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Airbrush experts help!

Getting bubbles in paint pot.
Tried everything from total cleaning down to over-tightening (ended up breaking nozzle treads) Got new nozzles now, but cant figure out what is wrong.

Both of the O-rings, one of nozzle and other on nob look good no damage or scratches.
The air flow backs up after installing that front nob with big O-ring, but it is clean, and I can see through the tiny holes clearly.
The only thing that I can think of, is that I must of washed out a third O-ring during cleaning and didn't notice it; That suppose to go between the nob the the body?

Is there suppose to be a third O-ring where I drew the (#2) ?

Not an expert by any means but I'll have a go...

I'm struggling to match your pictures to the slightly minimalist documentation on the GSW airbrush:
https://www.greenstuffworld.com/img/cms/Print/AIRBRUSH%20booklet.pdf

But I don't think there should be an O ring there.

From your picture on the top-right, it looks like you have some gunk in the screw thread on the nozzle cap. Try giving that a damn good clean. Check the bit it screws in to on the body of the airbrush as well.

It also looks like there is a hole at the base of that same screw thread. Is that meant to be there? It might be the air path. Or is there a hole through the screw thread in to the paint path?

If air is coming up into the paint pot, you definitely have a plug somewhere, most likely toward the nozzle. If you hold you finger over the nozzle and try to spray, you will get the backflow of air into the cup, which is useful when doing a quick clean so the cleaner goes back and forth as you hold and release the tip. Could be some paint clogging the air holes at the end of the nozzle causing the backflow and it could be deep inside. Try soaking you nozzle in some thinner to dissolve and paint.

Try and back flow it.
Fill your pot with rubbing alcohol, spray it into a paper towel, to get it damp.
Pull back on the needle.
Press the tip into the damp paper towel and pushing the trigger.

Might be a solid piece lodged in there.

I have never worked with a GSW airbrush, but that looks like a lot of room of errors with all those seals on there.
I would suggest getting a bader 105 for your next brush or a sotar 20/20, they are work horse brushes and can take a beating.

Is the tip of your needle straight? Alternatively, have you properly cleaned the needle? Just a tiny bit of gunk on three, sometimes even too small to see, can affect the airflow.

My reference was this

Crispy78 wrote:
Not an expert by any means but I'll have a go...

I'm struggling to match your pictures to the slightly minimalist documentation on the GSW airbrush:
https://www.greenstuffworld.com/img/cms/Print/AIRBRUSH%20booklet.pdf

But I don't think there should be an O ring there.

From your picture on the top-right, it looks like you have some gunk in the screw thread on the nozzle cap. Try giving that a damn good clean. Check the bit it screws in to on the body of the airbrush as well.

It also looks like there is a hole at the base of that same screw thread. Is that meant to be there? It might be the air path. Or is there a hole through the screw thread in to the paint path?

Ah thank you for the diagram! my kit came in with simple instructions on how to attach and charge the battery only.
Yes there are no "seals" that I might of accidentally washed out. Just 2 O-rings one on #2 and other on #4 from diagram.

From my picture its not gunk, just minor thin staining from a previous test that shouldn't affect thread seal at all, but I cleaned it just for you surprise surprise no difference. From my research those holes are for Air flow, and yes they are all clean too. As is the nozzle cap, as is the needle.

Bubbles in the paint cup, nothing comes-out but air from the tip.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 MDSW wrote:
If air is coming up into the paint pot, you definitely have a plug somewhere, most likely toward the nozzle. If you hold you finger over the nozzle and try to spray, you will get the backflow of air into the cup, which is useful when doing a quick clean so the cleaner goes back and forth as you hold and release the tip. Could be some paint clogging the air holes at the end of the nozzle causing the backflow and it could be deep inside. Try soaking you nozzle in some thinner to dissolve and paint.

From my reference video the guys said the bubbles are from air leaks not blocks. Well, look at the images, there are only 3 holes in that piece and all are clear.
I can't soak the pieces because pieces have rubber O-rings on them that will dissolve in 70% rubbing alcohol. If I will destroy the O-rings I might as well just buy a new airbrush because GreenStuff world does not sell replacement Teflon type seal kits or tiny O-rings.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Backspacehacker wrote:
Try and back flow it.
Fill your pot with rubbing alcohol, spray it into a paper towel, to get it damp.
Pull back on the needle.
Press the tip into the damp paper towel and pushing the trigger.

