Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Got something to say about the hobby of model making?
User avatar
Stuart
Raider of the Lost Ark Royal
Posts: 19185
Joined: February 25th, 2013, 4:55 pm
Location: Forever England
Contact:

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by Stuart »

fredk wrote:The basic Humbrol/Badger airbrush I mentioned doesn't have any needle; just a venturi.
As air is blown across it it basically sucks up the paint and mixes it into the airflow.
Thats why it takes less time than typing this to clean it
Thanks Fred - good to know. How well did it spray?
Stuart Templeton I may not be good but I'm slow...

My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
User avatar
Stuart
Raider of the Lost Ark Royal
Posts: 19185
Joined: February 25th, 2013, 4:55 pm
Location: Forever England
Contact:

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by Stuart »

fearless frankie wrote:I can only echo Dazzleds methods, if you don't mind taking a chance there are some great bargains out there on the dreaded fLeaBay, a lat I work with has just got a cracking Badger 175 for £22, its a Maid of all work as I've had one for a couple of years, seriously avoid the cheapo Chinese ones, been there seen it done it. There is always the rattle can method of painting the 106 and certaian auto shops will mix paint to your requirements too.
Thanks FF! Yeah it's ok, I know about the chinese ones - My wife bought a double action a/b to do her cakes with and it's crap - The trigger assembly fell to bits when I removed the needle and it took me an hour to get it back together - hence why I was asking about the time it should take to clean them.
Stuart Templeton I may not be good but I'm slow...

My Blog: https://stuartsscalemodels.blogspot.com/
User avatar
DavidWomby
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11706
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 8:09 pm
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by DavidWomby »

FWIW, because we all have different experiences and preferences, I am very happy with my ancient and simple Paasche H using Gunze, Model master, Tamiya, Vallejo or Xtracrylix acrylics.

Cleaning is pretty simple an d quick. I spray water through it until it flows clear, then disassemble and rinse the parts in water too.

David
rob_van_riel
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 3317
Joined: November 4th, 2012, 11:28 am
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by rob_van_riel »

I've done quite some experimenting over the years, and here's what I found in order of acquisition:

Badger/Humbrol/Revell single action external mix: never got them to work well.
Hansa double action: a dream to work with, gives me better handwriting than a ballpoint, but not good for large areas. Still in the back of the drawer in case I ever need that level of precision.
Aztec: OK, but I wrecked more of the semi-disposable nozzles than I'd like, and those are neither cheap nor easy to find.
Fengda (cheap Chinese): perfectly good airbrushes for surface work (no up to handwriting though). No different in operation than any of the more expensive brands.
Taurus (probably more expensive Chinese): Identical design to the Fengda's but not parts compatible. Just more expensive..
Paashe Talon: Controls are a bit smoother than the Fengdas', otherwise operationally equivalent. Don't know yet if the higher price will translate into longer life.

I've found no real difference in cleaning effort between the types.

Everyone's experience will be different, of course.

My compressor, by the way, is one of the big noisy workshop things, but fitted with a regulator and moisture trap.
User avatar
fredk
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 6194
Joined: May 1st, 2012, 6:25 am
Location: Donaghadee, N'rn Ir'n

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by fredk »

Sir T wrote:
fredk wrote:The basic Humbrol/Badger airbrush I mentioned doesn't have any needle; just a venturi.
As air is blown across it it basically sucks up the paint and mixes it into the airflow.
Thats why it takes less time than typing this to clean it
Thanks Fred - good to know. How well did it spray?
Most excellently. Its great for all over single colours, eg undercoat/priming, or the main colour on a tank. Smallest area it can do is about the width of a 2p coin. But of course if an area is masked off this limit means nothing
Adjustment of the size of area of spray is by screwing the paint venturi up or down into the airflow.
I bought it originally just to have 'in case I wanted to spray paint something' Its first use was 'flames' on the tank, side panels and front mudguard of a motorcycle. I don't use it much these days just cos I don't spray too much.
But its gonna be getting more use, I think, in the near future

As others have said we all have different experiences.
I have a gravity feed single action and a gravity feed double action. Both are chinese clones, both have worked very well for me for the last 10 years or so. Because they work so well I won't be buying any other anytime soon
Years ago I had a Badger side-feed a/b, it never worked properly for me. It was back and forth to the distributor for 'repairs' so often it became a 'Triggers Broom' job. It put me off using an a/b for years. About the same time a friend had a top European make; he scrapped his as he couldn't get it to work and the maker didn't want to know. He was a commercial artist. He went back to blowing thru a straw.
Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Its not just how good your painting is, its how good the touch-ups are too.
User avatar
Eric Mc
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 4795
Joined: May 3rd, 2011, 8:27 am
Location: Farnborough, Hants

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by Eric Mc »

Many of us seem to have similar tales to tell regarding the history of our personal airbrush use.

