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Hi there,

FW inks are commonly highly recommended on the internet for airbrushing, and I picked some up a while ago to experiment with. I've liked what I've seen with them in small, short uses, but I am greatly struggling with trip dry and clogging in my airbrush when I try to use it longer when batch painting or larger models.

I've got an Iwata Eclipse and usually spray at 15-20 PSI. I've tried the inks straight out of the pot (shaken up, ofc), and also with distilled water added. I've also tried using some Vallejo retarder medium. No luck -- after a couple of models it starts drying on the tip and in the airbrush pot/tubes. I usually have to disassemble and run it through the ultrasonic cleaner.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a way around it, if so? I have wondered if the air in the area I'm working in -- which is just in my house -- is too dry and causing it to dry too fast? Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!

I've done a little airbrushing with white inks, and whilst I've not done any batch painting or large models, it does definitely seem to want to dry on the tipe a lot more readily than acrylic paints do.

Again, I've never done any large projects with it so I've not got much wisdom to share, but I just stick to small amounts in the cup at a time and keep the needle well greased.

Vince Venturella, on YouTube, uses the Vallejo airbrush thinner even with the FW inks through an airbrush. I think he even mentioned he never goes below 1:1 ink to thinner. Might be something to try.

shmvo wrote:
keep the needle well greased.

I've never heard of this before! you should grease the needle? What with, the silicone grease for the o-rings that they give you?

 H wrote:
Vince Venturella, on YouTube, uses the Vallejo airbrush thinner even with the FW inks through an airbrush. I think he even mentioned he never goes below 1:1 ink to thinner. Might be something to try.

Interesting -- I've only watched his one video where he does the high level review of them, and I don't believe he mentions it there. The inks are already so thin and flowy this seems counterintuitive -- do you remember what that video is in? I'd be interested in hearing more.

Okay, here are a few things to look for:

- Ensure the needle is straight, any slight bend and you will get tip dry like crazy.
- I use Badger "Needle Juice" to help keep stuff sticking to the needle. Silicone and paint is a very bad combination: you want paint to stick, silicone is a severely bad contaminant.
- Sometimes the needle can be a bit rough catching the paint, a light buffing could help but extreme care must be given to polish it without damage and keeping it round (cone).
- Try a little less air pressure, that may assist a bit: psi=>wider spray, psi=<finer line though.
- You could try a air-flow valve to throttle things a bit and see if that helps.
- Some "Slo-dry" added to the ink/paint may help prevent the paint drying so fast onto the needle, you may be forced to paint a bit further back.
- Take a good look inside the nozzle and exterior: some turbulence due to a non-uniform path for the air/ink could cause some drying on the needle.

You can also keep a small brush or Q-tip like object handy to help wipe the excess off on occasion.

That is pretty much everything I can think of.>

YeetSeeger wrote:
Interesting -- I've only watched his one video where he does the high level review of them, and I don't believe he mentions it there. The inks are already so thin and flowy this seems counterintuitive -- do you remember what that video is in? I'd be interested in hearing more.

It might have been a Hobby Cheating Q&A, but even here he mentions using the FW white ink, thinned 7:1! He does call it paint, alternatively, but if you watch on, he is using the FW ink and says ink several times after.

Here again, working in the FW white ink, he goes 8:2, thinner to ink. I can't recall exactly where he said he never goes below 1:1, but if he is starting, at the base level of 4:1 (and up), you can see he is thinning far more than you seem to be.

It might be the case that he thins excessively, but like he says in one of those, it is better to be too thin than not thin enough. He has also said he swears by the thinner and not the flow improver, but I don't recall which video that was in.

Thanks everyone! Some good leads here so far for me to start trying.

One other thing I just thought of -- does anyone have any thoughts about how needle size might be impacting this? My Eclipse has a .35mm nozzle and I've been thinking of trying out the .5mm nozzle.

I've had the same issue, not thinning. Only after a while of spraying. Gave it all a good clean and after a few minutes it started again. Going to have to try thinning next time.