Might be a solid piece lodged in there.

I have never worked with a GSW airbrush, but that looks like a lot of room of errors with all those seals on there.
I would suggest getting a bader 105 for your next brush or a sotar 20/20, they are work horse brushes and can take a beating.

Can't do that
Nothing sprays out at all. Just air and bubbles in the cup. Pulling back needle does nothing, Just air and bubbles in the cup.
I think I will have to get a bader or a sotar.
From my research O-rings are on cheaper airbrushes, better airbrushes have Teflon type seals instead. Live and learn lolz





Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Flinty wrote:
Is the tip of your needle straight? Alternatively, have you properly cleaned the needle? Just a tiny bit of gunk on three, sometimes even too small to see, can affect the airflow.

It is strait. Yes needle is clean, I hope I don't have to post proof pictures of a strait clean needle tip.
The airflow I has! in the front and the back into the cup.

Yeah one of the hardest lessons about this is, when it comes to arbrushing, you get what you put in.

I would strongly suggest if you are new to airbrushing, get a badger 105 its like 70 or 80 bucks and they are amazing airbrushes and put in work.

Something you can try is to improve the seal on the screw threads. Try using a small amount of thin PTFE tape around the screw threads, or rub them with a small amount of wax. Also check all the O rings are clean and are seated correctly, and that everything is done up tight enough - after accidentally shearing off a nozzle maybe you're doing it up slightly too loosely?

When you are testing and getting bubbles - is that with paint, or are you trying with just water or airbrush cleaner in the cup? If you haven't tried that yet, try that. Especially with airbrush cleaner. Backflowing with cleaner was mentioned above as something to try - and if your airbrush isn't spraying anything out and is just bubbling in the cup then it's pretty much backflowing already... But if you cover up the end of the airbrush (Backspacehacker mentioned damp paper towel, I tend to mould blutack round the end, covering up all the holes) you will force the air to flow back down the nozzle and you may find it dislodges something that is in the way.

This explains why you get bubbles in the cup and what to do about it pretty well...

https://www.airbrushmodeler.com/why-airbrush-bubble/

Kind of a dumb question but - has this airbrush ever worked properly, or has it been doing this since it arrived?

Since you floated it, I can't recommend the Badger 105 enough, specially for novices. The Sotar is also great but I would start with a 105; it is much more of a general purpose brush. I own both and I use the 105 constantly and the Sotar rarely.

As stated by Crispy78, seal the threads, buy some airbrush lubricant.

Had the same problem and never thought that would be the problem. For me it solved it, hopefully for you too.

Crispy78 wrote:
Something you can try is to improve the seal on the screw threads. Try using a small amount of thin PTFE tape around the screw threads, or rub them with a small amount of wax. Also check all the O rings are clean and are seated correctly, and that everything is done up tight enough - after accidentally shearing off a nozzle maybe you're doing it up slightly too loosely?

When you are testing and getting bubbles - is that with paint, or are you trying with just water or airbrush cleaner in the cup? If you haven't tried that yet, try that. Especially with airbrush cleaner. Backflowing with cleaner was mentioned above as something to try - and if your airbrush isn't spraying anything out and is just bubbling in the cup then it's pretty much backflowing already... But if you cover up the end of the airbrush (Backspacehacker mentioned damp paper towel, I tend to mould blutack round the end, covering up all the holes) you will force the air to flow back down the nozzle and you may find it dislodges something that is in the way.

This explains why you get bubbles in the cup and what to do about it pretty well...

https://www.airbrushmodeler.com/why-airbrush-bubble/

I haz ze tape! Will try that for sure.
I'll double-triple check everything. Thank you!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ouze wrote:
Kind of a dumb question but - has this airbrush ever worked properly, or has it been doing this since it arrived?

Since you floated it, I can't recommend the Badger 105 enough, specially for novices. The Sotar is also great but I would start with a 105; it is much more of a general purpose brush. I own both and I use the 105 constantly and the Sotar rarely.

You know, I do not remember.
I think it was fine, but without a point of reference I can't trust my recollection because perhaps I though it was fine not knowing how it perhaps should of been working; and even if it had issues, I would of assumed it is due to wrongly thinned paints first before looking for problems with the tool. So Maybe.

