| Q. |
How
is the AirPen Color Dispenser
different than an airbrush? |
| A. |
An
airbrush sprays thin paint
onto a surface, the AirPen
does not spray, but dispenses
(or extrudes) paint as well
as a variety of mediums in
lines or dots onto a surface. |
| Q. |
Can
I hook the AirPen Color
Dispenser up to my airbrush
compressor? |
| A. |
No,
each AirPen is calibrated individually
to the specific air pump which
comes with that particular
pen. Normally, you cannot turn
a large compressor down to
4psi and still get a consistent,
non-sputtering flow. |
| Q. |
Can
I use solvent based mediums
on the AirPen Color Dispenser? |
| A. |
Yes,
however do not allow the medium
to remain in the cartridge
overnight, as it will begin
to work on the plastic of the
cartridge. |
| Q. |
How
do I clean the tips and/or
cartridges? |
| A. |
With
the plungers, which are included.
Simply twist off the tip, plunge
the contents back into the
original container, then twist
the tip back on and force the
water (or corrresponding solvent,
if using a solvent based medium),
thru the tip with the plunger.
Finish with a rinse of water. |
| Q. |
How
do I prevent the applicator
tips from drying out during
use? |
| A. |
When
alternating use of cartridges/changing
colors, place a crumpled, moistened
tissue piece in the bottom
of each hole of the foam holder,
and temporarily "park" the
cartridge with tip in the foam
holder. Also, you may use a
coffee cup with a damp paper
towel at the bottom to hold
cartridges while working. When
changing tips, always keep
used tips submerged in a small
container of water until cleaning
is possible. |
| Q. |
Is
it ok to use the same cartridges
for all uses? |
| A. |
No.
Use separate cartridges to
prevent cross contamination.
Additional cartridge kits are
available, click
here. |
| Q. |
Once
the applicator tips dry with
medium in them, is it possible
to clean & reuse them? |
| A. |
For
best results, you need to clean
the tips immediately after
each use. You can try soaking
your tips in hot water/mild
solvent for 5-10 minutes. Attach
the tip to a cartridge, and
then push hot water/solvent
through the tip. If still clogged,
you might try forcing a needle
threader through the tip. |
| Q. |
The
paint/medium seems to be "spitting" out
of the tip instead of flowing,
why? |
| A. |
In
most cases this would indicate
that your cartridge is running
low on paint/medium. |
| Q. |
Why
won’t my paint/medium
dispense even when I place
my finger over the hole? |
| A. |
You
need to make sure your fingertip
covers the hole completely.
Also, check to see the the
medium in the cartridge is "gravity
feeding" down thru the
cartridge. If not, dilute a
bit. |
| Q. |
My
AirPen is dripping, what
does this mean? |
| A. |
The
foam plug may be filled with
paint, which happens if you
do not keep the tip pointed
downwards. If the foam plug
becomes saturated with paint/medium,
air is not able to pass through
the plug to force out the contents.
Clean & replace the foam
plug. |
| Q. |
What
causes the paint/medium to "flood" when
I place my finger over the
hole? |
| A. |
If
possible, you might try thickening
your medium. You can also try
using a smaller applicator
tip, or even a regulator valve
for use with thinner materials.
For additional information
please read the use
instructions. |
| Q. |
Why
do I have "skips" in
my lines? |
| A. |
It’s
possible your finger is not
completely covering the hole;
you might also try slowing
your movement down. (Could
this also be because the medium
is too thick?) |
| Q. |
What’s
the correct way to change
a tip on a full cartridge? |
| A. |
Twist
cartridge partially out of
the Pen to reduce the sudden
amount of air pulled into the
AirPen when you take off the
tip (you do want a bit of suction,
however, to hold the paint
in the cartridge, so just loosen
cartridge a bit while still
inside of Pen). Twist off used
tip, placing in water, and
twist on desired tip. |
| Q. |
How
do I fill the cartridges? |
| A. |
Just
pour your medium directly into
the center of the cartridge,
trying not to get it along
the sides of the cartridge.
Remember to fill the cartridge
no more than 2/3 full. |
| Q. |
Any
special considerations for
ceramic glaze applications? |
| A. |
As
some glazes are of "fluffy" consistency,
you may have better luck using
the cartridge only 1/3 full
or so. Sometimes the suction
in the pen is enough to blow
very lightweight glazes against
the foam plug inside the cartridge,
restricting air flow through
the cartridge, and necessitating
removal and cleaning of the
foam plug. |
