The task is to produce flames on vinyl,(yellow) a blend of red, orange, yellow then blue. I had plenty of lead time as the car it is to be applied to was not available until last Friday. By Thursday night, everything was done with the exception of the clear coat (Krylon). I laid everything out and started spraying. Assuming from the blotchy-orange peel result which ruined the appearance of my hard work, I was spraying too close, too heavy... After seeing my project seemingly melt before my very eyes, I sat the spray can down and walked away. I phoned the customer and gave them the bad news that I had botched the flames, they were understanding and said to phone them when I'm ready. (thank goodness)
Well, through this learning curve, I was just wondering if any of you make as big of a mess as I do? And if not, why not? We're talking about a small setup here, one airbrush, a half a dozen small bottles, one cap with a feeder tube, one cup, etc. (the basic starter kit) I tried using the cup, it was a real mess to change the colors; pull the cup off and the paint left in the brush drips out. It was less of a mess for me to use the bottles, then dealing with cleaning out the feeder tube before submerging it into another color. Any suggestions here?
Also, storing mixed paints. I'm using Oneshot for this job and I've found that leaving the thinned down paints in the bottles for more than a couple of days creates a skin. Someone mentioned using those little squirt bottles, stored upside down. What happens when you shake them up before use? Is it best not to use Oneshot if I want to store a mixed color? Then what?
For this project, I've sprayed the vinyl with Frog Juice prior to cutting it. Has anyone sprayed it after cutting, with positive results? I guess I'm asking this question since I measured short once.
I found it difficult to blend from red to orange, the red kept a hard edge. Finally, I decided to lessen the width of red and carry a light mist of red through where the orange was supposed to be. This created the orange color. Then I followed that up with a mist of orange, fading it out into the yellow.
For those you that don't use the airbrush on a continous basis, I'm wondering what kind of setup you have. Are you like me, and drag all the stuff out and go at it? If I pursue more airbrush work, I'll need a better setup.
A special thanks to all who've helped me thus far, hope I make you proud! I'll be sure to post a pic of the finished product! 
Cher.
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Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag" on MIRC
Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc.
Cape Coral, Florida
VSignsNgraphics@aol.com
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Brian Stoddard
Expressions Signs
A few puddles east of Seattle
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LazyEdna
in RL known as Sara Straw
from southern Utah
5 National Parks within 3 hours drive
Red Rock Heaven
Sorry to hear about the mess. I do some airbrush with OneShot and have not had any problems. I do have a couple of questions for you. 1)What kind/brand/model airbrush do you have 2)What size needle are you using (it makes a difference). A friend of mine tried to shoot 1 Shot and couldn't 'cuz he had a Paasche brush that is only used for fine detail work with inks and fine paint. It was a huge mess! 3)Is your brush clean?
After I shoot 1 Shot, I shoot some mineral spirits thru it until it shoots clear, then I remove the needle and wipe that down and shoot a little more mineral spirits (needle is still out)and then I finish it up with a shot of WD-40 sprayed thru it. This keeps the brush lubricated and clean for next time.
I learned this WD-40 thing from a master airbrush artist. I have yet to replace o-rings, or needles in my brush since doing this. Also, because of the skinning over of 1 Shot, LazyEdna is right, get rid of it. If you try to take just the skin out of the bottle "it ain't gonna happen". You will have some residue that will end up on your needle tip and cause your brush to sputter or not work at all. Anyway, hope this helps and if you have any more questions please e-mail me at home screamingbeavergraphics@yahoo.com or heygargoyle@aol.com
Thanks!
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Ed CJ Williams
CJ Graffx
Christiana,Pa.
cjgraffx@epix.net
Just have'n fun....
Hope this helps!
Raven/2001
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Raven/2000
Airbrushed by Raven
Lower sackville N.S.
deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
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Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"
Raven/2001
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Raven/2000
Airbrushed by Raven
Lower sackville N.S.
deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
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Robert "Bobby" Salyers
Airbrush & Graphics Studio
Clearwater, FL
website:http://airbrushbobby.com
email: bobby@airbrushbobby.com
He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.---Sitting Bull
I wasn't sure when you said you clearcoated before cutting the vinyl if you are using fj on the vinyl, then painting, and then clearing again. The fg helps the paint stick to the vinyl, but when you clear coat the paint the fj will react with the layer under the paint, and it will orange peel. Some get around this by mixing fj with the paint before spraying, and then a light clearcoat after.