Thanks for recommendation guys, Does 105 have the 02, 03, 05 ?
Btw my airbrush is 05


Automatically Appended Next Post:

MorglumNecksnapper wrote:

As stated by Crispy78, seal the threads, buy some airbrush lubricant.

Had the same problem and never thought that would be the problem. For me it solved it, hopefully for you too.

Thank you for pointing me in right direction.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Backspacehacker wrote:
Yeah one of the hardest lessons about this is, when it comes to arbrushing, you get what you put in.

I would strongly suggest if you are new to airbrushing, get a badger 105 its like 70 or 80 bucks and they are amazing airbrushes and put in work.

Now I heard not to buy airbrushes from amazon, because they do not test the returned pens and repackage and send them out.
Id rather not go to amazon for other reasons too. Where do you guys get yours?

Yeah, amazon.

Or you can order directly from badger USA, the company that makes them. I have done that a few times, takes a bit longer but you order it from them directly.

THANK Y'ALL FOR HELP!

Took a while, but I managed to wrap all threads with PTFE tape and it worked, Zero bubbles and good spray.
That means that O-rings are poop and I will have to re-tape every time after cleaning, Or that there is a crack in nozzlecap that I can't see with my headband magnifier, and also re-tape every time after cleaning.

Will see if I can get a more permanent seal solution from recommended things, and
I will be getting badger 105, but at least now I can continue airbrushing!
@Backspacehacker, Id rather avoid amazon and will order directly, thanks!

 Mothsniper wrote:
THANK Y'ALL FOR HELP!

Took a while, but I managed to wrap all threads with PTFE tape and it worked, Zero bubbles and good spray.
That means that O-rings are poop and I will have to re-tape every time after cleaning, Or that there is a crack in nozzlecap that I can't see with my headband magnifier, and also re-tape every time after cleaning.

Will see if I can get a more permanent seal solution from recommended things, and
I will be getting badger 105, but at least now I can continue airbrushing!
@Backspacehacker, Id rather avoid amazon and will order directly, thanks!

Could be that the surface the O-ring mates onto is scratched or not flat or something like that which is stopping the O-ring from sealing.

That said, one of my older airbrushes the O-ring completely died (turned into a pancake then torn apart) and it still somehow seals okay.

 Mothsniper wrote:
THANK Y'ALL FOR HELP!

Took a while, but I managed to wrap all threads with PTFE tape and it worked, Zero bubbles and good spray.
That means that O-rings are poop and I will have to re-tape every time after cleaning, Or that there is a crack in nozzlecap that I can't see with my headband magnifier, and also re-tape every time after cleaning.

Will see if I can get a more permanent seal solution from recommended things, and
I will be getting badger 105, but at least now I can continue airbrushing!
@Backspacehacker, Id rather avoid amazon and will order directly, thanks!

Glad to hear it worked out, and totally understand wanting to avoid amazon, if you can hold out i would strongly suggest waiting for the badger birthday sale. The owner of badger is like a 100% bro, and on his birthday every year, he does a airbrush sale where the price of almost any brush is equal to his age, i think last year i got brushes for like 55 bucks or something.

So you can pick up really solid brushes like the sotar 20/20 which once you get the hang of airbrushing with a .5mm brush you can go to the sotar, and get it for like 50 bucks, just note the lead times are quite long, i got mine like 3 months later. Definitely a fire and forget kind of purchase.

I should mention that although you get a great deal on the Badger birthday sale, the shipping on those is s l o w. If you are patient, it is worthwhile, I've done it twice and always eventually been satisfied.

If you want to avoid Amazon, I can recommend the following:

midwestairbrush.com

usaairbrushsupply.com

coastairbrush.com



I have been happy with all of those sites in the past.

I have no problem waiting.
Do most of my shopping on Ali anyways with same mentality, buy and forget about it.

With stupid lockdowns this airbrush from GreenStuffWorld took 3 months to arrive (sat for 2 months in Norway warehouse lolz).

Birthday sale?
Whhaaaaat! no way, that is badass! Question is, when is his birthday?! Muhahahaa

Thanks guys!

Last one was January 13th I believe.

Interesting... very interesting.