Best way to clean Airbrush?

It all depends on what kind of paint you use, though mostly spraying cleaner through will suffice for most paint. It also depends on the kind of airbrush. External mix being easier to clean than internal mix.

Heres what I do for cleaning acrylics through my Badger 100LG:

1. pour a little Windex into the color cup and swish around with a Qtip, then pour out the dirty cleaner.
2. add more Windex and spray through the nozzle until it sprays clean. I do this at 40psi.
3. Drop the pressure down to 10 psi and backflush by placing a cloth against the nozzle (carefully so as not to harm the needle) while blowing air. This will cause bubbles in the cup and force any paint in the nozzle back into the cup. You can imagine why I drop the pressure!
4. wet a Qtip and swab out the nozzle after retracting the needle.
5. rinse with distilled water (I live in a hard water area, those who live in soft water zones or have water softener don't need to do this).
6. pull the needle to insure its clean and wipe down with needle lube (plain glycerin works well).
7. replace needle and spray until I'm convinced its dry.

I can't see the technique changing too much for enamels or lacquers, with the substitution for the appropriate thinner. I use an old jug (mine was vegetable oil) with an X cut into the side. I insert the airbrush into the hole created by the X and use that to spray the waste thinner into.

Occasionally I break down the airbrush completely to make sure that its completely spic and span.

I am fairly new to using airbrushes as well and have found that Brigg describes has so far been working for me with one addition.  My Badger crescendo never seems to get all the last of the paint out and I just found the simple solution was, after doing as Brigg does, just removing the needle from the back and running a couple cleaner soaked pieces of pipe cleaner into the FRONT cavity.  Usually only takes me two or three quick swabs.  Then hit the air on your trigger to blow out any potential "fuzzies" (I try and make sure none will come off before using the pipe cleaner length, but call this being extra cautious).  Throw the needle back in and voila.

Brian

Bgrigg, where can one purchase the glycerin that you stated you can use to lube the needle?  I have a 100LG as well and was wondering what to use for lubrication.  Thanks!

White Snake wrote:

Bgrigg, where can one purchase the glycerin that you stated you can use to lube the needle?  I have a 100LG as well and was wondering what to use for lubrication.  Thanks!

Try Badger REGDAB(tm) NeedleJuice Air-Brush Lubricant. About $4 for an one ounce bottle. Most local Hobby Shop should have it. If not, try Michaels (Badger) or Hobby Lobby (Iwata). I used to see the Iwata Super Lub at the HL shelf, but it seemed to disappear recently.

keilau wrote:

White Snake wrote: Bgrigg, where can one purchase the glycerin that you stated you can use to lube the needle?  I have a 100LG as well and was wondering what to use for lubrication.  Thanks! Try Badger REGDAB(tm) NeedleJuice Air-Brush Lubricant. About $4 for an one ounce bottle. Most local Hobby Shop should have it. If not, try Michaels (Badger) or Hobby Lobby (Iwata). I used to see the Iwata Super Lub at the HL shelf, but it seemed to disappear recently.

OK, a little trivia here and be honest! How many of you knew that "Regdab" was simply Badger spelled backwards? Come on guys, be serious now.

MikeV wrote:

OK, a little trivia here and be honest! How many of you knew that "Regdab" was simply Badger spelled backwards? Come on guys, be serious now.

Mike, that's too funny.  I usually pick up on things like that, but in this case I totally missed it.  Even funnier is that after looking at the bottle of the stuff, the word "Regdab" is in large letters right below "Badger"

Andy

MikeV wrote:

keilau wrote:  White Snake wrote: Bgrigg, where can one purchase the glycerin that you stated you can use to lube the needle?  I have a 100LG as well and was wondering what to use for lubrication.  Thanks! Try Badger REGDAB(tm) NeedleJuice Air-Brush Lubricant. About $4 for an one ounce bottle. Most local Hobby Shop should have it. If not, try Michaels (Badger) or Hobby Lobby (Iwata). I used to see the Iwata Super Lub at the HL shelf, but it seemed to disappear recently. OK, a little trivia here and be honest! How many of you knew that "Regdab" was simply Badger spelled backwards? Come on guys, be serious now.

I did! I love word games and pickup on stuff like that.

MikeV wrote:

OK, a little trivia here and be honest! How many of you knew that "Regdab" was simply Badger spelled backwards? Come on guys, be serious now.

Well!!!!!!!!!!

Don't confuse appropriate paint thinner with ordinary paint thinner. Using the wrong thinner can cause the paint to congeal and could potentially ruin the airbrush.

You need to match the thinner to the paint, as stated above I use acrylics only, so I can use Windex with Ammonia. Actually, I use ZEP brand window cleaner with Ammonia. The brand doesn't matter so much, as long as it contains Isopropyl Alcohol and Ammonia.

Other than pulling the needle to insure it is clean, and to re-lube, I only break down the airbrush two or three times a year for a FULL cleaning, which borders on being paranoid. I've yet to see any evidence that I actually NEEDED to break the airbrush down. Enamel or lacquers may require more thorough cleaning. Others will need to address that.

When switching paints, I try to plan the painting so that I'm going from light colors to darker colors and merely spray until the cup and nozzle are clean. I don't backflush or pull the needle. I certainly don't break the airbrush down.