I wouldn't clean my brush between steps, and I would just use the paint cup. I would start with yellow, dump what I don't need, add orange & spray off to the side till the next color comes out, then switch to red the same way. You can work quickly and get a nicer blend this way. I would buff the vinyl, cut it, spray it (with a little fg in the paint), let it dry, clearcoat lightly, then heavier and then weed.
Another hint I stole from Dave Grundy was to make your own airbrush bottles out of film canisters. I like the clear ones. You need some plastic tubes (the ones in windex spray bottles work perfectly) cut them to the desired length. Drill a small hole in the middle of the lids, poke your tube thru and walla!!!! Don't forget to poke another small hole in the lid to let air in. These work like a charm, and then you just dump them and soak them in cleaner.
Good luck.
Sue
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"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor
Sedor Signs
Carnduff, Sk Canada
John, I'm using a Paasche VL with a #1 needle. I've been experimenting with thinning the OneShot with mineral spirits with good success. Air pressure is set at 40 lbs. and produces a fine, even mist. To the best of my knowledge, I've kept the airbrush cleen. Between colors, I spray mineral spirits through it, remove and clean the needle. I've been spraying wet on wet.
Stephen,
quote:
Scuff the surface with the scotchpad and wipe clean..
I was using alcahol to clean before Frog Juice and after plotting. (prior to painting) I was experiencing some contamination, fine streaks that sorta looked like wipe lines. Looked like I didn't dry it off completely and/or there was still fluid laying in the cut lines and when the air hit it, out it went, creating neat swooshy designs. Could have passed for an artsy flare! haha I'm gonna try RapidPrep this time, instead of alcahol.
Mr. Grundy: Next time, I'll have some iced down silver sodas on hand! I will not forget to apply a light mist of clear coat, 2 or 3 times, allowing drying time between coats.
Thanks again for all your help!
Cher.
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Cheryl Lucas a/k/a "Shag" on MIRC
Vital Signs & Graphics, Etc.
Cape Coral, Florida
VSignsNgraphics@aol.com
fear not this project is not as difficult as it now seems to you here's how I would attack the problem. 1st I would strongly reccomend using Iwatta's eclips airbrush either the kind where you use the bottles or the HP-CS with the big cup on the top W/cover to prevent those spills that you mentioned. now to get a good blend from one color to the other I'd work wet on wet or at least wet on slightly tacky ( we're talking the use of one shot here )
pre mix your colors in cups or bottles,
step 1. make sure your vinyl is clean and free of hand oils and such,
step 2. roll your first color on and let it tack up ( not dry ) completely cover your unweeded vinyl with the 1st color at the same consistancy you'd paint a sign with, then let it sit for a few minutes to tack up, but not dry. ( we let it tack up so your next sprayed on colors don't just melt into the 1st color. but if you let the 1st coat dry, the sprayed on colors will look less glossy. ) I'd use the yellow first if it we're me.
step 3. take your next darkest color and start from the tips of the flames and blend back towards the front ( where they start from ) blend about 2 thirds of the way back until you have a nice transition from orange to yellow. ( it may help to make yourself a nice blend of colors pre mixed also ).
step 4. now while the 2nd color is still wet, do the same thing with the next darkest color only don't blend as far down the orange as you did with the orange down the yellow.
then do the next darkest color and then the next keeping in mind that you want to see less and less of each succesive color till the last color is just barely on the tips.
then weed the vinyl while its still tacky so you don't have a paint bridge between the flames and the weeded background.
well I hope that helped you. good luck! and lets see pictures! Mike
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Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, And Dance like no one's watching. :)
Mike Lavallee
Mike Lavallee's Pinstriping & Airbrush Art
Everett, WA
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Robert "Bobby" Salyers
Airbrush & Graphics Studio
Clearwater, FL
website:http://airbrushbobby.com
email: bobby@airbrushbobby.com
He put in your heart certain wishes and plans, in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in his sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.---Sitting Bull
I'm with Bobby on the paasche tip/needles. I use my #3 needle, cone and aircap most of the time, but I also have the #1 needle and cone setup with the #3 aircap which widens and softens the spray pattern while restricting the paint flow (for really close-up stuff without blowing the paint all over the surface).
I have a 3rd VL with the #5 setup and like Bobby, I rarely ever use it. If I use the #5 it's to spray those little bottles of touch-up paint they sell to match OEM paint on autos. Sometimes customers want their windshield lettering painted to an exact match of their vehicle... heh.. even though it only costs me a couple extra $$$, they do pay dearly for it. =)
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Mike Pipes
-----trapped in a box with a computer and a slice of cheese-----
