Cleaning the AB, how often do you?

I have a Paasche H too, and I clean it after every spray session.  Acrylics, for me, are easier to clean. Especially if I am just switching colors. A quick run through with water gets the cup clean for the next color. To do a finial cleaning, I use windex. Enamels need expensive and smelly thinner for clean up.

I have the Paasche VL and after every paint session, like you, I blast about two paint cups worth of alcohol through it. I take the tips off and pull the needle out. I wipe the needle and tips off with isopropyl alcohol and then I clean inside the airbrush using an alcohol-soaked pipe cleaner. Haven't had any trouble with it.

Edit: I strictly use Acrylics as well. No enamels.

I've been using more & more acrylics recently, as with Owl I find it easier to clean up. I generally tear mine down after every session just to be safe, whether I'm using acrylics or enamels.

VanceCrozier

I've been using more & more acrylics recently, as with Owl I find it easier to clean up. I generally tear mine down after every session just to be safe, whether I'm using acrylics or enamels.

Here, too. It seems everytime I try to stretch it, I pay for it one way or another. A full cup of paint and no, or erratic spray pattern, etc.  I got a Badger Patriot not long ago and thought there was a problem with the spring release. Sure, enough after a very thorough cleaning, I found it was the tiny head nossle "sticking".

VanceCrozier

I've been using more & more acrylics recently, as with Owl I find it easier to clean up. I generally tear mine down after every session just to be safe, whether I'm using acrylics or enamels.

but I am obsesvie compulsive about keeping it clean

I tear it down about every 5th or 6th time of painting.

Tearing it down every time is unecessary and only increases the chance of damaging the needle and/or tip.

Backflushing is very important and there are many who do not do it. If you backflush and spray plenty of cleaner through it and then lube the needle with Badger Needle Juice it shouldn't need to be disassembled very often.

Depends...

oddmanrush

I wipe the needle and tips off with isopropyl alcohol and then I clean inside the airbrush using an alcohol-soaked pipe cleaner.

I never run anything down the needle tube of the airbrush as it is not necessary.

I would also be very careful with pipe cleaners as they can leave particles in the airbrush at times.

If you insist on running anything down the needle tube I would use an airbrush cleaning brush that does not contain materials that come off like pipe cleaners do.

Just for Manny incase no one knows what he's talking about (his may of started leaking again by the sounds of it) :P

As for back flushing whats that Greenthumb? I use an Aztech, I generally strip the nozzle/tip  after every session using Laquers or enamels. Acrylics if its been a long session I will do it otherwise after every two or three sessions I strip out the tip.

Andrew

GreenThumb

 

oddmanrush:

 

I wipe the needle and tips off with isopropyl alcohol and then I clean inside the airbrush using an alcohol-soaked pipe cleaner.

 

I never run anything down the needle tube of the airbrush as it is not necessary.

I would also be very careful with pipe cleaners as they can leave particles in the airbrush at times.

If you insist on running anything down the needle tube I would use an airbrush cleaning brush that does not contain materials that come off like pipe cleaners do.

Yup, I used to have the same fears but I've been doing it for about 2 or 3 years now with no detrimental effects. I may be getting lucky but the pipe cleaner does not leave anything behind...this may be helped by the fact that I'll shoot thinner through the needle tube with an eye dropper as well. 

Green thumb is right about all he said regarding cleaning. I have a dedicated set of airbrush cleaning brushes but rarely clean the internals. I have an utrasonic cleaner and occasionally use that with some windex or simple green to give a good internal cleaning.

Simple, do you believe in the needle juice? I have heard a lot of "experts" poo-poo it, but badger recomend it. Also my Krome arrived today from Ian at AK. Great guy! I haven't tried it yet but I will soon and let you know but it "feels" right! Thanks for the advice!

Hercmech

VanceCrozier:

I've been using more & more acrylics recently, as with Owl I find it easier to clean up. I generally tear mine down after every session just to be safe, whether I'm using acrylics or enamels.

 

but I am obsesvie compulsive about keeping it clean

Same here!  I tear it down after every session.  I'm very OCD about my airbrush.  I don't have a collection of them like some people here!    Some of us don't make that kinda cash! 

After tearing it down and cleaning the insides I spray two paint cups with of Windex and one of rubbing alcohol.  I've never had a problem with bad performance out of my airbrush...at least not one that was the fault of the airbrush...  Plenty that were fault of the operator!

GreenThumb

I tear it down about every 5th or 6th time of painting.

Tearing it down every time is unecessary and only increases the chance of damaging the needle and/or tip.

