Hi all,
I hope you’re coping with the pandemic, staying safe by building models!
After a period of generally enjoyable, trouble-free airbrushing with my Sparmax SP20-X, it’s starting to act up again and I can’t figure out why. The pattern it sprays is more oval shaped than circular, and even though the paint is thinned to milk-like consistency, I get splatter. I always use the paint manufacturers own thinner, and keep the brush as clean as a whistle. Could this be an issue with the nossle?
As an aside, keeping in mind I’m still a newbie, I cannot for the life of me get a good thin line out of this brush - there’s always a little over-spray.
As usual, this mediocre modeller would appreciate some advice please…
Regards
Darren
Where the nozzle tip protrudes through the air cap make sure there is equal space all the way around the tip. This can get uneven as gaskets wear and parts don’t sit perfectly square to the seats. Barring that I’d still suspect a spec of dirt someplace. I have a knock off Iwata that I have to use the next size up air cap for the .2 tip for this very reason you describe, the tip is not square in the cap so air get diminished on one side. While the next cap up gives equal space, it’s also a wider gap, doesn’t seem to bother a thing. I think if I ditched the gaskets all together and just waxed the seats and threads all would be fine.
I’m not alone on this theory, I think it’s Don Weeler who mentions this problem at his airbrush review site as well. I don’t recall if Sparmax is included but I do know it’s the same tip and cap design basically.
You didn’t drop the brush and ding the tip by chance ? That will do this too, as will a bent needle tip. And speaking of needles, I polish mine, makes a big difference in paint droplet uniformity and fine misting coats.
Tear down and clean the airbrush with Lacquer thinner and interdental brushes or something small designed to get in the airbrush. To get less overspay, Thin the paint more, lower the psi to under , get closer to the model. maybe 4-5 inches away and practice a lot.