Now that many of you have your stencil genies in hand I have gotten a few people with some questions...so I am going to try to answer the most asked right here.
When we created the genie we based our sizes off the thicknesses of cookiers we knew who made both thick and thin cookies, but each of you does your own thing, so sometimes your normal is not the normal we found and we want your genie to work great for everyone! So here goes!
1-IF your cookie is even thicker than the thick side of the cookie,(yes, some people make some REALLY thick cookies) that really should not be an issue, just let the genie "dangle" over the cookie if that makes sense. the magnets are snug enough to hold the stencil in place without slipping out and the weight of the genie will keep in tact.
2-No matter if you are using the genie or not, if you are spraying at too much of an angle will cause the color to get up under the stencil
3-Too much color coming out at one time will also cause some running of your colors....it is better to do light coats and do them a couple of times than to put down too much color at once....(just like using a can of spray paint)
4- If your stencil does not fit the genie, no worries. If it is too big the genie will hold it, if it is too small and a square try adding a border of blue painters tape to your stencil. If you have a round stencil, or you don't want to put tape on your stencil check out 2tsstencils.com
Tammy of 2Ts worked with me to create a set of adapters that fit most other stencils and if you don't see one that will work she will probably be able to create one that will work.
AirGenie Troubleshooting
How do I take the nozzle out when it's been broken and fragments of it remain inside of the airbrush?
-If the threaded part of your nozzle gets broken off from the tip and becomes stuck in your gun, here is a quick way to remove the piece so you can replace the nozzle:
1. Remove the needle and nozzle cap, so just the front part of the body of the gun is exposed.
2. Take the needle out of the gun. Using the pointed side of the needle, insert it into the front of the body of the gun until you feel resistance.
3. Once the needle is in as far as it can go, start turning the needle counterclockwise to loosen the broken piece of the nozzle from the body of the gun.
4. After a few turns, it should come out and you can replace with a new nozzle.
What should I do if I can’t get the needle back into the gun when I’m assembling?
-If the needle does not go through all the way to the tip of the nozzle, there is probably color clogged in the nozzle. Take off the nozzle and soak in vodka for about 30 minutes then flush with water until you see an unrestricted flow coming out of the tip.
How do I unscrew the nozzle on the airbrush?
-1. Using the small wrench that comes with your airbrush gun, gently twist the base of the nozzle counterclockwise to unscrew.
Note: It is recommended to use the wrench to only loosen the nozzle and then remove it the rest of the way with your fingers. The wrench will not hold onto the nozzle, so using your fingers will give you better control and help you avoid dropping it.
2. To screw the nozzle back on, use your fingertips to secure the nozzle first and then finish tightening with the use of the small wrench. Remember to be very gentle when using the wrench to tighten the nozzle. This piece is extremely delicate and can break off if turned too tightly.
Note: If the needle goes too far through the nozzle, it means that the nozzle has been overextended (stretched), and the nozzle will need to be replaced. Likewise, if the needle is bent or dented, the needle will need to be replaced.
Should I clean my airbrush after each use ?
-During the workday, it’s easy to do a quick cleaning exercise. I keep a squeeze bottle with vodka in it by my airbrush. Between colors or if my airbrush is spitting or spraying unevenly I run vodka through with my air pressure at the highest setting. Also, it's handy to place your finger over the nozzle cover while pulling back on the trigger for a few seconds at a time. This will cause the vodka in the cup to bubble back up into the cup. This action helps loosen and clogs. Gently hold the gun against a clean paper towel and pull back the trigger to see if your gun is spraying clear. If so, your gun should be clean enough to move on to another color or to set aside for the day. If these steps don't reduce the spitting and sputtering take apart your airbrush and deep clean it as noted below.
When I press down on the trigger for air without pulling back, color shoots out of my airbrush instead of air.
-The needle may not be pushed in all the way. Unscrew the back handle and loosen the needle chucking guide. Press the needle forward until there’s a slight resistance, tighten the needle chucking guide all the way and twist the handle back on. You airbrush should now function properly.
I've been using my airbrush for a while now, but it's starting to feel a bit "tight" The trigger won't press down and pull back smoothly as it did when it was brand new.
