Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I bought a Badger Renegade Krome as my first air brush, and wow has this thing been a pain in the ass for me. It frequently clogs despite the fact that I clean it every 5 minutes, and when it's not clogged it splatters and totally ruins what I'm working on. I use the TC908 Aspire air compressor. I spray at a steady 20 PSI and use Vallejo Model Air, with a 50/50 paint/thinner ratio.

Things I've tried: I use q-tips dipped in pure acetone to clean out the paint cup. I also use pure acetone to clean the needle, and dip the needle cap in it to clean it as well. I use Vallejo Airbrush Thinner and Badger Airbrush Cleaner. I don't release the trigger before bringing it forward for air first.

Seriously, any help would be appreciated. I'm about ready to pack it up and keep it in the closet forever.

EDIT: some further developments, just adding them to the original post: I did notice something else that might help somebody narrow down my problem. When it gets clogged, I can pull the trigger all the way back and get air. But, when I bring the trigger BACK down, I get a LITTLE bit of paint out of the brush.

My spray is also really thin. Like, I have the trigger pulled all the way back and I'm barely getting any paint. Occasionally, the air brush will return to what I think is a normal spray and I get good coverage even with the trigger halfway up, but it quickly goes back to a very weak spray of paint.

Also, I don't know if this is a common problem, but is it normal in the course of spraying to get a thick gob of half dried paint on one of the arms of the needle guard? This has happened to me a few times now, where I'm spraying and suddenly I get splatter. I examine the nozzle and find some dry paint has spontaneously appeared on the needle guard. How do I stop this from happening?

I was, and still sort of am, in the same boat. A new airbrush user struggling with spidering, random blasts of air/paint that ruin what I'm working on, etc.

I've found the hardest thing to master was thinning the paint properly and the PSI. I'm still struggling with it and rarely finish a model completely with my airbrush, typically I'll do only a couple of areas of a model then tap out before I blow it, and finish the other areas with a brush.

Basically, you're not alone in this, the learning curve with airbrushes seems to be high for most people. Chin up, and don't pack it away forever, you'll eventually get much better. I hope the more experienced folks here can help you, because I know I haven't. LOL.

Good luck, friend.

Could you have bent the tip?

You sound like you're doing everything right.

Does it behave similarly if you are just spraying water at paper?

I haven't tried spraying water on paper. I did notice something else that might help somebody narrow down my problem. When it gets clogged, I can pull the trigger all the way back and get air. But, when I bring the trigger BACK down, I get a LITTLE bit of paint out of the brush.

My spray is also really thin. Like, I have the trigger pulled all the way back and I'm barely getting any paint. Occasionally, the air brush will return to what I think is a normal spray and I get good coverage even with the trigger halfway up, but it quickly goes back to a very weak spray of paint.

Also, I don't know if this is a common problem, but is it normal in the course of spraying to get a thick gob of half dried paint on one of the arms of the needle guard? This has happened to me a few times now, where I'm spraying and suddenly I get splatter. I examine the nozzle and find some dry paint has spontaneously appeared on the needle guard. How do I stop this from happening?

I take my needle gaurd off while spraying, actually.

Not what it was designed for, but I do notice less spattering.

Ok, model air 50/50 with thinner is VERY thin. That isn't in and of itself a problem, but it is going to make spidering, splattering etc a much more likely thing to happen. Model Air doesn't really need thinner at all, but 4:1 paint to thinner is probably as thin as you'll need.

Secondly, your brush is probably dirty. I started out with a cheap Chinese brush, so not great instructions, but found things to clean I'd been unaware of some three months down the line. This isn't personal, but as a beginner, I guarantee you haven't cleaned the brush half as well as you think. Might I suggest a set of airbrush cleaner brushes? I seem to remember something about Badger not recommending them, but a small amount of paint adhering to the inside of the brush will act like a grain of sand creating a "pearl" of paint, which will ultimately reach critical mass, break off and clog your nozzle.

So yeah, don't go quite as mad thinning, and make super, extra special sure the brush is totally clean, using pipe cleaners or brushes to make sure, and a lot of your issues should resolve.

Thanks azreal, I just bought a set of air brush brush cleaners on ebay for $5.00. Guess I'll wait it out and see if they fix my problem. Any other cleaning tips? I can't afford an ultrasonic cleaner, and I'm kinda hoping I won't need one if I get the brushes.

Be careful!

Airbrush needles are both delicate and sharp, stabbing oneself is both painful, and can result in needing a replacement.

