Cleaning airbrushes

[bigwater]

Okay, I need some advice on the propper way to clean an airbrush... specifically my Passche Milleneum.

The instructions say to run solvent or water through it until it runs clear, then backflush it good and your done. No matter how much water I run through it, and no matter how long I back flush it, it seems that there is always some paint left in it and I end up having to take it apart the next time I use it and clean dried paint out of it. I've gotten to the point of just disassembling it every night and thoroughly cleaning it that way to keep the paint from gumming up, but I'm wondering what I'm missing.

Is there a way to thoroughly clean a brush without disassembling it every night, or do you guys take your brushes apart daily?

[bigwater]

Water based paints... Auto-Air & Createx. I'm still learning to airbrush, and I haven't graduated to solvent based paints yet.

[Whit]

Hey,,, it works for me,,,,
sometimes I have to pull a needle,,
squirt a lil whatever in to moisten
the seal,, an keeps on a tickin !!!
(most of mine look like this)
BTW,,, this is a VL,,, red handle n all !!!
-
(took about 10 yrs to break this brush in)

[Skids]

hehehee..nice custom paint job on that VL Whit!

Like Denise, i make a conscious effort to not let air hit the inside of the airbrush to dry the paint....i even leave the airbrush on my thinner bottle after i'm done with thinner still in the airbrush.

If the next day i still find paint in there, i'll screw-off the head assembly and pull the needle OUT OF THE FRONT of the airbrush so as not to get paint past the rear seal. Then i use paper towel corners and thinner to reach what i can in the front and clean out the tip good, and then pass the needle, blunt end first from the back of the airbrush and out the front, wipe it, and repeat passing the needle thru that way until it comes out clean. Then i put it back together and flush with thinner again and usually i'm back in business.

Just my weird little sequence to keep from having to totally disassemble the airbrush each time!

[bigwater]

Thanks for the input folks. Skids, your description set a lightbulb off in my head. Blow the water through it, but don't keep blowing after the water source is gone. I've been blowing all of the water out, and that's probably where my problem is.

The manual says not to soak it in water/solvent as it will cause the seals to fail, but I'm sure that's more precautionary than reality.

Thanks again folks.

[Whit]

Started off years ago with a lil Badger,,,
not sure,,, 150 I think,,, sprayed,,, tore
it down to clean,,, trigger fell out !!!
Took a week foolin with that thing tryin
to figger out how it should fit back in !!!
It was a lil clip that fit #*~* tha trigger !!
That was the last time I tore one down
that far,,, VL's are sooo much nicer to
play with !!!
"Takes a likkin,,, keeps on tikkin !!!"
As long as you keep the seals moist,,,
any residue should blow itself out after
just a few squirts of fresh paint !!!
At the beginning of a session,,, first,,,
remove handle,, physically pull needle
back to open as full as possible and
hit the air,,, even with paint in it !!!
It should blow most old leftovers out
giving a fresh start and works on clogs
as well during sessions !!!
Course I tend to be a slob,, but it works !!!

[blinddog 99]

LOL, Whit ol' bud, I need you to email me a high res pic of your VL, I think that is the coolest! I am so anal about my brushes, one drop of paint and i'm wipin'; I need to post that pic above my airbench. I betcha even Paasche would like that picture, especially since its in daily use! Poster child for "takes a likkin, keeps on sprayin'"

[Whit]

Blinddog,,,,,
My 'ol Paasche's are workhorses !!
20/30 ft up on a scaffold (up n down)
at the end of a day,,, cleaning to
a brite/shiney is not really the first
thing on your mind ,,,,,,,,,,,,
As a result,,, the next day it's set,,,
Does'nt take many times till you
wonder what color it started as (hahaha)
These brushes have been dropped from
walls,, (1) ran over with a car and in
general floated around in the back of
a pickup for days at a time !!!
I highly reccomend Paasche for beginners,,,
They Do,, Take a Likkin,,, Keep on a Tikkin !!!
Only probs I've ever had were bent needles !!!
I've got Iwatas that have to be babied tho !!!
hahahahaha,,, they're considerably cleaner !!!

