Greatest Falsehood of Airbrush Maintenance

Have you tried backflushing? 

Couldn't agree more.  Lacking a complete cleaning after every painting session, the AB is a disaster waiting to happen.

Regards,  Rick

I tore my Iwata down the other day after doing two full models of "swish it out between colors" using Tamiya and limited enamels. I find acrylics far harder to actually get OUT and cleaned from the AB. The Iwata manual recommends backflush, and per the manual I do, but I am no longer seeing the point since that is now forcing paint up inside the body where the needle belongs. Twenty five years ago I started with a Badger 150 then wore out a Paasche VL and now Im working on wearing out the Iwata.

anyhoo I grabbed a green MIcrobrush and scrubbed out the interior of the body with lacquer thinner.

BLACKNESS endued!!!!!!!

Now its clean.

also I find that using Media airbrush lube after a good teardown helps. you MUST cleanse this with spirit or thinner before painting next time but it keeps the AB working nicely.

It is that easy & quick to strip the brush at the end of a painting session, that I don't really see the logic in not doing it - there is always plenty more mess to come out of the brush, even after flushing.

While you are correct that a partial breakdown of the airbrush is the only sure way to get out paint, you could learn something about tact.

Your analogy to gun cleaning by shooting bullets is flawed. Thinner is not paint. Most thinners are a solvent (though not all!) and will help clean out residue.

I own and use a cheap aztek, so I guess that counts me out.

You will thank me for saving hundreds of dollars that would have been wasted on expensive models and paints.

Heh... I buy neither, lol...

Not being an "Airbrush Nazi", a quick flush is all I ever do between colors, and I only field strip it after a painting session...  It works fine doing what I do..  Most of my spray-painting is done wih rattle cans anyway, since I don't AB anything that can be had in a can...  Faster too... No point in loading up an airbrush for a one or two-color camouflage job..  I tend to use rattle-cans for the Three-Color USN cammo too...

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge anyone that takes their stuff down to the bone after a color, but it just ain't required, IMHO... It ain't a rifle...

I would like to get a double-action one day, even though my Iwata single-action does the job ok...  It'd be nice not to have to spray though a mask when doing the mottling on German or Japanese aircraft... 

Paashe Talon will not backflush because the crown-like nozzle will prevent you from choking off the nozzle properly.

Peak C5 backflushes beautifully but that did not prevent the airbrush from becomming occluded because I had not been disassembling it every day, merely shooting thinner as recommended by our "experts". I can't make it shoot like it used to, the flow of air/paint seems to be be anemic, I may have to send it back to Bear Air for maintenance.

The Paashe Talon did return to 100% after internal cleaning and reassembly.

A few things to consider:

There seem to be a lot of people who do just fine with just flushing and an occasional tear down.  Who am I to tell them different?

The type of paint could make a difference.  Apparently acrylics are more difficult to flush.

The thinner used could matter.  Products sold as airbrush cleaners might work better.  Lacquer thinner and acetone are pretty potent.

The design of the airbrush could be a factor.  Tiny orifices or nooks and crannies could be harder to clean out.

Air passages should never need cleaning unless you've got really dirty air.

The part that will mess up your spray pattern is the tip, the little hole the needle passes through.  That's why I like the floating type like the Badger Patriot and Anthem use.  It's very easy to wipe out with bit of twisted paper towel and a little thinner.  Curiously, the lady in your video tore every thing apart, but didn't remove the tip and clean it.

I show what I do on my website, so I won't repeat it here.  But, I don't think you'd find any chunks of paint in my airbrushes, at least no big ones. 

Don

She also used cotton swabs, a sure way to leave bits of fluff behind.

I've never had a problem with my airbrushes, no anemic paint flow, no clogs. I use Tamiya acrylics exclusively and use nothing stronger than Windex to clean with. I back flush, even with the crown regulator, and haven't pulled the tip off in years. I do pull the needle and lube with glycerin, but that's it.

I'm not expert, nor am I an "expert", whatever the difference is. Just a guy who manages to keep his airbrush working without taking it apart each time.

I disassemble my Iwata HP-CS after 2 or 3 paint sessions, and I agree that simply flushing and backflushing is generally insufficient if you want optimal performance every time. No matter how much flushing you do, there's almost always paint residue left behind and backflushing won't get it all out, at least I've found that to be the case with my AB. Fortunately, that model is very easy to take apart and put back together (the air valve assembly is a bit of a pain though).

