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Originally Posted by CCair
I purchased an Iwata BCS and a Porter Cable 150 PSI pancake compressor. I am using Dr. PH. Martin’s Spectralite and Badger Air-Opaque paint. I set the compressor output regulator to 60 PSI and a second regulator with water trap on the bench to 10-15 PSI, but after depressing the AB button and then pulling back gradually I would get a burst of paint. I upped the PSI to 20 lbs. and now I can start painting without the initial “blob”, but I still can't get the fine lines I am looking for. So I have several questions for the more experienced ABers:
1) Since the Iwata BCS comes with a .5mm nozzle and an optional .35mm nozzle can be ordered, would it be helpful to order the .35mm nozzle to get finer lines than I am able to get with the .5mm nozzle? It seems that looking at the size range of nozzles in the Iwata lineup, the Iwata ABs for finer work all have nozzles in the .2mm-.35mm range. I guess what I am trying to do is get all I can from the BCS without buying another AB with a smaller nozzle. Does this make sense?
2) If I do get the .35mm nozzle will I be able to lower my PSI?
3) Rather than changing nozzles on the BCS would it make more sense to just purchase an Iwata HP-BH with its .2mm nozzle and do detail work with it?
4) Are there any different characteristics in a gravity feed AB I would need to learn compared to siphon feed BCS I have?
Thanks,
CCair
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Hello CCair and welcome to the board.
There have been a quite a few threads on these subjects they are asked by almost everyone new to airbrushing. Please do a search on "What to buy" , "What airbursh" "Spitting" etc etc for more info.
Airpressure of 15-20 psi is not going to be enough for a bottom feed brush.
Turn it up to 40 as a starting point and go up from there. You won't hurt the brush, play around
Paint must be of the proper viscosity to flow. Milk consisty is what you shoot for, if the paint is thick, reduce with the recomened reducer (see manufacture websit or package instructions)
I will attempt to answer your questions in brief with info you can use to draw your own conclutions:
1: "Nozzle size" Nozzle size in itself has little to do with the size of the line. Nozzle size is what allows the paint to flow, thicker paint that is use for tshirts and such, requires larger opening to flow. I have a very very hard time spraying Createx in my HP-BH. The tapper on the needle and the design of the head/nozzle combination is what allows for fine detail. The needle that is in a .5 nozzle is fater that that of a needle in a .2 so the tapper on the .5 is steeper that is where the minimum line thickness is controled
2: .5 vrs .35 No, you will not need less air, you will need thinner paint with finner pigment. Since the .35 nozzle is smaller, the needle is also finner which allow the paint to spay in a thighter pattern.. some law of physics about fluid and pointy objects.. over my head.. just know the slightest burr on the end of a needle will kill your ablilty to shot very fine lines.
3: Buy a nozzle or a $200 bursh.. You sound as if this is your first airbrush and you have not been working with it to long. Visit howtoairbrush.com and do the lessons and practice the basics with your bsc. I love the HP-BH but you should probably save the $200 for a few months and work with the BCS. Fine lines take time and practice, a tool made for this purpose will help, but it is not magic, it requires trigger time to learn
4: Top feed vrs bottom..
Lots of differences. Bottomefeed needs bottles and lots of paint (good for tshirt artists and large areas that requires lots of paint. Uses somewhat more CFM and pressure since the paint needs to be sucked up against the pull of gravity from the bottle. Somewhat harder to clean sice you nave more pieces (bottles, caps etc)
Gravity feed holds less paint and since most don't have caps, you can spill it. Not to much of a problem after you get used to the painting process. Uses less air pressure so less over spray. Fast color change and you can mix paint color in the cup on the fly. lighter weight (no bottle) usually desinged for finer detail work with smaller nozzles. Again, bigger nozzle lets you use thicker paint and with said nozzle, needles ususlly don't tapper to a sharp tiny point, because it would stick out to far past the end of the gun. So.. lesser of a fine line from bigger nozzles .. it ain't the nozzle.. it's the needle..
hum.. I thought I said breif...
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