[Clem]

Just in general I use AA paints and don't know for sure how right it is, got a 2oz. bottle with distilled water and about 1/3 fantastic. Before I start a quick spray and after I am done I spray out most of the bottle into a trash bucket. After that round when I am done I spray some plain distilled water through. Haven't had any problems yet.

[blinddog 99]

Whit, that is a workhorse airbrush, and I love it! I am more a "studio nerd" so I actually am jealous, truly, LOL.

[Whit]

That first shot was just a scan,,,
hahahahaha,,, if you really want a pic,,,
(complete with bite marks from pliers)

[Skids]

HA! man.....i love it. THAT is a loved airbrush.....heheheee

[JimmyG]

oh Yeah....and I reckon Whit cleans that airbrush with acid rainwater....no wonder he don't have clogs.....heheheee.....:wink2:

[Steelhorse]

Whit!!!!!:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: What do you look like after a job!!!!?:wink2:

[Whit]

hahahahaha,,, this was on a workday !!!
I don't think I've got a pair of pants
that don't have paint somewhere,,,
shoes either for that matter !!!
When yer paintin every day,,, drop here,,,
drop there,,, adds up over time !!!:partyalone:

[blinddog 99]

What is the Dockers commercial tagline? .... "Nice pants"..... LOL, Whit you are the best man. BTW, is that Mrs. Whit on your arm? Nice looking lady, not a bad looking couple I'd say.......paint and all!

[overspray]

Ron,
Where are you in the N.Ga mountains? I had a shop in Helen for about 4 years and lived up on Hwy. 180 near Brasstown Bald.Still in Ga ,but moved back to the foothills when I noticed one leg was getting shorter than the other from airbrushing on the side of that mounatin.:wink2:

[bigwater]

Dahlonega... I ride hwy 180 around Brasstown Bald all the time... Alt 75 to Helen, Richard B Russell scenic highway, hwy 129 to Blairesville... Love the N. Ga mountains.

BTW... keeping the brush wet solved the problems. Just started leaving water in it when I cleaned it instead of blowing it out and all the problems disappeared.

Thanks to everybody for their advice and help.

[mongoose]

That first shot was just a scan,,,
hahahahaha,,, if you really want a pic,,,
(complete with bite marks from pliers)
Ha Ha, that's great. Reminds me of mine. And you're right, keeps on ticking. I have been cleaning mine with lacquer thinner for over 15 years and it's the only brush I ever use. Except for a few bent tips along the way, it still works like the day I got it.
Les

[Primo Customs]

Cleaning, I use another airbrush with Thinner for me, but water for you, to spray off the airbrush, really fast to clean.. Clean by taking a bottle and holding the triger back and spray the bottle through the airbrush, hydrolic like pressure.. cleans really well, Take the needle out and spray with the other airbrush.. Drop of oil on the needle and slide it back in.. Holding the trigger down, so you don't hurt the needle... Spin lightly as you seat the needle and let sit.. Next day start of with a clean shot of water to make sure no Oil is in the brush and start your day... Problem with me is that I never sit the brush down long enough for the paint to dry....... I hope this helps.. Rick Primeau

[redanner]

bigwater! I use windex sometimes; I also use a 1 to 1 ratio of distilled water and ammonia. Ammonia stinks but it sure breaks down any water base goo in an airbrush. I always flush the ammonia solution out with clean water. And sometimes I take the AB apart and clean it.

Instead of buying an AB cleaning kit I made my own. Go to Wal-Mart to the toothbrush and paste section. If you look you will find these tiny brush for cleaning your teeth. They look like tiny-weenie bottlebrushes. (You should know about bottlebrushes LOL.) The great thing about these brushes is that the stem is made out of nylon and not metal. Go to a hobby shop and buy little aluminum rods that are hollow. Insert the brush stem into the rod then pinch it flat. These brushes are small enough to fit into the needle hole.

