Help with airbrush?

[Elfaen]

Hey all,

Im cracking out the airbrush to do some tanks, but my usual supplier of airbrush cleaning fluid seems to have disappeared from the net. What does everyone use? one that I could use as a quick in between colour cleaner would be ideal, a UK supplier would be amazing.

Thanks!

[winterdyne]

Cellulose Thinners. Available from Halfords etc. It's nasty stuff, just between colour changes I just wipe down the needle with cellulose thinners, and shoot windscreen wash through the brush to flush. A full CT clean is at the end of a session rather than a spot flush. Don't breathe it - it's bad.

[Tarsus]

I use testors universal cleaner, in a clear bottle with a blue label. I get mine for hobbycraft, but my local one is a very big store so they might not all stock it.

It is in the online shop too.

http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/produ...4oz_344503.htm

[Elfaen]

thanks guys, i'll give both a go, but try the one that wont eat my lungs first!

[Tarsus]

The testors one does stink a bit, I don't think it's too bad, like a marker pen, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it or anything.

[schoolcormorant]

The best one I've used is Tamiya x20-a thinner, excellent stuff, doesn't smell at all* and it keeps the airbrush clean.

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/prod...GoogleShopping

Modelzone sell it too. A word of warning, make sure you get x20A as the A denotes acrylic, simple x20 is for enamels.

SC

* I'm a smoker so a lot of smells I miss.

[Symrivven]

For in between colours and cleaning (if you clean right after finishing) alcohol will do the job as well, its cheap and you can get it at any drug store.

[winterdyne]

Please note; alcohols and X-20A (also basically alcohol) will NOT remove dried on paint very well. The Cellulose thinners is horribly nasty, but it cuts paint like nothing else. A bit on a long-bristle paintbrush is GREAT for clearing the nozzle.

[DangerousBrian]

It all depends on what type of paint you are using as to whats best, as well as what you are thinning it with.

DB
.

[Elfaen]

Acrylics (GW and Val) and tinning with Vallejo medium.

[Vaulkhar]

Side question - given that we seem to be talking 'relatively vicious organic solvents' for this job, has anyone tried acetone (and can you let cellulose thinners near rubber)?

[DangerousBrian]

Personally i cant see a reason to use cellulose on acrylics. out of curiosity i just did a little test and cant see it works better than the much less harful acrylic cleaners, if anything, it dried MUCH faster, and so i feel would just liquify the paint and dry the paint in the brush when blowing air through it.

if you are using celulose, you MUST wear an organic vapours mask (not a paper dust mask, a proper rated respirator), as you'll be making it into a mist with the airbrush, and you DO NOT want to breath that stuff in.

to answer Vaulkhar; i assume you are refering to the rubber seals in an airbrush? higher quality brushes will have solvernt proof or resistant seals, so as long as you arent soaking your brush in it, are ok with cellulose, cheaper brushes on the other hand may not be.

I do quite allot of airbrushing and only use cellulose on a paint that NEEDS it, such as Alclad. for Acrylics i just use a normal acrylic cleaner.

DB
.