Clean dry paint from airbrush needle....

...and keep it cleaner.

This may be old news to most of you...but as a newbie, I would like to pass this along. I spray acrylics - mostly Gunze (if they have the color I need) and sometimes Tamiya. Some colors tend to accumulate and dry on the needle more than others, especially if it is a larger job taking a little more time (or I'm just having a hard time, which is more often the case). After cleaning with Windex and a paper towel I rinse with distilled water and then rub a tiny bit of Zymol liquid car wax on the needle. Keep in mind, the first job car wax is designed to do is clean. Gently twisting the needle in a paper towel with the wax really cleans the needle without any hard rubbing or abrasion. Wipe it dry just like you were polising your car and rinse with cold distilled water. I tend to roll or twist the needle ( as opposed to a push/pull back and forth motion) when cleaning to avoid damaging the delicate tip. Now the second job for wax, creating a non-porous, slippery surface comes into play. Paint has a much harder time sticking to the needle. I use Zymol because that's what I happened to have. I suppose most liquid waxes will work but the level of "grit" in the wax is critical. Zymol is incredibly fine.

Rich Erickson