I started off 40 years ago with a simple "Humbrol" badged air gun. I couldn't get it to work properly. So, that initial attempt to use an airbrush failed at the first attempt. Also, using compressed air cans only didn't help matters.

In the mid 1990s I bought a Badger single action brush and a simple compressor. Again, less than successful results and again, putting thw airbrush down and reverting to old style brush painting.

Ten years on, in rapid succession, I tried an Aztek, a Chinese knock off and finally a Harder and Steenbeck.

Almost immediately, once I started using the H&B, all other airbrushes got shoved in a drawer never to be used again. I also bought a garage compressor which has a storage tank and adjustable pressure levels.
The H&B is now the brush for me and after about 6 or 7 years of use, is still performing well.

The other major change that encouraged me to persevere with airbrushes was the move from enamel and enamel thinners to acrylics and their more benign (and less odorous) thinners.
ShaunW
NOT the sheep
Posts: 26118
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by ShaunW »

I use a Badger 100GXF Stuart, which is a gravity fed dual action airbrush made from, I think, brass and is solid and heavy in feel (ooh matron). I believe the seals are a type of white polyurethane and they have laughed in the face of even aggressive airbrush cleaners. Stripping down for cleaning is not complex (if you like I will post a pic of the brush stripped down) and I use the thinners of whatever paint I have been spraying and occasionally a bit of airbrush cleaner, usually Badger's own, to remove any stubborn paint deposits. In use the trigger action is smooth and precise and works in two ways, press for air (the pressure of the air being adjusted at the compressor) and pull back to introduce paint - the "dual action". I've heard it said that this type of airbrush is more prone to blockage than the single action type but that has not been my experience (I have owned Badger and Humbrol single action types in the past) and I would say the extra control afforded by the dual action trigger is worth mastering - it doesn't take long. The paint reservoir on the 100 is not huge and I have to regularly top up but I mix the paint in a separate jar so that is not really an issue. Price however might be an issue, this model cost me over £100 back in the mid 1990's (I had a well paid job back then, those were the days!) and was made in the USA. I don't know what the current equivalent model retails at but I would imagine similar money. Firmly grasping wood, it has never given any trouble, none whatsoever. IMHO when buying an airbrush, as with many tools, you get what you pay for and my advice would be to steer away from the "knock off" types.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.

Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Saxon
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 1407
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 4:05 am
Location: Behind You

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by Saxon »

If you use acrylics they wash out in water quite easily. I run the airbrush under a tap and use a cotton bud to clean any paint that remains. You can run it through with thinners or turps too if you like. I have never had an issue. Using enamels is a bit of a nightmare to clean though.

Asides from pulling the needle out I rarely take the airbrush apart.
m1ks
Onto the Clever Stuff, Now.
Posts: 147
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 9:32 pm

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by m1ks »

Sir T wrote:Hi Gents,

One of the reasons why I don’t use an airbrush is the time it takes to set up and clean the brush after painting, normally my modelling time at home is limited to 10 or 20 minutes here and there, whilst usually doing 2 or 3 other job (and I don’t think Airbrushing in my car at lunch is a great idea).
Cleaning of a da can be done very quickly once the routine is in place, I'd recommend you don't give up on the idea.
I strip and clean mine completely after every session and between switching paint types, enamel to acrylic etc.
My routine is shown here and once you have this it becomes reflex, almost muscle memory and can be done very quickly, about 5 min and you still have a spotless ab ready for the next spraying session.

https://youtu.be/k9YnScCetDo;
User avatar
bassman
The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
Posts: 320
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:58 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: Cleaning Single Action Airbrushes

Post by bassman »

Why don't you buy a double action from the start. After some kits done with single action you want a double action. My experience is very positive with the Badger 150 and the Revell Profi. Cleaning with ultrasonic cleaner works best for me.
Post Reply

Return to “Small Talk”