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Hello, all.

I recently purchased a small ultrasonic cleaner to help clean my painting supplies, airbush and model bits, etc.

I was curious if anyone had suggestions on solutions to use for various tasks.

I like to use diluted simple green in the cleaner for my airbrush. About 1 TBSP to 1 Cup of water.

That's not a bad suggestion, as I already use it for stripping paint. How long of a cleaning cycle do you run for that?

That will be some trial and error. keep in mind you still want the airbrush mostly clean before you put it in. The sonic cleaner will help remove thin amounts of build up.

Following using this solution, you will need to thoroughly flush the airbrush with clean water or else it will suds up when you try to use it again.

Normally I will just run deionized water with a small amount of a degreaser like Simple Green. The ultrasonic energy is more effective than a lot of the "friendly" paint strippers at removing paint - though much will depend on your specific machines capabilities. I have a commercial one which is designed for cleaning things like carburetors for cars and motorcycles as well as a smaller consumer grade one which is made for house wives to clean their necklaces and rings with. They both get the job done - but one will do it in a fraction of the time as the other.

Be careful if are considering using some other chemicals in the cleaner though. I recall in a lab safety class I had years ago, they showed a video of an ultrasonertor which had been filled with materials with a low vapor pressure (forget if it was alcohol or something like acetone...). Anyway, combined with the resulting explosive gas and the heat generated from the ultrasonerator itself - boom.

tdwg83 - Of course. I tried cleaning my airbrush a bit already by fully disassembling and placing the nozzle, needle and front half of the body in the cleaner. It had already been cleaned after my last use. I used mostly water with a touch of airbrush cleaner placed in. Afterwards I rinsed, and paper dried. It definitely helped loosen up some residual paint.

Sean_OBrien - Sounds good. I have a small home user cleaner, and I'm leery about putting anything in it besides basic, non-reactive solutions, which is partially why I started the thread. Nice nightmare scenario, by the way.

Funnily enough, I just got my first ultrasonic cleaner today.

Much like DreamKnight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_4XIoH3R1c) I use a dilute mix of windex with warm water.

I did my first 8-minute clean on my airbrushes this morning and it worked like a charm.

I've also used airbrush cleaner with a mix of water, works great on cleaning out the airbrush as well as making it look all shiny and clean
I've not used Simple Green on an airbrush, but I find it great for the work on cleaning figures.

I have a great ultrasonic cleaner from when I used to do jewelry work, have you guys ever used them to remove paint from minis after soaking them in a paint removing solution (such as simple green). I am sure the old white metal models will be fine in there but what are the effects of the ultrasonic on plastic or resin models?

I am just sick of scribing with a toothbrush and being unable to get all the paint out of the deep cracks.

I've heard that they can be used on plastic and resin models no problem. In fact, there was a YouTube video on it somewhere at some point.

As a side note, has anyone ever used White Vinegar in an ultrasonic cleaner before? To clean airbrushes that is... Just wondering as those of us in the UK do not have access to things like Windex.

Generally want to skip on acids like vinegar for the same reasons you will want to skip on ammonia on cleaning airbrushes. They will wear down the plating, which can lead to issues related to the fitment of the parts as well as the flow of air and paint (not to mention making cleaning harder in the future).

I have used vinegar in the past as well as some stronger acids and other then the strong odor - you don't have much to worry about in general...that is other than the basic concern for the plating which I have already mentioned.

I have a great ultrasonic cleaner from when I used to do jewelry work, have you guys ever used them to remove paint from minis after soaking them in a paint removing solution (such as simple green). I am sure the old white metal models will be fine in there but what are the effects of the ultrasonic on plastic or resin models?

It is actually the last step (or second to the last) when I am stripping pretty much anything. After hitting the item in question with my stripper of choice - I give it a quick rinse and then toss it in the ultrasonerator for a run through that. If you watch in the tank while it runs you can see the paint fall out of the cracks and crevices.

It works fine on metal and does not harm plastic or resin (notice - does not harm, not works fine). Again, the nature of the beast makes it somewhat less effective on stripping plastic and resin figures (with some resin being better or worse than regular hard plastic).

The reason is the wave energy doesn't transfer as efficiently into the softer materials like plastic so it doesn't start to shake off with as much enthusiasm. The paint will still come off - but it is a noticeable difference in how fast it comes off.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
Generally want to skip on acids like vinegar for the same reasons you will want to skip on ammonia on cleaning airbrushes. They will wear down the plating, which can lead to issues related to the fitment of the parts as well as the flow of air and paint (not to mention making cleaning harder in the future).

Ammonia as well? Interesting. I thought the Windex was a popular choice. I use screenwash myself. Thought as much for the vinegar. Thanks for clarifying.

While there is some contention regarding the actual harm done should you manage to strip the plating from the inside of your airbrush - the reality is that ammonia and most acids will strip the chrome plating from the inside of an airbrush (to include the use of Windex). Many swear up and down that it is not a problem. Every manufacturer I have spoken with or have heard speak out on the matter have voiced their opinion that the chrome is there for more than just to make it look cool.

With that in mind, I and several others in the Pro-Chrome camp feel it is just easier to use things which do not harm the finish. There are plenty of cheap and easy to get cleaners which will not impact the plating at all - so why risk it?

For cleaning an airbrush or plastic/resin minis I would not use any kind of acidic solution, i would just use a detergent like dawn or fair liquid for you brits. I would only use the acidic solution on metal minis.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
There are plenty of cheap and easy to get cleaners which will not impact the plating at all

What cleaner's would you suggest?

Like I said - normally just a degreaser like Simple Green.

Most the cleaning actually gets done with the cavitation of the water. The degreaser just helps to lift at the edges and remove any oils and what not as well as to act as a surfactant to reduce the surface tension (which also helps to lift debris).

Thank you for all of the suggestions.

Curious about the Windex discussion though. Is there a disconnect between ammonia based and non-ammonia based window cleaners? Windex brand I believe offers both.

Yes, Windex offers cleaners both with and without ammonia, and I highly doubt you'd be able to see any difference in quality for our purposes. So you're safe

+1 Simple Green. Gallon concentrated in the automotive isle at Walmart and at Home Depot.

 TheLionOfTheForest wrote:
I have a great ultrasonic cleaner from when I used to do jewelry work, have you guys ever used them to remove paint from minis after soaking them in a paint removing solution (such as simple green). I am sure the old white metal models will be fine in there but what are the effects of the ultrasonic on plastic or resin models?

I am just sick of scribing with a toothbrush and being unable to get all the paint out of the deep cracks.

For plastic and resin, they work fine with Simple Green. The only thing I've seen is that when I've tossed in some thin pieces in there, like wings and fancy scrolls coming off figures, they can get a bit rubbery and flex very easily. After you let them sit out and dry from a Simple Green bath, they get back to their normal state. I just wouldn't press too hard on anything without supporting them for fear of breaking anything though.