Howdy Rick!

As for the foam, methinks the subject came up once before and the consensus was that the crete will eventually erode the foam. But you could use it for a core to keep a large piece from being all that heavy.

I have a wee airbrush and compressor made for decorating cakes. It can be adjusted to a very small line or up to make larger swathes of color. The food dye is water based. I bet anything water or alcohol based would be ok to use in an airbrush.

Good luck!

Rick --- In one of my many past lives I was a commercial illustrator (way back...before anybody but the military had their own computer)...and airbrushing was one of my techniques. They come in a very wide range of capabilities and pressure requirements. Some are even made for micro-sandblasting. "Back then" the big names were Paasche (the $ one), Binks ( the not so $ one) and Badger (the really not $ one). They are all still around but have yielded a lot of ground to some very good Japanese guns like Iwata. You'll have to some shopping and comparing to get the combination of capabilities that will be right for you, but there are guns today that will handle almost any situation from hairlines to wide patterns and low viscosity to high. And most operate at anything from a couple of pounds of air, all the way up to industrial pressures, so there's bound to one that is right for you. Happy hunting. Oh, and one more thing... even if your comp is small, you can connect it to a large "reserve tank" with a regulator on the output side. It won't help your max pressure, but it will give you a bigger supply to draw from which helps prevent the constant up-downs and on-offs of trying to work directly from a compressor. Best O' Luck.

Thanks to all for your responses.With small pieces,perhaps airbrushing is the way to go.
And,Tango....So,did you airbrush anyone interesting?Pamela Anderson,maybe........?

No to Pam-O, but I did do a couple of psychedelic comic books...is that the same?

I would not recommend using styrofoam in the mix. If it is exposed to sunlight it will break down after time. In addition, when you mix water with the dry portland cement, a chemical reaction occurs (ever notice how it begins to heat up?), which could affect the properties of the styrofoam. Stick with using it for molds and leave it out of the mix.

Actually, styrofoam and cement go extremely well together, especially ferrocement, but usually the cement over the styrofoam so no UV light hits the styrofoam. It's used in construction as a non-removable form (but with rebar for strength) which then doubles as insullation.

As for using peanuts *in* the mix, my hesitation would be compressive strength, or lack of. Cement doesn't have much strength of its own and peanuts are weak & squishable, not like gravel, steel or sand. I'm also uncertain how well the cement will bond to the peanuts if their surface is very slick and round and impermiable. If you try it, I'd go for broken pieces for a better mechanical bond.

I have used it as a stable core with excellent results.

daisy ny6 is correct in that styrofaom is used in construction as a non-removable form with rebar for strength. However, waterproofing is normally added to the outside of the styrofoam forms after the concrete is poured and set to protect the styrofoam from the elements. As for using it as a stable core, I would think anything applied over it would need to be several inches thick- even a thicker slab of styrofoam is relatively easy to break. If it has been used as a core with good results, then use it as long as you are comfortable doing so. I would not recommend it.

No, you don't need a slab several inches thick - cement works extremely well with steel, so either diamond mesh or a couple of layers of chicken wire tied together will work with sand-cement to give a relatively thin yet very strong layer of cement.

For small odd-shaped pieces, fine wire wrapped in a double helix works and/or even steel wool first saturated in slurry then with cement worked in until it reaches a claylike texture (a la Lynn Olsen) is also extremely strong.

You might want to checkout the Ferrocement.net site for more information (ferrocement.org will take you to the wonderful world of cement boats).

Here is a link that might be useful: check out the gallery!

I've used sytrofoam as the core in quite a few of my pieces. I also like to sculpt whimsical little roly poly creatures over styrofoam balls. This is the first I've heard that using styrofoam is not a good idea.... yikes...

As I previously stated,if you are comfortable with using styrofoam, by all means continue to do so. I never meant to stir up any controversy- I have been building roads and bridges for 31 years and conversly am used to doing things on a much larger scale. When you are used to pouring several hundred cubic yards of concrete at one time sometimes it is hard to get out of that mindset and think on a much smaller scale.

