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\nIn this post you can find several tips how to thoroughly clean a common\u00a0modeler Airbrush.<\/p>\n
\nIn this post you can find several tips how to thoroughly clean a common\u00a0modeler Airbrush.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Let’s begin with a little bit of anatomy: We can start with the construction diagram containing the Airbrush parts – some of which are mentioned below. Thus it can serve as a\u00a0kind of reference to you\u00a0while reading the rest. The whole cleaning process described is\u00a0for the common gravity feeding, dual-action Airbrushes with screw nozzle (pls. see the picture above). Thus it could be used only in part for other possible kinds of Airbrushes. I am sure you would agree modelers are quite creative people so they could easily\u00a0accommodate the whole process to their own Airbrush type and construction.<\/p>\n If you need to cleanse your Airbrush\u00a0during the airbrushing process because of the pigment settling, you can use this instant method:\u00a0move the Airbrush\u00a0control lever\u00a0<\/em>backwards, then seal\u00a0the diffuser\/needle cover using your fingertip and push the control lever\u00a0<\/em>down (see the picture below).<\/p>\n Air will start moving back through the nozzle into the paint cup and start bubbling. This can serve just like “first aid” and usually works well. Now you can continue spraying your project.<\/p>\n Later on as you’ll spend all paint\u00a0from the paint cup you\u00a0<\/em>can fill it with solvent, then spray it out and continue airbrushing using paint\u00a0again. If this instant cleansing doesn’t work, you should probably want to proceed with the\u00a0deep one.<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>With Airbrushes where\u00a0the diffuser\/needle cover is petal-shaped (or spoke-wise-cut into segments) you will want to unscrew it prior to Airbrush bubbling.\u00a0Otherwise the\u00a0air\u00a0wouldn’t flow into the Airbrush paint\u00a0cup –\u00a0it would leak outside through the gaps in the diffuser. By pulling the\u00a0control lever move the needle backwards. Then seal the small\u00a0opening in the nozzle cover directly using your fingertip\u00a0and\u00a0push the control lever down (pls. see the picture above).<\/p>\n Deep cleaning is also recommended when you are not going to use your\u00a0Airbrush\u00a0for a longer time period or if you are going to use it with a notably different color – i.e. if a\u00a0light color paint will be sprayed after a dark one, or if\u00a0a\u00a0common paint\u00a0will be\u00a0used after a metallic\u00a0one, or if a clear varnish will be used after any paint\u00a0and so on. Here is how to do it step by step:<\/p>\n Step\u00a01.<\/span>\u00a0Put your project into safety\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>– i.e. away from your working place. Or cover it up, put it inside the box, etc. You can benefit from my laziness here – I badly crippled a nearly finished model during the Airbrush cleaning. This alone is a good reason for this step \ud83d\ude00 .<\/p>\n Step 2. <\/span><\/strong>Empty the Airbrush paint\u00a0cup<\/strong>. The\u00a0paint can be simply poured out or sucked out by a syringe or a plastic pipette – this keeps the outside Airbrush\u00a0surfaces clean.<\/p>\n Hint:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0You would probably want to have a solo\u00a0pipette used separately with\u00a0metallic paints. Mark it by masking tape for instance, or a marker pen. This can\u00a0help you avoid mixing the metallic paint\u00a0remnants into the Airbrush during the cleaning process or mixing the metallic paint\u00a0into\u00a0non-metallic paints\u00a0during airbrushing, etc.<\/p>\n Step 3. <\/span>Remove the rest of the paint <\/strong>still remaining deeper inside the Airbrush.\u00a0Paint\u00a0remnants which\u00a0can’t be fully poured or sucked out should be sprayed out instead. You can spray everything into the Airbrush Cleaning Pot, or a cleaning cloth, paper handkerchief and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n Saving\u00a0Tip:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Relatively large quantities of paint\u00a0tend to remain deep inside Airbrushes – enough to be used for coloring tiny parts of other model kits. It\u00a0can save you time and money.