Help with aztek 'spatter'brush

Sorry for the extra on this one guys but I was just going back over some old posts on the azteks. The few people who seem to like this airbrush seem to think the reason it works for them is because they clean it properly. Well mine didnt work from the moment I got it out of the box. And the new tip I bought, same problem. Also I have pulled the tip apart and cleaned it, and I have tried thinning the paint past the point of being usefull just to try to get it to work.

I used to be an auto spray painter many years ago, and I can tell you MY aztek doesnt work like an airbrush should. I just wanted to make that clear before happy aztek users ask me how I am cleaning it or thinning the paint. I want to know if anyone has had a sputtering aztek and managed to fix it. If not its going into the bin, I cant be bothered wasting anymore paint and time with this thing, it doesnt even rate as a kids toy with its current performance.

 

 

If you have tried all of the following,

1. Tighten / loosen nozzle
2. Proper thinning
3. Proper air pressure
4. Complete cleaning

then I would contact Testors.  You may have gotten a bad airbrush.  I've had four different Testor airbrushes and haven't had any problems.  Like I said, try contacting Testors.  You'll probably have to send the airbrush to them, and they'll send you a new one.

-Jesse

you sure you're not getting water in the air line? 

By 'sputtering' do you mean the air coming out of the airbrush or is the air stream steady with the paint occaisionally sputtering in blobs?  If the air is not steady, the either your air supply is not good or the airbrush body is bad.

If the air is steady, maybe you haven't thorougly mixed of properly thinned the paint such that the paint is not of even consistency or may large pigment clumps periodically clog an un-clog as you are painting. 

I haven't used my Aztek for a few years, (during the turn-around for warranty replacement of the failed body, I bought a Badger and haven't looked back) but when I was using it, I occaisionly got a random splatter that seemed to be due to paint building upon the tip.  Once the paint collected into a large enough drop, the air would blow it onto the model.  I never really solved that problem other than to keep an eye on the tip and to use a paper towell to occaisionly wick off excess paint build-up.

Thanks for the replies. To answer some of your questions, air pressure, thinning, mixing etc are all correct. I have a large'ish' compressor with tank and regulator, my old airbrush sprays just fine.

 What Abarne descibes is what is happening, 'air stream and atomised paint is steady but occasionally you get a spatter onto the model. I have persisted with it and have kind of solved it. I needed to slightly loosen the tip to get consistent spray and I have to keep cleaning the tip as Abarne mentions, because paint builds up on the tip. I think this is where the spatter comes from.

Still I am not very happy with it, I have to constantly wipe the tip to prevent this. Also if you stop painting for a few seconds, you need to spray into the air to blow the build up from the nozzle or else it goes on the model. I wouldnt recommend this airbrush to anyone. I will stick with it a little longer, not by choice but because I wasted so much money on it and I havent the spare cash to buy a replacement right now.

 

BTW sending the thing back to testors probably isn't practical as I am in Australia.

interesting.  what you describe actually happens to my brush as well (after long enough use) but i'm so used to it that i don't think about it or even really notice it unless it's pointed out as you did here.  it's true, you have to tighten the tip properly and if you spray long enough the paint will start to dry up and accumulate on the needle.

Mine was actually doing it every few seconds though. But I think I have it working now. The problem seems to be solved by only screwing the tip into the gun finger tight. I tried that first but it leaked air. So I tightend it up with the tool supplied. But then it intermittently spattered.

Now if I go finger tight it sprays just fine. I have a feeling tightening it with the tool may have opened up the thread a bit or something like that and now it works when firm but loose enough that you can unscrew it easily with your fingers.

 I have found that (tamiya) enamels through the general purpose tip (grey) work well. But acrylics through this tip do not. Any suggestions on the best tip for acrylics?

 Anyway its working now so I am a bit happier, but I dont know if I will replace it when it stops working.