Most Powerful & Effective Airbrush Cleaning Solvents?

QUOTE: Originally posted by MonsterZero Which solvents do you recommend for cleaning the airbrush after: a) Acrylics b)Enamels c)Laquers

For acrylics I like a mixture of:
2 parts distilled water
1 part Windex
1 part Simple Green.

You could also use lacquer or enamel thinners to clean acrylics but they require better ventilation.

For enamels and lacquers the best cleaner is lacquer thinner.

Mike

What's "Simple Green"? What kind of product is that and where can I get it? Also, do you use Windex with ammonia or regular? Lastly, where can I obtain distilled water?

Thanks for help.

ModelMaster (Testor) makes a dried paint cleaner as well as airbrush cleaner for acrylic paints. I am not a big fan of their airbrush cleaner though, it tends to leave residue behind...and I'm not sure what it is, but the dried paint cleaner works great if you haven't cleaned the airbrush for a while.

For enamels I use Testor's airbrush thinner and laquers just laquer thinner... but I don't use laquers much so I haven't built up a preference.

As for distilled water, I just pick up a gallon jug at the grocery store with the bottled water.

Here you go monsterZero

www.simplegreen.com

QUOTE: Originally posted by MonsterZero What's "Simple Green"? What kind of product is that and where can I get it? Also, do you use Windex with ammonia or regular? Lastly, where can I obtain distilled water?

Simple Green is a household cleaner that is sold at most grocery stores.
I use the regular green bottled stuff, I have never tried the new lemon that's on their web page.
I use the regular Windex with ammonia because the ammonia is what cleans so well. They sell distilled water in every grocery store also. It is not the same as bottled water though because distilled water has been cooked and purified.
You could probably use bottled water also but it may not have the same results.

Mike

i quit using enamels when i discovered tamiya acrylic but when i did use enamels i cleaned my airbrush with lacquer thinner and thinned my paint with low oder mineral spirits. after a few minutes my family and i had headaches from the fumes (i dont have a way to ventilate since im currently renting). it forced me to do the swop to acrylics and tamiya is very nice to me and my airbrush. i use diluted model master acryl solvent about half solvent half water and it cleans very well. if you need a stronger dose, keep a bottle of the acryl solvent 100%.

windex by itself works great for acryllics and enamles, I dont know about laquer though.

QUOTE: Originally posted by MonsterZero Which solvents do you recommend for cleaning the airbrush after: a) Acrylics b)Enamels c)Laquers

Acrylics: I use straight Rubbing Alcohol. Cleans up Acrylics better than anything I have ever seen.

Enamels: I use the stock paint thinner.

Laquers: I have no experience with them.

lacquer thinners are probably the strongest out of all of them, so that's what i use after, i clean with alcohol.
but what i don't really understand is, "How do you Clean," the airbrush.
i used to just put alcohol right after i was done with the acrylics. and then just shoot that thing out to be cleaned. and i realized, that there are always small bits and grinds either stuck to the needle, or inside the airbrush where it holds the needle.
so i decided to use lacquer thinner right after it. but still i found small bits of black paint still stuck inside the airbrush that i couldn't reach with just liquid.
how do i clean out the "Entire" airbrush? i mean, a fully clean airbrush as if i'm using a brand new one?
do i leave the entire airbrush inside some liquid container? i heard about people just soaking the airbrush in overnight, but i also hear that this will destroy a few parts. but i'm not sure.

I take mine apart and clean it until there is no paint residue left. It should look like the day you first pulled it out of the box when you are finished.

Just my 2 cents.

QUOTE: Originally posted by lonerbboy how do i clean out the "Entire" airbrush? i mean, a fully clean airbrush as if i'm using a brand new one?

What you do is wipe out the color cup if it is a gravity feed and then spray thinner through it. Put some more thinner in and hold your finger or a rag over the tip of the airbrush and push down on the trigger and pull it back, this will backflush the airbrush. Then dump out what you backflushed and spray a bit more thinner through it. This is usually all that is needed and disassembling the airbrush each time is not necessary. I would disassemble it every 3rd or 4th time you use it depending on how much it was used. I would also highly recommend that you get some Medea Super Lube for the needle as it will lessen the chance of paint drying in the airbrush and it also makes the airbrush's action smoother.

QUOTE: do i leave the entire airbrush inside some liquid container? i heard about people just soaking the airbrush in overnight, but i also hear that this will destroy a few parts. but i'm not sure.

Do NOT soak the entire airbrush in lacquer thinner as it will turn the seals in the air valve into mush. You could, if necessary just submerge the front of the airbrush in lacquer thinner overnight, but make sure there are no rubber gaskets in the head assembly.

Mike

thanks for the tips.
MikeV, would the paint splash all over the place, if i use the backflush technique?

i have the iwata hp-c airbrush, and i'm not sure which parts i need to disassemble when cleaning it.
can i take out the trigger of the airbrush? i don't know if i can pull that thing out.

and what's a rubber gasket? i only see, chrome metal for the airbrush.

are there other things that i can use to clean out my airbrush?

back flush could fly all over, but only if you use insanely high psi. At 20 psi or so it just bubbles in the cup.

You can take the trigger out, but you have to remove the needle first. There is a hole in the trigger and the needle goes through that hole. Take out the needle, then turn the trigger 90 degrees and lift it out of the brush. Theres also a back plate to the trigger. When you reassemble, put it in the right possition. If you put it wrong nothing bad will happen, but youll have to take it out of the brush and flip it over or it wont slide the needle back.

Rubber gasket is just a piece of rubber used to make an "air-tight" seal. Theres a rubber seal inside the part of the brush that connects to the airhose. Theres another one behind the trigger according to the parts manual.


I use windex to clean my brush since i use mostly acrylic.

Pansies, all of you!!!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!

Simple Green?
Windex?

Bah!

The Best..you really want the best?

Fuming Sulfuric Acid, aka Oleum.

It'll clean anything!









I shall now return to my basket weaving.....




Gip Winecoff

oooOOOHHHHh....Sulphuric Acid......ahhhhhh

Back to reality, I use enamels and will clean my AB with the model master AB thinner - it's good stuff. Then I'll wipe everything down with a paper towel. About twice a year, I'll soak my AB parts in acetone to (including my glass pipettes) to clean out the gunck and make it all shiney again.

QUOTE: Originally posted by styrene Pansies, all of you!!!!! Bwahahahahahahahahaha! Simple Green? Windex? Bah! The Best..you really want the best? Fuming Sulfuric Acid, aka Oleum. It'll clean anything!

Gip,

But we want to still have an airbrush after it is cleaned.
I don't want a blob of brass after cleaning it.

Mike

This site is answering all my questions. Just getting back into scale models after 25 years. Bought a PAASCHE MILLENNIUM not knowing a damn thing about it.

Acetone is very similar to lacquer thinner, and in fact some lacquer thinners contain acetone. MEK is another ingredient contained in many lacquer thinners.

In fact, one of the problems with the term lacquer thinner is that it is not a specific chemical.  It literally means something to thin lacquer, so not all lacquer thinners are identical.

This is even worse with enamel or paint thinners.  There is some really bad crud out on the market sold as generic "paint thinner."  I will no longer buy a product labeled that way. I will only buy mineral spirit or turpentine, which are more specific.

Zombie thread

 I use Lacquer thinner to clean everything, for all types of paint. I also use a tiny amount on a rag to wipe overspray off of my formica workbench top about twice a year.

Gentlemen, this is a VERY old post (from 2004).