The nozzle on my brush (which is cheap Chinese, like I said) is made of a very soft brass type metal, I've destroyed two by overtightening when reassembling after cleaning, it might not be an issue with your 'proper' brush, but a component that small can only be so strong.

If you've not stripped the brush completely before, I suggest you do so carefully, and probably over a cloth or towel with plenty of space to prevent any small pieces falling to the floor.

Don't be too vigorous, gentle agitation with the brushes and some cleaner (I'd use a proper cleaner myself, but I don't think acetone should be an issue, other than being noxious and smelly, but I'd take some time to verify) as if you start to scratch up the chrome coating then ultimately your brush will be useless.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If you're diligent about cleaning the brush regularly, you shouldn't need an ultrasonic, just don't give paint chance to dry for very long inside the mechanism, if you're stopping working for even a little while, empty the paint out and flush water through until clear, and do a proper strip down clean regularly, after every session if possible.

 azreal13 wrote:
Be careful!

Airbrush needles are both delicate and sharp, stabbing oneself is both painful, and can result in needing a replacement.

The nozzle on my brush (which is cheap Chinese, like I said) is made of a very soft brass type metal, I've destroyed two by overtightening when reassembling after cleaning, it might not be an issue with your 'proper' brush, but a component that small can only be so strong.

If you've not stripped the brush completely before, I suggest you do so carefully, and probably over a cloth or towel with plenty of space to prevent any small pieces falling to the floor.

Don't be too vigorous, gentle agitation with the brushes and some cleaner (I'd use a proper cleaner myself, but I don't think acetone should be an issue, other than being noxious and smelly, but I'd take some time to verify) as if you start to scratch up the chrome coating then ultimately your brush will be useless.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If you're diligent about cleaning the brush regularly, you shouldn't need an ultrasonic, just don't give paint chance to dry for very long inside the mechanism, if you're stopping working for even a little while, empty the paint out and flush water through until clear, and do a proper strip down clean regularly, after every session if possible.

What would you consider a proper cleaner? Do you mean actual airbrush cleaner? Cause I have Badger airbrush cleaner, but it doesn't seem to do as well a job as the acetone.

That's because it isn't as strong a solvent. Honestly though, I've never found an occasion where my Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner hasn't been sufficient to remove any paint residue, if you're being forced to resort to acetone, you're probably not cleaning it well/often enough, and accumulating dried paint certainly explains the difficulties you're experiencing.

Alright, thanks for your help man. I'll give the brushes a go when I get them.

Good luck!

Do you find thinning the VMA is necessary? It is specifically designed to be shot straight, so I am curious what inspires you to thin it. I've never thinned any and do not have a history with the issues you are having. I am aware many add thinner to VMA, but 50/50 ratio for a paint line designed to work out of the bottle seems excessive.

Does the paint bubble in the cup when you try to spray?

Do you vigorously mix your paint?

[Mostly unrelated Vallejo Model Air shake advice: Rolling it in your palm vigorously instead of shaking it like a drumstick will minimize the amount of paint frothing under the closed cap when you open a mostly-full squeeze dropper after mixing.]

When you turn up the pressure a little bit, does the spidering/splatter still happen? If it doesn't, do you find the higher pressure sacrifices the level of detail you are attempting?

You have not soaked the whole airbrush in the acetone, correct?

For cleaning, here's something I find convenient:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lab-Tattoo-Supplies-Nalgene-Wash-squirt-Bottle-500ml-16oz-no-spray-Squeeze-303-/231246515636?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item35d75dcdb4

I use that to flush the AB cup right at my workbench over a plastic cup filled with paper towels.

This is also convenient to ensure you've cleared the gun of color.

http://www.iwata-medea.com/products/accessories/table-top-cleaning-station/

Sounds like your issues are deeper than a typical issue of tip-dry, but some points for later...

Tip-dry can be subdued but never completely eradicated. It is an ever-present aspect of the hobby regardless of the gun, paint or technique. I use Redgab Needle Juice to lube my needles, it works well enough to make it evident when I need to use more. Like Azreal13 says, this issue can be made almost non-existent with diligent cleaning.

As for the cleaning brushes, be careful. The ones you likely bought are bristles adhered to a thin metal wire that was twisted, sheared and left sharp. The point is sharp enough to scar the finish of your cup, compromise your seals and gouge your nozzle. I know, because I bought 5-dollar ones and carelessly scratched the inside of my cup a dozen times before noticing. Fortunately, I caused no significant damage elsewhere.

Now I use only a stiff, thick, cheap brush to clean the cup and the chamber below it.

