Airbrush cleaning help

Like any tool you must do the preventative maintenance to keep it functioning properly. Flushing is fine between colors, but once you're done for the day a tear down cleaning is always a prudent step. A clean airbrush is a properly functioning airbrush and has a happy owner.

You might want to clean the parts with something like Simple Green or Castrol Super Clean. Rinse well afterwards.

FalconAbove

Ok, so used MM acryl paint, in my Badger 105. This is the first time i have used the brush, i recently retired my aztek, which was much easier to clean. So...I went into this knowing the fast dry time of MM acryl, i even put in some liquitex retarder. The paint was thinned with distilled water. Anyway the paint dried rock hard in the color cup walls, and the inside of the nozelle. The paint won't even scrape off with a finger nail in the color cup, and I have no idea how to get to the nozelle. After i was done painting, i emptied the excess paint in the color cup, filled with 91% iso alcohol, and sprayed till clear, followed by distilled water to flush out the alcohol. Then i attacked the  color cup, which I was unable to get all of it out.

Am i doing something wrong here? I love airbrushing, but cleaining is really de-railing me..

The key is whether you can clean you needle and nozzle adequately. If you do, you are ok. Did you back flush the airbrush immediately after you finish painting?

I have the same problem with my 20 years old Paasche H cup. It is not plated inside and the paint dried and stick to the cup inside. My newer Iwata cup is much easier to clean. The Patriot cup inside looks plated to me and should be easier to clean off the paint. I am surprised that you have this problem.

MM acrylic paints are horrible for that. I have the same problem in my airbrush even with using a retarder like you said. i end up cleaning my airbrush with lacquer thinner and it gets the paint off easy. I started using gunze acrylics and that never happens. I can airbrush for 10-15 mins at a time and just wipe off the paint inside the color cup with a towel soaked in windex and its 100% clean.

Nathan

for stubborn and old leftover paint, i use acetone to clean, it breaks anything down almost immediately, but be careful of the rubber o-ring, open the windows and protect your hands though

Thanks for the help. I actually put some windex in the color cup and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then sprayed it thru, and wiped out the cup and everything came off! I have recently been having more and more problems with mm acryls, and i am thinking of just switching over entirely to tamiya acrylics. Thanks again guys!

Have you tried windex?  On some Acrylics, Ammonia works better than Alcohol.l;

FalconAbove

Ok, so used MM acryl paint, in my Badger 105. This is the first time i have used the brush, i recently retired my aztek, which was much easier to clean. So...I went into this knowing the fast dry time of MM acryl, i even put in some liquitex retarder. The paint was thinned with distilled water. Anyway the paint dried rock hard in the color cup walls, and the inside of the nozelle. The paint won't even scrape off with a finger nail in the color cup, and I have no idea how to get to the nozelle. After i was done painting, i emptied the excess paint in the color cup, filled with 91% iso alcohol, and sprayed till clear, followed by distilled water to flush out the alcohol. Then i attacked the  color cup, which I was unable to get all of it out.

Am i doing something wrong here? I love airbrushing, but cleaining is really de-railing me..

Oops. spoke too soon.  I don't use Acrylics for base coats.  They are too unpredictable. I only use them for washes, enamel for everything else,

FalconAbove

Thanks for the help. I actually put some windex in the color cup and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then sprayed it thru, and wiped out the cup and everything came off! I have recently been having more and more problems with mm acryls, and i am thinking of just switching over entirely to tamiya acrylics. Thanks again guys!

I use lacquer thinner on a q-tip and wipe the cup walls.  I also sometimes fill the color cup with this and spray it a 40 psi will holding the airbrush out a window or door.

If I am spraying acrylics, I put windex in the color cup and spray that at 40 psi into my airbrush cleaning bottle. then shoot water throught to wash all the windex away. I always backflush too.

Maybe this has been mentioned,, but,           anyone who owns an airbrush should invenst in a sonic cleaner.