[Shiva]

OK, Auto Air makes a 'remover'? forget the number but it does remove DRIED AA paints..

so-trip to the local Harbor Freight.. ask for an ultrasonic cleaner, 1 pint capacity.. $40ish if not on sale..
unhook AB from hose, and suspend vertically in the cleaner tank, SO THAT, it is NOT as deep as any seals that must remain 'untouched.. there is a 'fill mark' on the inside of the tank-maximum fill line.. see what shape heavy 'holder', a wire or whatever it will take to hold the brush NO DEEPER than where you figured.. fill the tank to the line with the AA restorer.. insert brush, point down, with the tip removed, but the needle still in place-BE CAREFUL!!.. the tip can lay in the bottom, along with anything else needs 'de painting'.. hit the on button.. has a 2? minute run cycle and shuts off.. AMAZING what will come out of a 'clean brush' this way., take out, rinse with your favorite water, and its clean..
SAVE THE AA restorer, it does 'not get bad', as such, just filter out the chunks and its still good..

[Frog]

I can help with Createx Acrylics not with Auto Air. I started dunking mine in windex. Even throwing my VLs in water overnight helps keep them from drying up off the brush. My brushes when on the easel stay on the jars which keeps them from drying but they will always need cleaning. If my VLs get a stuck needle I throw them in the microwave submerged in water like do the jars and the hot water melts them out. Hot water is going to loosen the acrylic. Got a novelette on my website for that.

Sorry have to run. late. I'll be back later tonight


D Metal an microwaves are verrrrrry dangerous, Do you realy nuke your ABs ?
Michael

[Cowboy]

Yep I wasn,t buying it either Denise , Cuz I know what metal does to the microwave But. Duh I never thought about that covering completely with water makes sense , As long as Ya dont boil the water out I recon. Good Idea.

[redneck]

I use the microwave to heat water for my cup of tea, glass cups are the best, some cups will get hot because of metal content, don't tea bags have a staple in them which is not under water

[redneck]

I do not remember what the microwave book said about using metals in the microwave, do the book advise against all metal or steel only, I hope that I am not hijacking this post but has anyone noticed that the microwave do not kill ants when they get inside of the oven

[Frog]

Thanks D makes sense, I think, would never have thought of covering with water.
It obviously works.

Michael

[redneck]

I had seen examples of people using aluminum foil in the microwave and this were not in water,I think that putting steel in the oven would be more of a problem than brass or aluminum

[Cowboy]

Hehe. Boobies & Microwavin airbrushes, Quite a search history Denise. That is a Perty interesting read though thanks for posting it , Kinda shot down some of My Old theories of how They work . Still Tryin ta figure out That ant post though. Lmao.

[redneck]

cowboy, I do not know how the ants got in microwave,
[ possible hitch hiker a ride on my tea cup ] keep me inform when you figure it out why microwave them don't work
denise, I like the air smell after a thunder-storm,electric arc & sparks do affect the air

[redanner]

I put a honey bee in the microwave once! Never turned it on enough to kill it but 10-15 seconds sure pissed it off!

[redneck]

the ants was in the micro while a cup of water was heating [ 1: 40 seconds

[Cowboy]

All I gotta say redneck, If the ants are gettin in without Yer help the Seals must be bad or somehow its leakin, I,d geter checked. I aint sure what the microwaves do to Ya but wouldn,t want Ya ta start glowin in the dark lol.

[Cowboy]

I cant even get in there ta read them let alone write one, Maybe I need ta paint MY nails. Lmao.

[Cowboy]

Why !!! What Perty & long nails you have Denise . Bwahaha . Very nice detailed article & Great pics there Denise, Thanks for Yer Time , I guess I just never look at the main website. Good Job.

[Cowboy]

Now Thats the picture I want. LMAO . Talk about a Kodak moment.

[Marko]

Interesting read.

I might be a newbie, but I can add that cleaning my AB is dead simple.

My Iwata Eclipse BCS can be taken apart and cleaned in a few short steps.
Iwata even has a nice webpage on how to go about it.

I don't mind fully cleaning my AB knowing what I know now. Maybe it's the head assembly that is simpler to assemble/disassemble that other ones? It's the only AB I have so I can't answer that one.

Marko

[Demented]

I'm relatively new to airbrushing.

I currently repair small scuffs and rusted sections on vehicle bodywork using my airbrush to paint the repair.

