Jump to content

How often do you pull apart your spray gun for cleaning?


Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, Alternative 4 said:

Hi all

 

How often do you pull apart your airbrush to clean it? By pull apart I mean, remove the needle, clean out the trigger area, put a brush or pipe cleaner through the bit where the needle goes?

 

Cheers

 

A half strip like that I cant say I do all that often.

Unless you are wanting to clean the needle packer there shouldnt be any need to clean the needle barrel of the airbrush itself as no paint should be getting down there. If it is you have some problems with your needle seal.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Depends which airbrush.  For my Paasche Model H, I usually disassemble the very few parts (3) for a complete cleaning after very use; that's the advantage of this very simple design.  For my double action airbrushes, I've learned that I can get away without disassembling for cleaning.  I am very careful in using appropriately thinned paint, and then extremely thoroughly rinse the brush after completing every painting session.  When using lacquer paints, I run probably 6-8 color cupfuls of lacquer thinner through the brush after using one or more Q-Tips to wipe out the cup.  in addition, I almost always pull the needle out for the brush body and wipe it thoroughly with lacquer thinner, and again, use a Q-Tip soaked with lacquer thinner to wipe out the needle channel at the bottom of the color cup when the needle is removed before reinserting.  I found, after destroying several dual action airbrushes, that disassembly and poor paint consistency were the causes of the majority of my airbrush problems, so now, I avoid  the problems by not taking them apart.  

 

I do a similar cleaning when using acrylic paint such as Tamiya, only instead of lacquer thinner, I use Windex or other window cleaner with ammonia, followed by a thorough flush with pure water.  

Edited by Curt B
Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, Curt B said:

I do a similar cleaning when using acrylic paint such as Tamiya, only instead of lacquer thinner, I use Windex or other window cleaner with ammonia, followed by a thorough flush with pure water.  

 

It's always a good idea to thoroughly flush out the Ammonia with pure water.  Otherwise the Ammonia can have a negative effect on the plating on the airbrush.  99% IP alcohol will clean just as well.

Edited by RichardL
Link to post
Share on other sites

Amonia attacks brass and copper, it will eventually remove the plating off the exterior.
None of the inside bits are plated, its bare brass all the way on most, but not all airbrushes....

 

Of course the are im sure thousands of people who use amonia without noticing any problems over the time they use it, however it doesnt change the fact that the amonia does attack the metal it touches while its being blown through the airbrush.

 

I generally dont cheap out on cleaning, I use Tamiya and Vallejo cleaners, cellulose thinners and more recently Mr Tool cleaner, there is also an industrial epoxy cleaner I use when I use epoxy based paints or need to clean it within an inch of its life.

 

In the 30 odd years Ive been using airbrush Ive never done some of the things you guys talk about... Even my first one still works, and that was old old when I got it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Every few days I have to pull out the needle in my Iwata Revolution airbrush. The paint deposit makes the needle stuck. I always clean the airbrush with thinner after the spray session but still some deposit remains. May be I m doing something wrong. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks.

 

I think there was a problem with my old airbrush and paint would back flush so it would require stripping regularly. My new airbrush doesn't seem to have the same problem, but just wanted to make sure I wasn't under cleaning it.

 

I actually wonder if pulling my old airbrush apart regularly led to its demise. Everything was a bit loose by the end of its life

Link to post
Share on other sites

Probably.
Back flushing just sends air back along the needle and into the bottom of the paint cup then up into the paint cup and bubbles out the top, which is fine, the problem comes when the air carries on past the paint cup and up to the needle packer seal.
Which these days as they are made of Teflon (the trade name of PTFE) its not so much of a problem as it use to be given its none stick nature, but the paint does crust up around it and you get a sticky needle until you clear the crust out. After a while the cleaning of it all the time requires a change more often than would otherwise be required.

 

One of my first airbrushes was an external mix. My dad made me use it because it taught me to mix my paints before I put them into the airbrush, which I still do to this day. Small glass beaker, glass rod, all thats required to clean up is a bit of rag and maybe some cellulose thinners if I leave it to dry on there.

 

A cleaning kit comprises of a spanner to remove the nozzle or head cap, an old short bristle paint brush, a pipe cleaner and an interdental toothbrush and some cleaner fluid and a bit of rag plus 30 odd years of experience.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I only starting using my Badger 150 IL in August and have only used it a dozen times at best. I have thoroughly cleaned it after every use.

 

But then I have been accused of being a bit anal-retentive.

 

 

 

Chris

Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I only starting using my Badger 150 IL in August and have only used it a dozen times at best. I have thoroughly cleaned it after every use.

 

But then I have been accused of being a bit anal-retentive.

 

 

 

Chris

It didnt come with any care instructions?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I remove and clean the needle and accessible areas of the primary airbrush assembly after every painting session. Most airbrush issues are caused by paint accumulations, so the more time you spend cleaning the airbrush, the better it will perform. I do a deeper clean (completely disassembling the entire airbrush) every six months or so.

 

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/4/2021 at 7:41 PM, ElectroSoldier said:

It didnt come with any care instructions?

 

I take it down to this level and clean it all after every use. I can do it fairly quickly now.