Here's a decently powerful, heated, modestly priced ultrasonic cleaner you can pick up for about $26 with the ubiquitous coupons:

http://www.harborfreight.com/ultrasonic-cleaner-3305.html

I wish I'd sprung for the larger cleaner on HF, but there's no shame or regret in using this one, outside of an irritatingly short cycle you must start again and again. But you don't want your airbrush fully soaking in any solvents for long periods, as doing so risks compromising the seals on some airbrushed from some brands.

I fill mine with half bottled water and half Iwata cleaner, which I think is probably innocuous enough, but I have an expensive AB I don't wish to risk.

The other thing you might want to consider is getting some needle juice, to lube the needle tip.

Other than that, a complete breakdown of your airbrush, and an overnight soak in metho spirits will soften any accumulated, hardened paint, and let you scrub it out easier.

so... a few tips. 1. get a respirator. After you are done with your session, or if it gets clogged, run hot soapy water through it WEAR A RESPIRATOR. Aerosol soap is worse for you than paint. Make sure the water is hot. super hot. When you park your brush, run some soap through it and leave it sit that way. Before you start again, run water through to clean out the soap. You can use regular liquid dish soap for this. I like cascade.

2. if you are getting a paint clog on one tip off your guard, there is a very strong chance you bent the needle and need to replace it.

The "I get a spurt off paint every time I first pull back the handle and then it stops" tells me 100% your brush has dried paint in it. running lots of hot soapy water through it, followed by a complete breakdown and cleaning, and then repeat the process until while aiming your brush in your sink, while running the hot soapy water through, pulling back and forth on the handle does not yield even 1 tiny spec off paint, or tinted water on the sink (preferably aluminium, as it's easier to see the tint).


Welcome to airbrushing. Where cleaning your brush is even more important than it is with hair brushes, and has to be done more frequently. (I take the paint cup off my brush and run hot water through it every 3-5 minutes, until I get no more tint. That prevents the problem you are having from starting).

Good lluck.

K, I took apart more of the air brush than I had before. Took out what I think is the nozzle (the TINY little needle at the very end), and found an absolute tonne of dried up paint on the inside. I soaked it in pure acetone and used my hobby knife to gently scrape out what was inside.

Looking into the body of the air brush itself, I can definitely see more dried up paint inside but the hole is so small I really don't think I'll be able to get in there without the brush cleaners. It at least feels like I'm making progress now though.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Good to hear that the most obvious cause was indeed the cause!

Once you've got it all clean and shiny again, try and keep the brush working as much as possible whenever you're painting, leaving it to sit, perhaps while doing other jobs like masking up or similar, will give paint a chance to dry.

If you anticipate not using it for more than a minute or two, empty of paint and flush through with water (I've even used thinner or cleaner if it was closer to hand)

I think nearly every new airbrusher goes through the "oh, I thought I was cleaning it, but now I realise I wasn't" phase, so I guess you can consider it a step forward in your airbrushing career!

Instead of the wire brush cleaner you purchased, I have used these for years with no damage to my airbrushes.. The 1.0mm size and 2mm size allow me to get into all places in my airbrush. I have used them with acetone, mineral spirits, lacquer thinner, mek.. So they are pretty resilient to chemicals..

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0095p?FVPROFIL=&FVSEARCH=%3Cb%3Emicrobr%3C%2Fb%3Eush

The nozzle seems to be an often overlooked source of problems when one is starting out.

I would say, NEVER use anything sharp on the inside of the nozzle. Worst case you damage the fit of the needle and the nozzle is useless. Another bad scenario is that there are damages that paint get lodged in and thus making quickclean when switching paints harder.

Anyways, my suggestion is using a wooden toothpick (and cleaner) to clear out the nozzle. Around here we have both the round ones that are a bit more sturdy and allows you to work the inside and get most paint out. Then there are also thin squarish ones that with a little pressure actual can go through the nozzle. Thus you can get all small residues out without risk of of damaging the metal since the wood is so soft.

Hi mate,

Revell do something called Painta clean. I have the same airbrush as you, whenever I finish using it I firstly give them a good wash with hot water. Then use normall airbrush cleaner to run through it. The Painta clean will get rid of any other more stubborn paint that isn't already gone by this stage.

This involves taking the airbrush completely apart, but I've had mine about a year now and this keeps it working well. It's a great bit of kit, one of the best brushes on the market.

Oh, and the airbrush cleaning brushes will help no end.

 creeping-deth87 wrote:
K, I took apart more of the air brush than I had before. Took out what I think is the nozzle (the TINY little needle at the very end), and found an absolute tonne of dried up paint on the inside. I soaked it in pure acetone and used my hobby knife to gently scrape out what was inside.

