Hello all…just got my new Iwata and am getting ready to use it, but before I do, I was wondering what are the steps and best way to clean it inbetween paint colors and then when I am done and ready to put it in the box. I have also heard about being careful about Teflon seals in airbrushes…what do I need to watch out for?
Thanks!
P.S. I have also read on a prior thread about something called Simply Green (or something like that) that is used with distilled water and windex…what is this stuff and where can I get it?
Between colors, I just wipe the color cup with a paper towel, put some thinner in there and blow it through until it’s clear again, then I put in the new color, no problem at all.
For a real thorough cleaning after painting, I wipe the paint out of the bowl, fill it with thinner and blow it out at a high pressure. Then I fill it with thinner again and take an old brush and wipe the cup out really well, being sure to hit around the needle and cravases really well, then I blow it out again. Next I fill it with thinner again and backflush it a little, then blow one or two more cups out at a high pressure.
About every two or three times of this sort of cleaning, I take it completely apart, put my little nozzle in a small cup of thinner, I use pipe cleaners, qtips and paper towels to clean everything in the brush really really well. I use an extra fine microbrush to clean out the inside of the nozzle. I soak a pipe cleaner in thinner, turn the brush upside down and run the pipe cleaner though the body a couple of times, then I blow any fibers that are left behind out. I always look and make sure I haven’t left any hairs or anything inside the body of the brush. (when I eventually get a set of airbrush cleaning brushes that step will be a lot easier ) Then I put some lube on the needle and put the whole thing back together again. When you re-assemble the brush, remember to put the nozzle on before putting the needle back. You don’t want to try to force the nozzle over the needle and maybe split it. Be gentle, don’t force anything. That should do it for you, it’s not really hard to clean at all. It’s a great airbrush and I love mine.
Thanks!!!
one question though…how do I back-flush?
dont do it, but heres how: you stick your finger into the nozzle, like preventing anything from getting out, and you put hinner in the cup, and you squeeze the trigger, it will flusy all the contaminants out to the cup
dont do it
Just becareful of the needles point when you back flush like that. If that (cough) Iwata (cough)…BADGER!! is a gravity fed keep it away from your face so you dont get any accidental spatter in your eyes.
-Jeff
Why shouldn’t he backflush it? It is recommended by Badger.
Mike
What is easier is to take a piece of an old T-shirt or rag and wad it up and hold it over the front. This works great with all my airbrushes except the Sotar which is REAL hard to backflush. [;)]
Mike
hmmm put the nozzle end in your mouth and blow??? J/K[;)]