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Made in gb
Discriminating Deathmark Assassin






I've got some medium for mixing, but I'm not sure what to use to clean it. I tried windscreen washer fluid today. Didn't shift the bit of primer that had cured somewhat in the bowl very easily. What's everyone's suggestions? All the videos say use windex. Which you cant get in the uk without spending a fortune importing it from ebay (which id be nervous of anyway...)
   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran






Western Massachusetts

If you have some stubborn paint you can use rubbing alcohol. It should be able to free it up. Most of the time I use Iwata's airbrush cleaner - http://amzn.to/1b7IWKV

   
Made in gb
Plummeting Black Templar Thunderhawk Pilot





Wisbech

Fairy power spray. I usually spend a good hour or two with a cup full of it, just easing the needle back and forth, letting the power spray flow through the brush without any airflow. Usually does the trick.
   
Made in gb
Secretive Dark Angels Veteran



UK - Warwickshire

I'm not sure tbh, but doesn't power spray corrode the chrome?

Most window cleaners are bad for that, the vinegar that is the surfactant in them does bad things to airbrushes.
Automotive glass cleaner is the way to go with those.

Depending on the seals in the airbrush, they might be more solvent resistant, mine are ptfe in my Harder& Steenbeck Evolution Silverline, so I get to use harsher solvents to clean, or spray paints with harsher thinners (maybe car paint). Acetone does a good job of cleaning tough bits. 99%IPA does a good job most of the time.

I never really soak it, theres no need to with acetone... a light scrub with an old paintbrush lifts off just about everything.

'Ain't nothing crazy about me but my brain. Right brain? Riight! No not you right brain! Right left brain? Right!... Okay then lets do this!! 
   
Made in ca
Regular Dakkanaut





Ottawa, Canada

It's not acetic acid (vinegar is 5% by volume) that damages chrome but ammonia that is in window cleaners. I don't know what concentrations are in the products in the UK but here in Canada/USA Windex has 0.05% ammonia since 1989 (4% ammonia prior to that). It's too little to do much damage to anything.
I only know this because ammonia is used to clean corrosive salt from firearms left from communist surplus ammo. Lots of people use Windex but it's pretty much the same as using soap and water now a days.

Personally I use acetone to clean my airbrush. You could also use fingernail polish remover since it's the same thing. It evaporates very quickly (faster than rubbing alcohol) and is a stronger solvent. I clean the bowl with either a paper towel dipped in acetone or a Q-Tip (cotton swab) dipped in it. I clean the needle channel with a craft store pipe cleaner soaked in acetone. I firmly pull at the ends of the pipe cleaners to get all the loose fibres off first.

Since using acetone at the end of each painting session (I use plain old tap water in between colours) my airbrush has been running far more reliably. I'm using a cheaper model Iwata (Revolution I think) that is all stainless so there is no plastic to get eaten by the acetone. There is a rubber o-ring in the brass fixture inside the air stem but so long as the button isn't pushed down it wont get damaged by the acetone. Even if it does o-rings are $.25 at the hardware store. If you have plastic parts on your airbrush that you can't remove to clean separately I wouldn't use this method.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/11/05 04:35:46


 
   
Made in gb
Discriminating Deathmark Assassin






Thanks for all the responses, guys. Useful.
   
Made in au
Mighty Chosen Warrior of Chaos





Australia

put it up really high PSI put some Vallejo cleaner in there let it sit for like 30seconds then try and spray it out. As it will break it down. Doesnt work use the tip cleaner thing.

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Made in gb
Raging-on-the-Inside Blood Angel Sergeant





http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vallejo-Model-200ml-Airbrush-Cleaner/dp/B002X6BNYQ

I use this, It removes paint really well.

d-usa wrote:Orks are the GW version of R2D2. No matter how advanced the defenses may be, there is always an open serial port somewhere that can be pluged into and a firewall that was never configured.
 
   
Made in us
Druid Warder





central florida

You could use 90% isopropyl alcohol. It works well when cleaning acrylic .

DA:70S+G-M+B++I++++Pwmhd06#+D++A++/hWD199R++T(M)DM+

Big Guns Tutorial

Skarpteef's How to's on Orkiness 
   
 
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