renegade123 Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi, I am new to this forum Tom Stinson recommended it to me. I started airbrushing my own musky lures last year with an iwata eclipse hp-cs. Have not had any problems with it until now. I would clean it regularly with lacquer thinner but over the winter I had some build-up in the nozzle so the paint would not spray through very well. What is the best way to clean and maintain airbrushes?? I also think I may have damaged the needle so I think I will need to order a new nozzle and also a new needle. Any info on how to prevent problems/clean/any general information on airbrush use will be greatly appreciated. Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Airbrush restorer is the first thing I would do before replacing parts, get yourself a good magnifier and check for the damage after a good cleaning. A jewelry cleaner in combination with the cleaner will do wonders to a dirty brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 If you go the jewelry cleaner route just make sure to use a glass, or metal, container to put the restorer in. If you try to use restorer in the plastic cup on the jewelry cleaner it will melt the plastic cup. The resulting slurry will work it's way into the nozzle and can harden into an irreparable mess. Don't ask me how I know. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renegade123 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks Guys. Ben what type of jewelry cleaner? Do i need any type of special cleaning tools? That nozzle hole is so small i was trying to use a toothpick but even that was to big and i seemed to just block the hole up more Thanks again---Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Hey Ross, I bought one of the jewelry cleaners that has plastic cups that fit into a base that vibrates when turned on. The vibration is supposed to impart a "sonic" wave pattern that gets into the smallest cracks and crevices of things like rings, bracelets, etc. The mistake I made was adding the restorer right into the plastic cup of the jewelry cleaner. When I came back to check on it a little later the solution had turned a milky color. It was eating away at the plastic cup. This solution had gotten into the nozzle and after pulling the nozzle out so I could clean up the mess the plastic then hardened inside the nozzle and there was NO getting it out. After that fiasco I started using a shot glass placed inside the plastic cup with the restorer in the shot glass, but was never really satisfied with the cleaning job it did. I finally learned to keep my airbrush clean and that solved all my problems. Very rarely do I have to use the restorer these days and if I do I clean the airbrush as I normally do and then I let the front of the airbrush soak in the restorer for anywhere from a couple hours to overnight. After the soak it's given another normal cleaning to remove any gunk that was softened by the restorer. I may only have to use the restorer once or twice a year. If at all. The jewelry cleaner is now sitting on a shelf gathering dust since it's no longer used. IMO there's really no replacement for a good cleaning regimen. You need to be extremely careful when trying to clean out anything from inside the nozzle with something that doesn't belong in there. Some folks will use the airbrush needle to try and pick stuff out of the nozzle, but even that can screw up the nozzle as well as the needle. The inner walls from the factory are smooth and any scratches on the inside of the nozzle can effect the way it sprays. When I'm cleaning my airbrush I always check it at the end of the cleaning to see if it is truly clean. I do this by adding some acetone (that is what I clean my airbrush with) to the bowl. I then place my finger over the nozzle just like I was going to back flush it. The trigger is then pressed down, but I don't pull back on it. If I see any bubbles in the cup I know the needle isn't seated properly so it gets cleaned until there are no bubbles showing up in the cup. hope some of this helps, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Hey Ross, I bought one of the jewelry cleaners that has plastic cups that fit into a base that vibrates when turned on. The vibration is supposed to impart a "sonic" wave pattern that gets into the smallest cracks and crevices of things like rings, bracelets, etc. The mistake I made was adding the restorer right into the plastic cup of the jewelry cleaner. When I came back to check on it a little later the solution had turned a milky color. It was eating away at the plastic cup. This solution had gotten into the nozzle and after pulling the nozzle out so I could clean up the mess the plastic then hardened inside the nozzle and there was NO getting it out. After that fiasco I started using a shot glass placed inside the plastic cup with the restorer in the shot glass, but was never really satisfied with the cleaning job it did. I finally learned to keep my airbrush clean and that solved all my problems. Very rarely do I have to use the restorer these days and if I do I clean the airbrush as I normally do and then I let the front of the airbrush soak in the restorer for anywhere from a couple hours to overnight. After the soak it's given another normal cleaning to remove any gunk that was softened by the restorer. I may only have to use the restorer once or twice a year. If at all. The jewelry cleaner is now sitting on a shelf