The Talon, A Tale Of Neglect....

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

I was side tracked this week and started working on my P51 1/48 old Monogram kit. It wasnt planned, it just happened. I broke out my Talon AB to spray the inside of the fuselage and noticed my gun was chugging. It would spay nice and smooth for a few minutes, then it would refuse to release paint. I thought it was tip dry, because of the Vallejo paint, but no such luck. My brush just kept skipping along. Luckily I wasnt getting any spitting, it was shooting smooth but irregular.

I tore the gun completely apart and discovered I haven’t been doing a very good job of cleaning my brush after sessions. I had goop and dried crap in every fine nook and cranny. My tip was nearly plugged, I managed to clear all the crap after about an hour probing and swiping and picking and digging. After all was said and done, I hooked the brush back up and gave her a whirl, all seemed very good, although I think I will purchase a new tip, maybe two. It’s nice to have a spare.

So, long story short. Keep your gun clean, even if you hate the process, it will save you from a huge headache. I will always break my brush down from this point on. It will take a few extra minutes but it will be well worth it.

2

Amen, so correct. The amount of additional time required for a strip and clean is so little, well worth doing it. A well made airbrush can soldier on for decades without problems, but if routine cleaning maintenance is not a discipline regularly incorporated, problems can be a constant companion and even cause major damage.

Thanks for reminding us, great tip.

Patrick

3

Hi Patrick,

Yes, it’s well worth it to make sure your gun is nice and clean. I know it’s a prosess most of us hate, but it needs to be done. My Talon is my go to brush and I had become accustomed to giving it a quick general clean up. Simply pulling the needle, and wiping it down after I have shot cleaner through the brush 2 or 3 times, then taking a swab and cleaning the tip. I will no longer cut corners to save a few minutes.