Cleaning Airbrushes

Every time you use the airbrush, you’re going to need to clean it thoroughly afterward to prevent paint from drying on and inside it. When you change colours, you’re going to have to clean it a little to a lot, depending on the difference in colours. I can't stress enough that if you don't keep your airbrush clean, (often from not thinning paints enough) you'll be spending more time fighting with it than you do using it.

Possible Problems

If you don’t keep your airbrush clean, there are all sorts of problems you can run into. Airbrush manuals will often talk about these problems, but here’s an overview.

• Thick Paint 

Because many of us intend on thinning paints we already have, we can run into problems with the paint being too thick. This will clog your airbrush.

• Fast Drying Paint 

Another problem with not using airbrush specific paints is that standard acrylics dry fast. If you don’t thin them with something designed to slow drying times, then you don’t have much time to refill a reservoir or clean out your airbrush. This will clog your airbrush.

• Bubbling Reservoir or Seals

notice I'm blocking the nozzle with my finger

If the cup that holds your paint is bubbling, then you have a clog around the tip / nozzle. Air can’t escape, so instead it’s being blown the only direction it can – out where the paint comes in.

Sometimes the bubbling will be coming out the sides of your various layers of nozzle parts.

This can also be due to poorly sealed (loose or dirty) or damaged nozzle and tip parts.

• Inconsistent Spraying

Often this is caused by a clog, but can also be due to dried out O-rings, air pressure being too low or high, dirty insides, poor connections, water in the compressor, not using an air tank to regulate flow and more.


Supplies

So I'm in the process of testing out some of Blogger's monetizing features - bear with me and I hope this isn't tacky or annoying. That said, I had to dig around on eBay for some of these products, now the leg work is done for you.

• Airbrush Cleaner

This is basically a soap solution, but I purchased iwata brand airbrush cleaner stuff because it’s strong enough to break down paint but not too strong that it will damage metal or rubber O-rings. Find something recommended by your local airbrush supply store or the manufacturer.

Avoid Ammonia based cleaners, which can eat the metal.
Avoid Acetone (most nail polish remover) as it's a possible cancer agent as well as causing serious nervous system and organ damage through prolonged / often exposure via inhalation (breathing) and blood contact. (open wounds... like on a finger) Yeah, that's right - most nail polish remover isn't actually safe for removing nail polish.

I'll have to revisit this in the future and see if there are cheaper generic brands of cleaner - I'm thinking my Simple Green should work wonders.

• Q-Tips

You don’t want to scratch the finish of your airbrush, so Q-Tips allow you to rub the hard to reach places, usually inside the reservoir, and clean off dried paint. (With cleaner) The cheapest kind should work - it’s less of a problem if you crack these in an airbrush than in an ear.

• Syringe

No, not a metal needle, but a plastic syringe you can get from most drug stores. This will let you easily and quickly run water through your airbrush so you don’t use up your pricier cleaner.

• Cloth / Paper Towels

A non-abrasive (soft, not scratchy) shop cloth to wipe your needle down if it gets dried paint on it.

I use the blue shop towels you can find at hardware stores because they're much more absorbent and don't shred and come apart as easily as normal paper towels.

• Cleaning Brushes

These are small brushes that fit inside the various holes in the airbrush to clean (without scratching) the inside, where you normally can’t get to. I just eBay’d a generic set. You only need to use these if you end up with dried paint deep inside the airbrush.

• Lubricant

Keeps the moving parts of your airbrush sliding smoothly. Some swear that if you keep your airbrush clean, this isn’t necessary.

While you’ll use it super-sparingly, normal machine or 3-in-1 oils still aren’t recommended because they’ll break down your paints if any of the lube makes it's way to the front of the airbrush. (Which some will, since you lube the needle.) Apparently a brand called “Super Lube” is suggested, but I’m sure most hobby stores that carry airbrushes can suggest another brand. Generic brand “glycerin” lube from a drug store sounds like it usually does the trick, but may dry out sooner than airbrush lube. They come in different viscosities and the thinner, more water-like, ones seem to be too runny.

I found my bottle of Glycerine at a drug store in the same area as rubbing alcohol and iodine. The bottle says for dry and cracked hands, so you might find it with hand lotions and creams. Ingredients show “100% Glycerine”.
Not to be confused for “glycerine suppositories” in the laxatives section (which seems to trip up a lot of hobbyists looking for this stuff - and when I asked store staff for glycerine, they were only aware of the suppositories) or “other” lubes that drug stores sometimes carry.

