Easiest Cleaning AB

I would have to agree that the Aztek has been the easiest and fastest airbrush for me to clean.

Don, you make some solid points no doubt. I do on occasion break it all down and give it a good cleaning, just not every time. I agree that simply flushing will leave paint behind, and have experienced a slight needle stick on occasion, usually due to my lack of attention. IMO, breaking one down every session is taking an unecessary risk of damaging your equipment. Those needles are so delicate, dang! Like you say, we all have our quirky nuances when it comes to this hobby and how we get from opening the box to the finished product. I've seen so many flame wars over equipment and the proper use. Glad you didn't take that the wrong way.

GMorrison

Worst by far, the Aztek.

Some Aztek users just flush and drop the needle/nozzle in a bottle of lacquer thinner until the next time they need it.  And some take the needle/nozzle apart each time. But, even then, there is an area in the head that doesn't get clean unless you remove the plug on the far side from the cup and flush through.  And, you for sure don't want to leave dried paint on the pin that passes through to the rear of the airbrush.

Don

I had problems cleaning my Paasche H. Getting it apart, clean and back together went ok, but there was always an extra step to adjust the needle gap to get it set back right.

I've had nothing but good easy service from my Badgers.

Worst by far, the Aztek.

No war, Chris, just a difference in opinion.  Your one drop vs. my three wins, although I think I could really get away with two.  It's just that I constantly see people claim that a siphon fed wastes a LOT of paint.  And, it bugs me because it is just not true and I think it misleads some people.

I started out cleaning like you with a simple flush.  And, I know that even some manufacturers recommend that.  But, I occasionally found my needle stuck from dried paint with my next use.  Also, under close examination I could see bits of paint in some areas.  There is a blind alley from the cup to the needle seal in your Eclipse, and it's difficult to flush.  After a while, paint can build up and cause a bind.  So, I always take a moment to swab.  And, I always pull the needle and wipe.  Even after vigorous flushing it always has a slight smear of paint.

I've seen many instances of people having weird problems with their airbrush that turn out to be due to poor cleaning.  So, I recommend an ounce of prevention.

By the way, the reason I say to disassemble the needle and nozzle of the Paasche H is that there is a space between the hole in the needle and the seal behind, and flushing doesn't clean it.

Peace,

Don

Wow, thanks for all the information guys. I really appreciate the info. I will ponder on all of this and see where it goes.

If anyone has more to add, please do.

Thank you!

Don Wheeler

Thank you for the comment on the website.

Here's my personal opinion about easy to clean airbrushes.  You won't find anything much easier to clean than an external mix like the Paasche H or Badger 350 with a cup.  I don't get it when people say they are hard to clean.  Wipe the cup, spray some solvent or cleaner, pull the cup off and wipe the spout, remove the needle and nozzle, squirt some solvent through each with an eyedropper, wipe the needle, and re-assemble.  Yes, the H requires the use of an allen wrench, but the whole operation shouldn't take more than a couple minutes.

For an internal mix airbrush, your 360 would be hard to beat.  No tools required, the large nozzle just falls out when you remove the head, and you don't even have to unscrew the handle to pull the needle.  If you want a single action, the Badger 200NH has interchangeable parts with your 360.

And, I also don't get it when people say a siphon airbrush with a cup wastes a lot of paint. I can put 3 drops of paint in my 155 cup and the first time I spray, almost all of it gets sucked up inside the body of the airbrush and is sprayable.

My advice:  Take some time to learn to use your 360.  It will give you much better control and should be ideal for painting lures.  Practice on junk plastic.  It really isn't that much harder than a single action.

Don

 

Certainly not trying to start an AB war here Don, but I can place 1 drop of paint in my gravity feed cup and spray it, so thats already 66% less paint used, just saying. Aslo, it took you several sentences to describe how to clean your siphon feed. I drop in some lacquer thinner, clean the walls of the color cup with a cotton swab, and spray the lacquer thinner through, all in less than 30 seconds and she's clean as a whistle. I hardly ever break my AB down and clean it because there is no use. I enjoyed my single action airbrushes until I discovered and became comfortable with a double action. I do agree with you on the 360, take some time to learn it. You want regret it.

Since you mentioned the Badger 200G as one of interest, I use one and it's my go to AB for smaller jobs. Very efficient sprayer, easiest AB I own for for cleaning. Gravity cup gives direct access to the entire forward body, only downside is as Don Wheeler reports on his website is the relatively small cup, compared to the larger sizes.

But for fishing lures and the small surface area you would be painting, I'd consider it very well suited for the job. Love my 200G, favorite in my stable, enthusiastic recommendation. 

Patrick

Thank you for the comment on the website.

Here's my personal opinion about easy to clean airbrushes.  You won't find anything much easier to clean than an external mix like the Paasche H or Badger 350 with a cup.  I don't get it when people say they are hard to clean.  Wipe the cup, spray some solvent or cleaner, pull the cup off and wipe the spout, remove the needle and nozzle, squirt some solvent through each with an eyedropper, wipe the needle, and re-assemble.  Yes, the H requires the use of an allen wrench, but the whole operation shouldn't take more than a couple minutes.

For an internal mix airbrush, your 360 would be hard to beat.  No tools required, the large nozzle just falls out when you remove the head, and you don't even have to unscrew the handle to pull the needle.  If you want a single action, the Badger 200NH has interchangeable parts with your 360.

And, I also don't get it when people say a siphon airbrush with a cup wastes a lot of paint. I can put 3 drops of paint in my 155 cup and the first time I spray, almost all of it gets sucked up inside the body of the airbrush and is sprayable.

My advice:  Take some time to learn to use your 360.  It will give you much better control and should be ideal for painting lures.  Practice on junk plastic.  It really isn't that much harder than a single action.

Don

One of the reasons I loved my old Badger 200 was the ease of cleaning, and after it finally bit the dust after more than 40 years, I bought another one.  They work well and are easy to maintain.  My DA 150 model is definitely more work to do a full disassembly cleaning.

Thank you, I do have a Badger 360 but I was looking for something easier to clean. It's not too bad and I will be doing color batches, but I am still not too good with the double action yet, mostly why I am interested in single action. Maybe I just need more time to actually sit and practice for a long stretch with the 360.

Tom

I "HAD" both airbrushes at one time long ago. Both were about the same as far as cleaning. That metal color cup is always a pain. May I suggest a nice economical gravity feed AB? Those are very simple to clean and use far less paint than a siphon feed, greatly reducing paint waste. I can put a few drops of paint in my eclipse and spray small parts with minimal waste. I siphon feed requires enough paint to maintain the vacuum from the color cup to the nozzle, which translates to using a great deal of unecessary paint to keep it primed. You can get an Iwata NEO for around $60 and would serve you well for this endeavor. BTW, I started to do custom painted crank baits one time, but never did. Good luck with that.