To me, the best use of styro in constructing artwork is simply to provide mass & form at low weight. Sculptors have been using it for that benefit for quite a few years now, and very successfully. But remember...you still need to provide structural integrity. That can be accomplished with a little rebar, stucco lath or other reinforcement for simple shapes in moderate sizes. Even an inch of well formulated and reinforced concrete over a styro "armature" is remarkably strong as long as the load is well distributed and transferred to the ground fairly uniformly. However, when you get into designing very tall structures or long unsupported horizontal forms (such as an extended arm on a sculpture)...you are entering another realm. With tall structures, you compound the mass onto a small footprint very quickly as you go up, so you have to engineer accordingly for that as well as any sideloads like wind. Remember, unless you are working with that new "bendable" formulation, concrete is very strong, but only in compression. Tension, torsion and shear absulutely must be compensated for with adequate reinforcement and or compensation such as cantilevering or counter-balancing.

Even unreinforced concrete can handle remarkable loads if it is engineered properly. Monolithic domes have been erected with no reinforcing steel except in the foundation that are over 200 feet tall at the peak. But then...a half cirle is natures perfect engineering solution to the problem of uniformly distributing the load. An eight-foot tall garden gnome posed on one foot holding a six-foot diameter solid concrete sunflower in outstretched arms requires a whole different engineering approach...not to mention really questionable taste.

Hmmmm.....I think that gnome would annoy the neighbors even more than the toilet planters and year-round inflatable snowman!

Rick- I have also ben pursueing the Airbrush idea. Some of my pieces have very small areas the brush just won't reach so a Airbrush would be perfect. I have checked Hobby stores and they have been very helpful. I told them what I wanted to use it for and they offered several suggestions. I am in the opposite position as you I have a large compressor but with a regulator it will work fine. I just got back from Hawaii {{gwi:66917}}
so I havent had time lately to pursue this futher.
Good Luck.
Paws

Hey Rick!

I don't use styro much as an additive but I would like to impart my experience with painting pieces.

I just finished airbrushing more cast leaves and oooh-la-la! It is the only way to go for me! Airbrushing is extremely easy and with the use of the different schnozzles provided you can achieve very fine lines as well as painting larger items. Since you can regulate the amount of paint being applied by simply twisting the little cone tip, you can get any look you desire!

Since I use exterior latex, which is thick (I thin it with a little water and some bonding agent), a heavier duty compressor is called for. I tried a table-top model that a friend of mine used for spraying dye on textiles and there was no way it could supply the amount of air required for the thicker paint. I got my compressor at a yard sale, what a deal! It has two tanks, is 1-1/2 h.p. and does a wonderful job. I saw a nice one at Wally-World yesterday for $59 if you have a garage, not that it was big. I have mine on a homemade dolly that is about 1'X 2' and I think the one at Wally-World was comparable in size.

My airbrush is a Pasch and think it was around $40. So, for about $100. you can have a complete setup. Mine has paid for itself many times over. Not only does the compressor power the airbrush with ease, but fills tires, pool floats and a multitude of other duties.

Here is a (not so great) picture of a banana leaf that I cast and painted. It is 48" long. For me, the airbrush is the only way to go. You can layer colors in thin subtle ways unachievable with a brush.

{{gwi:66918}}

Feel free to email me with any questions, I'd be happy to help.

Amanda

Amanda-Which model Pasch do you use? Looked it up on Google but it provided a wide variety of Models.
Paws

My airbrush is the Paasche HS-Set. Single Action external mix.

I made a mistake on the price though. My airbrush set was $80. Sorry! It does however come with the airbrush, long hose, 2 jars, 2 tips, small "tank" (for very small amounts of paint) a clip, wrench and allen wrench.

I just looked at eBay and an identical set is offered, new, for $48. A link to the listing is below.

I guess I should have looked there first when I bought mine!

