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06/08/2005
Airbrush Maintenance
This is a short article I've written on what i found to be the hardest part of airbrushing. That is, maintenance and cleaning.
I got through several makes and types of brush before settling with Iwata. They have an excellent reputation amongst the modelling community and it's well founded.
I have three Iwata's at present, but before I get into that, let me just make one comment on protection.
You may want to think about buying some cheap plastic glasses for protecting your eyes and a mask for protecting your breathing. This is because no matter how careful you are, without them, you will inhale some of the spray, and if it's going in your nasal passage you can bet it'll be going in your eyes too. And considering some chemicals you might be using that is definatley NOT good.
OK, on to the brushes. As I said I have 3, all bought at different times, but, if you can tell the oldest or the newest your doing well, because I've learned the hard way about maintenance, and now I try and clean them to a state of perfection after every session. Yes, EVERY session. The day you leave it, is the day it'll all start to go wrong.
I've added some numbers to the larger linked picture to briefly explain some of the features of the Iwata's:
1: This is the standard Eclipse. You'll notice I added a crown cap th the front nozzle. This is supposed to allow you to get nearer to what you're spraying. Though some modeller's just remove the cap altogether. it's also debated if they are actually worth having, but I like them, and they are also easy to clean.
2: This is the HP-C, you'll notice the handle has a cut-away, which I thought first was for looks, but is actually a very clever way to unblock your brush. If you get a clog while your working, just pull the needle back to get an instant unblock! It's amazing how useful this is, especially if you're used to stopping, taking the brush apart, cleaning and then trying to resume where you left off, only to get another blockage!
3: This is the HP-CH, aside from the cut-away handle, it also has some additional features. The first is the valve at the front that let's you control the airflow....
4:...and the valve at the back let's you control the needle position. Using 3 and 4 together gives you an incredible control, which when tried, you'll wonder how you managed without them.
On to cleaning:
First, how much do you strip the brush down? I used to take everything apart, but I've realised now that all you need to do is unscrew the back and take the needle out for 99% of all cleaning. I don't even totally unscrew the locking nut, and I don't remove the cap or the trigger.
The main areas for paint to cling to are the needle, the nozzle cap, and inside the paint bowl. Usually warm water will be sufficient to clean this off, wiped dry with some tissue paper.
Occasionally the paint just will not come off though and that's when you need to be a bit more harsh.
The two main tools I use are an old toothbrush and a short haired, stiff paintbrush. What I use with these, is a very strong cleaning agent. I've found that lacquer thinner is about as strong as I need, and can shift everything I've tried. Just dip the smallest part of each brush in the cleaner and swirl it around the bowl, or brush it on the cap to get a really clean finish. You need to rinse everything in water after though. I left a toothbrush once with the thinner on it and next day it had crumbled!
The finishing touch:
There's a product on the market called Super Lube. This is a lubricant, specifically designed for airbrushes. It costs around £6, and you get a tiny bottle, but don't be put off, this stuff will keep your brush in excellent condition for years. All you need to do, after each clean, dip the needle into the bottle and then place it back in the brush....simple as that.
I hope this has been of some use to you, for more information on airbrushes, including different brands and uses you can do no better than The Clubhouse
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