I got one of those AB cleaning kits with all the different size round bristle brushes, and I've found it invaluable (they're also great for cleaning the eyedroppers I use for measuring paint). A Q-tip simply can't get into all the areas of the AB body, and as mentioned they're not a good choice for cleaning anyway because they can leave fibers behind.

Also lacking in that video is the use of a lube on the needle...this to me is essential to keep it moving smoothly within the AB body, and also on the needle tip as this helps minimize tip dry. It's also good for lubing the threads of the screwable parts, and I also put a drop on the tip of the trigger that goes into the air valve assembly as this tends to get sticky after a time. You have to be careful to not use too much, as this will pollute your paint.

I've often wondered about people who've said in various threads about ABs that they only occasionally disassemble their AB to clean it, particularly about how they keep it working even close to optimal. I guess it can vary from model to model, according to what paint  you use, and probably also your painting environmental conditions but with mine regular disassembly/cleaning is obligatory even though I'm pretty fastidious and flush/backflush it after every use with the relevant reducer according to what type of paint I've used (Windex for the acryls, lacquer thinner for solvent-based).

quote]I've often wondered about people who've said in various threads about ABs that they only occasionally disassemble their AB to clean it, particularly about how they keep it working even close to optimal./quote]

Heh... Define "optimal"... One man's "optimal" is another man's "good enough"...

No point in tearing m' hair out trying to achieve a commercial, automotive-quality finish when I'm going to throw rubber cement on it, rub it off with my thumb, spray  and brush enamel, oil, and acrylic washes, and scrub it with a drybrush, then finish it up with chalk dust and mud......  All I need is an even base-color...   Some of you guys would probably vapor-lock if you saw me airbrushing a model, lol...  I guess it's all because I was self-taught (with the exception of a year of night school in Auto Body Repair & Refinishing), and I never read books or watched videos about "How to Do It"... 

Since there was nobody around to tell me I was doing it "wrong", it worked doing it my way...  An airbrush is just a miniature pot-gun anyway...  Same priciples apply to airbrushing models as apply to painting cars with a pressure-pot... If you screw the mix up, or let chunks of spooge fall in the pot, no amount of work on the Gun/AB will change it...

Hans von Hammer

I've often wondered about people who've said in various threads about ABs that they only occasionally disassemble their AB to clean it, particularly about how they keep it working even close to optimal.

Heh... Define "optimal"... One man's "optimal" is another man's "good enough"...

No point in tearing m' hair out trying to achieve a commercial, automotive-quality finish when I'm going to throw rubber cement on it, rub it off with my thumb, spray  and brush enamel, oil, and acrylic washes, and scrub it with a drybrush, then finish it up with chalk dust and mud......  All I need is an even base-color...   Some of you guys would probably vapor-lock if you saw me airbrushing a model, lol...  I guess it's all because I was self-taught (with the exception of a year of night school in Auto Body Repair & Refinishing), and I never read books or watched videos about "How to Do It"... 

Since there was nobody around to tell me I was doing it "wrong", it worked doing it my way...  An airbrush is just a miniature pot-gun anyway...  Same priciples apply to airbrushing models as apply to painting cars with a pressure-pot... If you screw the mix up, or let chunks of spooge fall in the pot, no amount of work on the Gun/AB will change it...

Heh, good answer.

I use Badger airbrushes: 100LG, 150, 200-20 and other than minor differences between gravity fed and bottom fed I use the same cleaning protocol, which I am now advised is incorrect!

Here is the cleaning instructions lifted verbatim from the Badger Airbrush 101 pdf (emphasis mine):

Cleaning –

Step one: The key to keeping an airbrush clean is to not let material set up (dry) in it. This can be done by spraying the appropriate cleaning agent through the airbrush with reasonable frequency (when changing color and when setting the airbrush to rest for any period of time). Two important things to remember: 1. Material dries as fast in an airbrush as it does on the surface it is being sprayed on to. 2. Anything you think will take 2 seconds will take 2 minutes, and anything you think will take 2 minutes will usually take at least 20 – so spray the cleaner.

Step two: Should material set up (dry) in the airbrush, it may be necessary to back flush the airbrush. This is done by suffocating the air flow of the airbrush at the nozzle by carefully “pinching” a soft cloth or paper towel over the nozzle’s end. This will deflect the air back into the airbrush chamber and loosen any dried material, sending it into the cleaning bottle. If done correctly, the cleaner will bubble during back flushing. It is advisable to spray fresh cleaner through the airbrush after you have back flushed it.

