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I have been having a some trouble with my airbrush where nothing will come out but then I get a huge splatter! It will spray fine at first but then I will have to pull the trigger back further and further than normal to get paint to come out till I get a huge splatter. I am using a Iwata Eclipse with a small water trap on it and another on my compressor, spraying Vallejo model color mixed 1 to 1 with Windex at about 20 to 25 PSI. Please help!

Yeah your nozzle tip is clogged that's all. Your paints are likely not thin enough and are getting clogged.

You should thin to the consistency of milk (think skim milk). It might seem like its too watery but the airbrush handles it properly.

Also I know some youtube tutorial somewhere said to use Windex, but get a proper AB medium (liquitex or golden airbrush medium) and it will make your life a lot easier, as they don't evaporate as fast as alcohol or windex.

Check this out for cleaning:
http://www.airbrushguru.com/cleaning-your-airbrush.html

First clean your nozzle time after time, you can get one of those special spray cans with solvent for it, or alternatively you can use the butane can that is used to refill lighters.

Secondly remove the needle cover cap (watch out, the spray line will get thinner) and scrape of the dried paint from the needle using your nail. You should be fine after that.

Don't ever use your fingernails. You can bend or damage the needle.

If you've got any Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner(if you don't have any: invest. It works great) or some kind of thinner--apply it to a Q-Tip and use it to gently rub down the needle/nozzles.

Kanluwen wrote:Don't ever use your fingernails. You can bend or damage the needle.

I'm doing this for 3 years and i never bent the needle a bit(at least not this way anyway ), and anyway I'm talking about clening the needle on the run, not after you finish painting.

I'm still saying don't ever do it. The slightest misapplication of pressure and you've got a busted needle.

Kanluwen wrote:I'm still saying don't ever do it. The slightest misapplication of pressure and you've got a busted needle.

You have to be extremely clumsy to bend a needle by fingernail

I have the same airbrush and have had the same problem from time to time...That tip is clogged.

When you break your airbrush completely down there is going to be a small copper "tear drop" looking part with a very small silver nozzle attached to it, most likely the chamber inside that brass part and the nozzle it self have become clogged. Depending on how bad the clog is you may have to remove the small nozzle, and using a very thin wire and a VERY steady hand clear the hole of the nozzle out. It might help to soak those parts in windex or simple green first. I have been using windex for years and have never had a problem, it is a lot less expensive that the "air brush" cleaners.

As far as your paint ratio I think you are a bit thick. My mixing ratios are as follows; 1 to 1 to 1. One part paint, 1 parts 50/50 windex water, and 1 part 50/50 future water. I find that vallejo paints are a tad fragile when airbrushed, the bit of future in the paints just makes the surface a bit harder and allows them to hold up to handling a bit better.


If you try this ration out, I would suggest running around 20 psi as well, the paint is a bit thinner and you need to lower your pressure a touch to compensate.

Good luck!

Ashton

Thanks! I gave the nozzle a good cleaning and it worked better but I still had the same problem, so I am going to try some thinner paints and pick up some pledge with future shine.

Vallejo Model Air paints.

Almost their entire range is available as Model Air, and it's already "prethinned" to a large extent.

Kanluwen wrote:Vallejo Model Air paints.

Almost their entire range is available as Model Air, and it's already "prethinned" to a large extent.

Yeah these are pretty good. You do still need to thin them though, and they react badly with Windex. Regardless though, whichever paint you use, save yourself the headache and get a real AB medium. Liquitex or Golden are both fairly cheap for how much you get. The do not evaporate as fast as Alcohol, windex or future, and therefore make the whole AB experience a lot easier and efficient. You really aren't saving any money with those products anyway, unless you already have them lying around.

Gunzhard wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Vallejo Model Air paints.

Almost their entire range is available as Model Air, and it's already "prethinned" to a large extent.

Yeah these are pretty good. You do still need to thin them though, and they react badly with Windex. Regardless though, whichever paint you use, save yourself the headache and get a real AB medium. Liquitex or Golden are both fairly cheap for how much you get. The do not evaporate as fast as Alcohol, windex or future, and therefore make the whole AB experience a lot easier and efficient. You really aren't saving any money with those products anyway, unless you already have them lying around.

Some of this is true,but future does more than just provide a "thinning" medium for airbrushing. It is a clear acrylic coat that mixes w/ the paint and increases it's durability, often airbrushed paint coats are thin and fragile, by adding in some future you increase the durability.

Ashton

Oh no it's 'all' true brother. ...but you are right that future does add that almost shellac coating to minis. I don't use it in my airbrush anymore, but it's cool for washes and like.

Think I will give the vallejo airbrush thinner a try.