HELP???

EdGrune wrote:

After you clean it up,  as you are reassembling it, apply some very light lubrication to the needle.  This will help prevent binding in the future.  There are a couple of airbush manufacturers who market some oil for the purpose.   We had a presentation by our local airbrush guru at yesterday's IPMS meeting & he shared the tip with us - that you just need a dab on your finger - like the grease off the side of your nose - and rub it on the sides of the point.    Then assemble the brush, especially if you are putting the brush up for a week or two after cleaning it.

There are 2 main ones that I know of, Badger's needle juice, and Media's Super Lube.

Both work well but even they will not stop dried acrylics left in an airbrush for an extended period of time. The key to remember is that if your airbrush is going to be sitting with paint in it more than 10 minutes you should spray out with cleaner and water until you are ready to paint again.

Acrylics are very quick drying especially.  

After you clean it up,  as you are reassembling it, apply some very light lubrication to the needle.  This will help prevent binding in the future.  There are a couple of airbush manufacturers who market some oil for the purpose.  

We had a presentation by our local airbrush guru at yesterday's IPMS meeting & he shared the tip with us - that you just need a dab on your finger - like the grease off the side of your nose - and rub it on the sides of the point.    Then assemble the brush, especially if you are putting the brush up for a week or two after cleaning it.   

Try soaking it as Al said but only the front half of the airbrush.

I would use lacquer thinner personally as it is the strongest. 

Then loosen the needle chuck and instead of tapping it on a hard surface, grab hold of the back of the needle with some pliers and twist it left and right to free it from what is bonding it to the airbrush.

This creates less chance of hurting the needle and/or tip.  

Disassemble it. The needle is probably stuck in the nozzle. If it's in the nozlle, dip the assembly in the appropriate thinner and let thing sofetn up. When it comes loose, use pipe cleaners to clean the runs. If it's stuck in the body. when you're removed the nozzle, loosen the set screws at the back and tap the back of the needle on a hard surface to loosen it. Run thinner soaked pipe cleaner throught the channel and wipe off your needle withthe appropriate thinner. Hopefully, this will do the trick. he worst case I can see would be a bent needle or the need to replace the needle and nozzle assemblies.

If the paint is really tough and you have only metal part, you may want to use nail polish remover to clean the parts.