gathering dust since it's no longer used. IMO there's really no replacement for a good cleaning regimen. You need to be extremely careful when trying to clean out anything from inside the nozzle with something that doesn't belong in there. Some folks will use the airbrush needle to try and pick stuff out of the nozzle, but even that can screw up the nozzle as well as the needle. The inner walls from the factory are smooth and any scratches on the inside of the nozzle can effect the way it sprays. When I'm cleaning my airbrush I always check it at the end of the cleaning to see if it is truly clean. I do this by adding some acetone (that is what I clean my airbrush with) to the bowl. I then place my finger over the nozzle just like I was going to back flush it. The trigger is then pressed down, but I don't pull back on it. If I see any bubbles in the cup I know the needle isn't seated properly so it gets cleaned until there are no bubbles showing up in the cup. hope some of this helps, Ben Ben do you have a link to the ultrasonic cleaner you used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renegade123 Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Hey Ben thanks alot for all of the great information. Very much appreciated. I have found it hard to clean the inside of the nozzle and the hole on the end is so small. I tried soaking it in lacquer thinner but I still could not get all the gunk out of it. I'm pretty sure I will just go ahead and order a new needle and nozzle. I went over a year with no problems as I always cleaned the gun after using it. I think I am going to start taking the whole thing apart after each use to clean it.....Lesson learned LOL Thanks Again, Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Ben do you have a link to the ultrasonic cleaner you used? It was one a friend of mine picked up for me when they went shopping Ted. Let me run dig it out and I'll see what brand it is. It's a La Sonic twin tank cleaner. I found it online, but didn't search for the best price. The link is below. Ben http://connoisseurs.com/jewelry_care/lasonic_baths_twin_tank.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Glad to help Ross. You might try using acetone as a final step in your cleaning process. I may be wrong, but I think acetone is a little "hotter" than lacquer thinner. What works for me is to flush/back flush the brush with clean water until I don't see any little flakes of paint left in the bowl and the water is clear. Don't skip the water step and go straight to the acetone since it works much better on small amounts of paint than it does when the brush hasn't first been flushed with water. After cleaning with water I add acetone to the bowl and flush/back flush until I no longer see any paint flakes and the acetone is running clear. I also loosen the needle while doing this and work the needle back and forth while back flushing. Do this gently as you can split the nozzle if you ram the needle in too tight. While working the needle in and out I also spin it a little. This helps loosen any gunk left in the nozzle. When I think the nozzle is clean I'll pull the needle out of the brush and wipe it with an acetone soaked paper towel. The needle is then lightly lubed with needle lubricant and put back into the brush. I'll then add a little acetone and press the trigger while holding my finger over the nozzle. Don't pull back on the trigger as all your trying to do is get air to the nozzle. If you see bubbles in the bowl while doing this then the nozzle is not seated properly and isn't completely clean. If this is the case I back flush again with acetone while turning the needle in the nozzle. Just don't force it. All your trying to do is break loose any bits of gunk still in the nozzle and it doesn't take a lot of pressure. Usually by this time the nozzle is clean as a whistle. It doesn't take that long to do. I could probably clean an airbrush a half a dozen times in the time it took me to type this. I had problems when I first started airbrushing, but soon learned that it's much easier in the long run to keep your airbrush clean than it is to deal with the problems that build up over time. Once you get a cleaning regimen that works it will become second nature and you won't even have to think about it. I would also suggest you get some airbrush restorer. It's formulated to loosen up dried paint and can keep you from pulling your hair out. Anytime you just can't seem to get the nozzle clean just pour a little of the restorer in a small jar that the front of the airbrush will fit into and let it soak overnight. You'll have to do a cleaning after the soak, but you should now be able to get out anything you couldn't before the soak. And don't throw the restorer out after using it. I've been using the same jar of restorer for a year or two and it still works. Any gunk that comes out of the brush during the soak will sink to the bottom of the jar and the restorer will still keep working. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 It was one a friend of mine picked up for me when they went shopping Ted. Let me run dig it out and I'll see what brand it is. It's a La Sonic twin tank cleaner. I found it online, but didn't search for the best price. The link is below. Ben http://connoisseurs.com/jewelry_care/lasonic_baths_twin_tank.php Thanks Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 My pleasure Ted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
