Using Co2 bottle for airbrushing?

[MadAboutNails]

I'm thinking of using a Co2 bottle for the air supply for airbrushing nails and also for bodyart/temporary tattoos... mainly to keep cost down until I can afford something better.

Can anyone tell me how they set it up...? ie. I'd need a pressure regulator or somit but not sure where to get one? Does the bottle get cold/icing up during use so how do you protect people from accidently touching it etc?

Also, for bodyart (and tanning maybe eventually).. do I need to do some training so I can get insurance cover? I've already got my NVQ Unit 19 and my insurance covers for nails, nailart, manicure and pedicure but was wondering if I need training so I can get cover for the bodyart?

Any comments or advice would be great!

 

[dawn74pink]

I'm thinking of using a Co2 bottle for the air supply for airbrushing nails and also for bodyart/temporary tattoos... mainly to keep cost down until I can afford something better.

Can anyone tell me how they set it up...? ie. I'd need a pressure regulator or somit but not sure where to get one? Does the bottle get cold/icing up during use so how do you protect people from accidently touching it etc?

Also, for bodyart (and tanning maybe eventually).. do I need to do some training so I can get insurance cover? I've already got my NVQ Unit 19 and my insurance covers for nails, nailart, manicure and pedicure but was wondering if I need training so I can get cover for the bodyart?

Any comments or advice would be great!

Nina

Hi I use CO2 and its not entirely cheap to set up but I had the kit to start with. You need:
1:A bottle of CO2. I use one from an aquatic shop for plant growth but a CO2 bottle is a CO2 bottle. Cost £40.
2:A regulator with a pressure guage on the output line so you can see what pressure you are putting into the air brush, CO2 is 1750 PSI in the bottle, an air brush needs 20-35 depending on who you talk to. Cost £50-£200 depending what make you buy, the cheaper ones dont have guages on though so care would be needed.
3: A stand to keep it upright when using it, you dont want the liquid CO2 coming out! Cost-?? I have a bottle with a flat bottom, job done!

The bottle is cold to the touch, its steel so it is going to be, as and liquid decompresses it absorbs surrounding energy so it gets a tiny bit colder but only 1 or 2 degrees colder than room temprature, at no point does it get so cold you cant hold it comfortably and would only ice up if you opened up the valve with no regulator and emptied the bottle, using hours worth of gas in 30 seconds, why would you do that?
A gas refill is £4 from the Hollybush, a local aquatic centre. You could get it filled from a local one to you.

 

[MadAboutNails]

Thanks for replying! I'm keen to get into airbrushing and thought the co2 option would be ideal until I can decide on which compressor. I'm mobile at the moment and the thought of not having to worry about an electricity supply or noise appeals to me. As for the icing up, I bought one of those Rio kits from Argos, it ices up but my other half has put me right on that issue too!!! Silly me!