-The gun may need conditioning. Apply propylene glycol to all airbrush parts, including the trigger, needle, chucking guide and piston. This will minimize the rusty feel and keep parts conditioned. In order to clean the piston, using the tip of the tweezers and cupping your hand underneath, pop the piston out of the bottom of the airbrush body. Put it back in the trigger hole and use the tip of the tweezers to gently push it back in. Reattach the air valve and reassemble the gun.
I cleaned my airbrush and assembled it accordingly, yet only air, but no color is shooting out of my airbrush when I spray it.
-Make sure that the needle chucking guide and chucking nut is tightened completely. If these parts are even slightly loose, the airbrush will be unable to properly spray color.
No color is flowing through my airbrush. How can I clear it up and get the color moving again?
-Your gun is most likely clogged. This occurs when color is left overnight in the cup, or the consistency is too thick. Severe clogging is caused when product has built up a residue wall inside the nozzle. To unclog the nozzle, a more intensive cleaning is needed. Here's how
First please watch my you tube video on cleaning your airbrush
https://youtu.be/HMHhL6SMsLI
These are the steps from the video:
1. Unscrew the "tail" and set it aside. Next, loosen the needle stop screw(aka chucking nut) then carefully pull the needle out about one inch and tighten the needle stop screw to keep the trigger button in place.
2. Next, unscrew the needle cap and nozzle cap. If you find it difficult at first to twist these caps off by hand, try wrapping a rubber band around them to add grip. They should twist off with ease. Drop these into a small cup or bowl of vodka to soak for up to 30 minutes
3. Enclosed with each airbrush package is a mini nozzle wrench, designed to remove the nozzle. Loosen the nozzle by turning the mini nozzle wrench clockwise. Once loosened, twist the nozzle completely off with your fingertips. Be careful not to strip the metal around the nozzle with the wrench.
4. Once the nozzle is removed from the airbrush, drop it into a tiny bowl or cup of vodka to soak. It may need to soak up to thirty minutes to loosen up any dried on residue.
5. At this time, loosen the needle chucking nut and push the needle out the front of your airbrush to avoid pulling built up color through the back parts of your gun. When you do this your trigger will no longer be secured in your gun so be careful not to lose the trigger or the tiny lever. I always do this over a small towel lined tray to keep the parts from being misplaced.
6. Unscrew the lever guide from the back of your airbrush. You will end up with 3 pieces. A spring, the lever guide and the
These pieces along with your trigger and tiny lever do not normally need cleaning as color should not be in those areas.
7. Now look at the front of the airbrush and see if the opening (where the nozzle goes) is filled with residue. Soak the "body" in the vodka in a small cup for about 30 minutes then take to sink and flush it out with warm water. You should see water streaming out of the tip unrestricted.
8. To re-assemble, start by screwing the nozzle back into the airbrush. Use the mini wrench to tighten the nozzle, taking care not to over tighten it. It is easy to over tighten and snap the nozzle off in the body of the gun so be very careful during this step.
9. Next, screw on the nozzle cap and needle cap. These caps should go on easily by hand, but they need to be tightened securely.
10. Proceed by putting the trigger and the tiny lever back in place (be sure the scooped side of the lever is facing toward the color cup on the gun. The visual in the video really helps explain this)
11. Reassemble your lever guide assembly and screw it back onto your gun. Now gently insert the needle until you feel it stop. It should now be seated back in the nozzle. If your needle does not go back in place do not force it. Just try again.
12. Place the needle stop screw back onto the needle and tighten all the way then screw the "tail" (back handle) on.
My airbrush is spitting large, irregular color particles when I try to spray out color.
How do I fix this problem?
-Before anything, carefully remove the nozzle cap to expose the needle to make sure that it’s not slightly bent or hooked. Even a tiny bend in the tip of the needle can affect your spray pattern. If the needle looks fine, then look at the needle cap and clean any residue on it, using an vodka-saturated cotton swab. If the needle cap is already clean from residue, then reassemble the gun tightly and try spraying vodka (at your compressor’s highest air pressure) onto a tissue until it runs clear.
If this does not work you need to move on to a deep cleaning.
If you have any other tips please share them with others by sending me a contact message through here and I will continually post them!
Thank you all for the unbelievable (I am still pinching myself) amount of messages on how great the genie has been for you! I love each and every comment and we want to be sure we continue to offer you the best products and services we can and we NEED YOUR INPUT to do it!
