I had the chance this evening to try out a couple of simple things that I have to say, I was more than impressed with.
First of all Iwata-Medea Super Lube
This was, I have to admit an 'off the cuff' purchase more out of curiosity than need. Currently I have a very cheap Chinese Airbrush that came with the compressor I bought. Although I have every intention of replacing this AB at some point in the near future, it has and continues to serve me well.
However, one of the 'faults' of the cheap ABs is the build quality. Ever since i first started using it, I have known about a couple of 'sticky' spots on the trigger. I have also noticed that over that last month or so, this has been a bit more pronounced as well as a slight tightening to the whole feel of the brush.
So I thought I would try some sort of lubrication on the trigger, I was going to try WD40 but I imagine that could lead to problems. So, I got a tube of Super Lube from the shop and I have to say, it is great.
I put a few drops into the top of the trigger hole and wiped a bit down the length of the needle and I now have my original AB back. It feels so much smoother and the sticky trigger has all but gone. There is still a flat spot but that is down to the engineering quality, the lube does help to reduce the issues with this though.
Highly recommended.
Secondly, Medea Airbrush Cleaner
OK, so why buy an airbrush cleaner when you could use Screen wash and other things? I don't know but I do like to have to hand something I know will work and be simple to use. I must admit, I tend to use thinners to flush out and clean my AB and I have never had a problem. Well, I do have a problem with using thinners actually. One it is expensive and I was using far more thinners for cleaning than I was for thinning. Also, most of the 'paint' fumes came from the flushing and cleaning than the painting. I have tried screen wash and it does work, to a degree. I found I was having more blockages when flushing with screen wash while doing colour changes than I did using thinners. So, I saw this AB cleaner in the shop and though i would give it a try.
I will be honest, it is not the cheapest way of cleaning an AB but it is cheaper than thinners. Also, it is advertised as odourless, and in all practical terms, it really is. It comes in a great bottle with a pointed twist to open cap that makes squirting it into the AB a doddle and very controllable.
In use, it does exactly what it says it does, it cleans the AB as well as anything I have ever used including thinners and better than some. After spraying up some wheels on cocktail sticks, I had grey primer all over my thumb and fingers but a drop of this cleaner on a piece of kitchen towel and the paint came off my skin with no ill effects or scrubbing, just wiped off.
So what can you say about something that simply does what it says it does? Not a lot I suppose but it has certainly made flushing and cleaning the AB quicker, cleaner and a whole lot less smelly, even though I use a cleaning pot, than the next best thing, thinners.
I do not spray enamels so I cannot comment on how or if it works OK with that but for cleaning the AB using Acrylic, it really is good
Also Highly Recommended.
First of all Iwata-Medea Super Lube
This was, I have to admit an 'off the cuff' purchase more out of curiosity than need. Currently I have a very cheap Chinese Airbrush that came with the compressor I bought. Although I have every intention of replacing this AB at some point in the near future, it has and continues to serve me well.
However, one of the 'faults' of the cheap ABs is the build quality. Ever since i first started using it, I have known about a couple of 'sticky' spots on the trigger. I have also noticed that over that last month or so, this has been a bit more pronounced as well as a slight tightening to the whole feel of the brush.
So I thought I would try some sort of lubrication on the trigger, I was going to try WD40 but I imagine that could lead to problems. So, I got a tube of Super Lube from the shop and I have to say, it is great.
I put a few drops into the top of the trigger hole and wiped a bit down the length of the needle and I now have my original AB back. It feels so much smoother and the sticky trigger has all but gone. There is still a flat spot but that is down to the engineering quality, the lube does help to reduce the issues with this though.
Highly recommended.
Secondly, Medea Airbrush Cleaner
OK, so why buy an airbrush cleaner when you could use Screen wash and other things? I don't know but I do like to have to hand something I know will work and be simple to use. I must admit, I tend to use thinners to flush out and clean my AB and I have never had a problem. Well, I do have a problem with using thinners actually. One it is expensive and I was using far more thinners for cleaning than I was for thinning. Also, most of the 'paint' fumes came from the flushing and cleaning than the painting. I have tried screen wash and it does work, to a degree. I found I was having more blockages when flushing with screen wash while doing colour changes than I did using thinners. So, I saw this AB cleaner in the shop and though i would give it a try.
I will be honest, it is not the cheapest way of cleaning an AB but it is cheaper than thinners. Also, it is advertised as odourless, and in all practical terms, it really is. It comes in a great bottle with a pointed twist to open cap that makes squirting it into the AB a doddle and very controllable.
In use, it does exactly what it says it does, it cleans the AB as well as anything I have ever used including thinners and better than some. After spraying up some wheels on cocktail sticks, I had grey primer all over my thumb and fingers but a drop of this cleaner on a piece of kitchen towel and the paint came off my skin with no ill effects or scrubbing, just wiped off.
So what can you say about something that simply does what it says it does? Not a lot I suppose but it has certainly made flushing and cleaning the AB quicker, cleaner and a whole lot less smelly, even though I use a cleaning pot, than the next best thing, thinners.
I do not spray enamels so I cannot comment on how or if it works OK with that but for cleaning the AB using Acrylic, it really is good
Also Highly Recommended.
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