Get some plastic or glass cups - load up your parts to be cleaned - add your thinner of choice and let the sonic do its job

A great tool for your workshop

BaBill212

Maybe this has been mentioned,, but,           anyone who owns an airbrush should invenst in a sonic cleaner.

Get some plastic or glass cups - load up your parts to be cleaned - add your thinner of choice and let the sonic do its job

A great tool for your workshop

I second that remark!

You can get a decent one on Ebay for $30 or so.

Walmart has one for $22 and it works just fine. I use distilled water as the cleaning media. I leave it on for 20-30 minutes and all kind of gunk comes right off the interior of the AB.

plastickjunkie

Walmart has one for $22 and it works just fine. I use distilled water as the cleaning media. I leave it on for 20-30 minutes and all kind of gunk comes right off the interior of the AB.

Good deal! That's good to know in case mine goes out. Thanks.

Marine Sniper

plastickjunkie:

Walmart has one for $22 and it works just fine. I use distilled water as the cleaning media. I leave it on for 20-30 minutes and all kind of gunk comes right off the interior of the AB.

 

Good deal! That's good to know in case mine goes out. Thanks.

No sweat Sniper! They are by the jewelry counter in a red box.  By the way, your screen name reminded me of a nice bumper sticker I saw yesterday. It sayd "God Bless Our Marine Snipers". Amen to that.. 

Do you happen to know if they sell them online?  I couldn't find any on their website.  And how do you clean the brush, just disassemble it and put the parts in the cleaner, or put it in in one piece?

Rich

plastickjunkie

Walmart has one for $22 and it works just fine. I use distilled water as the cleaning media. I leave it on for 20-30 minutes and all kind of gunk comes right off the interior of the AB.

Rich

I'm very certain they do not carry this particular one online, only in the stores. Yes you break down the AB so the vibration can do its thing.

I thought i would give you guys a little update. I tried tamiya acrylics through the airbrush, thinned with windshield wiper fluid, i know strange, but i saw it over at armorama and thought i would try it. It sprayed great, cleaning it was too easy, no paint stuck anywhere. I just shot some windex through the brush, back-flushed a few times, until the spray was clear. This was follow by a spray of distilled water, and then I wiped out the color cup with a rag, and hung it up. Worked great!

I might look into getting one of those sonic cleaners, but for right now I'll just stick with my regular routine.

Thanks again for all the help, i knew i could find my answere here.

I went to Wal-Mart and they only had a very small cleaner, it had two small baskets in it and ever after breaking down my aitbrushes my largest oparts will not fit in it.

I ordered this from Amzon for $35 and free shipping. It's klarge enough to clean eyeglasses.

http://www.ratings.net/reviews/Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Model-D3800A/B003BG4LWS/

A couple of weeks ago, I also used MM acryl through my Patriot 105, and what a freaking mess. I tend to stick to Tamiya for spraying, and after this debacle, I ain't about to change. Maybe to Lifecolour or something, but definitely staying the heck away from MM Acryl. It gunked everything up, and when I put in windex to try to clean it, it just got worse. I had to completely disassemble the brush, and clean each part individually. With Tamiya, I've been spraying them for some time now through the 105 with no problems; I'll just run a few cups of Windex and water after my session, and its as good as new.

My paints of choice are MM Acryl followed by Tamiya. Perhaps I'm a conformist? I mean, I don't have any problems at all with them. The main reason to stick with Acryl is the fact that I'm asmatic and enamel with their thinners usually trigger my asma symptoms. Acrylics are friendlier with my lungs. When I have to do a deeper clean, I use (with a respirator) lacquer thinner. Leaves my 2 Azteks or Paasche Talon like new.