I’ve read a few places that say oil can be used, but ONLY on parts that won’t come in contact with the paint or air. You’re better off avoiding oil if you can.

• Cleaning Pot

You’ll need to run a bunch of reservoirs worth of water/cleaner through the airbrush every time you clean it. A Tupperware container you don’t plan on using again will do, (And works for me) but you can also buy special enclosed cleaning pots designed to prevent clouds of cleaning fluid from blowing back in your face and settling on your hobby area. (I suppose you could cut a hole in the lid for a tupperware container, though it still wouldn't be completely sealed)

I can see one of these in my future, but I'm not rushing to get it.

Cleaning Paint

1. Repeatedly run water through the airbrush to get rid of as much colour as you can.

2. Use q-tips to rub off any extra paint from the reservoir. Usually a Q-Tip and some airbrush cleaner does the job.

When you clean off the paint, watch for flakes. You’ll want to remove these from the airbrush using q-tips or tweezers. (If you use tweezers, don’t scratch your airbrush)

If you run the airbrush with chunks of dried paint floating in the water, IT WILL clog your airbrush. Careful, because these dried pieces may have sunk to the bottom and be settled around your needle, just waiting to clog your tip.

3. Put airbrush cleaner in the reservoir, spray a little through, then let it soak briefly to eat at the paint before spraying it out.

4. Use q-tips again if you need to.

5. Repeat as necessary until there’s no colour left.

Airbrush cleaner can be expensive, so use water on most of the steps, and airbrush cleaner to finish it off.

If you're painting similar colours and/or shades, you don't need to clean it out as thoroughly. A little paint left will just blend the new colour a little closer to the previous one, which can be a nice thing.


Cleaning Clogs

1. You should always remove the needle first, so you don't damage it while removing the rest of the nozzle.

Notice the needle will need some cleaning too.

If paint's dried enough to clog the nozzle, it's probably dried enough to stick to the needle.

You can use a Q-Tip or a cloth, soaked in airbrush cleaner and be VERY gentle as you wipe off the paint.

Wipe from the body of the needle to the tip. You don't want to apply pressure and damage the fragile needle.

2. Take the nozzle section fully apart.

Use q-tips or brushes soaked in airbrush cleaner to remove paint from these parts. A little gentle force with the cleaner should be enough.

If you can’t disassemble everything, DON’T FORCE IT. Soak the parts that are stuck in your airbrush cleaner until the paint comes apart.

4. If need be, soak these parts in the cleaner for a while and / or repeat.



The inside of the airbrush can end up with caked or dried paint, flakes, and so on.

While a Q-Tip and some airbrush cleaner is usually enough, you can also break out the brushes for this too.


If you’re having trouble removing really caked on paint, try a stronger cleaner or use a rubber or plastic pick (like those dental picks) to scratch away the paint without scratching the chrome finish.

If you're using a stronger cleaner, don't go too strong. Ammonia based cleaners can damage your airbrush. Start with dish soap, Simple Green, Alcohol (Isopropyl, not Rubbing) etc.


Lubricating Parts

1. Remove the needle.

2, Place a few drops of lube behind the trigger.

I just used a tooth pick to get some from the bottle. Other lubes will come with a fine spout.

Work the trigger back, forth, up and down a bit to get the lube in there.

3. Lubricate the needle – I’ve read a few different suggestions for how to do this:

Dip the first inch of the needle into the lube. If it’s too thick or too runny, wipe off the excess.

OR

Use a cloth to rub lube on the whole needle, then wipe it all off. A little will be left, which is all you need.

4. Run the needle back into the airbrush and spray some air and a little water through the airbrush to get rid of any extra lube.


O-Rings

Airbrushes have rubber o-rings at certain places to create nicer seals.

Don lose these, because they trap the air inside your airbrush to create a proper pressure system. As they get old or dry-out, they can become brittle. You can find replacements at not only hobby stores, but also plumbing and hardware stores too. (Just be sure to get the right size and thickness replacements, which your airbrush manual should state)

[update] As commenter Asmodai points out, and part of the reason I keep suggesting you make sure you're using proper Airbrush Cleaners and not stronger solutions, is that many chemicals eat rubber. This will destroy your o-rings and you'll lose your seal. (First sign of a bad o-ring is usually cracking or ridging.)