Airbrush painting, not really about painting. OT

[J Tiers]

The one in the background? OK.

We'd like to see what you come up with. Looks interesting.

[Noitoen]

This type of spray gun doesn't use needles.

[The Artful Bodger]

Even better value and does not need a compressor..

[Baz]

For thin lines I'd use a Rotring pen or make the equivalent. I wonder how wide the principle works for. But I like the idea of a full CNC airbrush on a transportable XY frame that I could hang against a wall to do murals.
I don't see how an airbrush ever makes a thin line, as almost by definition they have sort of fuzzy edges to the spray pattern. I thought the art of teh airbrush for an artist or signwriter was as much about the masks as the paint application.

[wmgeorge]

The air brushes I have used if you lay them on the side they tend to leak and the paint would move away from pickup tube.

[jcfx]

I am not sure an airbrush is what I need but it will be interesting finding out. What I am initially interested in is painting fairly fine lines on flat surfaces, say 2mm wide.

The airbrush I have has .2, .3 and .5mm needles but I still have to mount it on the CNC head unit and organize the CNC control of the paint needle. Maybe a few days yet!

You do know that the airbrush will not give you a sharp line ?

Baz has already pointed this out, and the suggestions of using plotter pens are probably the best for fine sharp lines.
The needle sizes do affect the finess of the line but it'll still be a soft line, on the Passche VL airbrushes I have there is a 'lock'
for controlling the needle distance.

Molotow is a paint company that sells refillable markers, I've only used some of their products but they do have a line
called Blackliners, they may work better -
https://www.molotow.com/en/product-s.../professional/

[The Artful Bodger]

You do know that the airbrush will not give you a sharp line ?

Baz has already pointed this out, and the suggestions of using plotter pens are probably the best for fine sharp lines.
The needle sizes do affect the finess of the line but it'll still be a soft line, on the Passche VL airbrushes I have there is a 'lock'
for controlling the needle distance.

Please refer to post #6. There is this I found on-line....

[J Tiers]

That's a lot better than most. But is it going to work for your application?

As I recall, this started as sign making. Usually text of any sort is best with very clean lines, and no fuzzy edges. Can you get what you want from the airbrush? Is what we see in the pic you attached good enough for your signs?

To me it looks like it could be.

[jcfx]

Please refer to post #6. There is this I found on-line....

My post did quote your post #6, all I'm pointing out is that you will not
get a sharp line that a brush or pen will give you, if that's what you're after.
The picture you found online the lines look soft to me because it's sprayed.

[The Artful Bodger]

Roadside signs are 8x4' and to be read by passing traffic so there are very few words and the lettering is quite big, letters are 250- 300mm high.

If I can get the fine lines to do the text outline and airbrush to fill the letters that will be fine.

[The Artful Bodger]

My post did quote your post #6, all I'm pointing out is that you will not
get a sharp line that a brush or pen will give you, if that's what you're after.
The picture you found online the lines look soft to me because it's sprayed.

It may be that the results will not be good enough to use.

[wmgeorge]

When I had my large CNC as opposed to the one I have now, it was 4x4 feet. I made a holder with slight spring action to hold HP plotter pens and it worked great. Same idea could be used for those markers in the Link above.

[J Tiers]

One advantage of the airbrush is the ability to use any reasonable paint. The plotter pens use what they use for ink, you do not get a choice. That normally needs no particular resistance to weather or sunlight. Paints can be had of any type, with resistance to those and other environments.

[wmgeorge]

The ones in the Link posted above can be had empty, just use the paint or ink you want. Its as simple as touching it to the surface and using as a plotter pen. No interfaces to mess with and of course any width you want. When I get some of my other projects done I will try on my setup.

[The Artful Bodger]

Pens, yes all very interesting but as I mentioned in the opening post I have been there and done that.