Ginny
the Creative Cookier and inventor of the Stencil Genie
When we created the genie we based our sizes off the thicknesses of cookiers we knew who made both thick and thin cookies, but each of you does your own thing, so sometimes your normal is not the normal we found and we want your genie to work great for everyone! So here goes!
1-IF your cookie is even thicker than the thick side of the cookie,(yes, some people make some REALLY thick cookies) that really should not be an issue, just let the genie "dangle" over the cookie if that makes sense. the magnets are snug enough to hold the stencil in place without slipping out and the weight of the genie will keep in tact.
2-No matter if you are using the genie or not, if you are spraying at too much of an angle will cause the color to get up under the stencil
3-Too much color coming out at one time will also cause some running of your colors....it is better to do light coats and do them a couple of times than to put down too much color at once....(just like using a can of spray paint)
4- If your stencil does not fit the genie, no worries. If it is too big the genie will hold it, if it is too small and a square try adding a border of blue painters tape to your stencil. If you have a round stencil, or you don't want to put tape on your stencil check out 2tsstencils.com
Tammy of 2Ts worked with me to create a set of adapters that fit most other stencils and if you don't see one that will work she will probably be able to create one that will work.
AirGenie Troubleshooting
How do I take the nozzle out when it's been broken and fragments of it remain inside of the airbrush?
-If the threaded part of your nozzle gets broken off from the tip and becomes stuck in your gun, here is a quick way to remove the piece so you can replace the nozzle:
1. Remove the needle and nozzle cap, so just the front part of the body of the gun is exposed.
2. Take the needle out of the gun. Using the pointed side of the needle, insert it into the front of the body of the gun until you feel resistance.
3. Once the needle is in as far as it can go, start turning the needle counterclockwise to loosen the broken piece of the nozzle from the body of the gun.
4. After a few turns, it should come out and you can replace with a new nozzle.
What should I do if I can’t get the needle back into the gun when I’m assembling?
-If the needle does not go through all the way to the tip of the nozzle, there is probably color clogged in the nozzle. Take off the nozzle and soak in vodka for about 30 minutes then flush with water until you see an unrestricted flow coming out of the tip.
How do I unscrew the nozzle on the airbrush?
-1. Using the small wrench that comes with your airbrush gun, gently twist the base of the nozzle counterclockwise to unscrew.
Note: It is recommended to use the wrench to only loosen the nozzle and then remove it the rest of the way with your fingers. The wrench will not hold onto the nozzle, so using your fingers will give you better control and help you avoid dropping it.
2. To screw the nozzle back on, use your fingertips to secure the nozzle first and then finish tightening with the use of the small wrench. Remember to be very gentle when using the wrench to tighten the nozzle. This piece is extremely delicate and can break off if turned too tightly.
Note: If the needle goes too far through the nozzle, it means that the nozzle has been overextended (stretched), and the nozzle will need to be replaced. Likewise, if the needle is bent or dented, the needle will need to be replaced.
Should I clean my airbrush after each use ?
-During the workday, it’s easy to do a quick cleaning exercise. I keep a squeeze bottle with vodka in it by my airbrush. Between colors or if my airbrush is spitting or spraying unevenly I run vodka through with my air pressure at the highest setting. Also, it's handy to place your finger over the nozzle cover while pulling back on the trigger for a few seconds at a time. This will cause the vodka in the cup to bubble back up into the cup. This action helps loosen and clogs. Gently hold the gun against a clean paper towel and pull back the trigger to see if your gun is spraying clear. If so, your gun should be clean enough to move on to another color or to set aside for the day. If these steps don't reduce the spitting and sputtering take apart your airbrush and deep clean it as noted below.
When I press down on the trigger for air without pulling back, color shoots out of my airbrush instead of air.
-The needle may not be pushed in all the way. Unscrew the back handle and loosen the needle chucking guide. Press the needle forward until there’s a slight resistance, tighten the needle chucking guide all the way and twist the handle back on. You airbrush should now function properly.
I've been using my airbrush for a while now, but it's starting to feel a bit "tight" The trigger won't press down and pull back smoothly as it did when it was brand new.
