squigster Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I have had my airbrush for about 2 months and I finally had to clean it. I took it all apart and cleaned it. I put it back together and the flow from the cup is about 1/2 of what it was. I removed the needle and cleaned the needle and nozzle real well. I tried to be careful not to bend the needle. After reassembling the flow is still about 1/2. If I pull back on the needle nut (as it should be a wide open flow rate) it still does not get full flow. Should the airbrush still produce media without the needle in it? I was using airbrush cleaner. Any ideas on what I could have done wrong? Thanks! Sorry if this is the wrong forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomah21 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Im not sure....But I personally take my airbrush completely apart after each use. I have the same airbrush as you. I know that doesnt really help you and quite frankly not sure if its bad I take it apart after each time.....My only suggestion might be to replace the needle and other piece up front (not sure what its called.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) squigster- What sort of paint are you using - if it is acrylic lacquer , as opposed to water based acrylic, this may be the problem- I don't think A/B cleaner will remove dried lacquer (??). Try a little bit of lacquer thinners, put some thinners in the cup and gently spin the needle in the tip, and give it a blast - also good to 'back flush' it, by covering the tip and fully opening the trigger (with at least 20psi air), you should see lots of bubbles in the "cleaner", if not your tip is blocked. I does not take much to block a .2 or .3 mm hole, with a needle jammed in it. Maybe you are using crap (coarse) paint??pete Edited June 12, 2008 by hazmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I am using water based paint and have been with no problem. The nozzle is not clogged. It was and I was able to flush it. It seems like the flow is not there. I dont know if i bent the needle or messed up the nozzle but I can fill the cup up with cleaner and it takes forever to get it to drain. If I take the nozzle off the stuff flies out of there. What perplexes me is that I think the airbrush should be able to shoot media without the needle and it does not. Its like it wont siphon the media from the cup. It seems like the air dont mix with the media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Take it apart again and clean it with Lacquer Thinner. Then reassemble and put lacquer thinner in the cup spray for a while and then back flush it a few times. (wear goggles or eye protection so it doesn't spit back on you) Look at the tip of the needle and see if you bent it. That is the part that gets bent. Check the hose for kinks. It could just be a large particle that became dislodged when cleaning and now it just needs to be cleaned again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 How does it spray when you just run the cleaner through it? -Put it up to the light and you should get a (broken jet) very misty, wide 'plume'- If the plume is not 'conical', it either has a bent tip or has something in the tip - if not, I would be checking the air line, from regulator/dryer?, to the tip- check the 'shrader valve' where the air enters the brush, maybe a bit of dirt from compressor - also if you have an 'air adjustment screw' on the side of the brush, screw it full out, OR remove it and clean it. You should clean the brush after EVERY use, and about every second month, pull it completely apart, and clean everything, in what we call methylated spirit, and I think you call denatured alcohol, this stuff is cheap and in my opinion is by far the best all round cleaner. Keep at it, they are quite delicate, but simple, so there can't be too much wrong. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Another thought- have you dropped it ?? If so you may have the dreaded 'SPLIT TIP', this would give an uneven pattern in the cone when you put cleaner through it and also, give bad paint/flow volume - this drove me crazy with my first brush about 25 yrs ago . What sort of brush is it????pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Another possible cause for the loss of air flow is if the air hose to is too tight or too loose at the brush. Also you may want to ensure that the pin under the airbrush trigger is clean and lubed. You will need to remove the trigger assembly and use tweezers to pull out the pin. Once in a while I'll actually strip down the airbrushes as completely as I can and then clean and lube them meticulously. If you aren't getting anything to spray while the needle is out then either your nozzle is blocked or there is an airflow problem. I'm much better and solving the problems than I am at explaining how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted June 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I am able to see the needle come out of the tip of the nozzle so I guessing that the nozzle isnt clogged but if I take the nozzle off the air flow seems much greater but I dont know if it seems like less with the nozzle becasue it is compressed in the nozzle tip. I am getting media to flow just not the normal amounts so either I bent the needle or messed up the nozzle trying to clean it. I hate to buy new ones just to try it but I think I may have to. I will try the laquer thinner later tonight. I have been using 50 windex / 50 water to clean it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Try