Airbrush cleaner

[hawkwrench]

What's the best cleaner to use on a badger airbrush. I'll be using enamels and acrylics.

Thanks

Tim

[beingthehero]

I have a Badger 150, and I just use Iwata Airbrush Cleaner.

[Mike J. Idacavage]

Tim

I have been using inexpensive lacquer thinner available from my local hardware store/Home Depot for 30+ years for cleaning out my airbrushes. I also use a lot of ModelMaster Enamels and MR Color. I even use the lacquer as a final wash when I am using acrylics. I save the brand thinner like Testors ModelMaster Thinner for actually diluting my paints and use the cheap thinner for cleaning.

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:/>

[Hawk10]

My first preference of a liquid to clean airbrushes is lacquer thinner. My second is mineral spirits (aka Stoddard Solvent).

[Bob Beary]

Tim

I have been using inexpensive lacquer thinner available from my local hardware store/Home Depot for 30+ years for cleaning out my airbrushes. I also use a lot of ModelMaster Enamels and MR Color. I even use the lacquer as a final wash when I am using acrylics. I save the brand thinner like Testors ModelMaster Thinner for actually diluting my paints and use the cheap thinner for cleaning.

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

What he said

[Jessirelli]

Lacquer thinner for everything, including acrylics. Although for acrylics I tend to use windex to flush out most of it, then lacquer thinner for final flush. I also started a new habit of putting a drop of airbrush lubricant in the color cup and slide the needle back and forth before putting it into storage. I use a renegade krome.

[hawkwrench]

Lacquer thinner and Windex. I'll have to run out and grab some.

Thanks guys!

One more question.--what do you spray it into as you clean it? A pot or what else?

Tim

Edited July 13, 2016 by hawkwrench

[anvil6]

Tim

I have been using inexpensive lacquer thinner available from my local hardware store/Home Depot for 30+ years for cleaning out my airbrushes. I also use a lot of ModelMaster Enamels and MR Color. I even use the lacquer as a final wash when I am using acrylics. I save the brand thinner like Testors ModelMaster Thinner for actually diluting my paints and use the cheap thinner for cleaning.

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:/>/>

i concur. i do this as well. lacquer thinner pretty much cleans up everything i shoot, both oil and water based.

-Ramon

[Don923]

I usually buy a store brand of charco lighter at the local super market. It's a refined mineral spirit and is much cheaper. It will thin MM enamals also.

[myuziweighsaton]

I spray my clean out laquer into an old t shirt then toss it out on the deck until it airs out

[galileo1]

For acrylics I use Vallejo Airbrush cleaner and for enamels/lacquers I use regular store-bought lacquer thinner. I guess one could use lacquer thinner for everything but I had a bad experience (severe clogging) spraying acrylics after using lacquer thinner to clean my airbrush. I tend to separate them now.

Rob

[86Sabreboy1]

Lacquer thinner and Windex. I'll have to run out and grab some.

Thanks guys!

One more question.--what do you spray it into as you clean it? A pot or what else?

Tim

What airbrush do you have? Iwata and Harder & Steenbeck do not list ammonia based products (Windex, windshield Wiper fluid) as appropriate cleaning products for their airbrushes. Grex specifically sites not to use ammonia based products in the the airbrush instructions.

Edited July 31, 2016 by 86Sabreboy1

[Ryan Hothersall]

I use general purpose enamel thinners or turps. Cleans out my Paasche H Series airbrush without any problems.

[Thommo]

Regardless of the cleaner used (I mostly use Vallejo AB cleaner diluted 50/50 with distilled water, but sometimes turps, sometimes just water or acrylic thinner), I like to blast it thru at 45-50 psi (I paint at about 15-20psi) with the needle pulled back fully. This really moves some gunk.

Every 5 or so painting sessions, I pull my Iwata apart and clean more thoroughly.

I've also found wiping the paint cup out with a piece of old t-shirt is better than using Kleenex etc tissues, as the later leaves little fibres which build up in the needle nozzle eventually blocking it and requiring a messy stripdown to get them out.

[zeus60]

I usually buy a store brand of charco lighter at the local super market. It's a refined mineral spirit and is much cheaper. It will thin MM enamals also.

By charco lighter, do you mean Ronsonol? Or did you mean the fluid you put on charcoal briquets in the BBQ? Ronsonol comes in a yellow plastic bottle. I have used it to thin enamels, and it does work well. I've never tried the lighter fluid for charcoal briquets. It is probably cheaper than the Ronsonol.

Edit: Having poked around on the web, it sounds like the charcoal briquet fluid is not a good choice.

Edited August 12, 2016 by zeus60