Airbrush Cleaning

[cnjman721]

 

I have a neat MicroMark Spray booth and compressor setup and a great Paasche airbrush, but I get discouraged using it because of the amount of meticulous disassembly and cleanout of every orifice between sessions. David Popp’s recent how-to on weathering passenger cars one step at a time is great, but I get discouraged in the time it takes to clean up the airbrush in between steps. Therefore I don’t want to airbrush so much because the tedium of cleanup.

 

 

 

Given the fact that weathering and painting a single project calls for multiple colors, am I in overkill by a complete teardown of the brush between colors? Is it possible to just clean the cup/switch bottles between steps and not separately clean all the airbrush internals in between colors? I’ve seen umpteen videos and articles on airbrushing tips but never is it said to clean in between colors. What am I missing?

Thanks,

Ed

 

[mbinsewi]

I run a little lacquer thinner through mine between coats.  I spray it into a rag.

Mike.

[HO-Velo]

Not speaking from a lot of experience here, but I only do a complete tear down clean-up when the brush is being put away for days, weeks, or months.  In-between colors or paints I shoot a couple cupfuls of thinner/cleaner thru the brush, swab out the bowl and give the needle a wipe.  Though after inadvertently clogging the tiny nozzle with some fuzz I'm more careful when using pipe cleaners.  

Good luck. Regards, Peter

[RR_Mel]

I have several expensive air brushes but rarely use them for the same reasons.

I have a half dozen cheapo Harbor Freight air brushes that have quick disconnect couplings and I switch brushes between colors easily then just one clean up process when I’m finished.

I have become very attached to my cheapo air brushes and can turn out very nice looking paint jobs with a lot less cleanup work.





Five colors, I used five HF air brushes and one cleanup for both the A&B shells.

Mel


 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
Turned 84 in July, aging is definitely not for wimps.

[doctorwayne]

cnjman721

Given the fact that weathering and painting a single project calls for multiple colors, am I in overkill by a complete teardown of the brush between colors?

Yes.

I too use a Paasche airbrush, and often use multiple colours and multiple types of paint.
When I need to change colours or paint types, I remove the syphon cap from the bottle that was in-use, then re-cap the bottle.  I then fill the small colour-cup with lacquer thinner, attach it to the airbrush, and with the airbrush's nozzle in the end of the syphon cap that had been in the airbrush, press the trigger to empty the colour cup through the siphon cap.  This cleans not only the siphon cap, but also the innards of the airbrush. If necessary, I'll also wipe the inside of the siphon cap using a cloth wetted with lacquer thinner.

The lacquer thinner will remove any type of paint from the inside of the airbrush, whether lacquer-based or water-based.
I've often used multiple colours during painting sessions, and disassemble the airbrush, for cleaning, only after all of the painting has been done.

For that final clean-up, I fill the colour cup with lacquer thinner, then drop the air cap, air cap body, and tip into it.  I then dip one end of a pipe cleaner into the lacquer thinner, then pass it through from the rear of the airbrush's body, and then repeat that operation by running it through the opening where the paint bottle is normally attached, and then out the front-end of the airbrush's body.

At the end of a painting session, complete disassembly, clean-up, and re-assembly takes less than five minutes.  I have never used the colour cup for paint,as it would require cleaning after every use.

Wayne

[hbgatsf]

Clean up is something that I dread also, and it has kept me from using the airbrush unless I have a big project.  I like the suggestions given here and will give them a try. 

Thanks

Rick

[gmpullman]

HO-Velo

Not speaking from a lot of experience here, but I only do a complete tear down clean-up when the brush is being put away for days, weeks, or months.

Same here.

HO-Velo

In-between colors or paints I shoot a couple cupfuls of thinner/cleaner thru the brush, swab out the bowl and give the needle a wipe.

I use one of these cleanout jars for shooting the cleaning solution into.

Knockoff_airbrush by Edmund, on Flickr

I use a bout half a bowl of Iwata airbrush cleaner between colors:

https://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Medea-Airbrush-Cleaner-16-Oz/dp/B003TJA0S6/ref=sr_1_5?crid=16GY3WHMTEIF&keywords=iwata+airbrush+cleaner&qid=1645329767&sprefix=iwata+airbrush+cleaner%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-5

It works for both water-based and oil based paints. 90% of the time I'm either shooting Scalecoat (locos and rolling stock) or Vallejo (structures and scenery details). I have some Vallejo airbrush cleaner but haven't used it yet as I still have some of the Iwata left.

When my session is over I'll immediately place the whole airbrush in a jar of Windex for water-based paint or lacquer thinner for the Scalecoat. I'll disassemble the brush when time permits.

Usually I'm using my Paasche model H which has very few moving parts. The other internal mix brushes are only slightly more time consuming to disassemble. Still, I can disassemble, clean and reassemble an internal mix brush in less that ten minutes.

Booth918 by Edmund, on Flickr

Another handy practice is to use these little pipettes for transfering paint, thinners and cleaners between the bottles and color cups:

https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Transfer-Calibrated-Essential-Laboratory/dp/B07F3ZN56V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2A3UCIUMZKQ2O&keywords=pipette+dropper&qid=1645330364&sprefix=pipette+dropper%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-3

I can accurately measure mixes using the scale molded on the tube.

Good Luck, Ed

[snjroy]

I agree with all the above. I use acrylics and if the sessions are short (session per type of paint, that is), a good flush with another bottle filled with hot water is usually sufficient. Blue window washer also works well. I always flush between coats to avoid a build-up, which happens frequently with acrylics.

Simon

[cnjman721]

Thanks all, thanks Mel -

I was unaware of those inexpensive Harbor Freight brushes and I really like that approach. Also many other good suggestions here!

 

Thanks again, all!

Ed