cleaning acrylic paint from brushes

I use MikeV's magic elixer for cleaning acrylic from airbrushes; 2 parts distilled water, 1 part Windex, 1 part Simple Green. Then rinse them in water. Just plain old isopropyl alcohol works fine to.

I use commercial thinner(Sorry in three different bottles. The first one for taking most of the paint off. The second to clean off more paint. By the time the brush reaches the third, there is hardly any paint to clean off.
Finally, I just rinse under the tap to remove the thinner. I use this method as it conserves thiner. The End Result.....Super clean brushes! This technique can also be used for enamels and oils.

Typing error
I use commercial thinner (Sorry I can't remeber the Brand) In three bottles...
Sorry!

QUOTE: Originally posted by MusicCity I use MikeV's magic elixer for cleaning acrylic from airbrushes; 2 parts distilled water, 1 part Windex, 1 part Simple Green. Then rinse them in water. Just plain old isopropyl alcohol works fine to.

Scott,

How does that cleaner work for you? I have noticed that it doesn't clean Model Master Acryl as good as I would like, especially in the color cup of my Omni 4000.

Mike

I clean brushes I've used with acrylics with ammonia, and use laquer thinner on brushes that Ive used with enamels or oils. Then I clean them again with a Grumbacher product called Brush Soap and water. I've even salvaged some brushes that I was going to throw away by soaking them overnight in laquer thinner and then cleaning them with Brush Soap. It even seems to get the small amount of that soaks into the bristles removed. Leaves the brushes much cleaner and softer than just soaking in thinner and drying with a rag does. Takes a little longer I admit but with what a good brush costs these days, I can live with it.
Oh yea, I got the Brush Soap at a Ben Franklin Craft store. A good Art Supply Store should have it or a like product.

QUOTE: How does that cleaner work for you? I have noticed that it doesn't clean Model Master Acryl as good as I would like, especially in the color cup of my Omni 4000.

It works great, Mike. I spray a little, back-flush it, and repeat a couple of times then just blow some water through to clean out the solvent. I use mostly Tamiya in an Omni 3000, but have used some MM as well and it seems to clean them just fine. I do completely strip it down when I'm done for the day so nothing has a chance to dry in it though.

Forgot to mention ... Thanks for passing along the mixture, Mike

Scott,

Thanks for the comments on that cleaner.
My pleasure passing that tip along to you. It makes for some good, cheap cleaner compared to the premixed ones they sell.

By the way, sorry for calling you "Craig" in the post above. I went and edited the post.
I was looking at your last name I guess.

Mike

I have three first names or three last names (middle is Alan), depending on the particular day. Trust me, I have heard every possible combination (as well as some that aren't in there!) so I don't even notice any more. I appreciate your taking the time to correct it, but next time don't worry about it. I'm used to it

As to the cleaner, yeah it can't be beat. About $4 a gallon compared to $4 a pint for "Real" cleaner. You got my vote!

QUOTE: Originally posted by MusicCity I appreciate your taking the time to correct it, but next time don't worry about it. I'm used to it

My pleasure buddy.

QUOTE: As to the cleaner, yeah it can't be beat. About $4 a gallon compared to $4 a pint for "Real" cleaner. You got my vote!

Cool isn't it?

Mike

QUOTE: Cool isn't it? Mike

Cooler than an Eskimo in a bikini eating ice cream at the north pole!

when i clean my airbrush, i use model master acryl dried paint solvent. it cleans every brand of acrylic that ive used so far with ease. even if its dried for about 5 days or so. it smells like it has some sort of orange fruit acid in it but i havent been able to find any household cleaners that compare to it. it makes cleaning my ab a breeze. i buy mine at hobby lobby for about $3.50 for approx. 2 oz.. it lasts for a while too. you can also dilute it with distilled water (about 50/50) and stretch it even farther and not loose any noticeable strength. works great for me on airbrushes and brushes. later,

HEY,
Thanks alot guys. I was thinking of using alchohol but still wanted some input. I may try that "magic mixture" and see how it works. Thanks again.