 

AB b

 

 

 

 

Chris

Edited by dogsbody
Link to post
Share on other sites

I treat it like I do my firearms...After each paint session. 

 

Otherwise...you will end up with "issues", that lead you to tear it down.

 

To avoid "issues", clean it after each time you shoot paint through it. It's not hard. Run thinner/cleaner through it, pull the needle, give it a wipe, squirt thinner/cleaner down through it (always going "out"...nothing ever goes "in"). Put it back together and shoot a bit of thinner through it, leaving a little behind for storage...don't run it dry.

 

You should never have any issues with your gun as long as you keep it clean...firearms or airbrushes.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Iwata HP-CP

 

Full strip, once per year maybe (but have never removed any of the teflon seals).  Put a bit of Iwata lubricant on the trigger and valve mechanisms.  Trigger has been known to get sticky.

 

Once I put some tissue paper with lacquer thinner into the back of it and cleaned all the way down to the needle packing seal.  Was a bit of grey gunk in there.

 

Remove the needle, the fine needle tip and its covers and clean them probably every 20 spraying sessions.  Put some hairs on a paint brush down the tiny needle tip nozzle to clean it.  Sometimes I need to put my fine dentists root canal file down there to dislodge hard set gunk.  Use a dropper to squirt thinner from the cup and out the front.  Sometimes run a fine wire brush through it, always amazed at some of the horrible grey gunk that comes out (esp. after using Alclad, then going back to Tamiya acrylics).

 

About every 10 spraying sessions, I'll just remove the needle, keep the fine tip attached and using a dropper squirt lacquer thinner into the cup and out through the front.  If it does not come out easily, I know it's time for the step above.

 

At every colour change, I spray a little lacquer thinner through the AB till it sprays clear.

 

I've found leaving a small amount of lacquer thinner in the cup when not is use reduces blockages.

Edited by Thommo
Link to post
Share on other sites

My double action Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Plus airbrushes are completely tool free, so it's very quick and easy to disassemble them for cleaning if needed.  At the end of the day after the last spraying session, I merely unscrew the air cap and nozzle by hand, then pull the needle out "from the front" to avoid drawing paint back inside the body of the airbrush.  So far the section behind the paint cup is very clean, so I don't foresee the need to ever clean the air valve/trigger area.

 

HS_Evolutions.jpg.84f7c3080ef7359e4e12c66fbcd92f4e.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/10/2021 at 11:13 PM, 82Whitey51 said:

I treat it like I do my firearms...After each paint session. 

 

Otherwise...you will end up with "issues", that lead you to tear it down.

 

To avoid "issues", clean it after each time you shoot paint through it. It's not hard. Run thinner/cleaner through it, pull the needle, give it a wipe, squirt thinner/cleaner down through it (always going "out"...nothing ever goes "in"). Put it back together and shoot a bit of thinner through it, leaving a little behind for storage...don't run it dry.

 

You should never have any issues with your gun as long as you keep it clean...firearms or airbrushes.

Amen brother!

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/10/2021 at 11:13 PM, 82Whitey51 said:

I treat it like I do my firearms...After each paint session. 

 

Otherwise...you will end up with "issues", that lead you to tear it down.

 

To avoid "issues", clean it after each time you shoot paint through it. It's not hard. Run thinner/cleaner through it, pull the needle, give it a wipe, squirt thinner/cleaner down through it (always going "out"...nothing ever goes "in"). Put it back together and shoot a bit of thinner through it, leaving a little behind for storage...don't run it dry.

 

You should never have any issues with your gun as long as you keep it clean...firearms or airbrushes.

Exactly.

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/12/2021 at 5:55 AM, RichardL said:

My double action Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Plus airbrushes are completely tool free, so it's very quick and easy to disassemble them for cleaning if needed.  At the end of the day after the last spraying session, I merely unscrew the air cap and nozzle by hand, then pull the needle out "from the front" to avoid drawing paint back inside the body of the airbrush.  So far the section behind the paint cup is very clean, so I don't foresee the need to ever clean the air valve/trigger area.

 

 

 

I think you might want to take a look at an airbrush and how it works. There is a channel for the air and there is a channel for the paint and they dont come together until they reach from front of the airbrush just behind the nozzle cap. It is the smaller of the two holes that the air comes out of. Pulling the needle out the back cant put any paint into the air channel at all what so ever.

What you do have to consider when pulling the needle out the back is that any paint on the needle will have to go past the needle seal, which serves as a packer as well as a seal and will hold the needle off the side walls of the body until it gets down to the chuck where you clamp it down with the chuck nut. But a little bit of thinners down the paint cup with the needle pushed forwards will clean it off nicely.

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/11/2021 at 4:13 AM, 82Whitey51 said:

I treat it like I do my firearms...After each paint session. 

 

Otherwise...you will end up with "issues", that lead you to tear it down.

 

To avoid "issues", clean it after each time you shoot paint through it. It's not hard. Run thinner/cleaner through it, pull the needle, give it a wipe, squirt thinner/cleaner down through it (always going "out"...nothing ever goes "in"). Put it back together and shoot a bit of thinner through it, leaving a little behind for storage...don't run it dry.

 

You should never have any issues with your gun as long as you keep it clean...firearms or airbrushes.

Its a spray gun buddy not a machine gun )))

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...