Cleaning up afterwards

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I got some lacquer thinners - the cheap stuff!

Yep, if I've been shooting acrylics I'll clean up with Windex or alcohol and always finish up with some alcohol to dry things out. Anything else gets cleaned out with lacquer thinner. Cheap, generic brand lacquer thinner. No point in using the good stuff for clean up.

Tony

You can also spray out with 91% Iso alcohol after you are finished as it cleans out any residue and the drying action of alcohol will take any moisture out with it.

That may have been me, though there is no real reason to do it with lacquer thinners. Ammonia attacks the plating, which is aesthetically unpleasant and doesn't really harm the airbrush.

The reason you should use distilled water is tap water can carry minerals that will build up in the body of the airbrush. Anyone who has cut open old copper pipes from a house reno or demo can attest to the calcium buildup. Not something you want in your airbrush!

Someone told me that what ever one decides to clean the brush with whether it's laquer or windex, make sure one sprays distill water last so there are no trace of anything left in the brush during storage.

I use Windex for acrylics, and lacquer thinner for everything else. Just be careful not to leave any ammonia based window cleaners sitting in your airbrush for prolonged periods of time (more than a couple minutes). Some AB mfrs include a warning that it will destroy and etch the nickel plating on the AB.

Yes, laqcuer thinner. Actually, you can use laqcuer thinner to clean it all instead of having window cleaner sitting around too.

Mr Metal Color is a "lacquer" based product. I very much doubt that the window cleaner will shift it. I'd go for the GP thinner and if that doesn't work, try lacquer thinner.