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Hi All

Not sure if this is the place to put this kind of post... but here we go!

Ive just bought myself my first airbrush and had a question about cleaning it. Will warm/hot water do for cleaning it? or will I need some sort of solution?
Its mainly acrylics that I will be using to paint war hammer models. And how often will I need to clean it? both quick and thorough cleans?

Many thanks

Well the cleaning all depends on how long you use the brush at a time. Some get away with simple alcohol through it, other have use use a specialized cleaner. I use mine for a few hours on end and have to run a cleaner through it. Some times I have to soak the nozzle in acetone to eat away the buildup. But no matter how much you use it, tear it totally down and clean every part once a month. Unless you never use it that month lol..

Ok great thanks a lot!
Ive just bought some of the vallejo airbrush cleaner to use with the water. Should hopefully work ok

I see you're in the UK. As an airbrush user myself, I highly recommend this for general cleaning purposes :



Muc Off Motorbike cleaner, spray version, you can get in Halfords for about £7 a pop. Lasts ages cos you only need a little squirt in your airbrush and blast it through to clean before adding a new colour.

For a more thorough cleaning, you can use Isopropyl Alcohol, or one of the premixed airbrush cleaners on the market. Be very careful about using things like Acetone through your airbrush - it might seem natural given its paint removing properties, but you can run the risk of eroding O - rings and other small rubber parts of your airbrush. Water, if im honest, isn't all that great at removing paint from an airbrush, you need something more thorough.

You should be fine with that.. Never used it but if you start having problems tear it down and let it soak..

Ah great, there is a halfords around the corner will that muck off ruin the airbrush eventually? or is it 100% safe with it?

Thanks for the replies guys

I've been using it for ages now with no problems. Its designed for cleaning bikes, which are obviously also made out of metal, so you'll have no problem with the metal bits on your airbrush.

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

While we're on about awesome airbrush related links, this one might help you out with a more in depth cleaning. This is the kind of thing you should do at a minimum once per month, fortnightly if you use your AB heavily

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2005/03/stuff_eng_tech_airbrush_cleaning_2.htm

Wow those sites are brilliant, especially the guru one. Shows you everything!

Thanks a lot guys, this is a great help feel more confident about cleaning it properly now

How about an ultrasonic?

If we're talking cheap-o brand airbrushes and acrylics, you can pov it up with some windex glass cleaner in a bit of water - you'll get a bit of bubbling and a few runs of pure water will be needed to clean out the residue, but its not harmful to paint, I use windex to thin my paints as it stands, so it won't hurt in the long run.

The trick with an airbrush - thin your paints... and... practise makes perfect - try a few basic models before you go to town on that brand new Stompa you just paid a jazillion dollars for.

Enjoy!

FoxDonut wrote:use windex to thin my paints as it stands, so it won't hurt in the long run.

Actually, if you don't have good ventilation and a respirator you'll get lung cancer in the long run.

Great White wrote:

FoxDonut wrote:use windex to thin my paints as it stands, so it won't hurt in the long run.

Actually, if you don't have good ventilation and a respirator you'll get lung cancer in the long run.

Thats crazy talk - ah, maybe its my local dialect - windex is like, water soluble window and glass cleaner that you pay a couple of bucks for at the supermarket.

"Windex; Good for the environment, and okay for you."

Also, all my painting is done with a nerve calming smoke in my mouth, so, ah, yeah...

All good advice.

I'd also add Revell Colour Mix is very good for removing dried paint and is available almost every where in the UK.

A bit on the end of a cotton bud (Cue tip for you yanks?) will easily remove paint from metal components. I usually have it to one side when spraying as it is ideal for preventing the nozzle from clogging and keeps to needle clean too.

I bought a cheap ultrasonic cleaner off amazon.com and I use that for cleaning up when done with an airbrushing session. It works great and it comes out looking almost new. Just remember to oil the trigger bits afterwards as it pretty much strips off most of that.

One thing that I had problems with on my airbrush is the gaskets and o-rings dissolving if I soaked them. I was using simple green at the time and have moved on to something less harsh, but do be aware that some cleaners are not gasket/o-ring friendly. Anything made for an airbrush should be safe.

While on the topic of gaskets, etc...
Don't leave your airbrush out in the cold for too long. I left mine in the garage, and the tip got brittle and snapped.

I use a combination of Windex and Alcohol (back and forth, depending on how badly my airbrush is mucked up). Then a good rinse with clean water to get the cleaners out, dry, and lube.

You will find that after a hardcore cleaning (breaking it down 100% and cleaning it) parts may not move as nicely as before. Grab some special airbrush lube (I use a little tube of universal lube from Radioshack, looks like a pen) and get it between all the parts that move.

Good luck

Great, thanks for the replies. Have learned alot from reading these comments!

Can you recommend a decent airbrush lube thats available in the UK?
Just checked ebay and the only ones they have are from the states, and its £14 shipping xD

The Great Wolf wrote:Great, thanks for the replies. Have learned alot from reading these comments!

Can you recommend a decent airbrush lube thats available in the UK?
Just checked ebay and the only ones they have are from the states, and its £14 shipping xD

Iwata is a good brand:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iwata-Super-Lube-0-5-Oz/dp/B004O7JVJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334611860&sr=8-1

I recently acquired Ballistol, which is supposedly very good for use in airbrushes:

http://ik-painter.blogspot.de/2012/04/tools-of-trade-airbrush-cleaning-and.html

TheWalkingPete wrote:I've been using it for ages now with no problems. Its designed for cleaning bikes, which are obviously also made out of metal, so you'll have no problem with the metal bits on your airbrush.

Sorry to be picky, but being made for cleaning a bike doesn't necessarily make it suitable for cleaning an airbrush,while this product may well be suitable (?) The important thing when looking at cleaners for an airbrush is for it not to corrode chrome. The entire insides of a decent airbrush is chrome plated and lots of cleaning products contain vinegar (or other things) that will corrode this plating away over time.

When picking out a cleaner, bear this in mind. This also applies to using window cleaners as acrylic thinners - the 'Simple Green' trick, you want what is usually an automotive glass cleaner rather than a household one being as car's often have chrome plated bits of trim that we don't want to get vinegar on, car glass cleaners are a safe bet, if in doubt check the ingredient list of any product in question