-The gun may need conditioning. Apply propylene glycol to all airbrush parts, including the trigger, needle, chucking guide and piston. This will minimize the rusty feel and keep parts conditioned. In order to clean the piston, using the tip of the tweezers and cupping your hand underneath, pop the piston out of the bottom of the airbrush body. Put it back in the trigger hole and use the tip of the tweezers to gently push it back in. Reattach the air valve and reassemble the gun.
I cleaned my airbrush and assembled it accordingly, yet only air, but no color is shooting out of my airbrush when I spray it.
-Make sure that the needle chucking guide and chucking nut is tightened completely. If these parts are even slightly loose, the airbrush will be unable to properly spray color.
No color is flowing through my airbrush. How can I clear it up and get the color moving again?
-Your gun is most likely clogged. This occurs when color is left overnight in the cup, or the consistency is too thick. Severe clogging is caused when product has built up a residue wall inside the nozzle. To unclog the nozzle, a more intensive cleaning is needed. Here's how
First please watch my you tube video on cleaning your airbrush
https://youtu.be/HMHhL6SMsLI
These are the steps from the video:
1. Unscrew the "tail" and set it aside. Next, loosen the needle stop screw(aka chucking nut) then carefully pull the needle out about one inch and tighten the needle stop screw to keep the trigger button in place.
2. Next, unscrew the needle cap and nozzle cap. If you find it difficult at first to twist these caps off by hand, try wrapping a rubber band around them to add grip. They should twist off with ease. Drop these into a small cup or bowl of vodka to soak for up to 30 minutes
3. Enclosed with each airbrush package is a mini nozzle wrench, designed to remove the nozzle. Loosen the nozzle by turning the mini nozzle wrench clockwise. Once loosened, twist the nozzle completely off with your fingertips. Be careful not to strip the metal around the nozzle with the wrench.
4. Once the nozzle is removed from the airbrush, drop it into a tiny bowl or cup of vodka to soak. It may need to soak up to thirty minutes to loosen up any dried on residue.
5. At this time, loosen the needle chucking nut and push the needle out the front of your airbrush to avoid pulling built up color through the back parts of your gun. When you do this your trigger will no longer be secured in your gun so be careful not to lose the trigger or the tiny lever. I always do this over a small towel lined tray to keep the parts from being misplaced.
6. Unscrew the lever guide from the back of your airbrush. You will end up with 3 pieces. A spring, the lever guide and the
These pieces along with your trigger and tiny lever do not normally need cleaning as color should not be in those areas.
7. Now look at the front of the airbrush and see if the opening (where the nozzle goes) is filled with residue. Soak the "body" in the vodka in a small cup for about 30 minutes then take to sink and flush it out with warm water. You should see water streaming out of the tip unrestricted.
8. To re-assemble, start by screwing the nozzle back into the airbrush. Use the mini wrench to tighten the nozzle, taking care not to over tighten it. It is easy to over tighten and snap the nozzle off in the body of the gun so be very careful during this step.
9. Next, screw on the nozzle cap and needle cap. These caps should go on easily by hand, but they need to be tightened securely.
10. Proceed by putting the trigger and the tiny lever back in place (be sure the scooped side of the lever is facing toward the color cup on the gun. The visual in the video really helps explain this)
11. Reassemble your lever guide assembly and screw it back onto your gun. Now gently insert the needle until you feel it stop. It should now be seated back in the nozzle. If your needle does not go back in place do not force it. Just try again.
12. Place the needle stop screw back onto the needle and tighten all the way then screw the "tail" (back handle) on.
My airbrush is spitting large, irregular color particles when I try to spray out color.
How do I fix this problem?
-Before anything, carefully remove the nozzle cap to expose the needle to make sure that it’s not slightly bent or hooked. Even a tiny bend in the tip of the needle can affect your spray pattern. If the needle looks fine, then look at the needle cap and clean any residue on it, using an vodka-saturated cotton swab. If the needle cap is already clean from residue, then reassemble the gun tightly and try spraying vodka (at your compressor’s highest air pressure) onto a tissue until it runs clear.
If this does not work you need to move on to a deep cleaning.
If you have any other tips please share them with others by sending me a contact message through here and I will continually post them!
Thank you all for the unbelievable (I am still pinching myself) amount of messages on how great the genie has been for you! I love each and every comment and we want to be sure we continue to offer you the best products and services we can and we NEED YOUR INPUT to do it!
Ginny
the Creative Cookier and inventor of the Stencil Genie