I’m into only my second airbrush project, using a Paasche VL. I’m using Badger Modelflex (acrylic) paint and unsure of an effective but easy way to filter it from the bottle to a paint cup. I prefer to use the metal cup vs the jar and tube as the cup is so easy to clean. Though the Modelflex is supposed to be sprayable from the jar without thinning I add a splash (maybe 5-10%) of Wagners Paint Easy for good measure, spraying at 30 psi.
I recall trying to filter into the cup last project was a problem the way I did it. I had some 1-gal can filter sock material that I cut up, but it was so fine that the paint just pooled atop the material atop the cup. I guess I could cut a piece of screen (think I have some synthetic window screen) if I knew how fine it needed to be for the airbrush. Any suggestions most welcome.
For now, I think I’ll stick to acrylic paints as it is so easy to clean up at the garage sink. I first spray a bit of denatured alcohol through the brush, then take it apart and clean in the sink and spigot water flow hot soapy water, put together (ensuring all 11 parts are there) then spray some alcohol through it. I presume this is best practice, rather than doing less and hoping it works next time.
I’m also thinking I should acquire some spare parts for the medium tip I’m using. That way if I damage the needle or clog the tip, etc, I’ll be ready? Advice on that? Maybe ask Paasche what they suggest?
Good Points!
I have a Badger 105 ‘Patriot’ and a Harbor Freight air brush(both dual action). I filter the paint through a mesh V-Cup I purchased many years ago(not sure if the brand). I also ‘stir’ the paint with a $10 battery operated mixer. Never ‘shake’ acrylics to mix them. Both Iwata and Badger techs at train shows warn about shaking. Not sure why, but I heed their warnings.
I used to shoot at about 30-35 lbs with acrylics, but the acrylic paint is fast drying and may be dry before it hits the model. Thinning to the consistancy of 2% milk should give good results. Not sure with your brand, but both my HF and Badger spray at about 22 lbs with consistant results. I also have a 30 year old single action Badger 200 as well. I bought the ‘notch’ medium tip from Badger on their advice for shooting Model-Flex.
As you mentioned, I have a spare tip, ‘O’ ring, and needle for my Badger 105 and 200.
Cleaning your air brush immediately after painting is mandatory - That acrylic paint dries fast! I also shoot Floquil Polly Scale, and that does need to be thinned. I use cheap 71% alcohol from Walmart for thinning & cleaning.
Jim
I ordered the mid size needle/tip/aircap package and also the following filter set. I’ll probably experiment with the thinning some more as I may still have it on the thicker side vs optimum.
http://www.dickblick.com/items/26922-1939/
Hi Paul:
I clean my two air brushes as soon as I am finished spraying, like immediately. I use lacquer thinner. I start by running the thinner through the brush using a clean jar, and spraying into a clean rag until it appears that no more paint is coming out. Then I let the brush sit for a few seconds and then spray again. Invariably more colour comes out. I guess the pause is allowing the thinner to dissolve any dried paint inside the brush. I do that 3 or 4 times.
Next I remove the tip pieces, separate them, and then drop them into the jar with the remaining lacquer thinner in it. While they soak I remove the needle and wipe it down with the rag that the thinner was sprayed into (hence the reason for using a clean rag). I handle the needle VERY carefully because they bend easily.
Next step is to run a fine wire brush soaked in thinner through the paint intake tube on the brush itself and inside of the front of the brush. This has to be done very carefully because you don’t want to allow the wire brush to contact the rubber needle seal. The brushes come as a set of five different sizes and are specifically designed for this purpose. I got them on eBay.
Next is to remove the tip parts from the thinner and wire brush then gently. I don’t put the wire brush through the needle orfice because I don’t want to damage it and spraying the lacquer thinner will have already cleaned it out.
Last step is to re-assemble things.
For the paint jar I just use hot water since I am only spraying acrylics, so far at least. If the paint doesn’t wash out of the feed tube a q-tip will cure that. I make sure I clean the inside of the cap too.
For filtering I made up a couple of small filters using the screen from an automatic transmission filter that I had kicking around the garage. It is extremely fine. I used some HO scale code 100 rail to form the rim and the handle and soldered the screen to that.
Dave
I use a Paasche VL, and clean it immediately after painting. I put lacquer thinner through it, regardless of the paint used, and spray that through the siphon tube and on the inside of the bottle cap, using the colour cup for the thinner. I also disassemble the brush completely, and slide a thinner-soaked pipe cleaner through the passages. The tip, air cap, and aircap body go into lacquer thinner in the colour cup, and the needle is wipe with a thinner-soaked cloth. A complete cleaning takes only a couple of minutes.
I never use the cup for paint - it’s too small to be of use, and more difficult to clean than the bottles. The Paasche siphon cap fits many paint manufacturers’ bottles, and I store thinned paint in them between sessions. Often, I’ll refill bottles in-use (most of my colours are mixed, not ones used straight from the bottle) and boxcar red, for instance, changes slightly from batch-to-batch. A bottle usually gets cleaned only when an unusual colour is need for a particular car, then any remaining is converted to something more generally useable.
I never strain paint - if it requires straining, it should be discarded, as it’s either contaminated or is losing it’s solvent to evapouration.
Also, I do not use Badger’s ModelFlex paint - tried it several times, and it’s the most miserable paint I’ve ever used.
I spray Floquil and Scalecoat at between 25 and 35 psi, but acrylics generally spray better at between 15 and 25 psi. If you have difficulties using a particular paint, consult the manufacturer’s website.
When I first attempted to use PollyScale paint, I followed the methods outlined on this Forum, thinning it with alcohol and spraying at around 40 psi. The airbrush clogged almost immediately, and I could never complete a single car. Fortunately, Floquil was still available. However, as Floquil began to tinker with their paints’ formula,
Paul and Wayne:
I should add that I have never had any lumps show up in the filters when using properly mixed Polly Scale or True Line paints. In fact I stopped using the filter for a while because it seemed to be a waste of both time and paint. Then I made the mistake of using the wrong thinner (99% isopropyl alcohol) the first time I used Vallejo paint. What I didn’t notice when I poured the supposedly thinned paint into the jar was that the alcohol had caused the paint to congeal. When I tried to spray it nothing came out, but the biggest problem was that the airbrush was totally gummed up. It looked like I had tried to run tar or bunker oil through it. It took forever to clean it out. I kicked myself in the butt for not using the filter so now I defer to my paranoia and use the filter sieve every time.
Dave
Have been using an air-brush for more yrs. than I have fingers and toe’s, also pro painting Trucks and cars and that would be the only time, I spent a lot of time cleaning the gun’s, unlike air-brushes, they have packing in them, along with the needle’s, so the packing wears out. Air-brushes on the other hand don’t…so I may totally clean them, about every 3 to 4 months and I use them every other day. I have quite a few spare bottles, with hardware attached and siphon tube, set up for a specific color…like Red, Yellow. etc. I don’t use it for any other color or brand, for I do use Acryllic’s and Enamels. I also mix My own paint and they also have their own 1 oz bottle with cap, with ingredients marked on a self stick label. When I paint something, I use the color hardware that matches the paint color, when I’m done painting, on screw it on it’s own lacquer thinner bottle and clean the air brush with flow wide open on the air brush until it comes out clear…I spray a piece of throw away cardboard for that, under 30 to 39 psi. I don’t use anything other than lacquer thinner to clean the air brush and use nothing but denatured alcohol to mix Acryllics. I lot of times, I will use temp. reducer, instead of lacquer thinner for thinning on certain lacquer paints and enamels.
I use Paasche H-Models and VL model air brushes and never had to replace any parts on any of them…some are 40yrs old.
I use throw away Automotive paper and nylon gause strainers, cut down to fit a 3 oz bottle.
Home made spray booth is six feet long w/carousel.
In reading a lot of these air-brush threads, it appears to Me, that a lot of people spend more time cleaning their air brush, then painting with it. LOL.
Of course…that is My opinion only…
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
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Thanks for all the thorough info everyone. Most helpful.
I guess I’m cleaning my VL ok. I presume I should never have to take apart the air inlet assembly. The confusing part to me is about the innerds of the brush after the tip, needle, trigger are removed during cleaning. I’ve been carefully running a soapy pipecleaner through the part MU-612 PTFE packing, which from the diagram (below) I presume is a packing from the high pressure air end to the front air / paint area. I assume the pipecleaner won’t damage that if I’m careful. On the paint intake area I just run a pipecleaner into it and also assume there’s nothing there to damage??
http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/paascheparts.html
I’ll re-read all the above and consider whether the paint cup or jar method better suits. Seems like using a jar for a project over several days can reduce the cleaning steps and paint handling.
On paints, I’m inclined to ask what acrylic RR paints are suggested that are currently manufactured as alternatives to Badger Modelflex. Wayne got my attention. I don’t want to go to solvent base paints at this time for several reasons.
Frank, what is that truck? A real one shrunk a bit? Don’t tell me it’s a model!
It’s a Tamiya 1/14 scale King Hauler RC kit…that I built for My youngest Son, in the 90’s, who is 37 yrs. old now and repainted it and did some upgrades for His oldest Son who is 8yrs. old and very heavy into RC Trucks/Cars and good ole’ Gramps, (Me) is the go to guy! How can you refuse a grandkid?? LOL I spoil them all, ( All eight of them…six boys & two girls) every chance I get… One girl is in college already…two on the way…where did the time go?
BTW: There is a HO scale train layout, in progress in My Son’s basement, but that’s winter stuff.
Take Care and Good Luck, air-brushing…can be a lot of fun, once You know the basics and sharpen Your skills.[:D]
Frank
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