What is the hard part of cleaning enamels from an AB?

An airbrush is much like a gun. After firing it you really need to tear it down and clean it thoroughly if you want it to perform perfectly each and every time you use it.

Just flushing and wiping down the airbrush doesn't necessarily remove all of the residue in the brush. Just as with a rifle, you have to tear down the receiver and run a brush through it and the barrel to remove all of the powder residue which is corrosive and will build up...so does paint residue.

Enamels require a solvent that can break down and clean it away. Acrylics are much easier to remove because the solvents needed are much milder and have less odor. 

It boils down to procedures...and routine...set the procedures and maintain the routine and all will perform well. That few minutes you think you're saving only comes back to haunt you later. BTDT

To the airbrush there is no difference at all. Each paint requires a solvent to clean and occasionally a total breakdown to insure that no dried paint lurks in some hidden recess waiting to pounce and ruin your paint job. 

But as Gerald points out, the solvents for acrylics are much milder in nature, and hand cleaning can be done with plain soap and water. That's the easier part!

I primarily use enamels for all my painting.  I hate acrylics.  The biggest difference is the health and enviromental effects of the solvents used with enamels.  For instance, I use one of those airbrush cleaning stations for flushing out my airbrush.  When the cleaning station is full, I can't just dump the solvents down the drain.  So disposal of used solvents can be an issue.  I also have to wear protective gloves when painting and cleaning my airbrush. I wear eye protection and a respirator too, but you should wear them even if painting with acrylics.  Personally, I find cleaning my airbrush when using enamels is easier then when using acrylics, especially Model Master Acryl acrylics.   

-Jesse

Thanks. I kind of thought there wouldn't be much more to just the actual cleaning, with the proper cleaners.

As for disposal, I too have an emptying station. Mine is an old 2-liter soda bottle. With toxic stuff like lacquer thinner and whatnot, could a Sherwin-Williams store or something help me dispose of this kind of stuff?

tabascojunkie wrote:

With toxic stuff like lacquer thinner and whatnot, could a Sherwin-Williams store or something help me dispose of this kind of stuff?

There's no need to dispose of your cleaning thinner.  You can recycle and reuse it.  While cleaning your airbrush, put all your dirty thinner into a large jar.  After a few days, the paint particles will settle out of the solution and collect into a kind of sediment on the bottom or the jar, leaving clear thinner above.  Once there is enough clear thinner in the jar, you can carefully pour off the clear thinner into another jar, taking care not to stir up the paint sediment on the bottom.  This recycled thinner can then be used for cleaning.

I've been using that process with a couple of 1 quart spaghetti sauce jars for about ten years now.  I use new thinner exclusively for thinning paint and recycled thinner for cleaning.  Over that span I have not noticed any degradation of the cleaning capabilities of the thinner, even though it has been recycled many, many times.  This is also quite cost effective.  Over the past ten years, I have only bought two quarts of hinner from Home Depot for probably under five bucks total, and I doubt that I'll have buy another can any time soon.

Andy    

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

An airbrush is much like a gun. After firing it you really need to tear it down and clean it thoroughly if you want it to perform perfectly each and every time you use it....It boils down to procedures...and routine...set the procedures and maintain the routine and all will perform well. That few minutes you think you're saving only comes back to haunt you later. BTDT

 Very well said!  I agree with that completely. I'm a bit of a gear head, so I actually enjoy taking mechanical instruments apart and maintaining them.  

  I use acrylics mostly, but also use laquers and enamels quite a bit. I use the same cleaning routine for all. After painting, I flush windex/hot water solution through with acrylics or laquer thinner through with the others. I let that sit a minute while I clean the paint cups (acrylics get washed out in the kitchen sink, the others wiped out and cleaned with laquer thinner).Then I take the needle out of the brush, wipe it down with laquer thinner on a q-tip. The tip of the brush is removed and gets wiped off, then I use a toothpick soaked in laquer thinner to lightly wipe off the inside (don't force it). Then it gets re-assembled and any paint on the outside wiped off with laquer thinner on a q-tip. It doesn't take long and the equipment stays like new.

 As far as disposal of cleaners, I only pour out a small amount into a squeeze bottle. Whatever I use evaporates so I never have any left over to dispose of.

