I've been using the black tip to shoot Model Master Acrylics. I seem to have to stop and clean the airbrush every few minutes. Am I using the wrong tip here?
What tip do you use?

I tend to use tan, yellow or light blue.... nor sure what blak even is. I've used it in the past but not for a long period of time....
HTH

Charles,
According to my hobby guy, the Model Master paints can easily clog the smaller tips because of the consistency of the paint... He suggested two things:
One, buy more than one tip of the type you use and swap them out when they start to clog into a cup of 90% alchohol.
Second, Thin the paints heavily or use a stabilizer to thin the paints like the model master thinner that won't let the paint clog like regular alchohol.
I have been swapping the tips (the tan thin line) out when using Tamiya acrylics and it is working really well.. I haven't used the model masterpaint/thinner combo yet because I haven't built another airplane.
I hope this helps.. #:-)

~~~Top used by myself:~~~
1) Acrylic general detail (black) .40mm > Medium coverage
2) Acrylic High Flow (White) .50mm > Large areas, washes and weathering
3) Small coverage (red) .53mm > Small to medium coverage, camouflage
4) General purpose (gray) .40mm > Medium area coverage
5) High Flow (turquoise) .50 mm >Large areas, high gloss acrylic, washes, weathering
6) Fineline (tan) .30mm > fine detail work, dot work, very fine mists

~~~ Crap you will never use in your goddamn life ~~~
~ Spatter (pink) .50 mm > you dont need this ****** ****** of ****** , **** them all
~ Medium coverage (orange) .70mm > Medium coverage > c r a p
~ Large coverage (yellow) 1.02mm > super c r a p

Thanks for the quick responses guys.
Now I have enough info to know where to start experementing.

I only use the fine (tan) and medium (blue) tips, and I only use Polly Scale and MM acrylics thru my Aztek.

When I get a clog, I will wipe the tip with a pressed flat and wet Q-Tip using caution to not bend the needle. If that fails, I go to 'full choke' to blow it out. If that doesn't do it, I will disassemble the tip quickly and clean with a pipe cleaner. One of those three options usually does it for me. Part of my 'process' is to always have the wet Q-Tip handy. I have never swapped tips mid-session... I only have one of each tip.

Charles,

what causes you to have to stop and clean ?

I have spatters now and then that force me into this...... Same with you, or do you have other problems....

Danny
The paint just stops flowing thruogh the airbrush. I'm thinking I may be using the wrong tip (Black). Later today, if the humidity stays down, I'm going to experiment a bit. I think the spattering may also be paint clogs, just not as sever as I've had. I like the results I've gotten with Acryls but may go back to enamal if I can't work this out.
Chuck

In my experience spattering on an Aztech can be due to insufficient air pressure or wrong paint dilution. I don't have a black nozzle, but I experienced the above mentioned problems with the tan one (.30). Anyway I never used MM acryls, only Tamiya's and Molak and almost any brand of enamels...
Ciao

BTW,
My hobby guy told me NOT to disassemble the tip, because they are aligned by machine and if you take it apart, you might not get the alignment back the way it was. I was taking the tips apart and cleaning them, but I am not anymore and since I stopped, I have not had any problems with clogging and spatters..

Just submerge the tip (without opening it) in thinner for a few minutes .. then put it back into the airbrush and start spraying thinner again, until it starts spraying it. You may try to use a small paintbrush to clean it. The best way to avoid this is always cleaning it properly after use.

Keep a bottle of cleaner, thinner and a bottle of water handy. The bottles with the sharp conical tips work best because you can isert the tip into the inlet hole and do a quick squirt. Depress the trigger and shoot the cleaners through and it should keep it running smooth. So when you notice a problem or between cups or are going to stop for a bit (like a quick bathroom break or something) thinner, cleaner then water. It sounds like alot but once you get a rhythim going it will becme second nature. If you're concerned about cost because you may percieve cleaner or thiner is expensive, you're not using all that much and think of the hassle and frustration you're saving yourself from.

I shoot all sorts of stuff through my aztek and have used all the tips. Even the splatter tip, for illustration effects. Anyone using the metal bodied aztek yet?

I'm learning quite a bit here. Thanks guys!




Not yet, but it's on my want list.

Charles,

I'm with Fabio in his reasoning. I use primarily Tamiya acrylics but do you use Model Masters Sand Acrylic as my primer and for some reason, have leaned heavily on using the black tip for just about everything (I don't really think the black tip is all too fine).

I tell you this so you know I have alot of experience with the black tip. The only time I had some splattering was because of the air pressure. I have never had it clog and not spray. I do take it a part and thoroughly clean it after I paint. I also take a bottle and fill it with warm water and spray that all the way though till it's empty before I start painting - I keep spraying against my hand after I take that bottle of water off until I don't feel any moisture and then I put on the bottle of the paint I want to spray with. I also do this after in my cleaning pst-prep. Make sure that bottle is mixed well and you don't have sediment from hardened paint sitting onthe bottom of the jar.

One last tip - make sure not to crank down the tips too hard on the brush. Who knows - maybe that is causing some problems as well.

GR8Voyager

I keep a toothbrush nearby and lightly scrub the front of the nozzle periodically. I also soak my nozzles in cleaner over night.