Best way to cut stencils

[Sylvester]

Hi, i hope you find out my this conversation is little bit different but if someone have any comments or views so kinda share. Over the months that I've been learning the AB, I'm finding that masking, stenciling and cutting stencils and friskets is as big a skill as the airbrushing itself. Naturally, I'm having some frustrating problems that I'd like some pros to weigh in on:

1. Cutting a design into a frisket directly on your project. I keep watching pros do this with a hobby knife on a intercoat cleared project, yet if I do it, I end up cutting into the project and leaving scratches in the surface of my project. If I go lighter with the hobby knife, the frisket doesn't get cut through and it tears. I can't find happy medium.

2. Stencils. Tips to avoid overspray (underspray?). I put a stencil on my work and the air pressure blows paint underneath the borders of the design. How do you minimize this?

3. Making stencils. I've recently seen these plastic stencil cutting heat pens and that looks like the way to go-- I'm getting "done" with the imprecision of the hobby knife. Recommendations? Is the this really as easy as it looks in the videos?

[250 Coupe]

Hi, i hope you find out my this conversation is little bit different but if someone have any comments or views so kinda share. Over the months that I've been learning the AB, I'm finding that masking, stenciling and cutting stencils and friskets is as big a skill as the airbrushing itself. Naturally, I'm having some frustrating problems that I'd like some pros to weigh in on:

1. Cutting a design into a frisket directly on your project. I keep watching pros do this with a hobby knife on a intercoat cleared project, yet if I do it, I end up cutting into the project and leaving scratches in the surface of my project. If I go lighter with the hobby knife, the frisket doesn't get cut through and it tears. I can't find happy medium.

2. Stencils. Tips to avoid overspray (underspray?). I put a stencil on my work and the air pressure blows paint underneath the borders of the design. How do you minimize this?

3. Making stencils. I've recently seen these plastic stencil cutting heat pens and that looks like the way to go-- I'm getting "done" with the imprecision of the hobby knife. Recommendations? Is the this really as easy as it looks in the videos?

1. I have not cut a ton of stencils but have cut parafilm, silk screen masks and that liquid mask used on plastic models. If you have been using #11 blades, give #16s a try. They have a different angle and, at least for me, are much easier to control. Also, only use brand new blades and change often if it's a large project. Sounds expensive and a bit wasteful I know but it will make a huge difference.

2. If the mask does not lay flat on the project, you will need to help it by careful taping or holding it down with the eraser end of a pencil or a bunch of pennies or... Another key is to lay the paint on gently and in light coats. You may be holding the airbrush to close or have it adjusted too high for stencil work. Lastly, try to keep the airbrush perpendicular to the work, it will be less likely to get under the stencil.

3. I've no knowledge of the heated stencil cutters. They probably only work on certain materials but might work very well.

Michael