<\/p>\n Step 4. <\/span>Fill some\u00a0solvent<\/strong>\u00a0into\u00a0the Airbrush. Both the\u00a0syringes and plastic pipettes work well:<\/p>\n In this stage you can use a soft brush or a cotton swab to wipe out the paint\u00a0remnants off the inner surfaces of the paint\u00a0cup and its\u00a0bottom side :<\/p>\n If you work with a detachable paint\u00a0container, remove it and clean its thread, sealing surfaces, O-ring or jointing under the cup.<\/p>\n Step 5.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Flush the Airbrush <\/strong>by spraying out heavily\u00a0thinned paint\u00a0remnants. Smaller doses and\u00a0repeating steps 4 and 5 work well. You should continue until the outgoing solvent\u00a0is completely clear. The\u00a0Airbrush Cleaning Pot can be used here again.<\/p>\n Note:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Steps 1 to 5 should be\u00a0enough for a basic cleaning. To\u00a0clean your Airbrush more\u00a0thoroughly it is better to continue with\u00a0at least a partial disassembly – then\u00a0cleaning its solo\u00a0parts.<\/p>\n Step 6.<\/span>\u00a0Clean the\u00a0Diffuser. <\/strong>Firstly\u00a0unscrew the\u00a0diffuser\/needle cover\u00a0off\u00a0the nozzle cover. You can pull the diffuser onto the cleaning brush of\u00a0appropriate thickness then pour it into the solvent\u00a0and finally clean it by moving it along the brush.<\/p>\n Safety precaution:<\/span><\/strong> Please be sure to\u00a0keep the needle fully backwards (by moving\u00a0the trigger by your finger) or to remove the needle off the Airbrush\u00a0prior to\u00a0unscrewing the diffuser. You could damage the subtle needle tip or harm your fingers otherwise.<\/p>\n Cleaning brushes can be get in practical sets\u00a0(upper picture).<\/em><\/p>\n Step 7.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Clean the Nozzle Cover. <\/strong>Unscrew\u00a0the nozzle cover\u00a0off the Airbrush body first. Then you can pull it onto the pipette (or syringe)\u00a0tip and flush it using solvent\u00a0streamed into prepared\u00a0container. Repeat the step if needed.<\/p>\n You should avoid cleaning the inside of the nozzle cover with the cleaning brush, because of possible damage it could do to\u00a0its\u00a0inner walls and very precise front opening. It is better to use a\u00a0soft brush instead. The TAGORE Airbrush nozzle cover\u00a0can be seen on the upper picture while on the picture below you can see a similar one\u00a0made by\u00a0TAMIYA.<\/i><\/p>\n Safety precaution:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Please be sure to\u00a0keep the needle fully backwards (by moving\u00a0the trigger by your finger) or to remove the needle off the Airbrush\u00a0prior to\u00a0unscrewing the nozzle cover. You could damage the subtle needle tip or harm your fingers otherwise.<\/p>\n Step 8.\u00a0<\/span>Clean the Nozzle <\/strong>of your Airbrush.<\/p>\n To clean the nozzle from the outside use a soft brush dipped into appropriate solvent\/cleaner and a paper handkerchief or cleaning cloth.<\/p>\n If you feel like there are some paint\u00a0clumps or remnants inside the nozzle, unscrew the nozzle\u00a0carefully using the original nozzle wrench. Then put and hold the nozzle inside the syringe pipe and flush its inner space with\u00a0stream of apt.\u00a0solvent\/cleaner:<\/i><\/p>\n Safety precaution:<\/span><\/strong> Please be sure to have\u00a0the needle removed off the Airbrush\u00a0prior to\u00a0unscrewing the nozzle. You could damage the subtle needle tip or harm your fingers otherwise.<\/p>\n Hint:<\/span><\/strong> Heavily clogged nozzles can be cleaned by a toothpick. You might need to sharpen the toothpick with sandpaper or a nail file first. Please be very patient and clean the nozzle gently.<\/p>\n Step 9.<\/span>\u00a0Clean the needle<\/strong>\u00a0of your Airbrush. Firstly loosen the needle by unscrewing the needle-chucking nut\u00a0(please refer to the construction diagram depicted above) and pull the needle gently out of the Airbrush body. It should\u00a0be enough to gently moisten the needle by a solvent dipped brush and wipe it by a rag, paper handkerchief or cotton swab.\u00a0You will want to manipulate the needle with utmost care not to damage its vulnerable\u00a0tip.<\/p>\n![\"Airbrush](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/modeltalking.hobbyart.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Airbrush_Anatomy.jpg\")
<\/a> TAMIYA 74514 Airbrush design with\u00a0all its main elements.
\n<\/em><\/p>\nIntroductory notes
\n<\/span><\/h1>\nInstant\u00a0cleansing<\/span><\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nDeep cleaning<\/span><\/h1>\n
Cleaning process
\n<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n