0.15 & 0.3 mm Airbrush Nozzles (external mix)

[shiyao]

Hey guys,

I've recently acquired an external mix airbrush - the MK-4 pro-spray by Mr Hobby (i think). It works good and all, but the nozzle cleaners that came with it - two wires of different thicknesses - don't appear to be holding up to intensive use.

Are there dedicated nozzle cleaners out there in the market? Or does anyone have a suggestion for a DIY remedy? The two nozzles I use are 0.15mm and 0.3mm respectively. The 0.15mm one in particular is a bitch to clean.

I did a search on "airbrush clean" and "airbrush maintenance" but nothing came up.

Hope someone might be able to advise me!

[HWR MKII]

Turpentine, Qtips, and old toothbrushes work the best for most airbrush cleaning. If you use it alot like i do youll need the turpentine to break up some of the more stubborn internal buildups.

[magicsp00n]

If you're using acrylic paint, I've found that soaking heads in Windex works pretty well.

[shiyao]

thanks guys. do these solutions work as well as using those pipe-cleaner-esque things? I had this impression that just cleaning with liquid solutions isn't good enough - that one actually has to put something through the nozzle hole for it to be completely clean.

[Grayson72]

I always use pipe cleaners to clean out my airbrush, I dip them in lacquer thinner and run them through. Comes out very clean.

[shiyao]

yup, but are there pipe cleaners as narrow as 0.15 mm? the hobby shops i've been to don't seem to carry any.

also, what is a "nozzle scraper"? if anybody knows.

[broadshore]

Pipe Cleaners and Rubbing Alcohol. IF your using Acryl or Acrylic types paints. If your using Lquer<sp> or Elemal use somekind of Paint Thinner that won't ruin your Airbrush. I think Tamiya and Testors make something for airbrushes to clean them out.

[armentage]

Wouldn't amonia be a good cleaner? I've seen amonia break up and carry away paint that was dry 10 years...

[broadshore]

The only thing about Ammonia is. It well start eating away the Rubber O Rings and Gaskits in the airbrush.

Wouldn't amonia be a good cleaner?  I've seen amonia break up and carry away paint that was dry 10 years...

318165[/snapback]

[Guest Bromgrev]

Wouldn't amonia be a good cleaner?  I've seen amonia break up and carry away paint that was dry 10 years...

318165[/snapback]

"Johnny? Johnny, what the heck are you doing?! Why are you urinating on your desk!?!"

"It's okay, mom, I'm just cleaning out my Badger ..."

[shiyao]

so in general the solution is: dunk it in some kind of cleaning liquid.

i guess i was wondering more along the lines of a 0.15mm pipe cleaner.. if such a thing even exists/can be improvised.

[broadshore]

Wouldn't amonia be a good cleaner?  I've seen amonia break up and carry away paint that was dry 10 years...

318165[/snapback]

"Johnny? Johnny, what the heck are you doing?! Why are you urinating on your desk!?!"

"It's okay, mom, I'm just cleaning out my Badger ..."

318930[/snapback]

OR wasn't that Tranny Fluid.

[promethuem5]

I worked with an airbrush this summer and intend to get one of my own.... one thing we did to get out large dry build ups from the nozzles was to just pick them out with an old ruined airbrush needle.

[Jasonc]

My cleaning technique for Acrylics (Tamiya) is as follows:

1) Wash out excess paint with water

2) Pour Formula 409 in feeder and spray it out.

3) Clean out broken up paint in feeder and on the heads

4) Pour rubbing alcohol in feeder and spray out.

5) reclean heads and any parts with q-tip

6) pour purified water in feeder and spray out.

7) Dry all parts off and put away happily

Is that too obsessive?