Looking into the body of the air brush itself, I can definitely see more dried up paint inside but the hole is so small I really don't think I'll be able to get in there without the brush cleaners. It at least feels like I'm making progress now though.

Thanks everyone for your help.

As suggested, the nozzle is an often-overlooked part that actually is a major source of clogs.
For the Krome, I suggest using a sewing needle to clean it out (very gently). Insert the needle, and twist it around until you see the tip of the needle come out. You will often see paint residue being pushed out.
As I said, do not use force, just gentle motions will do the trick.
A wooden toothpick is a great idea, but the Krome's nozzle is a bit too small for that.

Also use care with the brushes when cleaning the body. Slow and gentle will get it done without damaging any seals Inside.

You really also want to avoid using things like acitone if you can. It will erode the finish, and you will end up with much faster, much worse clogs in the future.

Acetone may also eat any rubber bits, such as gaskets, when you're soaking your parts. If your airbrush has them, make sure you remove them before soaking. So far I've found that flushing the airbrush plenty of airbrush cleaner and hot soapy water for soaking parts when necessary has done the job for me. I also get tip dry, and sometimes I just have to pull the needle out and quickly wipe it down in the middle of a session.

How far from the item are you spraying? what psi and model size and how are you cleaning it?

Yep, definetley dont use anything sharp to clean the tip or nozzle, thats a must. Check the needle tip hasn't bent, airbrush needles being so small it can be bent very fractionally at the tip, so slight you may not notice unless you look hard, a bent needle will definetley stuff up your flow in the way you described.
One other thing tou can do to keep your kit from clogging during paint, between colours, or during if you need to, place your finger over the end of the airbrush making an airtight seal (END CAP MUST BE ON, DONT TOUCH THE NEEDLE) and pull the trigger so airflow reverses back up into the pot, this can give you a quick unblock as needed to get through. Do this a couple of times while painting as needed, preferably with water or cleaner, not a pot full of paint, but if your halfway through a colour shoot and you dont want to take it apart, try that and might get you out of trouble. Cant stress enough though, dont touch the end of your needles.

FleshTearer5000 wrote:
Yep, definetley dont use anything sharp to clean the tip or nozzle, thats a must. Check the needle tip hasn't bent, airbrush needles being so small it can be bent very fractionally at the tip, so slight you may not notice unless you look hard, a bent needle will definetley stuff up your flow in the way you described.
One other thing tou can do to keep your kit from clogging during paint, between colours, or during if you need to, place your finger over the end of the airbrush making an airtight seal (END CAP MUST BE ON, DONT TOUCH THE NEEDLE) and pull the trigger so airflow reverses back up into the pot, this can give you a quick unblock as needed to get through. Do this a couple of times while painting as needed, preferably with water or cleaner, not a pot full of paint, but if your halfway through a colour shoot and you dont want to take it apart, try that and might get you out of trouble. Cant stress enough though, dont touch the end of your needles.

+1

Just don't do this unless you have to. And if you find yourself having to often, clean more frequently. Also be leary if your paint pot doesn't have a top

Doing this *will* dry paint in the brush, (air rushing past thin lair of paint inside brush = dried paint) and clog it. so only do it if you intend to clean soon, and clean extra well afterwards.

When you have inconsistent flow problems ... ie... not as much paint comes out as it once did at different points of travel on the trigger.......it will be sludge in the nozzle that the needle passes through. I purchased an ultrasonic cleaner for $35. With hot water and a splash of Simple Green, it gets everything squeaky and back to new condition. I do a full clean such as this after completing a model. I think somewhere near the beginning, your brush was not cleaned fully and the subsequent attempts to correct the issue by thinning the paint further etc won't have much effect. If the path is blocked, you will have flow problems with everything after.

I also suggest back-flushing after use and between color changes. If you rinse out all the paint in the cup and then add some clean water, can block off the paint/air flow by putting a paper towel against the business end of the brush. When you add air flow, it redirects back into the cup which helps clean out the nozzle.

I have found that paint drying on the tip varies for different colors and types of paint. Primer dries quick and will often build on the needle tip. Colors such as white also do this and I have had spatter issues with it. I paint without the needle protector cap so I can pinch off the dried paint with my fingers. I am extra careful not to ding the brush and the exposed needle tip.

+1 to back flushing. I forgot what the process was called, but I usually do it every time I'm done with a session.

Alright this is the final update. I caved and bought an ultrasonic cleaner and this has made all the difference. The air brush runs real smooth now. I unfortunately had to put it in there between a colour change as well, I guess I'm still learning the finer points of using it. Anyway, thanks to everyone for their help!