painting multiple colors with one airbrush

[matt duarte]

ok guys under the tree i see this box that im pretty sure it is a air brush...plus theres a big box next to it that heavy so im guessin a air compressor haha... anyway when painting a swimbait you use multiple colors...of course. but im assuming most of you have 2 or more brushes.. but for those with one, when switching to a different color do you have to clean out the whole gun or can you just clean the can that holds the paint? maybe just switching tips?

[Downriver Tackle]

I use quick change caps for my Auto Air bottles. Of course, you have to have a siphon feed airbrush to do it, but it works very well. I just pull off the one bottle, flush the gun with water from a squirt bottle I keep right there, then plug a new bottle on and away I go. At the end of a painting session, I pull the needle and cap and then flush the entire gun.

[Yake Bait]

I use a gravity feed cup for my paint and a larger siphon full of hot water to flush between colors. If the tip of the needle starts to build up, I take the brush apart, clean, then keep going.

[whittler]

I do this a lot especially if only doing one or two baits at a time. Using a gravity feed brush and let's say that blending from a chartruse belly to a brown back with a couple shades of yellow in between I spray the chartruse, then add light yellow to the cup and mix it with a craft brush, spary it until the mixed paint starts appearing, then just go to the next color up. To do a single bait it only requires a few drops of paint with each color and you can blend from bottom up or top down or even front to rear and acheive some great results.

Edited December 25, 2008 by whittler

[mark poulson]

I learned early on it's better to change colors a lot than to try to compromise and not paint with the colors I want.

I came up with a simple routine, copied from some of the guys here.

I clean between colors with a spray bottle of Windex.

I spray some Windex in my HP-C cup, back flush, spray out the residue, wipe out the cup with a rag, spray and backflush one more time, and it's ready for the next color.

I have a med. sized tupperware container sitting on my bench that's half full of water, for washing out my airbrush and paint cups.

If I'm using an opaque, or a pearl, I'll clean the brush quickly before I heat set the paint, and use an artist's brush that's in the water to clean the tip.

It's quick and simple, once you get used to the routine. Just remember to use full air pressure and an open paint needle valve when you're cleaning the brush.

Good luck.