_GOTOBOTTOM
General Aircraft
This forum is for general aircraft modelling discussions.
Hosted by Jim Starkweather
FEATURE
How to: Airbrush care and cleaning
Jessie_C
_VISITCOMMUNITY
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Friday, October 11, 2013 - 11:25 AM UTC
The airbrush is a vital if sometimes temperamental tool. Matt Odom gives a tutorial on how to properly clean a typical airbrush.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
thehermit
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Manitoba, Canada
Joined: August 27, 2007
KitMaker: 277 posts
AeroScale: 64 posts
Posted: Friday, October 11, 2013 - 02:36 PM UTC
Everything that Matt has put down in his article is good stuff. I have been "brushing" since...well...a VERY long time...! I teach classes in airbrushing and holds regular workshops and cleaning demos at our local IPMS club meets. One thing I would add for those hard core airheads is to purchase an ultrasonic cleaner, That sounds expensive but all in all if you are in this modeling game for the long haul, it will repay itself in spades considering the fabulous job it will do in getting your gun squeaky clean.

all you need is an appropriate cleaner and a break down of the smaller airbrush parts and after a few minutes your airbrush will be working like new.

I use the sonic cleaner mainly after many hours of spraying and only a quick "flush clean" before putting gun away. Many times something comes along that causes you to neglect a cleaning and the paint/thinner dries up in the working parts, and no amount of general cleaning will get the gun working again.

You can find good prices on a small sonicator(as I call them), from sites on the web.

Go have a look around, they are a very worth while investment, especially if you have a "high end" gun like Matt does...!

Regards
Scrodes
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Ontario, Canada
Joined: July 22, 2012
KitMaker: 771 posts
AeroScale: 763 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 12, 2013 - 11:45 AM UTC
Agreed - thanks Hermit. I make do with a thinner bath overnight for all the nozzles parts as mentioned above, but an ultrasonic cleaner is a great idea.
eseperic
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Croatia Hrvatska
Joined: November 06, 2009
KitMaker: 624 posts
AeroScale: 609 posts
Posted: Sunday, October 13, 2013 - 06:53 PM UTC
I completely agree with the Hermit. I am using rather expensive Harder&Steenbeck airbrushes, and have purchased the sonic cleaner - which is worth the money, cause it saves the money (I think this makes sense). However, I would like to know what do you regularly use as a solvent in the cleaner? Guess it depends on the type of color you're spraying?
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Monday, October 14, 2013 - 03:38 AM UTC
I've never owned or used a ultra sound cleaner, and I'm sure it does an excellent job of cleaning dried on paint, gunk, etc. from even the most inaccessible areas.

In nearly 40 years I've owned just two airbrushes, both being the Paasche H1 with three different needles/cones, and nozzles. These are single action air brushes that are external feed. So there are very few parts to deal with, an no internal parts that come in contact with any paint.

For complete cleaning, which I do after every paint session, I clean the cup, needle/cone with Lacquer thinner. For really tough dried on paint, just let soak for a hour or so.

Joel
thehermit
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Manitoba, Canada
Joined: August 27, 2007
KitMaker: 277 posts
AeroScale: 64 posts
Posted: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 03:06 PM UTC
No matter what kind of paint/thinner combo you are using, I have found a unique product that can clean up just about any messy gun without using solvents. I trust you guys have heard of those "Citrus" cleaners out on the market made from oranges etc...? Well, the one I use which I purchased from the local Lee Valley store is cut with 10-20% H2O and used in the "sonicator" as per usual. It does a good job especially on acrylics, and a bonus is it smells nice...!

There are a lot of these products out there, and I have tried a few with equally good results. Give it a try, it's a good alternative to the smelly lacquer stuff.

Regards
doppelganger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Idaho, United States
Joined: March 09, 2010
KitMaker: 557 posts
AeroScale: 193 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 06:30 PM UTC
so in General, if I own a Paasche Mil, I am never going to achieve good results with a bottom feeder airbrush?
Jessie_C
_VISITCOMMUNITY
British Columbia, Canada
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 06:42 PM UTC

Quoted Text

so in General, if I own a Paasche Mil, I am never going to achieve good results with a bottom feeder airbrush?


Of course not! Anyone can achieve good results with any airbrush, but like everything else worthwhile, you need to practise and learn the quirks and requirements of your tools. Learn how it works best then adapt your techniques so that you use it to its best advantage.
drabslab
_VISITCOMMUNITY
European Union
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 11:46 PM UTC
A very useful article, and very well written as well.

Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 17, 2013 - 02:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

so in General, if I own a Paasche Mil, I am never going to achieve good results with a bottom feeder airbrush?


I gather that your referring to a single action external Paasche gun. I've owned, and exclusively used a Paasche H1 external air brush for more then 40 years (as I said, I'm on my 2nd one as the 1st one the replacement parts just don't fit properly). I'll match my results with the best of them.

As Jessica said, it's how you use it. As with any AB, you need to understand how it works, and why it works the way that it does. I use 3 different combinations of needle/cones/tips (almost never switch the tip from the #3), and either the cup or a feed jar for large jobs.