Amanda

Here is a link that might be useful: Paasche HS-Set airbrush on eBay

Thanks Amanda. I like the idea of external mixing.
Paws

Morning!
Just ordered my Paasche from the lady of the E-bay listing,but went for a higher model,the VL,and the supporting DVD.She said that you ideally want to work with pressures around 20 to a maximum of 40 psi,any more might jeopardize the airbrush So,it comes down to what paints to use.I'd like to use those testers from Benny Moore.I'll have to check flow,or those Patio Paints,thinned down as well.My kit should be here next week,I'll let you know how it goes.
BTW,apparently ,with the right ink,do some nice tats as well.Temporary,of course.Would love to see the looks from my Rotary club if I was to walk into a meeting with say a nice Maori facial tat!!
Ah,good times.
Cheers from here

Buckyforce - what is the "learning curve" with the airbrush setup you describe? The paint job on the banana leaf is great but I know just buying the equipment isn't going to make me an artist. How much experimentation do you estimate it would take for a complete novice (never met a compressor or an airbrush before) to be able to use the equipment comfortably? How much clean up is there time wise with each use?
thanks, Laura

Rick - I hope you will be able to address my questions above as soon as you receive your order!!

I got my Paasche last Wed.(eBay) but due to health problems(family) haven't had time to play with it. Looks like it will work out fine.
Paws

Hey ltd, and all the ships at sea (am I dating myself or what??)

The learning curve, if your are the least bit creative, and I know you all are, is...nil! I hadn't a clue when I bought the airbrush, not the slightest idea how to use it. Since I was not going to be attempting to do fine art with it and intended to use it more as a fine spray painter than anything else, all I had to learn was how to make it work for my purpose.

The principle that makes the airbrush work is a vacuum, in my opinion. On the lower level you have a bottle of paint, connected through a tube on an upward angle to a conical tip which is attached to the airbrush handle above. Through this handle, compressed air is forced directly out over the top of that conical tip creating a vacuum thereby drawing the paint up and out the tip! Make sense?

So, the thicker the paint, the higher amount of compressed air it will take to draw that paint out of the bottle. Since I use exterior latex, as I said before, I just wing it, pour about 1/2 the bottle with paint, add about 1 Tbs. of water and an equal amount of Bonding Agent (optional). Stir or shake it up well.

Again, in my opinion, the more power your compressor has, the better. I never did the math and don't know the psi on mine since the dials, although they look good, don't work, but I have been using this system for the past 2 years and the airbrushes haven't complained a bit. I think the airbrushes just demand whatever air they require - like any air tool, the compressor stores the rest and cranks up when reserves are low and everyone is happy.

Cleanup time is minimal with water-based latex of course.

Tell you what, when you get all set up,email me your phone number and I will call you and walk you through it. The only variable, once you have your paint thinned a bit, is how to adjust the nozzle. It is easier than you think.

Hope this has helped!

Amanda

Amanda- what a great explanation! You make it sound logical and easy. By the time I read the manual for a lot of tools I am afraid to use the tool for fear I will ruin it. This notion of the airbrush working even without dials and no sense of psi..... wheeeee. Very freeing. I think I will go check out ebay.
Thanks.
Laura

Whereas,I,being a male,want everything to be just so...So,when the kit arrives,I'll be playin' around.Gonna try stain as well.Being thinner,and the colours are closer to what we want(rocks,tree bark)it might be that I'll be able to use my wee beastie of a compressor.
If it's too light,I'll hook it up to a convenient politician.Course,then it might blow too hard!
Cheers from here

Hey Laura - Good for you!!It IS easy. I agree with you about tool owner's manual.

Geez, I just bought a new cordless drill/flashlight/saw/sander combo set and the manuals were so full of "CAUTION" messages it was difficult to determine the size blade I needed to get for the saw. "CAUTION: Do not attempt to use this saw to remove unwanted body parts., CAUTION: Do not attempt to use this drill to do your own dental work., CAUTION: Do not attempt to eat this manual, it may or may not contain peanuts." I, personally, blame the lawyers. Why not?

SO, Please do not use the airbrush to: Color the sky in your world, paint your boss into a corner or change your haircolor, lest ye dye. Harharhar.

Go for it Laura. It is fun and easy.

As far as Rick trying to use the wee beastie compressor for stains, it should work! With regard to hooking up to politicans for extra air, I have found this most successful during an election year when the winds are especially prolific, if you can stand the stench. We here in the U.S. have had such an abundance of it for the last 5 years that I'm thinking of installing a wind turbine!

Amanda