Acrylic paint accents

[John Torchick]

We had a demo at our woodturning club a while back. The fellow applied a spot of acrylic paint on a platter and then spread it into a particular shape with an airbrush compressor. I have thought of this with a can of compressed air that you can use for an airbrush unit. An airbrush setup isn't in the budget right now.....unless I can talk my wife into going back to work. Yeh, right!
Any used this for acrylic paint accents? TIA.

 

[hockenbery]

I have done a tiny bit of this making “clouds”. I used a airbrush.
The airbrush directs a low pressure low volume of air in a circular pattern.

Any air source you can control in pressure and volume should work.

Low pressure spreads out the paint with sort of a textured surface pattern
High pressure blows the paint off the surface.

This is easy to experiment with. Put a drop of paint on a paper or glossy paper and practice.

Canned air should work if you can control the pressure
You might get reasonable results with Turkey baster just squeeze the bulb for a puff of air.
If you have a compressor and an air gun turn the pressure down around 10-15 and try it.
Aquarium/ bait aerator might work if you have one with enough pressure and air volume
Blowing through a straw should work

 

[Bruce Schoenleber]

Harbor Freight has an inexpensive airbrush kit (the brush and a compressor) for well under $100. I have one for what you describe and it works well. I don't know if it is any good for actual spraying of paint.

 

[john lucas]

I have blown the paint around with a $10 HF air brush. I have also just used a straw. What really helps is to mix the paint with Flo extender. I buy mine from JoSanjo but you can get it from Amazon or Dick blick. The flow extender slows down the drying time and also thins it to make it blow better.

 

[John Torchick]

If you have a compressor and an air gun turn the pressure down around 10-15 and try it.

I do have an air compressor that I got for Father's Day, complements of SWMBO. Good suggestion. Thanks two bunches.

 

[Lamar Wright]

What really helps is to mix the paint with Flo extender. I buy mine from JoSanjo but you can get it from Amazon or Dick blick

Another Flo extender is Flotrol that you can get at Home Depot or Lowe's building supply.

 

[Pete Blair]

I have blown the paint around with a $10 HF air brush. I have also just used a straw. What really helps is to mix the paint with Flo extender. I buy mine from JoSanjo but you can get it from Amazon or Dick blick. The flow extender slows down the drying time and also thins it to make it blow better.

Flo extender can be bought in larger sizes from Home Depot in the US.

 

[Pete Blair]

We had a demo at our woodturning club a while back. The fellow applied a spot of acrylic paint on a platter and then spread it into a particular shape with an airbrush compressor. I have thought of this with a can of compressed air that you can use for an airbrush unit. An airbrush setup isn't in the budget right now.....unless I can talk my wife into going back to work. Yeh, right!
Any used this for acrylic paint accents? TIA.

John when I started doing this I experimented with lots of different methods. I'm older and found that I would get dizzy quite easily when blowing through a straw. To focus the air I used a plastic pen with the cartridge removed, one that narrows to a small hole was best. In our neighbourhood I often see small used air compressors for sale at low prices. Another alternative is to get one of the compressors used to blow up pool equipment etc. These can usually be found at your local hardware stores. I do believe that to enjoy the process a compressor is a must.

 

[john lucas]

Personally I Like the feeling of getting dizzy when I blow through a straw. Sort of feels like getting High back in the 60's. A compressor is really nice. I use an airbrush compressor. You can get a fairly inexpensive one at Hobby Lobby. I just upgraded to a Grex airbrush compressor and really like it. If you use a regular compressor you may have to buy a small regulator and filter if you plan to use an airbrush with it.

 

[John Torchick]

John Lucas, this is a woodturning forum and not a confessional. OK, te absolvo.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Personally I Like the feeling of getting dizzy when I blow through a straw. Sort of feels like getting High back in the 60's. ....

John Lucas, this is a woodturning forum and not a confessional. OK, te absolvo.

So, do we need to start a new sub forum for confessing woodturning sins?

 

[john lucas]

I tried going to a confessional once. After a half hour he ran out crying.