I prefer to paint with acrylics, but I have been using enamels little by little. I thin Tamiya Acrylics (I use them 95% of the time) with X20-A, or lately with Lacquer thinner that breaks down the acrylic paint particles so that the finish is a little smoother, & the cone just never clogs. For Model Master Acrylics, I thin with either X20-A or lacquer thinner. Enamels are thinned with plain Jane Mineral Spirits. Haven't tried them yet with lacquer thinner, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

Knowing when to vary your PSI, paint to thinner ratio, is the real secret to getting the max out of any AB, especially a single action unit.

Take a look at any of my aircraft or armor models. Over spray isn't an issue, nor is the overall smoothness of the paint itself.

Joel

Scrodes
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Ontario, Canada
Joined: July 22, 2012
KitMaker: 771 posts
AeroScale: 763 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 17, 2013 - 04:14 AM UTC
@Doppleganger - Sorry that wasn't what I intended, I simply don't have a siphon feed airbrush anymore - haven't in years - so I could only really talk with authority about gravity feed airbrushes. Most of the cleaning techniques are the same. The point I was trying to make is the more comfortable you are with your airbrush, the better you'll be AT airbrushing and troubleshooting.
doppelganger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Idaho, United States
Joined: March 09, 2010
KitMaker: 557 posts
AeroScale: 193 posts
Posted: Friday, October 18, 2013 - 04:47 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

so in General, if I own a Paasche Mil, I am never going to achieve good results with a bottom feeder airbrush?


I gather that your referring to a single action external Paasche gun. I've owned, and exclusively used a Paasche H1 external air brush for more then 40 years (as I said, I'm on my 2nd one as the 1st one the replacement parts just don't fit properly). I'll match my results with the best of them.

As Jessica said, it's how you use it. As with any AB, you need to understand how it works, and why it works the way that it does. I use 3 different combinations of needle/cones/tips (almost never switch the tip from the #3), and either the cup or a feed jar for large jobs.

I prefer to paint with acrylics, but I have been using enamels little by little. I thin Tamiya Acrylics (I use them 95% of the time) with X20-A, or lately with Lacquer thinner that breaks down the acrylic paint particles so that the finish is a little smoother, & the cone just never clogs. For Model Master Acrylics, I thin with either X20-A or lacquer thinner. Enamels are thinned with plain Jane Mineral Spirits. Haven't tried them yet with lacquer thinner, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

Knowing when to vary your PSI, paint to thinner ratio, is the real secret to getting the max out of any AB, especially a single action unit.

Take a look at any of my aircraft or armor models. Over spray isn't an issue, nor is the overall smoothness of the paint itself.

Joel

The Millennium is double action
IronOwl
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Georgia, United States
Joined: January 07, 2013
KitMaker: 572 posts
AeroScale: 130 posts
Posted: Friday, October 18, 2013 - 05:16 AM UTC
Thanks for this post I am still Horrible at airbrushing but have noticed some small improvements as of late. Practice is right I seem to get a little more Improved every time I use my brush. Again thanks for posting the video.

Ironowl

doppelganger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Idaho, United States
Joined: March 09, 2010
KitMaker: 557 posts
AeroScale: 193 posts
Posted: Friday, October 18, 2013 - 06:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for this post I am still Horrible at airbrushing but have noticed some small improvements as of late. Practice is right I seem to get a little more Improved every time I use my brush. Again thanks for posting the video.

Ironowl

Indeed I purchased a dedicated airbrush compressor, that helped a lot, I have to remind myself every time to properly thin the paint and have the proper distance, and forget about airbrushing in my frigid garage in the winter here in Idaho territory
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 19, 2013 - 11:43 AM UTC
I'm really lucky, I have my own dedicated, Model/computer man cave that my wife has been "bitching" about for years on end. Our house has central air, so heat & humidity is not a summer time issue, nor is the cold and low humidity in the winter. Actually, the room temps vary about 6 degrees all year long, and the humidity is about a constant 50%. I guess I'm really lucky, as I didn't come back to the hobby till we've had Central A/C for years. It does make a huge difference.

In the cold of the winter, or the heat of the summer, is there any room in your house that you can paint near a open window with a paint booth?

Joel
doppelganger
_VISITCOMMUNITY
Idaho, United States
Joined: March 09, 2010
KitMaker: 557 posts
AeroScale: 193 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 19, 2013 - 06:23 PM UTC
http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt127/davechavez7/ac017.jpg I used to have a vented paint booth that you can partially see in this photo.I had to move it out since it is temporarily being used as a bedroom.My daughter goes off to college next year than it shall once again be my man cave!
Joel_W
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
_VISITCOMMUNITY
New York, United States
Joined: December 04, 2010
KitMaker: 11,666 posts
AeroScale: 7,410 posts
Posted: Sunday, October 20, 2013 - 12:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt127/davechavez7/ac017.jpg I used to have a vented paint booth that you can partially see in this photo.I had to move it out since it is temporarily being used as a bedroom.My daughter goes off to college next year than it shall once again be my man cave!


David, so there is light at the end of your tunnel.
Joel
 _GOTOTOP