Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Airbrushing troubleshooting tips

I've shared a lot of painting tips and tutorials on this blog, most of which have focused on oils, pastels/pigments and hand-painted acrylics. Airbrushes have been almost completely ignored... until today! Thank you, Karen Zorn, for this excellent checklist for people having trouble with their airbrushes.
Karen Zorn's entry in the 2017 BreyerFest Best Customs Contest
Airbrushing Troubleshooting Tips

 by Karen Zorn

 I was recently asked to help another hobbyist troubleshoot some airbrush issues, so I wrote a list of things to try when the paint isn't going on smoothly. 
photo by Heather Jackson-Lain
Airbrush issues are an ongoing source of frustration even after thirteen years of practice, and I bet they'll still be after another thirty years! The airbrush is a finicky piece of equipment!
Iwata Eclipse airbrush
photo by Heather Jackson-Lain
When things go wrong (which is more often than not in airbrushing), this is my recommended checklist.

 * Check your needle for obvious damage or buildup. Does it have buildup? They usually do, and it can happen in seconds. Wipe off needle tip.
Iwata Eclipse needle
photo by Heather Jackson-Lain
*Check your paint consistency and filter your paint before use). If you are using less expensive paints with less pigment and or not finely ground pigments, problems may arise. Paint consistency varies every single time and varies between colors. This is a learned skill.

 * If you are using the airbrush with a needle guard (crown cap) build up can occur. I don't use a crown, but my needles get damaged very easily.
Build up in the crown cap/needle guard of a Badget 100LG
photo by Lisa Smalley
* Check your needle tip closely. Is it bent at all? Does it have a microscopic hook on the tip? If so, you can try to sand off the hook, but it can still be problematic. You may need to replace the needle if it is damaged.

*Check your air pressure: is it consistent and adequate, and appropriate for the paint consistency? Play with paint consistency and air pressure.

 * Clean your needle and nozzle.
photo by Karen Dietrich
* Clean paint cup.

* Clean needle and nozzle again.
Iwata Eclipse nozzle
photo by Heather Jackson-Lain
* Apply water-based silicone lube to needle tip to lube internal o-rings; and on air lever if it sticks.

* Check air pressure and supply lines: is there water in your airline filter? Fiddle about with the paint consistency and air pressure some more.

 * Break down airbrush completely: soak it in airbrush restorer, scrub it out with tiny brushes, put it in an ultrasonic cleaner unit (which you should do every single time you use it).
photo by Karen Dietrich
* Clean it again.try 91% rubbing alcohol, my daily go-to cleaner. Then Createx Airbrush Restorer for a few days, then scrub and rinse.
photo by Karen Dietrich
* Replace needle even if it looks okay, they can have tiny hooks of the tip, or be out of round.
Iwata Eclipse needle again
photo by Heather Jackson-Lain
* Replace nozzle. For a high end airbrush, steps 9 and 10 can run up to $80.

 * It may need internal repairs, such as O-rings or gaskets. You can do some of these yourself, check the manufacturer's website.
* If you have an Iwata, you can send it in for service: about $100 plus parts and shipping.

Master Airbrush graveyard
photo by Laura Jennings
Thank you again, Karen! 
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5 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 23, 2019 at 9:18 AM

    Permit me to add a few more hints to this excellent airbrush blog. -Proper paint prep can eliminate a lot of AB issues. I first purchase empty 2-oz. plastic paint jars with flip-top lids. To a jar I add acrylic paint, distilled water, Flow-Aid & airbrush medium & then drop into that a clean stainless steel nut as a shaker aid. Shake well to mix then strain thru an old piece of pantyhose. Strain again back into shaker bottle, cut a small square of panty hose, place over the jar top & screw on the flip-top lid. Paint should be the consistency of thin cream. I shot paint at a pressure of 35 psi with a 2mm nozzle (Iwata HP-B Plus). I run distilled water thru the AB after each emptying of color &, of course, between color changes. To avoid a "spit" on a model, I first pull the trigger off to the side & then aim the brush where I will paint. Humidity or lack of will affect AB performance. I have, in winter, humidity of less than 10%. At times this puts a 'sandy' feel to the paint. I just use 600 grit sandpaper to smooth & shot a little more paint.

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2019 at 10:55 AM

    I've had a lot of trouble figuring out pigments for the airbrush. My ideal would be something translucent that can go on in layers to build up rich color. From what I've heard, most airbrush pigments tend to be very opaque (correct me if I'm wrong). I've been diluting down artist acrylics (distilled water and matte medium [which I love for its effects in regular acrylic painting]), but this seems to go on so thin that it takes a million years to build up one color. Optimizing the workflow between putting pigments on, letting them dry, then adding another layer, I haven't had much success all around. Any thoughts?

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2019 at 10:04 PM

    I like to use the Airbrush Medium made by Golden, it doesn't dilute down the paint the same way water does (and it is specifically made for airbrushing). -Karen Zorn

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