Airbrushing Enamels

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 4:50 pm

I was wondering if it's possible to get enamel (frit) to flow through a good quality airbrush? What is the liquid recommended for such a thing, assuming it can be done? Or is it just the glass paints that will work.

Jerry

Don Burt · Post by **Don Burt** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 5:29 pm

Only a very fine powder in a well prepared medium in a very thin suspension will go through an airbrush. I'll offer a flat no to your first question, to what I call frit. Although some of the things I spray, I also call enamel.

For discussion on mediums, search the archives for the word 'miscable'. Lots of good info from Mr. Weiss et. al.

Also the quality of the airbrush isn't proportional to the ability to spray heavier mixtures. The size of the nozzle and amount of air is.

What kind of frit you got? Maybe what you call frit isn't so big.

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:30 pm

Jerry wrote:I was wondering if it's possible to get enamel (frit) to flow through a good quality airbrush? What is the liquid recommended for such a thing, assuming it can be done? Or is it just the glass paints that will work.

Jerry

I think that you can get 325 mesh frit through an airbrush. If Avery and Ron can spray pearlex mica, you can spray fine frit. If a fine airbrush doesn't work well, you can try a coarser airbrush. I have a cheap gun, I think it is a Badger that works with a small glass jar and works well to spray kiln wash and mica for me. I think you could get fine frit through it. You can also silk screen frits. I have screen printed with 80 mesh using a relatively wide screen.

Ron Coleman · Post by **Ron Coleman** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 7:31 pm

Like Bert said, 325 mesh enamel will work in an airbrush if you pay close attention to mixing. I airbrush Paradise paints and mica powders. Paradise paint is so fine when you pop the lid off the container you see a cloud of dust. Regular 80 mesh enamels are way too coarse to spray.

For mediums, a starter would be something like Thompson's A-13 Acrylic medium. If your medium is too thin with paints or enamels you'll have a problem with settling in the airbrush.

http://thompsonenamel.com/products/supp ... rials3.htm
http://www.paradise-co.com/

Ron

Kevin Midgley · Post by **Kevin Midgley** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 1:59 am

Just a caution. Enamels and paints contain nasty stuff to breathe. Sprayed particles will stay airborn and breathable for an hour, maybe more, and drift all over your studio unless you have EXTREMELY good air filtering and extracting systems. If you casually airbrush you might find yourself sick or wondering why glass that was nowhere near the spraying area somehow is contaminated. Silkscreening a wet paint will give you even coatings without the minute airborne particles problem. Kevin

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 6:32 am

So, the consensus seems to be that I CAN airbrush enamels if I've got them fine enough to kill my lungs! Hmmm!

I also have an older airbrush that handles mica powders and kiln wash as Bert described, and it does it quite well, but I haven't had any luck getting 80 mesh enamels to go through.

I sent Thompson's an email asking them what they had in 325 mesh and am waiting for a response. I use a lot of their 80 mesh frit in other glass applications. So I'll just bide my time until I can figure out a way to get the glass ground fine.

What about glass paints, like Reushe (sp)? If thinned properly, will that go through?

Thanks,
Jerry

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 8:08 am

Jerry wrote:So, the consensus seems to be that I CAN airbrush enamels if I've got them fine enough to kill my lungs! Hmmm!

I also have an older airbrush that handles mica powders and kiln wash as Bert described, and it does it quite well, but I haven't had any luck getting 80 mesh enamels to go through.

I sent Thompson's an email asking them what they had in 325 mesh and am waiting for a response. I use a lot of their 80 mesh frit in other glass applications. So I'll just bide my time until I can figure out a way to get the glass ground fine.

What about glass paints, like Reushe (sp)? If thinned properly, will that go through?

Thanks,
Jerry

Yes you can spray enamels like Reusche, Paradise, Ferro, Fusemaster. They are all ground finer than 325. I use my water miscable medium, thinned with water. Oil mediums like squeegee oil can be thinned with pure turpentine. There are probably spraying mediums as well. I think there is something with alcohol that dries instantly.

I have a Badger HVLP spray gun with a quart cup that also works for the big stuff.

Don Burt · Post by **Don Burt** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 9:46 am

Bert Weiss wrote:
Jerry wrote:So, the consensus seems to be that I CAN airbrush enamels if I've got them fine enough to kill my lungs! Hmmm!

