Hello all
I am using the old Tamiya Airbrush Basic from 2008. I don't have the airbrush longer than 6-7 months so it can't be an issue of age or wear & tear.
As soon as I turn on the battery pack, the airbrush sprays out the paint without waiting for me to pull the trigger.
What could the issue be here? Does anyone have a photo of the ideal internal set up? I'm quite sure I have it correct though. Does anyone have any other suggestions about what the issue could be?
As you can imagine, this is ruining my day. Link below shows the airbrush. I'm sure you all know the one
I thank you all!
Regards
DG

http://www.hobbyeasy.com/upload/suppliers/HOBBY1234/TAM74531.jpg

The trigger could be stuck with dry paint

Thanks Anthony
The trigger appears to be working fine. It moves the needle as required when pulled
I'm wondering if there is an issue with the center block. It seems to be difficult to buy replacement parts for this type of airbrush online. I guess it's just too old a model now...

Probably the needle is not correctly fitted and needs to be pushed a bit more forward to the nozzle. Is your model
the one like a pistol with a screw on a side to secure the needle?
It happens to my Tamiya airbrush when I don't carefully assemble it after cleaning.
Some dry paint may be another reason for this as well.

Olivier

Thanks Olivier
I've tried pushing the needle back and forth but it's not working
Unfortunately, now the airbrush doesn't want to push paint out at all! So, it has done a full circle on me!
Weird
Do you know if replacement parts are available online for this type of Tamiya airbrush?
Thanks for the replies, guys!

Sounds to me like your AB is really clogged-up with congealed or dried paint!

I would take it all down, clean out the nozzle and clean the needle, etc. IF (and I don't know the specifics of this AB, so...) you can pull the nozzle and needle-seat out, clean these in an ultrasonic water-bath.

IF you can remove and separate nozzle / seat, you can also soak these in an acetone jar - do NOT run acetone nor thinner in your ultrasonic bath - overnight and gently shake this stuff around to dislodge paint. Acetone will do the clean-up job - but be sure to NOT put any gaskets or rubber bits into the acetone - metal parts ONLY.

IF possible, place the entire disassembled AB into the water-bath (OK with Windex or dilute alcohol) and run it several cycles to dislodge dried paint particles.

Run a lot of thinner or alcohol or water (depending on what paint(s) were last used in the AB) through the AB minus its needle and nozzle/seat to flush stuff out. IF you have a tiny pipe-cleaner brush or even just a tooth-pick or a pipe-cleaner, swab the AB out in every nook and cranny you can reach.

In other words; give this thing the full cleaning job, and once done and all dried, do a complete careful inspection to see if you missed paint deposits anywhere. Try to scrub or pick out any you see. Once clean to your inspection and fully-dry, reassemble it, being sure to carefully seat the needle fully into the nozzle, and give it a whirl!

IF all of this fails... then it's time for repairs or a new AB!

Bob

Do you still have the instructions that came with the airbrush . That shows you how to take it apart and clean it . That might also have replacement parts .

Brilliant stuff, thanks for the detailed reaponses!
They really are greatly appreciated!
Cheers guys

A little late, but it sounds like the air valve may also be dirty. If the trigger feels lose, the needle is also stuck. The best way to clean an airbrush is with an ultrasonic cleaner. I'm not sure about your specific ab, but I can use lacquer thinner on mine. I let it soak on the u.c. in lacquer thinner for five minute. Then, rinse it with water.

I buy replacement parts from my local retailer if he stocks Tamiya. I've kept the original diagram with the parts ref numbers so it's easy to ask for the right ones. Unfortunately, the last time I purchased spare parts, I was told my AB was no longer supported and parts may not be available anymore.

Olivier

I used to have this Tamiya airbrush configuration as well and I liked it except that it is rather cumbersome to keep clean.
Your problem is that the pin of the air valve does not move up and down smoothly, gets stuck in the down position, probably some paint and dust have clogged it. Bad news is that you need to disassemble the entire airbrush and clean all parts thoroughly, good news is that you probably do not need any spare parts.

c[ ]

Merci! Thanks! Köszönöm szépen!

So what has happened ?