— G E T T I N G S T A R T E D —
Compressor
Choose an appropriate compressor for your Kustom airbrush.
The Iwata Sprint Jet or Smart Jet compressors are a good beginner’s
choice and will provide approximately 25 - 30 psi of air pressure
to your Kustom TR, CM, CH and CS airbrushes. The high powered
Iwata Power Jet Pro, Power Jet and Power Jet Lite compressors can
be controlled to provide 5 - 45 psi to your Kustom airbrush, and
are the ideal air sources to utilize all of the Kustom airbrush series’
unique potential.
PLEASE NOTE: The TH fan pattern air cap requires a 1 HP or larger
compressor.
Assembly and Spray Test
Carefully screw the Pistol-Grip Filter (#40) onto the air valve of your
Kustom airbrush and hand tighten. Next, screw airhose to bottom of
the Pistol-Grip Filter and hand tighten. CAUTION: Be especially careful
to not cross-thread or over-tighten connections or you may damage
the filter. Finally, screw the airhose onto the compressor and lightly
tighten with a wrench. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
Check to ensure that you can pull the main lever (#14 on CM, CH
and CS) or trigger (#14 on TH and TR) fully back. If trigger action is
limited, unscrew the adjusting knob at the back end of the pre-set
handle (#39) to allow the main lever (or trigger) to be fully pulled
back, or adjust as needed.
Turn the compressor on, and if using an Iwata Power Jet Pro, Power
Jet or Power Jet Lite compressor, adjust the pressure to 25 psi. Check
for any air leaks at airhose connections.
If your airbrush is equipped with a Micro Air Control (MAC) valve (#16
on TH, CM and CH), adjust valve to wide open position, allowing air to
flow when the main lever is pushed down, or trigger is pulled back.
Pointing the airbrush away from you, press down on the main
lever (or pull trigger) to start the flow of air through the airbrush
and clear it of any residue. To further ensure a clean airbrush, add
a small amount of the appropriate cleaner or solvent into the
color cup and spray it through the airbrush by pushing down and
pulling back on the main lever (or pull trigger) to open the nozzle
(#6) of the airbrush. Fully allow the all the cleaner to spray through
the airbrush. CAUTION: Check paint manufacturer’s label for details.
Not all paints and cleaners are compatible with one another, and
the appropriate cleaner must be used to ensure that your airbrush
is properly maintained.
CAUTION: Always wear appropriate respirator or spray mask and
protective clothing. Spray in a well ventilated area.
Fine Line Spray
To spray a fine line, depress and pull the main lever (#14 on CM, CH
and CS) or pull trigger (#14 on TH and TR) back slightly while posi-
tioning the airbrush close to the surface (approximately 1/16 - 1/2
inch). The thickness of the line can be controlled by varying the
distance of the airbrush from the surface and adjusting the amount of
paint flow by the position of the main lever (or trigger).
Wide Line and Background Spraying
For wider lines and background spray, depress and pull the main
lever (or pull trigger) further back to release more paint. Increase the
distance between the airbrush and surface (from 1/2 - 6 inches is
common) to control spray width. Increasing the air pressure will also
affect the spray width. Kustom airbrushes will spray a background
width of approximately 2” (TR, CM, CH and CS) to 4” (TH).
The TH is equipped with a fan air cap (#5A) creating an oval spray
pattern, as opposed to a circle. The fan air cap produces a superior
spray pattern for backgrounds, smoother blends and gradations. To
use the fan air cap, loosen the cover ring (#4) and position the tabs on
the fan air cap up-and-down for a horizontal spray pattern, and side-
to-side for a vertical spray pattern. The round pattern air cap (#5B) can
be substituted to create a circle spray pattern for finer detail work.
Cutaway Handle
The cutaway handle (#39) is a special feature on the Kustom TR, CM,
CH and CS. Its purpose is two-fold;
1) A wider background spray pattern can be accomplished by
pulling the exposed needle chucking nut (#37) back to fully
open the nozzle, while simultaneously depressing the main lever
(#14 on CM, CH and CS) or trigger (#14 on TR), passing more paint
through the nozzle.
2) Free up paint clogs that may have formed at the tip of the
airbrush by pulling the exposed needle chucking nut back to
fully open the nozzle while simultaneously depressing the main
lever or trigger .allowing the clog to be sprayed out.
Stippling
Iwata Kustom TR, CM, CH and CS airbrushes are designed to produce
a wide range of stippling textures. Stippling is achieved by removing
the needle cap (#1) and nozzle cap (#2) and adjusting the air pressure
between 5 and 50 psi. Lower air pressure will give you coarse stipple
whereas a higher pressure will provide a fine stipple effect. Paint
viscosity will also affect the stippling texture. At low air pressure the main
lever (or trigger) may need to be pumped to create a coarse stipple.
Air Pressure
Working pressures vary from between 10 to 45 psi, depending on what
type of work is being done and what textures are desired. The viscosity
of the paint and your desired spray characteristics will also have an
effect on which pressure is ideal. As a general rule, larger amounts of
paint or thicker paints will be sprayed with higher pressures.
Paint Preparation
Proper preparation and filtering the paint through a nylon mesh is
recommended for best performance. Paint should be thinned with
its proper solvent. It is best to prepare the paint relatively thin and
make repeated passes across the work to achieve the desired shade.
This will also improve the quality of your work and decrease the
cleaning time of your airbrush.
— G E N E R A L O P E R A T I O N —
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