Anyone who owns an airbrush gun or equipment naturally immediately thinks that they could use it for painting simultaneously. Whether this works and what advantages and disadvantages it would have been illuminated in the further explanations.
On the other hand, health is also in focus and should be preceded with its precautions before a step-by-step guide to the painting below. A motif on the painting surface hood is chosen as an example in those instructions.
Advantages and disadvantages of airbrush painting
Especially if you are in the custom painting business or want to repaint other home items, you will develop the idea of using your airbrush gun for that as well. However, you need to weigh the pros and cons before you actually go for it.
Of course, the most significant advantage is that you can use your airbrush gun as an all-rounder. However, the prerequisite is that the nozzle size is suitable for the respective airbrush paint for painting. Some are available with two nozzle sizes and are interchangeable. More about this in the next chapter.
The significant disadvantage is that you use the right paint for the painting surface, but it might clog your airbrush gun intensively. That’s why it’s worth taking a look below at those guns that could come close to meeting the requirements.
Before that, however, the alternative can be recommended to you, which is not necessarily inferior in quality and will only be a bit more expensive. Because of the example “Custom Painting,” you can do the primer with a spray can and the airbrush motif with your airbrush gun itself. You should hand only the apparent coat activity over to a car painter so that the surface is not spotty but friendly and even glossy.
Otherwise, you can also do the painting with a clear coat yourself if a compressor supports the continuous image. Also, get a spray gun type HVLP or LVLP with a hose and, if necessary, an adapter for the compressor.
Which airbrush guns are suitable for painting?
Usually, you should choose a vast airbrush gun and almost sized like the paint gun. Of course, this doesn’t happen that often since the actual field of airbrush paint has been left to the spray guns.
First, pay attention to the manufacturer’s specifications, whether the particular gun is suitable for this. Some manufacturers usually leave this open. However, the two alternatives below might come close to meeting the conditions if the paint mixing was done very well.
The first alternative is the Colani type gun from Harder & Steenbeck. The manufacturer offers it flexibly with a nozzle size between 0.2mm to 1.2mm. The latter is already the ideal size to apply diluted paints for the other activities.
In addition, the Hztyyier brand has a gun between 0.3mm to 0.8mm in its repertoire with its airbrush kit. With the last size, of course, we come to a border area. But with an excellent thinner, you could dare to paint it.
In addition, the gun for painting should have a large flow or alternatively a lateral suction container so that you can perform enough spraying passes. It should be at least 15ml or more, and it should also have a protective lid. This protects the paint from running out while being handled carelessly.
It is still restrictive to mention that you can also not unrestrictedly dilute the paint so that the gun is not clogged if possible. Too much thinner can visibly lighten the color.
Health precautions
It is now assumed that you want to use paints that you should not inhale directly. They have thinners, solutions, or other chemicals mixed in that could harm your health. That’s why you’re strongly advised to wear a respirator specifically for painting work. You should also wear protective goggles with a tight seal.
Despite this personal protective equipment, you should work in a well-ventilated room. Since the requirements for a dust-free environment related to the paint is not so simple, a good selection of the spraying location, including a powerful airbrush exhaust system, belongs to it. A wind-protected carport or well-ventilated garage are such examples, which should and must ensure dust-free conditions at the same time.
Painting in 4 steps with an airbrush (tutorial)
Below are 4 essential steps that must be followed, especially in custom painting with hoods and motorcycle tanks, so that the results will be perfect and durable.
Step 1: Prepare the surface.
Regarding the substrate, you need to sand it and make it rust-free beforehand if it has erosion. Otherwise, fine sandpaper is sufficient at this point.
Then you need to rewash the surface to make it free of grease and dust, preferably with the air pressure of your airbrush gun.
Step 2: Prime the painting surface
The painting surface must be primed because this is the sealant for the metal and a light base for the airbrush acrylic paint, to which it adheres better and at the same time appears more visible.
For this purpose, you can apply a special whitish primer for metals by spraying the can on the painting base. To do this, you do not necessarily have to use your airbrush gun and provoke a blockage here if necessary.
Step 3: Apply airbrush motifs
After a sufficient drying time, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, you can begin with your motif and bring it to completion. Always remember to use only the loose stencils and not airbrush adhesive foils. The danger of tearing off the paint is otherwise very likely.
Besides the ready-made ones, you can also create and cut out individual stencils with architect paper. For fixing, small and large magnets have proven themselves, which you improve relatively close to the spray image.
However, you will always need your other free and supportive hand so that no spray mist actually forms underneath the loose stencils.
Step 4: Apply a clear coat
As far as the clear coat is concerned, you should see either hand the part over to a car painter, as mentioned, or switch to a spray gun after all.
If you then do it yourself, you often have to apply two coats so that the protective layer is complete and sufficient.
By the way, spraying several times is always better than getting runnings, which are very difficult to get rid of. Because in doing so, you will often affect the airbrush motif.
After an appropriate drying time, which depends on the manufacturer of the clearcoat but should still be at least 1 day for safety, you can finally mount your hood again.
How thin should paint be for airbrush?
It depends on the type of paint. For enamels and lacquers, the recommended thickness is 1/32 inch. For acrylics, it’s 1/64 inch. However, if you’re using a high-pressure compressor, you can go a little thinner. Just make sure the paint still has enough body to cover the surface without running or sagging.