I also have an older airbrush that handles mica powders and kiln wash as Bert described, and it does it quite well, but I haven't had any luck getting 80 mesh enamels to go through.

I sent Thompson's an email asking them what they had in 325 mesh and am waiting for a response. I use a lot of their 80 mesh frit in other glass applications. So I'll just bide my time until I can figure out a way to get the glass ground fine.

What about glass paints, like Reushe (sp)? If thinned properly, will that go through?

Thanks,
Jerry
Yes you can spray enamels like Reusche, Paradise, Ferro, Fusemaster. They are all ground finer than 325. I use my water miscable medium, thinned with water. Oil mediums like squeegee oil can be thinned with pure turpentine. There are probably spraying mediums as well. I think there is something with alcohol that dries instantly.

I have a Badger HVLP spray gun with a quart cup that also works for the big stuff.

Re: fine enough to kill your lungs: yes, but Thompsons 80 mesh poofs dust too. The Reusche that I use has lead and cadmium in it. Its essential to spray in a spray cabinet and wear a respirator, keep it out of your eyes, out of your hair, etc. Maybe less so if your paint doesn't contain lead and cadmium.

Re: Bert's comment: They all ground finer than 325 - The implication is than all of the coatings he mentioned would be more satistfactory than Thompsons at 325 mesh. I'd encourage you to save your Thompsons for sifting or wafers or something, and get some proper glass paint/enamels.

If I were just beginning to acquire paints, I think I would try to acquire the brand that the greatest number of people on this board use, with weight accorded to those brands used by the professional artists and teachers. Simply because of the help that would be available. I don't know which brand that is exactly.

stargazer · Post by **stargazer** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 4:01 pm

Bert Weiss wrote:Yes you can spray enamels like Reusche, Paradise, Ferro, Fusemaster. They are all ground finer than 325. I use my water miscable medium, thinned with water. Oil mediums like squeegee oil can be thinned with pure turpentine. There are probably spraying mediums as well. I think there is something with alcohol that dries instantly.

Reusche, Paradise, Ferro, Fusemaster - which one looks the best on float glass? Which Ferro product? and . . . Where to you get Reusche? Is there a certain Reusche product that works with float? Thank you!! Sheryl

Kay McConnell · Post by **Kay McConnell** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:06 pm

Please bear with me, as I'm a newbie to warm glass. Can't these enamels be painted on, in order to prevent the majority of the airborne particles from being breathed in and causing lung damage? Being a Registered Nurse who's worked in Oncology for almost a decade, I really am not interested in breathing in all this stuff, but I am very interested in enamels. Am I doomed to remaining a nonparticipant?

Thanks in advance for your advice. Kay (aka Rushsmom)

stargazer · Post by **stargazer** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:57 pm

Hi, as a person still (and happily) married to a former patient of the oncology ward I too am very concerned about safety. We use approved masks with the correct filters for the substances we are being exposed to. I remember when I first started using ceramic fiber board and did not take the warnings seriously, only wearing my mask some of the time. I became very ill. Not any more. Sheryl

Ron Coleman · Post by **Ron Coleman** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:47 pm

rushsmom wrote:Please bear with me, as I'm a newbie to warm glass. Can't these enamels be painted on, in order to prevent the majority of the airborne particles from being breathed in and causing lung damage? Being a Registered Nurse who's worked in Oncology for almost a decade, I really am not interested in breathing in all this stuff, but I am very interested in enamels. Am I doomed to remaining a nonparticipant?
Thanks in advance for your advice. Kay (aka Rushsmom)

Brush painting is one option that works and so is silkscreening. Airbrushing paints and enamels does have the advantage of being very quick if used in conjunction with a hand cut stencil.

Proper ventilation is needed when airbrushing, a spray painting hood vented to the outside is the best, along with a respirator.

Ron

Avery Anderson · Post by **Avery Anderson** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:28 pm

Ron is correct, airbrushing is sometimes the best way to get desired results. I spend much time airbrushing so I invested in a fairly large spray booth. Check out Leslie Ceramics in CA if you are interested. This booth vents outside via a large fan and traps particles in the filters, which are inexpensive and disposible. It eliminates all particulates from my studio environment.

Avery

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