Cleaning Acrylics from Airbrush Using Ultrasonic Cleaner

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Hello,

I have an ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry which I use for my airbrush. I would fill the tub with soap and water to clean it but the process doesn’t seem to work wonders. I airbrush acrylics (Vallejo and Tamiya). I did some research on the best solutions for cleaning airbrushes and these were the suggestions from online:

  • 100% Ethanol
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Ammonia Free Windex
  • Vallejo Thinner
  • Tamiya Thinner

I have only tested with rubbing alcohol and will try some others soon, but what do you guys think? Is there a better solution to water and soap for cleaning acrylics from an airbrush?

Thank you,

Niko

2

Alcohol is flammable and the ultrasonic cleaner heats up. Don’t use it! Use soapy water. Dish soap 2-3 drops and water.

3

I don’t do a full tear down on my brushes often but when I do I just soak everything overnight in lacquer thinner. But I don’t use a US cleaner. Everything come loose or is even gone in the morning. I find if I really flush well immediately after spraying I can hold off a tear down for two to three months. Just on double action brushes back off the needle chuck and slip the needle back off it’s seat a liitle is all or it may stick, regardless how well it was flushed.

I doubt many US cleaners would be rated for use with alcohol or lacquer thinner but then I don’t know a lot about electric powered ones. The solvent ones we had at work were air operated though.

4

A caution against using an ammonia soak, in an ultrasonic cleaner or not. Ammonia will affect brass. Even a scratch in the chrome plating will expose the underlying metal. A soak in ammonia will lead to corrosion of the base metal.

A quick spray of ammonia, a dip, or a wipe with a soaked Q-tip is ok. It’s the soak that is the killer.

5

It depends on which alcohol.

Methanol certainly is quite volatile and burns with a clear flame that can be dangerous. On the other hand, isopropyl is quite safe in the reasonable concentrations. Don’t know about the 97%, but the lower percent stuff is pretty safe.

6

Late last night I did a full tear down and cleaning with 70% Isopropyl and it came really clean.

My trigger action though seems a little stiff, is it safe to put some Remington oil to lube the trigger action?

7

The sliding action for paint flow ? Maybe you just have the return spring set a little too tight.

For lube I use glycerin if anything at all.

8

I also use an ultrasonic cleaner on my airbrushes.

I use a jewelry cleaning powder that came with one of my ultrasonic cleaners. I’m not sure this is the exact product I use, but it is the same idea and this is where I will probably go to buy when I run out.

FWIW, as long as I clean the airbrush immediately at the end of a session, I don’t really use the ultrasonic cleaner that much. But it can help with stuck on messes.

9

Thanks for the tips everyone! I took a look at ultrasonic powders online and the key ingredient in most is potassium peroxymonosulfate, a powerful oxidizer used in pools. The ultrasonic powders are essentially non-chorine shock for pools packaged in smaller containers at a higher price.

Next time I clean the airbrush with the ultrasonic cleaner, I will try the non-chlorine shock.

10

That’s interesting.