Randy

QUOTE: Originally posted by saltydog i buy mine at hobby lobby for about $3.50 for approx. 2 oz.. it lasts for a while too. you can also dilute it with distilled water (about 50/50) and stretch it even farther and not loose any noticeable strength. works great for me on airbrushes and brushes. later,

I wonder how cleaners like Createx makes compares to these cleaners?
They sell a cleaner that is only $6.75 for 32 oz through Dixie Art, and if the airbrush gets really bad there is another Createx product called, "Airbrush Restorer" that dissolves dried acrylics from an airbrush after letting it soak for 1-2 hours. It sells for $7.50 for 16 oz.
Badger also make an Air Opaque cleaner along with another company's product called, "EZ AIR Airbrush Cleaner."
I wish there was someone who could test all of these commercial cleaners along with the cleaner I posted the ingredients for and give a fair assessment of what works best.
If someone wants to buy them all then I will help do the testing.

Mike

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV I wonder how cleaners like Createx makes compares to these cleaners?

Mike, I have some Createx cleaner that I use with their paint. Your magic elixer, for some reason, doesn't clean their paint that well while the Createx cleaner cleans it right off. That's based on my exhaustive testing of one instance.

I haven't tried Createx cleaner on model-type acrylics though. I need to spray a couple of pieces tonight when I get home and will try it and see if it's any better. I doubt that it will be though, after all gone is gone and your cleaner wipes it right off.

I had a spot of dried acrylic (as in several weeks dried) on a HUD and found a post here that said Simple Green would get dried acrylic off. I tried it on a Q-Tip and sure enough it came right off. I think that might be the reason yours works so well, and perhaps a slightly higher percentage of it would help clean out the well on your 4000 better.

Scott,

That is interesting as the "elixir" I mentioned cleans Createx very well from my airbrushes and that is the T-shirt paint I use and have been using for over 10 years now. Which Createx paint are you using?
I have not tried the Createx cleaner yet but I have tried the Medea cleaner and it worked very good too. If I get a chance I want to try several cleaners and see how they do since I am always looking for the best cleaner that does the job in the shortest time, without using lacquer thinner.
We use such small amounts of airbrush cleaner for modeling airbrushes, especially the gravity-feed models, that it isn't really that important to have to mix a cleaner that is cheap to make like the "elixir" we are using.
If it didn't stink so bad I would just used lacquer thinner all the time to clean because it is cheap and nothing cleans as well.

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV Which Createx paint are you using?

No idea ... I'll look when I get home. Like I mentioned though, I only tried your cleaner on it one time so that wasn't a very thorough test. I wanted to try something and didn't want to waste expensive paint, so I used the Creatix that I had.

Mike, I was wrong. All of my "Practice" paint is Createx except for the black, and it was the black that your cleaner wouldn't clean very well. That paint is made by Com-Art and while it says that it is "Certified Non-Toxic" it doesn't specifically say that it is acrylic. Also, my "Factory" cleaner is by Medea and not Createx.

I was wrong! I beg your humble pardon

Scott,

I had a bottle of that Medea cleaner myself once. It works good but I noticed that if I got a lot of it in the air and breathed it then it made me have asthma symptoms. Actually, any atomized agent like Windex, or Simple Green does that to me.
Those years I smoked are what causes this I believe.
Thank God I quit 5 years ago.

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by MikeV I had a bottle of that Medea cleaner myself once. It works good but I noticed that if I got a lot of it in the air and breathed it then it made me have asthma symptoms. Actually, any atomized agent like Windex, or Simple Green does that to me.

I've noticed that as well, and I'm still tryig to quit smoking! I got a face full of atomized Windex a while back and coughed for a couple of hours. I now spray cleaners through a hole in a coffee can.