Hello everyone.
I’m having an issue with moisture build up in my filter/regulator and can’t get it out.
I bought a cheapo Central Pneumatic Model 60328 from Harbor Freight. The filter/regulator has accumulated quite a bit of moisture and I can’t seem to get it out.
I’ve tried the bottom drain but it just laughs at me. I’ve also tried to unscrew the glass but it’s either stuck like chuck or isn’t able to be unscrewed or I’m just too old and weak to jet the job done. And of course I’m trying not to break it.
It wasn’t an issue Saturday when I painted a 1/72 Revell Stuka. I shot primer and then RLM79 & RLM65 paint over the day and had no issues. I also primed a 1/72 Tamiya Corsair and a 1/72 Airfix Black Widow, all with no problems.
Today I shot the first coat of Sea Blue on the Corsair and it was almost a disaster. It spit out random splatters so much I just shut it down before I ruined the finish done so far. Temperature in the house was set at 70 degrees and I’m using the Royal Max dual action airbrush that came with the compressor.
Any help would be appreciated otherwise I’ll replace it with a cleanable filter/regulator soon.
Thanks,
Are you certain that the filter/regulator is the issue? You might be experiencing tip drying with the sea blue paint. What brand are you using? What’s the humidity in your work area? When was the last time you broke down your air brush for a thorough cleaning?
The compressor may need to be running to push the water out when you open the drain. In 1/1 painting, my last water trap and also the regulator I set feed pressure at would fill quickly in summer months, so I just cracked the drain a little, so while painting the water discharged.. Cracked open just enough to let the water escape but but not cause big drops in pressure. It became my routine.
Worth a try anyway. I’m thinking if your lines are all sealed up, the filter can’t vent to let the water out. Maybe,
Hey mate, this might be a silly question especially if you have obvious water collecting in your compressor trap, but have you tried cleaning the airbrush nozzle? Had the same issue of uncontrolled spatter after a few sprays with my RoyalMax and all I needed was a fine needle to scrape out the nozzle and I was back in business…
PS) Don’t use your airbrush needle - If it even slightly bends it’ll be buggered - Use one of these:
Your main issue is the compressor. It’s a diaphragm type ( no holding tank ) so, it’s gonna run all the time. This generates heats which leads to moisture issues in the compressor. You need to get one that has a holding tank, the less the compressor runs the better.
Steve
Good tip from @USAF_462_2W1 as to why the water trap is filling.
Regarding the draining. If I recall those drains are pretty small. May need to have some air exchange to help ensure the water will flow out of the trap. Similar idea as to why coffee cup lids have a small hole on them opposite from where you’re drinking. One simple thing you can try. With the compressor off disconnect the air hose from the airbrush or regulator and then try the drain. That may allow the pressure inside the water trap to equalize and let the water flow.
I discussed this point on another post just today. Where you are painting makes a difference. If you can paint in a controlled climate (temp and humidity), a lot of your airbrush issues go away. The other modeler works in the 3rd bay of his garage in south Texas (high heat and humidity). I model in my basement where I have a whole house dehumidifier (45% humidity) hooked up and the temp is always between 62 and 68. I typically only have issues with my paint when I need to thoroughly clean my airbrush. Once I have cleaned it, it works perfectly again. I don’t have an expensive airbrush either. Mine is an Iwata Neo that I bought from Amazon for about $40.
Just my $0.02. It’s not always the paint. I use Tamiya, Vallejo and Mission Acrylics (I also have some AK 3rd gen acrylics that I rarely use). Mission would be my favorite right now if I had a local supplier that carried a broader line of them. The only lacquer I have is Mr. Surfacer. I’m still learning how to use that properly.
dadoffour - To be honest, I’m not sure it is the filter/regulator that’s the issue, but water droplets/condensation are all over the inside of the glass and won’t drain down to the drain valve. All of the paints I’ve been using are Vallejo. There were no issues with the white surface primer (70,600) and the other 's were the Vallejo Model Air line. The humidity here is high, seems like it always is in south Louisiana. I did notice some accumulation of water on Saturday but it didn’t cause me any problems. I clean my brush when I change colors including the tip.
oldermodelguy - I may try that tonight. There’s a lot of condensation in it right now.
pr154 - thanks for the tip. I clean the nozzle after each color I shoot but it’s possible it has some paint in it. What I’m seeing definitely is water though. I have a test piece of cardboard I keep next to my spray booth to test the spray - still trying to get the hang of it really.
USAF_462_2W1 - Yeah I wish I could get a better rig but as it is now I’ve got to make do with what I’ve got. When I bought this one I looked at one with a tank but it was out of my budget at the time.
PhoenixG - I’ll give that a whirl tonight and see if I can get some water flowing out of the drain.
dadoffour - I’m painting at the kitchen table for the time being. My A/C stays set at 70. I do have a portable dehumidifier I’ll have to set up to see if that helps. Now if I can just figure out how to get the water in it out.
Thanks for all the help, I’ll do some fiddling around tonight to see if I can get a handle on it.
Not to beat a dead horse, but since I’ve started using a dehumidifier, my paint doesn’t spit any more, and flows a lot better. I spray in my garage, and it’s huge.
