I ran across this picture a few minutes ago looking for something.

 

I think this is more important than doing a good job of building it.

  Most of the things I build lately hangs on the wall so these things are the first to be seen when entering a room so hey, practice the finishing process and make things baby bottom smooth to the touch.. take the brushes out to the dumpster and hook up some air hoses....Its the only way to go

Good advice, Jess!

22 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

take the brushes out to the dumpster and hook up some air hoses....Its the only way to go

 

Hey Jess, how about a good write up of where to start on this?  Our daughter wants me to spray on finish on our next project.  All I can think about is remembering the clean up required when I painted my cars.  15 minutes to mix up the paint, 10 minutes to spray and then 30 minutes to clean the gun afterwards... not to mention all the waste associated with left over paint that had been mixed up (a small amount, but still waste), that first rinse of the gun, having three separate containers of mineral spirits on hand (clean, not so clean, and not at all clean...). I've just resisted to this point.  

 

But I see your projects and feel that you must mix up a pretty small amount...

Cal I wouldn't know where to start.. But from what you said mineral spirits is never used in my spray painting even when I did use a large spray gun or now with the air brush.

  Most all my finishing now a days starts with a water base acrylic paint thinned down with you guessed it, water, when using the air brush.  Also if I use many different colors I always start with the lightest shades first then cleaning the small bottle with a flushing of more water then add the next lightest color. Nothing is completely clean from the last color. Its not important unless I'm matching something and here anymore I don't worry about matching something for it is usually the first of being made. I have a sink in the shop so there is no extra work in spraying multi colors.

 

 

 

Once all the colors are on its real important to let the things dry for a day or so for the rattle cans are lacquer and don't like to go over water soaked wood.

 

 

Cal there are many different shades of acrylic metallic paint on this butterfly and I sprayed all the colors before any could dry so they would bleed in to each other and make it look like I knew what I was doing!!!!! Now a days it is better to leave things more ruffer than I use to so it will not look like a CNC machine made them. 

 

I bought this air brush from Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon which they had all ways for one item . 

  The rubber band around the hose is there for a reason. The small hose does come with the air brush. I lock the hose around the table saw fence so I won't hook the hose again with my foot and jerk it in to the floor and bend things -  in to ruined!!!! 

The air brush set  comes with a different set of needles and orifices to be able to draw very small lines with paint... this is a Passache #VL 0712 model and I do use an air regulator and water trap. And all due respect to Gunny its a large set and not an in line model which all my customers told me they didn't work and catch all the moisture....so I quit selling them years ago.

A small air compressor can be used with an air brush. Lot of times I use about 20 lbs of pressure on thinned down paint... 

  What else do you have questions about????

 I do store the air brush with lacquer thinner in the bottle after flushing the gun out with the thinner. The small air hole in the top of the bottle needs a tooth pick tightly inserted in the hole and if it goes for many days between uses then the lacquer thinner will disappear so it needs to be watched for that... I think most parts seems to be stainless steel but its still better to store the air brush with lacquer thinner.

  These 2 0z bottles of acrylic paint I use are the 1.49 version and most of the time I buy the metallic acrylic type. I try to shy away from the acrylic metallic --glitter-- paint for it is very thin with actual color and probably the reason the glitter will show up better.

  The consensus around here when a person is staining their projects is to get a can of Minwax or something similar and smear it all over the project....then the word blotched is used...... unfortunately.

I quit using a regular airbrush. Was only using for stains. Had used also for lacquer. Found that when I cleaned with lacquer thinner it caused the o rings to fail. It was a cheap Harbor Freight unit so not much lost just could b=not find replacement rings.

 

Using a bypass unit now and no o ring to fail

19 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

What else do you have questions about????

 

Thanks Jess.  My next projects will be a large shadow box and a small sideboard type piece of furniture.  No airbrushing...

Haven't tried air brushing, yet. Still working on the air guitar.

Cal when I brought up the blotching I was implying if a person uses a spray gun or an air brush to apply the stain or dye or what ever this eliminates blotching. This will let a person sneak up on the desired darkness of the wood with out going over board. Your staining goo- ru must have missed that class.

 Gerald this Passache does not have rubber O rings. Its also about 22 years old. I also have the same brand thats about 40 years old but it was the one I got tangled up in the little hose with my foot and jerked it in the floor and bent a few things.

  So Gene, whats are it.

 

Here ya go Jesse.

Well I can see its not a fee-mail so he must be your son?  You need to take that hat light away from him and exchange it for your head bandana. You have been a hippy long enough!

Nope. Not either of my sons. Like their parents, neither one can carry a tune...even with an air guitar. 

As for the bandana, when I quit sweating, around Christmas,  the remnant of my hippie days goes back in the dresser drawer. 

Actually, I never was a hippie. The closest I got was to flash a one fingered peace sign at them.

Musical?? Heck I can even play the radio...