Multi brands of AB's, 1 air compressor... hookup...?

Yes Ed, the HP-C Plus & the Eclipse CS are both gravity-feed with the larger 1/3 oz. cup.

So very true, none are the "Holy Grail"
One has to match an AB to ones needs as each brush has it's unique area of best performance. After all, it's a tool designed to do a specific task.

Badger AB's are also very good. It's just that when I tried the Iwata's at my friends garage after trying some of his Badgers, I prefered the Iwata's feel and spray atomization.

I bought the Iwata straight off because I wanted to practice with one of the AB's that I'd be working with. Since each AB has it's own characteristics I didn't want to learn with one and then have to switch and learn how to handle things with another AB.

jhande wrote:

Yes Ed, the HP-C Plus & the Eclipse CS are both gravity-feed with the larger 1/3 oz. cup. So very true, none are the "Holy Grail" One has to match an AB to ones needs as each brush has it's unique area of best performance. After all, it's a tool designed to do a specific task. Badger AB's are also very good. It's just that when I tried the Iwata's at my friends garage after trying some of his Badgers, I prefered the Iwata's feel and spray atomization. I bought the Iwata straight off because I wanted to practice with one of the AB's that I'd be working with. Since each AB has it's own characteristics I didn't want to learn with one and then have to switch and learn how to handle things with another AB.

Yup, seeing how I'm just getting into the world of A/Bs I can say I'm finding out what my needs are The HF cheapy was good for gen. coverage & will be used for spraying Future the Badger is basically all I need to do my models with so far & once I get my skills down to something better than what they are....

I here ya, have fun and keep on practing man... it's all good. 

jhande wrote:

I here ya, have fun and keep on practing man... it's all good.

you know it!! Might need a little advice on paints,etc on doing T-shirts some time you know, an inventory (itemized) list of what's needed

Hey Ed, no problem. But neither my wife nor I am anywhere near truely knowledgeable enough to be giving advice. We are only going by what I have read in some books and info gathered at some websites. With that said, here's what has been working for my wife and my one or two shirts so far.

We started with Createx paints, check this at - Dixie Art first.
Since I had this easel for my architectural displays, we used it for holding the T-shirts.
We made cardboard inserts for the T-shirts. You have to protect the back side of the shirt from the paint bleeding through. My wife took it one step further, she used some of that cheap pillow stuffing and formed a slight ridge around the edge so the spraying area of the shirt won't touch the card board.
Besides the airbrush and air supply, those are the main items I can think of to get started. Besides of course the paint and airbrush cleaning solution.
For cleaning my wife has used - windex, water & alchohol mix, windshield washer fluid (similar to windex but cheaper) and I think a few other things. She prefers the windshield washer fluid, she sprays that through the AB followed by water then changes her colors. At the end of the day she strips down the AB and cleans it real good.

Hope that gives you something to start with. 

Maybe Mike has something to add? 

Thanks Jim, that's basically what I wantd to know. I did read something recently on it but, needed to know the basics which weren't given other than the paint & A/B. I like your wife's idea about the added padding on the edges of the backing board
It is food for thought. Thank you.

Hippy-Ed wrote:

jhande wrote: I here ya, have fun and keep on practing man... it's all good.  you know it!! Might need a little advice on paints,etc on doing T-shirts some time you know, an inventory (itemized) list of what's needed

Ed,

First thing is that you need a compressor that can handle 60 psi constantly.
I use 1/8" hardboard that you buy at Home Depot and cut it to fit into a T-shirt.
Cut it slightly smaller than the inside dimensions of the T-shirt and round the top corners off.
You can make different sized ones for different shirts.
Make sure the shirt is NOT stretched as the painting will look funny when taken off the board.
It works great and paint does not bleed through it and you can put a Teflon sheet or wax paper over the shirt while still on the board and iron it that way.
You really need a heat press to set the paint well enough but they are expensive.
Createx is good paint as is Aqua-Flow so either will work well.
I know a lot of tricks and such for that hobby so shoot me some questions and I will see if I can help.
I have several VHS tapes here on doing T-shirt airbrushing by Terry Hill who is one of the best, as well as others.

Thanks Mike, I'll keep you in mind when the time comes. I have my twin tank "Contractor's Grade" compressor which has good pressure (if I crank 'er open she'll put out 100-125psi) noisy thing tho

I just read at another forum that Createx has been playing games with their paints. They have thinned them out and are still in the process of changing the consistency, so whenever you re-order the paint might be thinner or thicker.

