[:)]Does anybody know the best and the fastest way of cleaning a pashe airbrush? Thanks guys.
Hello T-34,
that’s depend on why type of paints do u use…acrylic? enamels ?
Anyway, here’s are my technique i’ve been using for the past 2 yrs…
for acrylics:
- Since i mainly use tamiya and gunze products, first i shoot my airbrush with isopropyl alcohol (iso-propanol) until no more color is sprayed from the nozzle. Shot it on something lighter color so u can visualise it.
- Then i use windex glass cleaner…run it on the airbrush ( usually i run 2 times of the cup size)…
- Then i Mix warm water with my liquid detergent…spary it for a few minutes…
- Finally warm water…
that work for me…
i seldomly use enamels…
glad i can help
Hello DewaPerang! that is pretty weird!, does it really works??? Windex and Liquid Detergent??? what kind of liquid detergent?? would that work for any airbrush?? i have a Badger 150 and some times is a pain to clean it, but your suggestion looks pretty simple and easy!, and what would be your suggestion if i use a testors enmel or any other enmel??
Yep, windex. Get it in the large “refil” jug and it’ll last a while.
For enamels I use laquer thinner - run it through the airbrush a few times till it sprays clear. then use pipe cleaners and q-tips to clean the more stubborn areas again with laquer thinner. That stuff’ll clean white off rice. But be carefull with it, because it can also do some damage to you too!
WOW! that is weird, i´ll try it, but what kind of liquid detergent should i use??.. i always try not to use enmels because i was told that thinner damages some internal parts of the airbrush, i guess that is a lie and with this tip, my airbrush will be much cleaner (lol…)
Windex, Formula 409 and Simple Green are all pretty good cleaners for acrylic paints. Here is a recipe for a good cleaner that a friend gave me:
1 part Simple Green
1 part Windex
2 parts water
You could also put a little isopropyl rubbing alcohol in it to help clean. I wouldn’t use any soap though as I don’t feel it would do anything that the other cleaners won’t remove and it could leave a residue that could ruin your paint if it was not flushed out really good.
Mike
Would you be able to use general purpose thinners or would it have to be laquer thinner.
They will work but not as well as lacquer thinner does.
Mike
So you can use lacquer thinner to clean after brushing with enamel? Does it harm the airbrush and your hand? I heard the stuff is nasty.
What about those “mineral spirits” that they sell at hardware stores?
It (laquer thinner) is a bit nasty. You need good ventilation, and using an airbrush cleaning station such as the one made by Aztek also helps. Try to minimize the amount you get on yourself and wash your hands immediately after your done.
I’ve had inconsistent results with “mineral spirits”. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I suspect it’s just not as strong.
Laquer thinner also works beautifully to thin enamel paints. I’ve used it with the
old square bottle Testors enamel, Model Master enamel, and Humbrol enamels.
The paint seems to dry a little faster and sticks better, too. I’ve also used straight
laquer thinner sprayed over a wet coat of gloss pait to level it and give a better shine. I’ve never had trouble with it crazing the plastic.
Ray
hey MikeV i have never seen Formula 409 neither Simple Green, doy you think something like Orange Glo would work the same? do you know any substitute for simple green or formula 409?? [:D]
Thanks!
Hector.[8D]
From reading this, it seems that acrylics are easier to clean than enamels… I wouldn’t mind using acrylics but all the hobby shops I go to don’t have the acrylic paints with the FS numbers. I’ve been stocking up on enamels but if I can find acrylics with the federal designations, I’ll dump enamels.
We should trade
Because I’ve stocked tons of Tamiya’s acrylics but now I want enamels. Acrylics aren’t as durable for my taste. Maybe I’ll use acrylics and paint the same details, but for large body finishes, I’ll never use acrylics. It comes off too easily.
I hate cleaning the airbrush, it’s the biggest hassel of the hobby. How do you guys clean it after each brushing session? Do you guys just flush it with tons of thinner until it comes out clear? Or do you guys take it apart and soak it…whatever your method is, tell me an efficient way.
Hi guys,
I’ve asked the question and I could see tht there are a lot of different ways to clean the airbrush. I don’t know about windex or detergents, but I know that I won’t use laquer thiner. I tried it before and I didn’t mind the smells or any other features that it has, but what laquer thiner does to your airbrush is ruin it. In an airbrush or spesificly in the needle there is a nilon thing that keeps the paint flow stabelized. Laquer thiner weirs away the little thing and your airbrush might splatter paint all over the model unevenly. I use Mineral Spirits (paint thinner). You can thin the paint with it , you can wash the brush with it. You can wash your hands with it if you have enamel paint on your hands. I don’t really like acrylics because they come off really easyly just buy putting a little bit of water on them. I’ve asked this question because I wanted to know what other people use to clean their airbrush. One more thing in United States the enamel paint will dissapear off the market, so I would sugest to get as much enamel paint as you can. They will dissapear because the government says that the fumes that enamels release are not safe.
Thaks Guys
Good luck in modeling.
[8D] Hey Stangfanatic i dont like to use enmels either, thats why i got a table where there are the equivalent tones from for example a Federal Standard into a Gunze Sangyo, some shades may need a little “adjustment”,(like adding a drop of white or things like that…) its been helpful for me, if you want i can send it to you via e-mail[^]…
[:D]
My best regards
Hector Reymundo[:)]
that would be excelent if you could. Really appreciate it. [:)]
Hi mandrake can you send me the table too. thanks. I will appreciate it. My address is alexdenisenko@hotmail.com
and me too mandrake...bobilo223@hotmail.com