How to clean color cup...

Greetings,

Here is what works with my Iwata's. When I am done spraying, I take a piece of paper towel and wipe the inside of the cup. I then take laquer thinner and place some in the cup with an eye dropper. I then shoot what is in the cup into an old milk carton. I do this several times until the cup is clean.. Sometimes when I get a heavy build up on the side, I wipe the build up with a q-tip dipped in laquer thinner. This method works very well for me. Hope this helps you.

Chuck B.

Nail polish remover doesn't do as well as mineral spirits when cleaning up enamel. Just get a can of it at Home Depot, so you don't use up your "airbrush thinner" mineral spirits. You might even wind up switching to the Klean Strip mineral spirits to use as airbrush thinner & do away with the $8 cans that Testors sells.

ditto on the above... I put some thinner of whatever flavor in the cup and let it sit a bit to soak in (a few minutes at best) then out comes my handy Qtip soaked in my favorite thinner... I wipe it down real good inside, twirl the Qtip on the bottom to get the ring at the bottom then on to step 2...

I have some automotive style paper towels.. "Job Squad" at the grocerystore work good too... I roll the tip into a point place it in the cup and start twisting... I push more and more down till I am sure 90% of the paint is out and at that time the other clean end of the paper towel with some thinner on it gets up the rest...

lastly a pipe cleaner (available at Wlagreens and other chain drug stores) dipped in thinner gets the pickup tube clean... WALLA! perfectly clean...

personally I bought another cup for my 155 as it is easier to let one soak while I am spray cleaning the brush with the other... then I put my attention on the cup with the paint and 5 minutes later I am done!!

OK thanks for the advice guys

When I'm finished, wipe the inside of the cup w/ a rag, rolled to a point. I then spray a few drops of lacquer thinner through it, then remove from airbrush. Take a pipe cleaner, as tho suggested, run it through the pipe.

Lastly, I drop the cup into lacquer thinner to soak until next use. An old "Wylers" bullion jar works great. Lacquer thinner can eat plastic, so make sure it's something with a metal lid.

Tank, somewhere around here is a post about making a cleaning station with a cool whip container and a respirator filter. It is basically the same thing as the cleaning stations you can buy.

I use a similar deal except with a coffee can and the plastic lid it comes with. Just flush your brush with mineral spirits (enamel) laquer thinner, Laquer and acrylic until it is clean. Like Tho said, wipe the paint out with a rag first.

I also backflush it, but I'll leave that technique up to you to discover. I don't want to be responsible for someone burning their eyes out. Wear some SAFETY GLASSES until you get the hang of it.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hatewall Tank, somewhere around here is a post about making a cleaning station with a cool whip container and a respirator filter. It is basically the same thing as the cleaning stations you can buy.

That is on Matt's website: http://www.swannysmodels.com/FumeCan.html

Mike

somebody will throw flame at me again.
When I use pure Gasoline clean my airbrush after using enaml paint. I use a peice of paper knapkin to wrap the tip of airbrush, so the fume will not get into air. it just drip into my hand and I use the napkin to wipe the dirty area.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomzag somebody will throw flame at me again.

I hope not... with all that gasoline in the room!

I used to use gasoline to clean my enamels. You know all those fire safety tips about not storing or using solvents, paints, thinner, etc. near furnaces or hot water heaters? I airbrushed for 15 years in the basement, not 5 feet away from a furnace AND hot water heater. I haven't won a Darwin Award yet...

MAcook,
please go to this post http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?page=2&TOPIC_ID=35673
and put out all flame towards me.
thanks,tom

QUOTE: Originally posted by MACooke You know all those fire safety tips about not storing or using solvents, paints, thinner, etc. near furnaces or hot water heaters? I airbrushed for 15 years in the basement, not 5 feet away from a furnace AND hot water heater.

Wow, I do that too.
of course I have a wall seperating them.
I don't need any more Darwin awards thank-you

It looks like 'MAcooke' has deleted his account.
Did I miss something?

Mike

*sigh* did he really win?

Win what Tomzag?
Now I am really confused.

Mike

Darwin awards
I was joking.