The airbrush artist will quickly discover that cleaning the guns has its part in this art form. The rest of this article will describe how clogging occurs, how you can best avoid it, and what you can do about it.
This also includes giving you a clue about the tools you need and their functions for cleaning.
Airbrush gun clogged: How does it happen?
Naturally, the gun can clog in between. This is due to the respective colors, the concentration, and the drying of the paints. For example, the higher the engagement, the easier it is for the airbrush nozzle to clog. This is because it is beautiful and susceptible to the smallest particles.
Airbrush gun clogging remedy: This is how it works
Below are valuable tips and hints on how you can clear the clog. First comes the lead on the tools with their function for cleaning.
Important tools for cleaning
The most essential tools and a personal airbrush cleaning kit for you include the following components:
- Clean water to rinse the gun is also always in between.
- Airbrush Cleaner to soak or directly dissolve stubborn blockages.
- e.g., the Airbrush Cleaner from Vallejo.
- Fine brush to actively remove paint crusts with the cleaner.
- e.g., the painting brush set from WLOT
- Handkerchiefs or cosmetic cloth to remove paint from the housing and carefully from the needle. With the hand, you should make sure that you always take it out carefully and rub it on the cloth lying flat so that it does not become crooked at the tip.
- e.g., the cleaning cloths from xetClean
- sheet of paper for spraying and checking if you get a clean spray pattern or clean further.
- e.g. the Fabriano Bristol block, DIN A3
- A container, in which the gun fits completely in individual parts, to soak there also overnight with very stubborn contamination.
- Insider tip: e.g., the glass casserole dish from Arcuisine
- An ultrasonic cleaner was also recommended in the past. However, it later came under criticism and suspicion that the slight shaking could loosen meaningful connections and thus make a lot of spray guns leak.
- e.g., the No products found.
Clean clogged airbrush gun
The clogging usually happens at the front of the nozzle or the passage between the paint container and the nozzle. You should unscrew these areas, remove the needle and thus make it accessible.
You do not usually need your own tools for disassembly since all parts can either be unscrewed by hand, or you should have received appropriate wrenches in the set, which you can and should use for the model.
Typically, rinsing or spraying with clear water after each operation is sufficient. A concentrated airbrush cleaner is a next step to dissolve the remaining paint and new blockages.
A thorough cleaning is indicated if a perfect spray pattern is still not present or the airbrush gun is speckled. This involves applying the airbrush cleaner thoroughly to the nozzle, needle, and paint inlet with a fine brush and allowing it to soak in for a while.
To do this, of course, you must first unscrew the airbrush to expose the nozzle, needle, and other components. Be careful because the hand and nozzle are compassionate.
In addition, take care of the seals to do not fall off loosely. Therefore, perform the cleaning on a large and empty work surface to see everything.
If there are very stubborn paint crusts, it is best to soak the individual components, including the seal in a container with the liquid cleaner overnight. The next day, you should clean the soaked parts with the fine brush and cosmetic cloth, assemble the gun, and spray the airbrush vigorously with the airbrush cleaner and water.
Usually, you can clean the airbrush thoroughly the first time. If this is not the case, you should insert it again and thus repeat the operation.
How to avoid the clogging of the airbrush gun
Caution and permanent cleaning are always recommended to minimize the risk of paint clogging. The subsequent cleaning with water should be carried out by all means and is sufficient in most cases so that the gun remains usable.
This is especially true if you take a more extended break from work. Then you should spray the gun entirely with water.
If you have worked with highly concentrated paint, spray the gun thoroughly with Airbrush Cleaner at the end and leave a little diluted with a bit of water in the paint funnel (applies with the paint funnel in place) until the next working day.
FAQs
How should the airbrush gun be cleaned to prevent clogging?
Prevention is always the best way to prevent clogging. Moreover, you don’t always have to use expensive cleaners to properly clean the gun with stubborn paint crusts.
If you notice the beginning of a blockage while working, you should immediately dilute the paint with water, increase the pressure on the compressor and spray out the residue vigorously. Further charges with water are recommended afterward.
If the gun still reacts conspicuously, use the cleaner immediately and spray it through properly. If it is still clogged, you must clean it thoroughly or insert it as described above.
What causes an airbrush to sputter?
There are a few things that can cause an airbrush to sputter. One possible reason is that the needle might be clogged. If this is the case, you can try cleaning it with a brush or compressed air. Another possibility is that there might be too much paint in the cup. If this is the case, you can try emptying the cup and then reloading it with less paint. Finally, if none of these solutions work, it might be that the compressor isn’t providing enough pressure. In this case, you can try increasing the pressure on the compressor or finding a different compressor that provides more pressure.