Problems With Aztek?

jschlechty,

I use electrical shaving machine oil to lubricate my Aztek (spring and roller setting). The same as the paint not leak out from the AB on your hand when you spray, the lube oil will not go into the paint and mix with it. (It does not mean you need to soak your AB in oil!) a few drops are more then enough.

 GL

LK

I don't know what happened, but after soaking it the second time, the wheel would not turn at all.  Using the pictures so kindly provided in this thread, I took it apart, removed the wheel assembly, and got it to turn by hand with the help of pliers and a crescent wrench. 

I applied some "Break Free" (teflon oil gun lubricant) and ran it back and forth a few more times, each time it got easier and easier.  After a few more cycles, and the application of some more lube, I wiped off the excess lube, and re-assembled the airbrush.  It now works like new!  (I'm not sure if the oil will come out with the paint or not yet as I have not yet used it to paint anything..)

Has anybody ever suggested lubing the moving parts on the inside of an airbrush?  If not, is there a reason why?  For example, the oil mixing with the paint, etc?  Anyway, for now the stickiness of the wheel assembly seems to ahve been cured.  I'm worried that the next time I clean it out, the lube will come with it and I'll be back to square one.  So, I might be looking for a new, all metal airbrush that won't bind up like this.

Well, thanks to Shellback, I was able to postpone the surgery on my Aztek.  After re-reading the posts, I thought I'd give it a try soaking it in laquer thinner.  Left it in overnight, found a lot of "gunk" floating around the bottom of the jar the next day.  The wheel now turns a lot easier - although nto as easily as when it was new.  I may give it another soaking and see if that clears up the problems without having to diassemble it.

Thanks again for all the pics and suggestions!

Thanks for the great pictures Lionking ! Now all i have to do is figure out how to unscrew the 2 screws , since they do not have a notch in them , just a smooth surface .

Lionking wrote:

Shellback, actually they are small screws that hold the 2 body parts. The roller setting is made of brass. I think its better then the plastic one.  I'll try to take pics of its disassembled parts.

Now i wonder what i have ?

My airbrush has the metal pins were yours has the screws . There is no slot in them , just a smooth surface ,so that is why i think they are pins .I've never had it apart but now i'm curriouse as to how i would get it apart .I agree that the brass is better than the plastic would be . Hmmmm , whats inside of mine ? those pins (or screws ?)  have got me stumped , no slots inthem to put a screwdriver into .

usmc1371 wrote:

If you also notice, his airbrush is held together with screws, the A470 snaps together.  This is weird...

You were correct usmc1371 .........

Shellback, actually they are small screws that hold the 2 body parts. The roller setting is made of brass. I think its better then the plastic one.  I'll try to take pics of its disassembled parts.

If my airbrush is the same as "lionking" then those are not screws , they are metal pins with a flat head on them . I would like to know how he got his apart .

My airbrush looks like yours exactly , except it is light gray ! I thought it was an A470 due to the flow adjust wheel . I looked at the pictures of the A430 and the A470 and the shape is actually different than yours and mine , they (A430/A470) are thicker in the trigger area and the A470 has a grip .They do not have the 2 holes in the body(for the pins ) beneath the roller like ours .When i purchased mine (1994) it was boxed by Model Master and does not have a model number with it . Ive never had mine apart .In your picture it looks like the mechanism of the roller wheel is made of brass instead of plastic .

Lionking wrote:

Shellback wrote:  Lionking wrote: BTW,  is there any difference between Aztek 430 and the A470? The A430 does not have the roller setting . It is internal mix , double action and has the same shape as the A470 but does not have the roller adjustment wheel.   hmmm...                                                                               I have the A430 and it has the roller setting ... i still don't see the diff between the A470 and the A430.   LK

The info i posted is quoted from an Aztec pamphlet that describes their airbrushes . The body of the A430 is black , no roller.

Are you sure you don't have the Contempo not the A430?  The A430 has no roller and is black.  The Contempo is just like the A470 but has a blueish case.

A430: http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=46

Contempo: http://www.dickblick.com/zz250/51/

-Jesse

Shellback wrote:

Lionking wrote: BTW,  is there any difference between Aztek 430 and the A470? The A430 does not have the roller setting . It is internal mix , double action and has the same shape as the A470 but does not have the roller adjustment wheel.

hmmm...

I have the A430 and it has the roller setting ...

i still don't see the diff between the A470 and the A430.

LK

jschlechty,

It is not to complicated, just follow the steps like it show in the web site I gave you...

I did it many times before, I can do it with my eyes closed now

To disassemble a Paasche VL is more complicated then that!

Good Luck

LK

LionKing,

thanks for the link to those pics.  I'm not very mechanically inclined, but with pics to follow, I think I'll give it a go.  After all, if it doesn't work - it gives me a good excuse to rationalize a new AB to the wife.  "Sorry honey, I tried everything I could including emergency surgery, but we just wern't able to save it."  (Need to brush up on ER episodes to see how to explain when they lose a patient...)

I've got a feeling that it's some paint that sort of coagulated on me recently when I tried to thin it with alchohol, but found out that I should have used water or thinner with that brand.  (don't remember off hand the brand name - comes in a squeeze bottle).

Thanks for all the ideas - off to the air brush operating table . . .

Lionking wrote:

BTW,  is there any difference between Aztek 430 and the A470?

The A430 does not have the roller setting . It is internal mix , double action and has the same shape as the A470 but does not have the roller adjustment wheel.

crack the case open and see if you can clean it out.  what have you got to lose?  you're getting a new brush wether you break it yourself or don't even bother trying.

i know someone who had the same problem.  he still uses it as a single action though and still swears by them.  i have the metal body one and though it could be better i don't hate it or absolutely love it either way.  the life-time warranty has been replaced by a 3-year one btw.  i'd admit they're over-priced, especially without the perma-warranty, but the nozzles are definitely nifty (even though it's wasted on me, i take them apart every time).

jschlechty wrote:

I have an Aztek airbrush that I've been using for a couple of years, and recently the wheel that adjusts the amount of paint has gotten nearly impossible to move or turn.  I've tried soaking it in cleaner, but it doesn't seem to help.  Any ideas?  Any way to take the body apart?  I now you can disassemble the tips for a good, thorough cleaning, but I'm not sure if the body is able to be taken apart.  I'm reluctant to just start prying on it if thats not gonna work. I anybody else has had a similair problem and solved it, I'd sure love to hear about it.  OTOH, maybe it's time to start looking at an Iwata or one of the other higher priced models . . . .

There are many who use Aztecs and swear by them, but if you do a search on this forum you will find and absolute glut of complaints about them (to which you have added). IMHO, by an Iwata, Badger, or even a Paasche double action brush...you will not be sorry.

Steve

I've had that problem too.  You probably have some paint dried-up back there.  I've also opened my Aztek for cleaning before.  It's not that hard, just follow those pictures that were posted.  Just remember that it will void the warranty.

-Jesse

Or you can excercise the option to send it back to Testors to make good on the lifetime warranty.  Also, be aware that if you open the body up, you'll void the warranty.

 E

http://www.master194.com/encyclo/aztec/index.htm

That happened to my Aztec 470 after my wife used it . The airbrush was a blob of paint and the flow adjust wheel would barely turn . I had to soak it in lacquer thinner several times and flush lacquer thinner thru the opening around the trigger to get it to work properly again .

Hope this helps you .