Airbrush cleaning

[Guest]

Does anybody recommend anything in particular to clean their airbrush?

[John]

I have been sent an airbrush for review and also a few different type of cleaner, out of all of them I would defiantly buy this cleaner but that would only to clean the nozzle as you can stick on the end on the pipe and blow the paint back out of it, apart from that you can't go far wrong with car window cleaner from Halfords

[stona]

Also depends what sort of paint you are using. For acrylics as per John or (as I use) Muc-Off from Halfords. For enamels I use white spirit (for the occasional "deep clean" cellulose(lacquer) thinners). For lacquers like the AlcladII metal finishes it's cellulose thinners again.I have heard that meths works but haven't tried it.

During a project I only flush my brushes through with the relevant cleaner,unless something goes wrong. At the end of a build I strip them and give them a good "deep clean".

Be careful with cellulose thinners,it is very hot and may well attack O rings and seals in your brush.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I use Acrylics so no experience with enamels. I use Acrylic thinners fist, then bulk flushing with Windscreen Wash and finish with a single blow through of a little drop of thinners.

Just a tip for anyone who has not got one, get an airbrush cleaning pot. There is one mentioned on John's compressor review. I picked one up from Little Cars stand at Peterborough show and have really noticed a drop in the smell of the paints. Most of the smell came from cleaning rather than painting as you do flush through quite a bit of stuff to clean up even if only for a quick colour change.