I prefer enamels in airbrushing, but they do require a bit more money to use than acrylics in cleaning... I clean the AB after every session, but I clean acrylics with alcohol ad eamels with thinner..

That's the only difference for me... The thinner is more expensive than alcohol...

K.I.S.S., dmk..

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

An airbrush is much like a gun. After firing it you really need to tear it down and clean it thoroughly if you want it to perform perfectly each and every time you use it.

There is a big difference between gun and airbrush. I change colors several times in each AB session. It is not practical to tear the AB down each time. I stick with acrylic because I can change color without disassembling the AB.

I am very interested in getting more specific on the level of cleaning necessary in between colors when using enamels, assuming the AB is an Iwata HP-CS.

Thank you in advance. I always enjoy your insight at this forum.

I don't know specifically about the Iwata HP-CS but I do use the Badger 100G which is also a double action, gravity feed airbrush.  When changing colors and using enamels, just run thinner through the airbrush.  I'll put some thinner into the cup, wipe the inside of cup with a cotton swab, and spray out the residue.  Because enamels dry slower than acrylics, I've never had a problem with switching colors in the middle of a paint session.  To be on the safe side, that first spray after changing colors should not be directed at the model.  I spray onto a paper towel and make sure there is no residue from the previous color.  Easy as pie.

Jesse

usmc1371 wrote:

I don't know specifically about the Iwata HP-CS but I do use the Badger 100G which is also a double action, gravity feed airbrush.  When changing colors and using enamels, just run thinner through the airbrush.  I'll put some thinner into the cup, wipe the inside of cup with a cotton swab, and spray out the residue.  Because enamels dry slower than acrylics, I've never had a problem with switching colors in the middle of a paint session.  To be on the safe side, that first spray after changing colors should not be directed at the model.  I spray onto a paper towel and make sure there is no residue from the previous color.  Easy as pie. Jesse

I'm with Jesse. I swap colors sometimes and also swap between enamels and acryls without any problems whatsoever. The first squirt usually goes into a rag or on the booth filter. When done I give the brush a good cleaning and lube the needle. Laq thinner for enamels, Windex for acryls.

Not sure who gave you the idea that cleaning enamels out of an airbrush is difficult, but I believe that they must be crazy or don't know how to clean an airbrush or are to cheap to buy airbrush cleaning equipment (such as a wrench and a few brushes).

The process for properly cleaning your airbrush is the same no matter what brand of paint you are using (acrylic, enamel, lacquer ,whatever):

1) Sray solvent through it

2) Remove the needle an clean it.

3) Run a cleaning brush through the body.

4) Take the tip off and scrub out the nozzle with a cleaning brush.

5) Put the thing back together.

Seriously, The only time enamel is hard to clean up is if you let it dry inside your airbrush (Do people really do that??). But the same can be said for Acrylic--Acrylic is probably even harder to clean up after it dry depending on the brand.

The only real difference between cleaning enamels and acrylics is that you do not need to use flamable solvents to clean acrylics. Flamable solvents require ventilation or 'outside use'.

Hope that helps

cbaltrin wrote:

These people are crazy or don't know how to clean an airbrush or are to cheap to buy airbrush cleaning equipment (such as a wrench and a few brushes).

What "people" are you referring too?  

usmc1371 wrote:

cbaltrin wrote: These people are crazy or don't know how to clean an airbrush or are to cheap to buy airbrush cleaning equipment (such as a wrench and a few brushes).   What "people" are you referring too?

 Whatever people he was refering to in his original post that had him thinking there was something difficult about cleaning enamels. guess I should have made that more clear...

cbaltrin,

We have been going in circles with no one really answering the question.

What is the hard part of cleaning enamels from an AB?

When I use acrylic paints, I don't disassembly the AB everytime that I change color. I do that at the end of each session.

During cleaning, I back pressure cleaner into the paint cup. Is it ok to do that with enamel?

My question that I posted earlier for enamel paint users was the level of cleaning needed for changing enamel color. You and other seemed to imply that disassembly the whole AB is necessary for enamels when changing color.

keilau wrote:

My question that I posted earlier for enamel paint users was the level of cleaning needed for changing enamel color. You and other seemed to imply that disassembly the whole AB is necessary for enamels when changing color.