Backflushing is very important and there are many who do not do it. If you backflush and spray plenty of cleaner through it and then lube the needle with Badger Needle Juice it shouldn't need to be disassembled very often.

I think after this I too will be cleaning it more frequently, every 6th time or so.  Funny you should mention damaging the needle ............... dropped mine and got a nice little bend to it, nothing a pair of pliers can't fix, although I haven't tried to see if it works yet..

Back flush is to cover the nozzle, and then force air backwards through te paint channel, along the needle. Can't be done on external mix airbrushes though.

I thoroughly flush, remove the nozzle / cap & take the needle out to wipe it down at the end of every session - removing the needle doesn't take any significant time & if you take care, you're not going to damage anything.

Once in a blue moon I will give it a thorough strip & clean. 

Reasoned

I have a Paasche H and use only enamels, after each use I run at least a half cup (the AB cup that is) of paint thinner through it.  I have sprayed about 8 planes thus far and noticed it not working well (as in no paint coming out) so I decided to clean it.  Sure enough, the tip inards were clogged with gunk.  So how often do you clean your's and do acrylics behave different than enamels (ie, require more frequent cleaning)?

denstore

Back flush is to cover the nozzle, and then force air backwards through te paint channel, along the needle. Can't be done on external mix airbrushes though.

Hi, Reasoned, I have a Paasche H for many years, still have it, but it is not used anymore. I found the exactly problem as you do. Spraying cleaner through the AB will not do the job and the AB gets clogged after a while. There was no easy way to clean it except tearing it apart. I hated the cleaning job and ended up not using it very much.

Most of the posts suggested cleaning for internal mixed AB. When I switched to an Iwata HP-CS, I found it much easier to maintain. Back flush in between colors and taking the needle out and wipe it clean at the end of the day. You may consider changing airbrush if you use it a lot. Here is a video for the process:

http://kettcosmetics.com/kett_tv_play.php?format=mov&video_id=4

Hmmm, no better way to become familiar with your airbrush and how it works than to tear it apart and clean it. Some need more attention than others. They're like any other machine, all a little bit different. For cleaning the front end of the brush, I use those little interdental brushes made for cleaning between your teeth. They'll stand up to lacquer thinner and just one will last a while. I picked up a set of brushes meant for cleaning airbrushes and paint guns at Harbor Freight for a dollar. I use them when I need to clean out the needle tube or body. A sharpened toothpick will reach in all but the smallest nozzles and you can see if you're getting any paint out by the color of the wood.

Here's what I do. I keep a wide, flat brush with a round tip in the paint booth. When I'm finished with a color in the airbrush I'll put a little thinner in the cup and use the paint brush to wash the paint off the sides. Most of the time I use lacquer thinner to clean  so I just spray it out. Do that a couple times till the paint is out of the cup. Then pull the needle and wipe it down. Put a little thinner in the cup on the brush and use an interdental brush to reach down into the cup and the passage leading to the tip. As you work the brush it will pump the thinner out the nozzle. Then I put the needle back in the brush but don't tighten and put a little thinner in the cup. Push down on the trigger for air and turn the needle, pull it back a little then reseat it and repeat. That seems to remove any paint buildup in the nozzle that the brush can't reach. If the needle feels sticky when I seat it and pull it back or the brush doesn't spray well then I tear it down and give it a thorough cleaning.

As far as my airbrush collection goes, I bought my first one 11 years ago. Wasn't happy with it so bought a different one shortly after. Then bought a single action for my kids to practice with. Got a smoking deal on another at Micheals that also included another single action. Then over the last two years I've bought 4 and 3 were given to me. I work, I pay the bills and if I want another airbrush, I save the money and buy it. If that somehow bothers someone, that's not my problem. And I guarantee you they are all clean and safely tucked away because they mean something to me too. They're the shiney little jewels that I couldn't afford when I was a kid...

Tony

montague

Simple, do you believe in the needle juice? I have heard a lot of "experts" poo-poo it, but badger recomend it.

Yes I do believe in the Needle Juice as do real experts that I have talked to including Ken Schlotfeldt at Badger and Dave Monnig at Coast Airbrush...... two of the most knowledgable airbrush experts in the country in my opinion.

 I once left a bottle of Createx acrylic T-shirt paint connected to an Omni 3000 airbrush for several weeks and it still operated well after sitting that long. Now mind you since it was connected and no air was able to get into the airbrush to dry the paint faster, I do believe that without the needle lube the airbrush would have been stuck and would have required soaking in something to loosen it up again.

I also like how Needle Juice makes the airbrush action smoother and I even put a dab on my finger and rub it on the inside surface of the color cup to keep paint from adhering as much.