I use a cotton swab with LT for the cups. Other parts, I just dump them in a empty clean bottle, cap them in and shake it for a few seconds. That's all...

zokissima

A couple of weeks ago, I also used MM acryl through my Patriot 105, and what a freaking mess. I tend to stick to Tamiya for spraying, and after this debacle, I ain't about to change. Maybe to Lifecolour or something, but definitely staying the heck away from MM Acryl. It gunked everything up, and when I put in windex to try to clean it, it just got worse. I had to completely disassemble the brush, and clean each part individually. With Tamiya, I've been spraying them for some time now through the 105 with no problems; I'll just run a few cups of Windex and water after my session, and its as good as new.

I use Testor's Airbrush Cleaner to mix in with Model Master acrylics and do not have any problems. I just sprayed MM grey primer with this mix last week and it laid down great and cleaned up with windex then a water rinse.

You can get this Testor's airbrush cleaner at Hobby Lobby for about $4, plus it is in a squrt bottle so it is very easy to use.

[quote user="Kentucky Colonel"]

I went to Wal-Mart and they only had a very small cleaner, it had two small baskets in it and ever after breaking down my aitbrushes my largest oparts will not fit in it.

How many air brushes did you put in there? How big are they?  Yes its a small unit but my Badgers fit without a problem and still have room to spare. One basket is described as a rinsing tank but both can be used for cleaning. Not bad for $22.

plastickjunkie

Kentucky Colonel

I went to Wal-Mart and they only had a very small cleaner, it had two small baskets in it and ever after breaking down my aitbrushes my largest oparts will not fit in it.

How many air brushes did you put in there? How big are they?  Yes its a small unit but my Badgers fit without a problem and still have room to spare. One basket is described as a rinsing tank but both can be used for cleaning. Not bad for $22.

A picture of your $22 Walmart ultrasound cleaner and its brand name will be much appreciated.

It is even better if you take the picture with the Badger(s) in it.

keilau

plastickjunkie:

Kentucky Colonel:

I went to Wal-Mart and they only had a very small cleaner, it had two small baskets in it and ever after breaking down my aitbrushes my largest oparts will not fit in it.

 

How many air brushes did you put in there? How big are they?  Yes its a small unit but my Badgers fit without a problem and still have room to spare. One basket is described as a rinsing tank but both can be used for cleaning. Not bad for $22.

 

A picture of your $22 Walmart ultrasound cleaner and its brand name will be much appreciated.

It is even better if you take the picture with the Badger(s) in it.

Red & White box, brand name La Sonic Supreme.

plastickjunkie

keilau:

 A picture of your $22 Walmart ultrasound cleaner and its brand name will be much appreciated.

It is even better if you take the picture with the Badger(s) in it.

Red & White box, brand name La Sonic Supreme.

I googled "La Sonic Supreme" and got many returns with prices ranging from $16-$66, all with Red & White box. Walmart has several different models too, starting at $33. I wonder it they give their cleaner a model number or something.

I want to get an effective one for cleaning the airbrush, but don't want to over spend.

Thank you for the answer.

plastickjunkie

keilau:

plastickjunkie:

Kentucky Colonel:

I went to Wal-Mart and they only had a very small cleaner, it had two small baskets in it and ever after breaking down my aitbrushes my largest oparts will not fit in it.

 

How many air brushes did you put in there? How big are they?  Yes its a small unit but my Badgers fit without a problem and still have room to spare. One basket is described as a rinsing tank but both can be used for cleaning. Not bad for $22.

 

A picture of your $22 Walmart ultrasound cleaner and its brand name will be much appreciated.

It is even better if you take the picture with the Badger(s) in it.

 

 

Red & White box, brand name La Sonic Supreme.

That's the one I was looking at. I didn't buy it but when I took it out of the box I could see  that my front part would not fit in either basket. I never thought about leaving the baskets out if that's what you met.

Also at my Wal-Mart it's $29.99 plus tax. The one I ordered is much bigger and I can use it for other things besides airbrushes and that is the main reason I bought it. I'll post a report on how well it works after I try it out.