help with paint?

[Rocketman]

I use Createx Opaque and Fluorescent paint i seen transparent paint to .I been painting on some shirts and doing real good .What do I use for paint on like baseball helmets and stuff. I just need help i been trying different needles to see the differents between them. I'm ordering the magazine to see if it's got tip to help. Just not to sure on mixing these paints . I been using water to thin them down just a little bit. So anything can help me out.


Thanks Rocket

Hello Rocketman--I have used Createx but my preference is Aqua Flow. I use it almost primarily & paint my baseball helmets with it also..Using automotive clear it's worked very well for me..If I were to start painting more high end motorcycle helmets I would probably get advise from Don or the other fellows here that are experts in that field on what would be best--but for the time I stick with the same water based acrylics that I use for tshirts with a great deal of success..I would advise not to thin with water as I did for many years but instead use Fantastic window cleaner or I even use Future floor finish..if you use the acrylic floor finish be sure to flush your equipment well after using because it dries rock solid hard..the problem with thinning with water is that the paint seperates & settles in a glob at the bottom of your bottle--it also has a way of molding inside the bottle & when you spray the odor will knock you over..I rarely mess much with needle sizes--everything I do is with a #3 Paasche tip & needle or I'm very fond of my Iwata eclipses & they only have the one size..anxious to see you get started!! Spray away--

[Rocketman]

Thank you Darla for the help . I'm new to airbrushing ,but i been painting and i did tattoos for many years . But thanks alot for the tip on the paint.

Rocketman--I can almost gaurantee you'll like the airbrush..Don't be fearful of experimenting--you can figure this out--if it's too thick, thin it & visa versa...& try anything that comes to your head--I can't tell you how many times I will back off of something with the thought in my head== WELL!! that didn't work exactly as I had expected..so do it over!! It's a lot of fun but you won't realize that until you get a few mistakes under your belt..your experience with tattoos will be a great advantage but even that won't get you out of paying some practice dues...you can't hurt an airbrush too easily unless you drop it or run over it..so don't let it rule you..It's only a tool & you need to learn to control it..Get your fundamental strokes down pat before you try to advance too fast & you will save yourself an enormous amount of grief..

[Cameron Arts]

Ditto what Darla said.

When I first started doing helmets & such, I actually used Createx t-shirt paint & rattle can urethane clears. Just be sure to layer on the clear in smooth, even coats... Thinner is better.

When you're ready to move up to "real automotive paint", you have a LOT of choices. I would recommend Auto Air colors. I think they're great for someone who is not used to shooting enamels or traditional automotive urethanes. They're water-based & clean up very easily. You can also spray them in your home, because you don't have vapor/fume issues. Much safer. (But still wear a mask, please!)

As for the different needle/tip/head assembly sizes, these are really designed for use with different materials, not to achieve finer or thicker lines. Like Darla, I rarely use anything other than a #3 needle/tip/head assembly combo on my Paasche VL. The exception is a #5 for metallics, so that the larger particles can pass more cleanly through my brush. Never needed #1, which you could use with very thin mediums such as inks.

Hope that helps some!
Have fun & good luck!

Marge

[Rocketman]

Thanks for the help .I'll have to post some pic . Thanks for the tip Cameron

[Rocketman]

Darla is that window cleaner or All purpose cleaner.