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.

Hey folks, I have just got myself an airbrush kit and have been reading/watching many tutorials on their useage. A good few of these tutorials have advised using an Ultrasonic cleaner to wash/clean your brush after use and it sprung to mind just how handy these devices are in our hobby. Not only can you use them for the cleaning of the airbrush and its bits and pieces but it can be used to strip paint from miniatures (with the correct cleaning solution) also another thing that I have just tried out a few minutes ago was to clean up my mini hobby files. I only bought these a few months back- and I was noticing that they were not a good as they were- surely not wear and tear already? Then I thought to stick them in the sonic with some detergent and they have come out like new. Another handy application! have you guys any more sonic cleaner tips?

I would try those files properly and possibly oil then or put some rust inhibitor.

Its honestly excessive to break down and dunk your airbrush after every use. once in like a month or two is fine or if it gets realllly gunky.

Striping paint is though.

 Desubot wrote:
I would try those files properly and possibly oil then or put some rust inhibitor.

Its honestly excessive to break down and dunk your airbrush after every use. once in like a month or two is fine or if it gets realllly gunky.

Striping paint is though.

I'm not sure I'd ever suggest dunking the entire airbrush in an ultrasonic cleaner, unless you've left it forever uncleaned. Isopropyl is hard on the O-Rings, and they're silly expensive to replace.

However, I think it's pretty easy and quick to disassemble all the front end pieces (which are what get the accumulation anyhow). The tip/nozzle assembly, and crown -- usually 3-4 small pieces. If you keep them pristine, there's no need to ever do a big cleaning. Since there are no rubber pieces in these assemblies, you can let them sit in isopropyl as long as you want (even to the next airbrush session).

For my airbrush body, when I'm done, I remove the needle from the front, clean it, slide it through a second time, run the airbrush through running water under the tap, and give it a once-over with a pipe cleaner and let dry. The whole process isn't even 5 minutes. Really, if you use a pipe cleaner on the head pieces, I don't even think the ultrasonic makes much of a difference. Since I like to let my tip soak in alcohol for a bit to make sure nothing accumulates though, I drop it in there (whether it's in an ultrasonic cleaner or a small jar, not really any difference in work.

Really, the only wear on my airbrushes after years are scratches in the cup (from metal on paintbrushes that I use to stir/mix/clean/etc.).

I discovered the files in the ultrasonic trick the other week - it's amazing how it gets the gunk out of them.

My current favourite thing is cleaning minis just before priming, just dump them in and let the machine get to work.

I need to consider one of these... can they be had cheap / just any old brand, or do you need to be more particular?

they vary in price depending on size, if you want to strip infantry or smaller models you could get away with a jewelry cleaner for around $100.

The one i went for is a 6L tank with a built in valve for easy draining, that set me back $300. The interior is large enough that i can strip Land Raiders whole or even a whole Baneblade if the side sponsons are removed.

I bought a used Dark Eldar army last year and took it out of the back, picked out the models that were based and dropped the rest into the tank. in less than an hour i had stripped about 40 infantry, 3 reavers, 3 raiders and a razorwing.

i just used google to search for 6L ultrasonic cleaner, you will find the ones that are imported from China with terrible instructions. I really recommend one with a valve.

You can get a pretty cheap one from harbor freight. + coopins help.

If my AB gets particularly chunky i usually dismantle the tip and the front end. occasional the needle. If not a quick whip up with iso works perfect for daily use.

But iv seen some older advice saying just put ALL the parts in. (which is what i was protesting)

 RiTides wrote:
I need to consider one of these... can they be had cheap / just any old brand, or do you need to be more particular?

Get it for your wife for cleaning jewelry...than borrow it.

Mine actually gets a fair amount of use - though not normally for my airbrushes. From time to time, I will get one so gummed up with paint - that I can't even begin to get it apart. Toss the whole thing in and let it work for a bit. You will actually see bits of paint coming out of all the orifices of the brush.

Mostly I use them for cleaning and stripping - mostly just cleaning though - models. Bath of Simple Green or even deionized water will do a good job of cleaning up some of the messiest casts with little to no effort on my part. Also handy when cleaning engine/transmission parts, provided you get one with a large enough bath. The downside with large baths is...well, they are large. Takes a good bit of fluid to fill my largest one (can almost fit a short block in it), but I have a smaller one that only takes about a cup to fill up.

The big thing to remember when using them is to keep everything off the actual bath itself. Use the basket - if you lost the basket...get a new one. The ultrasonic generators are relatively low energy, and it doesn't take much to deaden their transmission through the metal of the bath. Provided that you do that - they are pretty safe to use on almost any non-porous material (many porous materials will be torn apart by the same process that causes cavitation in the liquid).

How do you guys go about swapping solutions?

I like swapping between isopropanol and simple green, but it is such a pain.

Anyone got a magic idea?

kb_lock wrote:
How do you guys go about swapping solutions?

I like swapping between isopropanol and simple green, but it is such a pain.

Anyone got a magic idea?

Don't switch...

Use distilled water in the main bath.

Use a beaker tray to hold your actual objects to be cleaned. Fill the beakers with either iso or Simple Green. Swap them out as needed...

Once the energy is transmitted into the outer bath - it is able to continue through metal and glass containers very well. Solid containers for indirect cleaning are pretty easy to come by - though if you have a jewelry cleaner as opposed to an industrial cleaner, you will likely have to get a little creative in the actual suspension of those containers (mine came with a couple of different baskets for various purposes).

If you Google "indirect ultrasonic cleaning" it should put you on the right path. Not quite as efficient as an open basket with direct cleaning...but a lot less work to switch solutions.

You are my hobby hero Sean, I hope you realise that.

Thanks for your help!