removing the nozzle and very carefully use the needle tip to scrape the insides of it after you've soaked it in thinner for a bit. What I mean is instead of inserting the needle directly down the center of the nozzle angle it slightly so it catches the inside edges thus removing any build up. It's vital not to push too hard while doing this, just very gently. A good way to tell if you have paint build up in your brush is to loosen the needle chucking nut and then gently pull the needle back and forth by hand and feel how it seats in the nozzle. If it feels "mushy" it's contacting paint inside. It should come to a solid feeling stop when fully inserted. Don't insert the needle hard or you risk flaring out the nozzle. It's one of those techniques that requires a delicate touch but over time you'll know when there's build up just by how the needle feels when it reaches full seating in the nozzle. I'll often do this into a container of clean hot water with hot water also in the airbrush cup. You'll see little bits of paint coming out of the nozzle into the water if there's any build up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Everyone has given you some good advice...I will add a couple things. If indeed you have lost volume, it is one of two things. Either you have lost air pressure for some reason or the conical shaped tip is clogged. My guess is that the conical tip is clogged, particularly since you say this is the first time you have cleaned it. Always clean the brush after each use and pay particuarly concern to the cone with each cleaning because this where the paint likes to build up. When you are done, remove the needle, clean it, clean the cone, run hot water/windex through it, the put it away. As for your problem, take the cone off and hold it up to the light....is there a clear hole through it? Go to the store and buy a tiny cleaning brush in the dental section.......they are really small and made for cleaning dentures I think. These tiny brushes work perfectly for cleaning the cone. Soak the cone in lacquer thinner then clean it with the tiny brush. Oh, also check the ring piece that goes over the top of the cone. Sometimes this piece will get some paint on it and reduce flow. Clean these pieces up perfectly. If the needle is bent you will probably be able to see it. Slowly spin the needle while wathing the tip, does it look bent? Always install the needle very slowly, don't force it! Go easy. The problem is either the cone, the ring over the cone, or your air supply. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishThanks Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I hope this might be helpful. When you reassemble the needle you should hold the button down and back, then push the needle forward lightly until it stops, then roll the button forward and release, then tighten the jam nut on the needle. If the button was not going all the way forward before you tighten the needle jam nut it would limit how far back you can pull the needle which would lessen the flow. There ia also an adjustment on the tip of the handle that will decrease the flow by limiting the needle travel if it is turned in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 That's a great point about the adjustment for needle travel! I notice that every so often it's a good idea to pull the trigger all the way back and then turn that adjuster until you feel it push the trigger forward. Then back it off until you feel the trigger able to achieve full return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Try soaking the nozzle parts in acetone, and then cleaning them with a qtip, and spraying acetone through your gun, if it has Teflon seals. Acetone is a little more aggressive than lacquer thinner in cutting through paint buildups. I've also found that not tightening the needle locking nut firmly can allow the needle to slip when you pull back the trigger. I twist the needle as I reset it, to make sure it's not jammed too tightly, and then tighten the nut. I clean my guns and back flush with Windex between colors, and I pull the needle and clean it after every session, and sometimes during the session, if I feel the action is stiff, or I've painted with opaques, which seem to stick to the needle better. I always put a little Windex in the cup after I've reinserted the needle, before I tighten it, and run the needle in a out a few times, twisting it as I go, to get the entire needle shaft coated with Windex. I figure that way, any paint that's still in the shaft will be loosened by the Windex while the brush is "resting". When I'm ready to paint again, I blow out the old Windex. If it's dry, I add a little and blow it through the brush before I paint, to get things recoated and relubed again before I start. I don't know if this really helps, but I still remember how coating my hands with Staylube before I worked on my cars made cleanup a lot easier. Of course, that was before you needed a $20,000 computer, and a master's degree, to work on cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL Rods Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Yeah, what Mark said! The Auto Air Base Sealer is tough to flush also. When I take mine apart after using that stuff or (crap) paint there are 3 little holes I use a fine brush on to make sure they are opened. And occasionally you just have to take the nozzle and tip off and soak it to get the aforementioned type of paint out because it just clogs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