Step three: On what should be rare occasions it may be necessary to disassemble some parts of the airbrush for more thorough cleaning. This should only be done if the user has neglected to do step one of regularly spraying cleaner through the airbrush, and/or step two of back flushing is unsuccessful in getting the airbrush to spray properly again. If disassembly is required, it should be only of parts that come in contact with the sprayed material; from the material’s point of entry into the airbrush and forward. The included parts for disassembly are the nozzle assembly and the needle. To thoroughly clean the nozzle assembly, use an ultrasonic cleaner or denture cleaner (yes, denture cleaner – follow the directions on the package). The needle should simply be wiped down with a soft cloth saturated with the appropriate cleaning agent. If residue on the needle is still apparent it may be removed by gently rubbing a fine steel wool over the residual deposit area. While the needle and nozzle are removed from the airbrush it is OK to run a pipe cleaner saturated with cleaning agent through the chamber of the airbrush, following the same path as sprayed material, and out the airbrush front. For bottom feed airbrushes that is up the stem and out the front, for gravity feed airbrushes it is down the color cup and out the front. Only do this when the needle and nozzle are removed as forcing anything through the nozzle will damage it. After using the pipe cleaner, blow out the airbrush to remove any pipe cleaner “fuzz”. After all nozzle/needle cleaning steps are complete the airbrush can be reassembled and will be ready for use. This disassembly process should be rarely necessary if steps one and two are followed, but it is recommended if storing your airbrush for an extended period of time.

Following standard airbrush use, there should be NO reason to ever take apart the air valve.  Of course, the preceding is merely the manufacturers recommended cleaning regimen. I'll take that over some makeup artist, any day.

Bgrigg

I use Badger airbrushes: 100LG, 150, 200-20 and other than minor differences between gravity fed and bottom fed I use the same cleaning protocol, which I am now advised is incorrect!

Here is the cleaning instructions lifted verbatim from the Badger Airbrush 101 pdf (emphasis mine):

 

Cleaning –

Step one: The key to keeping an airbrush clean is to not let material set up (dry) in it. This can be done by spraying the appropriate cleaning agent through the airbrush with reasonable frequency (when changing color and when setting the airbrush to rest for any period of time). Two important things to remember: 1. Material dries as fast in an airbrush as it does on the surface it is being sprayed on to. 2. Anything you think will take 2 seconds will take 2 minutes, and anything you think will take 2 minutes will usually take at least 20 – so spray the cleaner.

 

Step two: Should material set up (dry) in the airbrush, it may be necessary to back flush the airbrush. This is done by suffocating the air flow of the airbrush at the nozzle by carefully “pinching” a soft cloth or paper towel over the nozzle’s end. This will deflect the air back into the airbrush chamber and loosen any dried material, sending it into the cleaning bottle. If done correctly, the cleaner will bubble during back flushing. It is advisable to spray fresh cleaner through the airbrush after you have back flushed it.

Step three: On what should be rare occasions it may be necessary to disassemble some parts of the airbrush for more thorough cleaning. This should only be done if the user has neglected to do step one of regularly spraying cleaner through the airbrush, and/or step two of back flushing is unsuccessful in getting the airbrush to spray properly again. If disassembly is required, it should be only of parts that come in contact with the sprayed material; from the material’s point of entry into the airbrush and forward. The included parts for disassembly are the nozzle assembly and the needle. To thoroughly clean the nozzle assembly, use an ultrasonic cleaner or denture cleaner (yes, denture cleaner – follow the directions on the package). The needle should simply be wiped down with a soft cloth saturated with the appropriate cleaning agent. If residue on the needle is still apparent it may be removed by gently rubbing a fine steel wool over the residual deposit area. While the needle and nozzle are removed from the airbrush it is OK to run a pipe cleaner saturated with cleaning agent through the chamber of the airbrush, following the same path as sprayed material, and out the airbrush front. For bottom feed airbrushes that is up the stem and out the front, for gravity feed airbrushes it is down the color cup and out the front. Only do this when the needle and nozzle are removed as forcing anything through the nozzle will damage it. After using the pipe cleaner, blow out the airbrush to remove any pipe cleaner “fuzz”. After all nozzle/needle cleaning steps are complete the airbrush can be reassembled and will be ready for use. This disassembly process should be rarely necessary if steps one and two are followed, but it is recommended if storing your airbrush for an extended period of time.

