Skipping Lines

I am farrrrrrrrr from any expert on this subject, but just out of curiosity, did you soak your teflon seal in the laquer Thinner?  I had some problems with my Badger back when I would clean it out with Laquer Thinner and I would sometimes leave the seal on it.  Badger sent me a new seal and it cured it right up.  I'm not positive that was the reason, but I haven't had a problem since I quit getting that seal close to Laquer Thinner.  My brush was the Badger 150.

Dave

If you soaked the entire brush in lacquer thinner I'm willing to bet that the teflon head washer AND the teflon needle bearing are done for. The head washer is easy to change, Badger recommends they install the needle bearing. Though I didn't know that when I rebuilt an ancient 150 myself. Must have done it correctly as it works.

I do know that the next time I require the head washer I'm buy more than one, just in case.

Lacquer thinner should not affect the PTFE (Teflon) needle bearing and head washer.
It will however destroy the rubber seal in the air valve.

Always clean your airbrushes well enough so that you do not have to soak them.
Also, I don't think that Createx cleaner is strong enough to remove dried acrylics but maybe it will work.
I would use lacquer on it also if it is that bad.

Elliot - the Createx might not be strong enough as Mike said, but Simple Green, Castrol Super Clean or as mentioned, Lacquer thinner will do the trick if the Createx doesn't.

I recently bought me one of those Ultrasonic Jewelry cleners and it gets most stuff out with no probs.  I even put a paint mixing jar in it with a decent amount of dried paint in the bottom and with plain water it got about 90% of the paint out in 2 cycles.  I'm experimenting with using 70% and 90% isopropyl in it now to see if it can tacke those tougher jobs well.

Yep, soaked the body minus the air valve. I agree with Mike, the needle bearing is not affected by lacquer thinner. Hooked the Anthem and 150 up to a can of propellent - Anthem smooth, 150 stuttered. I believe it is the head assembly seal.

The Createx cleaner worked on the 175, but it does not dissolve the paint the way thinner does. It "debonds" it from the surface, so you have to scrub most the paint particles loose. More labor, but less mess and fumes. Plus you have to soak overnite, unlike an hour or so for thinner.

Now how did this all happen? Had an all out acrylic sprayfest, Polly Scale, Tamiya, and MM Acryl. Two hours worth. That was during the holidays and I was too lazy to clean them at the time. Next thing I knew it was March. All that I still "hate" acrylics. I just don't have the patience to be easy with paint, although I may try Polly Scale again. MM enamels are very forgiving with little prep other than thinning. Thanks for all the help!

 

E

Yep, soaked the body minus the air valve. I agree with Mike, the needle bearing is not affected by lacquer thinner. Hooked the Anthem and 150 up to a can of propellent - Anthem smooth, 150 stuttered. I believe it is the head assembly seal.

Those Teflon head seals will cause them to stutter if they get flattened or distorted.  I have an old Badger 200 that is the same way.  I went through a couple of seals before I noticed a paragraph i nthe instructions that recommended loosening the head prior to storing it to prevent the head seal from getting flattened.  When I got my 100 I just got in the same habit of loosening the head when I finish using it and haven't had any problems.