Rusty and overwhelmed

[JayC]

The problem with going back to Lowes or Home Depot is the same I have for my LHS (thanks for the clarification ). All three are quite a distance away (about 65-70 miles) as I live in the country. We do have a Wal-Mart nearby, along with K-Mart, Tractor Supply Co., and some miscellaneous hardware stores. I will check Wal-Mart for some fittings as they carry Campbell Hausfeld stuff. If not there, maybe TSC has some fittings.

Aaron, you pretty much, in a round-about way, hit on why I went with the Harbor Freight airbrush. I know it may not be as good as one of the name brands, and some day I will upgrade. I got the HF brush to practice with. I don't want to plunk down $50-100 for a good brush to find out I really stink at it. I just wanted something that was better than a spray can. I'm trying to restart an old hobby on a budget.

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

Jay, learning to use an airbrush is like doing anything else. It'll take practice as does using rattle cans or anything you do for that matter. When I bought my first really cheap airbrush back in the mid 60s, I got it to do camo paint on tanks. It was a piece of junk and still is but it did the trick. Later I got a good Badger 150 then another and then 2 Paasche VLs and all the time I got better and better. Till it got to the point I could do stuff like these. So don't be discouraged if things don't always turn out the way you want. I turned out a lot of pretty lousy stuff but each time I learned more.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Gramps-xrds

[JayC]

Gramps, those paintings are AMAZING! They're top notch! If I could get to be half as good as you I would be satisfied! Sorry I didn't respond sooner as I didn't even know you replied. I rarely get e-mail notifications to my threads for some reason, even though I check the option to get notified.

My airbrush finally came today. For $8 shipping, I thought it would get here sooner. The invoice said the air hose I had ordered was out of stock. Would be nice if Harbor Freight would say so on their website. When I opened it, I was kind of surprised to see this on the 1/8" connector.

Is it a quick connect? I now wonder, can I get a quick connect with a 1/8" connection that would fit into a 1/4" quick connector? I never even thought about that until today.

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

Hmm. I have no idea about that. I've never seen a 1/8th connector like that, unless it's to stick in the hose.

The paintings are just to show what can be done w/ an airbrush and some auto lacquer if you try hard enough.

[59 Impala]

The male part of that fitting is for a plastic hose if you use one. The female end is for the pipe fitting. I didn't use it for my setup. I have the HF gun and a Paasche VLS. They have different fittings and I didn't want to buy different hoses, so what I did was to go to an art supply store and I bought quick disconnect fittings for the hose on the gun side. They are small fittings. I'll try and post some pics of what they look like. This way I use one hose for both guns. Now, I use the HF gun alot more than the Paasche. There is no real reason why I do, other than I got the HF gun first and then the wife got me the Paasche for Christmas (Sweet of her LOL). Dan

Edited October 4, 2009 by 59 Chevy Impala

[JayC]

Thanks for the clarification of what that things is. I don't have any plans on actually using it. I'm still trying to piece everything together I will need. It's rather slow going at the moment.

Edited October 6, 2009 by JayC