So you might want to concider using - Golden, Dr. Ph. Martin's or Aqua Flow.
The other forum listed info for Aqua Flow: 1-800-335-2710 the website couldn't be found -  www.aquaflow.htm

Createx, Golden & Dr. Ph. Martin's are sold at Dixie Art and, they have something mentioned on the Createx formula being changed
http://www.dixieart.com/Createx.html

Ed,

Check out this forum and you can have all of your questions answered.

This is mainly a T-shirt airbrushing forum owned by Pat Gaines who is a well-known airbrush artist who owns several West Coast Airbrush stores.

http://www.westcoastairbrush.com/airbrushforum/index.php

Thanks Mike, I got it bookmarked I was doing some surfin' late last night & came across some of Pat Gaines' work. Impressive Also, some  A/B site called "airhead airbrush"?which I found informative on how-to...  found the link "How TO A/B"
http://www.howtoairbrush.com/airbrush-t-shirt.htm

Hey Ed, Don's site is the one I read about the Createx paints. I was trying to find it again for you... thanks for beating me to it and sparking my memory hehe.

Thanks Mike, I'll go check out that link also. The wife and I need all the help we can get. 

jhande wrote:

Hey Ed, Don's site is the one I read about the Createx paints. I was trying to find it again for you... thanks for beating me to it and sparking my memory hehe. Thanks Mike, I'll go check out that link also. The wife and I need all the help we can get.

I got it bookmarked as well.Yer  The articles are great! Lots of info there too.

I was just takin' a stroll down Memory Lane today & recall helping my aunt Cindy with her  Home based Silk Screen T-shirt biz back in 1990 and I helped out when she was in poor health for about a month. My thought was this, would one be able to use an A/B with silk screen patterns/ templates? Just got a wild hair... If so, I'll ask her if she still has the stuff since she is retired & unable to do that work anymore.

Sorry it took so long Ed...

Had to try and think about this one a bit. I never got into silk screening or learned too much about it, but I believe the templates used where cutouts to lay over the design to fill in the next color. Working from the bottom or base color towards the top final details.

But someone once told me that the templates where like a screen and they forced the paint through with like a squeegee, so I'm not totally sure what's up. 

I would think you could use the templates. Templates are used all the time with AB'ing.

It's worth a shot especially if your aunt isn't going to do anything with them. She might even be able to answer some questions or give you some pointers... ?? Best to ask her really.

Duh... sorry. I really wasn't any help. 

Jim, thanks for the feedback. I think I'll ask my aunt about it some time when I see her. I recall we had placed the screen over the shirt & threw some paint in & used a spreader to get it where we wanted it.
I've been quite busy lately & when I do get ahold of herI'll let ya know what I find out.

Eddie

Thanks Ed, you have me curious now, LOL. 

Yer Jim I just talked to my mother & when she gets around to talking to my aunt Cindy she said she'd have my aunt call me. (she changed her phone #) Mom seems to think that aunt Cindy sold her equipment to her step brother a few yrs. ago but, we'll see what happens.

Good luck Ed. 

Hippy-Ed wrote:

Yup, it is quite since  word has it thar some fella by the name of A.G. Spanos bought up the property to build more houses. (he owns aot of this city & the S.D. Chargers)  I knew that NH had a few tracks but, not that many! There's a couple in the areathat I know of (Altamont Speedway & Believe Modesto has one) When I was in Reno & got to spray a T-shirt up there, the gal had 6 Iwata Eclipse A/Bs at the ready so, I s'pose it's good for doin' T-shirts

im a beginner in air brush and im thinking of buying a aircompressor (in harborfrieght) im not tryiing 2 spend too much cuz im a beginer so which one should i get the 30psi or 40 psi..... im basically using it to draw on tee shirts (clothing) and maybe draw on ma sheetrocked room? and would that compressor handle the job ?

seckone wrote:

Hippy-Ed wrote: Yup, it is quite since  word has it thar some fella by the name of A.G. Spanos bought up the property to build more houses. (he owns aot of this city & the S.D. Chargers)  I knew that NH had a few tracks but, not that many! There's a couple in the areathat I know of (Altamont Speedway & Believe Modesto has one) When I was in Reno & got to spray a T-shirt up there, the gal had 6 Iwata Eclipse A/Bs at the ready so, I s'pose it's good for doin' T-shirts im a beginner in air brush and im thinking of buying a aircompressor (in harborfrieght) im not tryiing 2 spend too much cuz im a beginer so which one should i get the 30psi or 40 psi..... im basically using it to draw on tee shirts (clothing) and maybe draw on ma sheetrocked room? and would that compressor handle the job ?

which ever one has the adjustable air flow regulator  should do the trick but, don't run it for long periods of time. In other words, don't go painting for an hour as the compressor will heat up on ya & will cause it to burn out sooner.  I've had mine for 2 yrs now & it works good & I don't spray more than 15-20 minutes spraying at any given time.