I have used 2 pack paint in the past, mixed to correct ratios with activator and thinners, on the last occasion I stripped my airbrush and soaked the components in thinners to give a thorough clean. On reassembly, my airbrush would not deliver paint, on closer inspection, an O ring was missing.

Judging by the contents of the jar, which I used to soak the components in, it looked as if the rubber O ring had been desolved by the thinners.

This is the I first time I have actually stripped down my airbrush and soaked in thinners, normally, I just spray through clean thinners from a jar and wipe dry.

However, is it safe to use 2 pack paint with my airbrush?

Was my mistake, not removing the O ring?

Or is soaking in thinners the wrong thing to do?

Will the use of 2 pack paint eventually damage my airbrush?

Can cleaning thorough with thinners perish O ring or seals?


I've bought a new airbrush and I don't want to damage it.

Please can anyone advise me?

[Shiva]

SOME O rings are solvent proof.. some are not, and unless the manufacturer will state which you got I would keep the O rings OUT of the petroleum based solvents.. any teflon seals in the AB are good as htat stuff is next to impossible to destroy.
you could wipe the O ring if needed in solvent, but then immediately rinse off in a water cleaner.
Personally I would not even do that much unless really a need to.

[okiedan]

I'm new too Big Water I am trying to figure out how to take my Master 44 apart. I to did not know not to keep blowing after the createx paint was gone.

[okiedan]

I guess I need help...I put it together & the air comes out the paint cup & water drips out the front....lol

[ABD]

I guess I need help...I put it together & the air comes out the paint cup & water drips out the front....lol

If water drips out the front of any AB..Yer needle isn't seated all the way in the nozzle....Could be you didn't push it in all the way..Could be a lil build up of paint stopping it.....The blockage will usually give ya a bubbly cup:D

[AndyW]

Yip had that, pulled the brush apart, thought it was spotless but there was paint blocking the nozzle.

[okiedan]

Thanks ABD I jsut got on here & getting ready to try it again. I finally found my ab parts list...That will help I'm sure....lol

[okiedan]

Hate to be a pain guys but is there a secret to getting the Secondary Lever Guide back in the gun? Or should I have not taken it out?

[okiedan]

I guess I'll have to go get a pair of small needle nose pliers

[okiedan]

I got it...Although it may be backwards...lol

[syklystt]

Hmmm....all this talk about soaking and nobody mentioned getting anything in the air passages....watch those little particles.......if you soak with your front caps off...make shure you blow air through the passages before you reassemble.
and most air valve o-rings will not tolerate many chemmies....so dont soak your air section in anything harsh.
...if your gonna soak your airbrush, find out what kind of seals you have so you can use the appropriate cleaning solution reccomended by the manufacturer(a little help to the mfgr's).
I even tried createx's airbrush restorer...it said it wouldnt hurt the air seals....ummm...they swellled.

for the record...I am so amazed when I see tee shirt painters that leave their AB's on the jars forever and they still work great/good....

I take my airbrush completely apart everytime I use it (unless I'll be using it the next day)...because I only paint every other week or so.
What I do is....after boiling several times and spraying several times I remove the aircaps and pull needle through the front and remove the remaining paint. then I clean out the nozzle with a round tooth pik...inspect nozzle and needle with microscope...then reassemble....
my Ab works perfect everytime I pick it up....adn once you get used to doing this...it takes no time at all.....just be careful you dont ruin the needle/nozzle.

Denise......great how-to.....very good detail..
question for you....can you show me a detailed version that shows the removal of the air valve on you VL......I didnt realize that the entire valve can be removed as an assembly??? is this correct?
TIA,
Jeff

[shawnsairbrush]

I run a water/alcohol mix through it then water till it runs clean (takes a while) then I attach it to one of my paint bottles so it doesnt dry out. Also I use qtips to clean the part of the ab that the bottles attach to.
I have about 10 abs so I dont really clean them very often because they dont come off the bottle very often so they dont dry up. The only thing I have to clean is the tip of the needle when it gets tip dry

[Jeroen - CDM]

Could be a lil build up of paint stopping it.....The blockage will usually give ya a bubbly cup:D

I have that a lott with black. All the other colors work fine, even white....
& me being an idiot, probably is part of the problem too hehe:drunk2: