Choice of airbrush cleaner

[Michelnou]

I wonder if there are specific airbrush cleaners depending on wether water based paints, alcohol based paints or solvent based paints are used with the tool ?

Michel

 

[Jakko]

Some types work better with some paints than with others. I use Vallejo cleaner for all paint in a dropper bottle, like Vallejo, Ammo, etc. and Badger cleaner for others. The Badger cleaner doesn’t work on Vallejo paint, but it will dissolve Tamiya, for example.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

For acrylics I use Ultimate Modelling Products airbrush thinners and cleaner...
For Lacquers I use the products thinners aka Tamiya, Mr Hobby. And nearly always on a 50/50 mix ratio.
For enamels I use white spirit or odourless thinners.
This may be overkill but once I have finished spraying, and cleaned up the airbrush I spray a cup of IPA through it, no matter which paint I have used. I also remove the needle as I have found on a few occasions the needle has stuck due to an errant drop of paint not getting flushed out of the airbrush.
You will notice that I have steered away from Vallejo thinners as personally I do not like their product.

For example Tuesday - I needed to spray 50 ammunition containers, Lt Blue, Yellow, Olive Drab and Black, all sprayed with Lacquers/enamels - not a problem.
I then decided to touch up the Yellow yesterday, so used acrylic Yellow, not a problem as gloss varnish was going over the top of them all ready for decals. Wish I had never picked up the airbrush - paint thinned, would not spray, increased air pressure up to 25psi, clogging. So cleaned out the airbrush and mixed up another batch of paint so that it looked more like P than paint, that finally worked. And that is why I have been converting back to lacquers and enamels, I have lost all confidence in using acrylics as a spray medium.

 

[Andy T]

For water based acrylics I use either AK "perfect cleaner" or the same UMP cleaner as Mike, depending on which is nearer to hand.

For solvent / lacquer paints I use standard (aka cellulose) thinner. Cheap & cheerful, especially for me that buys it in 25 litre drums for under £40 and siphons a bit off for hobby use.

 

[Michelnou]

I read that you should not use a cleaner but rather a thinner for intermediate cleaning between two different colors paints.

What is your opinion on this subject

 

[Jim R]

Acrylics - flush through with water then Medea Airbrush Cleaner.
Lacquers - lacquer thinners.
Enamels - white spirit or enamel thinner.
Regardless of the paint used I always finish with a blast through with Premi-Air Liquid Reamer. That will shift anything.

For a quick clean before a colour change I would stick to the appropriate thinner rather than a cleaner.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I use Mr Color lacquer thinners to clean everything out, no matter what the paint, but only at the end of a session. To change lacquer colours I would just spray a cup of thinners through then move to the next colour. On the rare occasions I spray acrylics I use Vallejo cleaner between colours, followed by water, followed by the next colour, but still clean with lacquer thinners at the end of a session. I haven’t used enamels for years so can’t comment on them.

 

[Ian M]

Another AK perfect clean user, or Vallejo cleaner. Which ever is closest.
Cellulose thinner for almost all others. Sometimes White spirit.

If just a colour change in a long session, for acrylics I just blast some thinners though, then follow with clean water.

 

[SteveT]

I've only tried one cleaner so far and that was Vallejo airbrush cleaner but it seems to do a very good job.

 

[OldWalrus]

I've only tried one cleaner so far and that was Vallejo airbrush cleaner but it seems to do a very good job.

+1 for this. As I only use acrylics and usually Vallejo it should work! The Premi Air Foaming Airbrush Cleaner is also a useful product, just make sure the provided straw is firmly seated in the nozzle before squirting otherwise things get very messy.

 

[Waspie]

I've only tried one cleaner so far and that was Vallejo airbrush cleaner but it seems to do a very good job.

Ditto.

 

[David Lovell]

Going back to just cleaning ,Mr Hobby tool cleaner if its stuck like on a blanket this will move it

 

[Flip]

Going back to just cleaning ,Mr Hobby tool cleaner if its stuck like on a blanket this will move it

I'd just add one caveat to this: don't use it on any parts that have nitrile rubber seals or you'll dissolve them! My son couldn't work out why his AB was bubbling back on him. When I stripped it down, his front nitrile seal fell off in bits! Guess what he'd used...
It is brilliant stuff, just use it for immersion of suitable parts.

Ditto to all the above. Generally, I spray lacquers and simply flush through with product-specific thinners between colours. I also do a thinners flush at the start and end of each session. I only tend to strip down nowadays when performance starts to drop (I used to strip down every time).

 

[David Lovell]

I'd just add one caveat to this: don't use it on any parts that have nitrile rubber seals or you'll dissolve them! My son couldn't work out why his AB was bubbling back on him. When I stripped it down, his front nitrile seal fell off in bits! Guess what he'd used...
It is brilliant stuff, just use it for immersion of suitable parts.

Ditto to all the above. Generally, I spray lacquers and simply flush through with product-specific thinners between colours. I also do a thinners flush at the start and end of each session. I only tend to strip down nowadays when performance starts to drop (I used to strip down every time).

Hi John this is another one of thoes weird ones ,I clean round and flush through with mr tool cleaner followed with some thinners then some clean water ,l always pull and clean the needle before and after use also like you a small amount of thinners before I start ,unless something feels not right ive never taken a airbrush apart ,feeling not right usually can be put down to thats the first time ever in a couple of years its needed taking apart. I agree with the washer melt problem but its never happened to me even with my cheaper Chinese copies. Personally I've never understood the need people feel to take apart their most expensive piece of there hobby ,most of the airbrush problems you read on here start with this ritual, if you've flushed through properly and cleaned the needle (easily removed and replaced)there's nothing else to get dirty if it ain't broke springs to mind.

 

[andy55]

I use my own mix (I only use acrylics) it's 20% IPA 20% Windowlene, 60% deionized water and a couple or three drops of glycerine. However when using primer (Ammo one shot) the nozzle gets a soak in pure IPA.

 

[PaulinKendal]

I also remove the needle as I have found on a few occasions the needle has stuck due to an errant drop of paint not getting flushed out of the airbrush.

Yep, getting the needle glued into the nozzle is a right pain. I don't remove the needle entirely, I just back it off a few mm. That way it's much easier to free it without the possibility of damaging the nozzle in the process.
Can't help with your choice of cleaner - I spray Vallejo products, so I use Vallejo thinners and cleaner, without any issues.

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

And that is why I have been converting back to lacquers and enamels, I have lost all confidence in using acrylics as a spray medium.

I am with you on this Mike. I find acrylics dry out too quickly and can soon clog the nozel.

 

[Miko]

I use the thinners of whatever paint brand and type the manufacturer suggest, then you know it'll work without problems, some say it's expensive but it's not 'that' expensive and I only need one container of product not two.

"take two bottles into the shower. . . spray area? not me, I just spray, and go!'' Ha!

This may be overkill but once I have finished spraying, and cleaned up the airbrush I spray a cup of IPA through it. . .

That's a good idea! Provided you mean Isopropyl Alcohol and not 'India Pale Ale!' Ha!

Miko (I've only ever used Humbrol MrHobby and Tamiya and their respective thinners so I can't comment on Vallejo that does seem to polarize opinion.)

 

[stillp]

"take two bottles into the shower. . . spray area? not me, I just spray, and go!'' Ha!

You must be older than I'd imagined!
Pete

 

[Miko]

You must be older than I'd imagined!
Pete

I wonder what my online persona suggests my age maybe?

I can remember the moon landing and have a vague recollection of an atmosphere in the air but didn't understand why of the '66 world cup final!

Miko (youthful by wrote, apparently? if I was as old as the woman I feel I'd be four years younger than I am! Ha!)