Paint drying on needle tip

[DaveNJ]

I have just started airbrushing with Badger 155 Anthem, using Createx paints, at around 25 psi. I have been mainly practicing on newsprint for past month. I have found that I have less than 5 minutes or so before paint dries on the tip and I have to clean off with a q-tip or pull off with fingernails or painter spatters and I lose fine detail.

I am not reducing the paint from the bottle, so I am assuming it is too thick? PSI too high?
I thought airbrush paint was ready to go as is.

All the videos I watch, it seems the painters can paint for very long times without having to do this. How do they do it? How do painters have 5 airbrushes going at once, ready anytime, during a project without having to clean?

thanks,
Dave

[Diaz Dezine]

Well you pretty much asked all the questions that alot of newb's want to know.
The ABers that you are talking about have probably been doing this for quite awhile and also have put in their dues in the research and trial and error department in order to move as confident as they do and with multiple AB's.
Reducing your paint is one of things that may help and also your air pressure. Straining your paint sometimes helps.
What I will tell you next is what everybody else will tell you and possibly you will hear over and over again.....practice practice practice!
Alot of the Pro abers didn't just pick up any old airbrush and any paint and just started doing masterpieces, it took hours and hours of getting used to your AB, getting used to your paint and getting familiar with your air pressure.
There are a few ABers here that like to strain their createx paints through a strainer thats made up of panty hose or other meshy type materials and also reducing with createx reducers. That might help with making your createx a little more workable.
Try messing with your airpressure at different airpressures, Try a line at 10 then do another at 20 and so on, until you find the right pressure with the right mixture of paint.
Once you figure that out then you start doing somes lines and dots and daggers and that will help with your finger and hand control over your AB.
You have to go through all of this in order to do the type of work you want to do.
There will be others who will have some great info on the forum that will help greatly and they will chime in soon so sit tight Dave and welcome to the forum!
DIAZ

[DaveNJ]

Thanks Diaz. I just found Don's article on "Tip Dry". I should have researched more before asking my question.

I am really enjoying airbrushing and eager to learn as much as I can.

[don johnson]

"eager to learn as much as I can"

Great one of the most important things to learn, remember is it's just paint, have fun, enjoy it. It's very easy to forget sometimes and let frustraion take over.

Tip dry is just one of those things that after awhile you don't even notice you just deal with it without even thinking.

[pitontheprowl]

Createx Airbrush Mediums

The retarder at the bottom of the page can help slow the tip dry issue.
Another thing about the "videos" is they are usually cleaning their tip every time you do not see the brush on camera.

[DaveNJ]

Thanks all for the replies.
Look forward to participating in these forums and hopefully add some content when I get more experience.

Dave

[dobie]

Dave;
dont worry to much about it, it will come to you, i have only been air brushing about 2 months and when i first came here i asked exactly the same questions you did,, i can now use createx a little better than when i started, my first suggestion would be for now switch to either golden air brush colors, or co mart, as these paints flow real easy out of the bottle, as you get used to practicing with these paints you will start to gain more confidence in your work and have more fun,,even the pros get tip dry,
hope this helps some
dobie

[Airbrush Dreams]

Welcome to createx and all other acrylic paints. It has become second nature to hold that q-tip in my hand. The only paint that I have found that has an addative to prevent this is Medea Textile Paint it has something in it callled the lube which prevents tipdry, however the shelf life of the paint is half of that of Createx.

[hairbag]

all paints get tip dry, tis the nature of spraying/atomizing paint with air pressure.

white is the worst for tip dry in every type of paint you will encounter. i just run with out the crown cap on my iwata's and just pinch the needle tip clean with my fore finger and thumb on a regular basis. i think 95% of airbrushers do the same thing, the ones that don't aren't using thier airbrushes.

and is it me or does all brown paint stink...especially brown tempura paint...

[djaustin]

Originally Posted by Airbrush Dreams

Welcome to createx and all other acrylic paints. It has become second nature to hold that q-tip in my hand. The only paint that I have found that has an addative to prevent this is Medea Textile Paint it has something in it callled the lube which prevents tipdry, however the shelf life of the paint is half of that of Createx.

In what maner are you using the Q-tip?

[djaustin]

Originally Posted by hairbag

all paints get tip dry, tis the nature of spraying/atomizing paint with air pressure.

white is the worst for tip dry in every type of paint you will encounter. i just run with out the crown cap on my iwata's and just pinch the needle tip clean with my fore finger and thumb on a regular basis. i think 95% of airbrushers do the same thing, the ones that don't aren't using thier airbrushes.

and is it me or does all brown paint stink...especially brown tempura paint...

Can the Pasche be used with out the tip cone. It doesn't seem to spray anything with out it.

[pitontheprowl]

Originally Posted by djaustin

Can the Pasche be used with out the tip cone. It doesn't seem to spray anything with out it.

Which model Pasche?

[Airbrush Dreams]

Use a hollow boddy Q-tip in the oposit hand that you hold the airbrush and keep it damp with water pull back your needle but don't give it any air place the q-tip against the nozzle end and release the trigger, so the needle penitraits the q-tip inside the hollow tubing then twist the q-tip and remove it from the airbrush being carefull not to bend the needle. There is less danger of bending the tip if the needle this way. Just remember to change q-tips several times durring a lesson.

[djaustin]

Ahh, hollow body Qtip. That was the secret. I tried a regular Qtip trying to NOT bend the tip but soon found out I had. That cost me a needle. So I resorted to removing the tip and cleaning it a lot.

I am using a Pasche VL double action.
The first piece that unscrews of appears to be a venturi to funnel the air past the needle as it sits in its cone. remove this piece around the tip and now I have the needle in its seat and I can see the air passages for the pressured air. I probably gave more information needed to find out what the story is about removing the tip cover for finer lines.

Thanks

Dan

[djaustin]

Originally Posted by pitontheprowl

Which model Pasche?

Im using one of those orange handled Pasche VL 3 size needles and seats.

Thanks
Dan

[Airbrush Dreams]

You can leave the tip compleatly assembled which will help center the q-tip, but with the VL-3 you need to leave the full head assembled in order to paint. They are not like the Iwatas that the tips can be removed to do finner detail. If you want finner detail switch to the VL-1 needle and cone setup.

Fred

[DaveNJ]

Thanks everyone for the replies. This is a very active forum.

I did get some Golden Paint and what a difference good paint makes!
It works great. I can paint much longer with it before having to clean the tip.


Dave