 

Following standard airbrush use, there should be NO reason to ever take apart the air valve.  Of course, the preceding is merely the manufacturers recommended cleaning regimen. I'll take that over some makeup artist, any day.

I've had to disassemble the air valve assembly on my Iwata before, only because I goofed and pulled out the needle while there was some paint still in the AB body, which got into the air valve parts and the trigger started sticking...then to compound the problem I soaked the whole thing in lacquer thinner (I've been well advised since to NEVER  do that), which made the rubber o-ring that sits on top of the air valve swell up like an inner tube. Cost of replacement: $6 for a tiny o-ring. Live and learn.

MonsterZero

You have to DISSASSEMBLE the airbrush at the end of every day's work, and scrub the insides using an airbrush cleaning kit. Pieces of tissue and cleaning brushes are used. Please, check out the video.

You wouldn't believe what I found inside the nozzles of my airbrushes. I found flakes of dried paint so huge they couldn't be expelled so they just sat inside the piping of the airbrush, rattling around and obscuring paint flow. And we're not talking about some cheap Aztek, we're talking about the Paasche Talon and the Peak C5. Pretty good airbrushes, IMO.

Please check out this video

 

This is a topic that appeared many times since 2004.

The advise "to DISSASSEMBLE the airbrush at the end of every day's work" is a good one, but the video link is one of the least thorough cleaning demonstrated on YouTube. The lady didn't even try to clean the nozzle as you suggested. The airbrush will not clean itself even if you take it apart. Their web site sells some rebranded Badger airbrushes at higher than market prices and does have a different video that suggested cleaning the nozzle. As others already pointed out, it is poor advise to use Q-tip for airbrush cleaning.

In between colors, backflush is my preferred technique. It does not require you to dissassembel the airbrush.  Back flushing means holding something like a paper towel over the nozzle of the airbrush while pressing down and pulling back slightly on the trigger.  This forces air back through the tip and into the paint cup, causing bubbles.  It breaks paint free and helps to wash it out. You should spray clean through the airbrush before backflushing.

I learned this technique from a cosmetician lady, Sheila McKenna. The Kett Cosmetic video is very professional and practical. It got down to the essence of backflushing and left nothing to imagination.

Another bonus, she does not have those funny colored nail to distract you. This video has been around for awhile and I have not seen any better. You can also find a higher resolution version at their web site.

I use a piece of hose plugged closed in one end for backflushing my airbrushes with crown caps. Works like a charm.

End of session;

Flush,

Loosen chuck & draw needle back, remove nozzle / cap, put in applicable solvent,

Remove needle from front & wipe,

Rinse brush out by pouring solvent into cup of downwards pointing brush,

Refit needle about 1cm back from fitted position,

Fit nozzle / cap,

Slide needle into nozzle & tighten chuck,

Blow air through to remove leftover solvent,

The airbrush is "Gone in (less than) 60 Seconds".

I have a DA Badger ab I bought back in the early 80's. I still use it and works as good as it did 30 years ago. I do not tear it down after every session. I backflush and wipe the needle after each use. Maybe at about 5 or so uses, I may tear it down for some cleaning.

The anology about shooting more rounds to clean the barrel is partially correct.  One way to clean a barrel after shooting lead rounds (those that are not jacketed) is to shoot a couple of jacketed rounds to force out the leadding buildup, resulting in less scrubbing and speeding up the cleaning process.

I am still somewhat of a novice when it comes to the use of an AB, and I am as a rule not that anal about cleaning stuff.

 However I must be in the minority because I have a DA Badger Crescendo and I strip it and clean it after ever use ( meaning in between color changes as well).

I just got in the habit for some dumb reason as I never wanted to have any risk of mixing the colors even slightly.

I simply dip a pipe cleaner in thinner and run it through the cavity of the AB not touching the air valve, and i wipe down the needle and the tip with a rag damped with thinner.  Both things of course after I spray some straight thinner thru to flush the AB.

It is a colossal PITA and probably wastes a lot of time needlessly but I can't help myself.  Plus my AB sure stays clean and operates well.

 Swede

Perfect timing...I was just about to clean my pistol by putting more rounds through it!