If you've searched for upgrades for your airbrush, by now
you might have noticed that some companies are selling a "tall trigger
upgrade." There's a lot of reasons why this might sound like a good idea.
First of all, a taller trigger gives you a greater
mechanical advantage, or "leverage." In other words, you can pull the
needle backwards with more force with a taller trigger.
Secondly, a taller trigger travels further to move the
needle, which creates more distance or "throw" to control the paint.
In theory, a greater degree of throw means a higher number of incremental
movements for the needle resulting in more precision. Airbrush
Texture Stencils
However, there are two problems with this. One, extra force
is not necessary when operating an airbrush trigger. There is no need to have
more force, because the airbrush needle is easily moved. Two, a taller trigger
travels further, requiring more distance to move the needle the same amount,
which requires more work. The movement
requires the long extensor tendon which is connected to muscles in the forearm
to control the trigger. This is considered a relatively gross motor movement
because it lacks precision and finesse.
Although creating detail doesn't require this much movement,
the muscles used with this finger position require muscles located on the
forearm which are connected to the finger by long tendons.
Shorter?
Instead of using a taller trigger, what if we used a shorter
trigger? With a shorter throw, less work is required, and the fingertip can be
utilized to control the airbrush rather than the forearm muscle. The fingertip
is controlled by muscles in the palm and use a much more precise fine motor movement.
A different finger position is possible with the shorter
trigger. If the first joint of the index finger is placed over the trigger,
then the tip of the finger can pivot up and down to move the needle back and
forth with much greater precision than the forearm muscles.
The concept of short throw is not new. Many race cars use
short throw shifters for greater efficiency when shifting. The shorter trigger
enjoys greater efficiency of movement, and more control of the airbrush when
held in the position above. Airbrush Training
Courses
The potential drawback of using the short trigger with this
finger position is that it cannot accommodate top-mounted cups, because the tip
of the finger collides with the cup. For top-mounted airbrushes, little benefit
can be gained by the shorter trigger.
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