottle, which brand would you prefer to have Tamiya or Vallejo ?

 

[Jeeves]

They are both pretty good...I give a slight edge to Vallejo...plus I like the fact that with the squeeze bottle, I have more control over how much I put in the cup...

 

[hook1169]

Too bad there wasn't a way to post a poll.. I would like to see what the SMA user base uses the most on average.

 

[Glorfindel]

I personally don't use a spray booth but I use acrylics only, have my pressure set really low, spray within literally inches of the surface and only pull the trigger back enough to release the paint needed to cover a small area. I have very, very little over spray due to this and have not found it to be warranted in my case.

Same here, no spray booth, shoot acrylics at low pressure but do wear a mask just in case.
Agree that this is indeed a great video. Ken seems like a real hands on guy. Definitely knows his stuff. I use a bottom feed and have been hedging and hawing over getting a gravity feed for well over a year now. Ken's talking points have me leaning towards taking the Nestea plunge.

 

[Ravhin]

If a person offered either of you a full set of Tamiya 23ml bottles OR Vallejo Model Air paints BOTH at the same price of $2.39 per bottle, which brand would you prefer to have Tamiya or Vallejo ?

The Tamiya 23ml bottles will give you more bang for the buck .