(Topic ID: 135362)

Cabinet Airbrushing Tutorial

By webdiddy

8 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 29 posts
  • 17 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by mollyspub
  • Topic is favorited by 43 Pinsiders

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15
#1 8 years ago

This is what you’re gonna need.
Masking film.
X-acto knife.
Masking tape.
Airbrush
Paint.

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You will also need a compressor for the airbrush.

Start by diluting the pain with about 50% water.
This is to make the paint flow better trough the airbrush.

On the left side of the cabinet I first traced the flames and the lettering then cutting it all out using an X-acto blade and then adding the mask.

On the right side I was feeling a little more balsy and to save time I placed the masking film on the the cab and traced everything with the X-acto knife directly.
I was careful not to push to hard when cutting to make sure I didn’t cut into the side art itself.

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Here I'm removing the part of the masking film where the paint should go.

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I added some more masking to prevent staining from overspray.

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I gave it a coat of yellow paint and let it dry.
Then I airbrushed red from the top and faded it out towards the middle.
I used water based paint so I could "erase" any errors I made.

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I would say I took my about 6 hours aribrushing the left side, I took me about half the time doing the right side because I skipped the steps where I first traced everything, then cut it out.

I would recommend cutting your mask directly on the side art if you got a steady hand, it will save you allot of time.

As you can see the result is not perfect but it's looking way better then before.
All I need to do now is to ad some clear coat to "seal" it all in.

More pictures:

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#2 8 years ago

End result:

Before:
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After:
Left side (I should have airbrushed on another coat of yellow before I added with the red)
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Right Side
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#3 8 years ago

Very nice, good work, the blend into the yellow part of the flames looks great.

#4 8 years ago

yes this very nice work .not a huge investment for equipment or paint just the time you are willing to do for prep and finish.what type of clear will you spray over this?

#5 8 years ago
Quoted from parabol420:

Very nice, good work, the blend into the yellow part of the flames looks great.

Thank you!

#6 8 years ago
Quoted from belairjoe:

yes this very nice work .not a huge investment for equipment or paint just the time you are willing to do for prep and finish.what type of clear will you spray over this?

Thanks.
It will cost you some money maybe around $150 if you don't own an airbrush and a compressor already.
On the flipside you'll own these tools after you purchased them unlike if you would buy decals.

I'll be using just regular hobbyspray clear from a rattlecan.

#7 8 years ago

Awesome! Very nice work.

#8 8 years ago

Simply perfect! Looks like new! Job well done!

#9 8 years ago

Did you sand the surface beforehand?

#10 8 years ago
Quoted from dmbjunky:

Did you sand the surface beforehand?

Wow looks awesome! I wondered this as well, how does paint stick to a decal? (Or is no fear a screen?)

#11 8 years ago

I am pretty sure all original cabinet art is painted on but I thought for paint to stick good the surface needed to be roughed up a little with some fine sandpaper.

#12 8 years ago

Nope, no sanding, the paint sticks to the decal just fine.

1 week later
#13 8 years ago

Here's the front.

Before:
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During:
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After:
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#14 8 years ago

Before:
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Masking film applied:
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Masking cut:
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Yellow layer:
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Red Layer:
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End Result:
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I actually like the backbox result better than the original, the original is a little to red I think.

#15 8 years ago

Very nice work

#16 8 years ago

That looks great!

#17 8 years ago

Thanks guys!

#18 8 years ago

Beautiful work!

#19 8 years ago

Wow, Very nice.

So you have any good tips on mixing and matching paints?

#20 8 years ago
Quoted from Haymaker:

Beautiful work!

Thanks!

Quoted from Dante:

Wow, Very nice.
So you have any good tips on mixing and matching paints?

Thank you! Not really, I just went for a regular red and a regular yellow.
All colors get slightly washed out because you have to thin them with water.

#21 8 years ago
Quoted from dmbjunky:

I am pretty sure all original cabinet art is painted on.

It's screen printed I belive.

#22 8 years ago

looks good. I'd rather touchup an original cabinet than have shitty aftermarket decals (unless of course they are shitty decals from the factory anyway) then it doesn't matter.

#23 8 years ago
Quoted from CaptainNeo:

looks good. I'd rather touchup an original cabinet than have shitty aftermarket decals (unless of course they are shitty decals from the factory anyway) then it doesn't matter.

Yeah, nothing like keeping it OG!

8 months later
#24 8 years ago

I read this thread some time ago, and was inspired to give it a try. Finally got around to it (got one side done this weekend)
Before and after (perhaps in the wrong order)

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#25 8 years ago

Looks good !

2 months later
#26 7 years ago
Quoted from Grangeomatic:

I read this thread some time ago, and was inspired to give it a try. Finally got around to it (got one side done this weekend)
Before and after (perhaps in the wrong order)

Good job.

#27 7 years ago

Stunning.

I have a Scared Stiff that's dying for this kind of treatment.

#28 7 years ago

I did it with an airbrush and Createx paints.....the best!
Sealed it with a clear.
I painted outside the green line and very little touch up inside.
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#29 7 years ago

Nice work man! I'd love to do this on my FH !

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