I thought myself and hkshooter answered that?  

usmc1371 wrote:

keilau wrote: My question that I posted earlier for enamel paint users was the level of cleaning needed for changing enamel color. You and other seemed to imply that disassembly the whole AB is necessary for enamels when changing color. I thought myself and hkshooter answered that?

Yes, You and hkshooter both said that all it takes is to shoot some thinner through the AB until it is clear. With acrylic, I found it necessary to back bubble the AB to clear it in between colors. The cleaning is very reliable since acrylic is water solvable. The back bubble process is not overburdening to me, just different from continue to blow air through.

When I used the Paasche H before, I did use both enamel and acrylic. I have to take the AB apart more often no matter what paint I used.

I highly respect the opinion of Gerald Voigt because his posts always made a lot of sense to me and helped a lot. He seemed to indicate that you need to take apart the AB for enamel. The posts by cbaltrin seemed to confuse instead of clarifying the issue. That's why I said the going circle thing.

I did answer the question. Let me re-phrase...

The entire Premise of the question is not valid or the question needs to be restated in a more specific context. Again, the only difference in cleaning enamels and acrylics is in the solvent you need to use. Any technique that will work for enamel will work for acrylic and vise versa. As far as a "hard part" of cleaning. If theire is a hard part to cleaning, it would be entirely dependent on what airbrush you are using. Personally I have a double action gravity feed with an intgeral paint cup so all I need to do between color changes is spray some thinner through it and wipe out the pain cup with a Q-tip.

keilau wrote:

cbaltrin, We have been going in circles with no one really answering the question. What is the hard part of cleaning enamels from an AB?

That is interesting. I thought I saw the original poster indicate that we did answer the question

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

An airbrush is much like a gun. After firing it you really need to tear it down and clean it thoroughly if you want it to perform perfectly each and every time you use it. Just flushing and wiping down the airbrush doesn't necessarily remove all of the residue in the brush. Just as with a rifle, you have to tear down the receiver and run a brush through it and the barrel to remove all of the powder residue which is corrosive and will build up...so does paint residue. Enamels require a solvent that can break down and clean it away. Acrylics are much easier to remove because the solvents needed are much milder and have less odor.  It boils down to procedures...and routine...set the procedures and maintain the routine and all will perform well. That few minutes you think you're saving only comes back to haunt you later. BTDT

I would not advise taking the airbrush apart each time to clean as it is unnecessary.

Spray out, wipe out the cup, spray some more solvent, backflush a couple times, spray some more solvent through it and you are done. 

Bgrigg wrote:

To the airbrush there is no difference at all. Each paint requires a solvent to clean and occasionally a total breakdown to insure that no dried paint lurks in some hidden recess waiting to pounce and ruin your paint job.  But as Gerald points out, the solvents for acrylics are much milder in nature, and hand cleaning can be done with plain soap and water. That's the easier part!

Unless the paint has become dried as acrylics can be a real PITA if that happens. 

cbaltrin wrote:

3) Run a cleaning brush through the body.

Ummm.......why? 

If you need to run a brush through the body then the needle bearing is bad or you removed the needle with paint still in the cup. 

MikeV wrote:

cbaltrin wrote: 3) Run a cleaning brush through the body. Ummm.......why?  If you need to run a brush through the body then the needle bearing is bad or you removed the needle with paint still in the cup.

Oh bother. I think we have beat this horse quite to death by now. I think the initial question has been answered over and over by now. Let us agree to agree or, probably more likely, agree to disagree. In short. Let's put this thread to bed man! 

cbaltrin wrote:

MikeV wrote:  cbaltrin wrote: 3) Run a cleaning brush through the body. Ummm.......why?  If you need to run a brush through the body then the needle bearing is bad or you removed the needle with paint still in the cup.  Oh bother. I think we have beat this horse quite to death by now. I think the initial question has been answered over and over by now. Let us agree to agree or, probably more likely, agree to disagree. In short. Let's put this thread to bed man!

Not beating the horse at all, I was giving legitimate advice from what I have learned from the best in the business as well as my own experiences from airbrushing T-shirts and models.

cbaltrin wrote:

Personally I have a double action gravity feed with an intgeral paint cup so all I need to do between color changes is spray some thinner through it and wipe out the pain cup with a Q-tip.

Be careful with Q-tips in the cup also as they can leave fibers that can ruin a painting session.