I finally got the Italeri acrylic paint set I had ordered TWO MONTHS ago and I tried them out today, and I have to say that they are really nice paints. I got really nice smooth results thinning them with either AK Interactive thinner or Windex.. but I had to thin them with a ratio of 3:1 thinner to paint because they are thick and not airbrush ready.

But I noticed a new problem with the airbrush when I was spraying some Windex through it to clean it in between colors.. and that is foaming around where I point to in the pic, but from the bottom side. What causes this foaming, and how can I solve it? Or does this mean that the AB is shot? And would this leakage cause spitting and blotchy paint?



Thanks in advance for any advice

Hisham

Pressured air will escape through the route of least resistance...
Normally that's the front of your brush...

Since it is escaping where it shouldn't, you've probably got a blockage up front...try cleaning it;-) Also, check if the whole is tightened enough, the air should not escape there in any case...

H.

Howdy..

Also many airbrushes have a o-ring in that area if it is distorted and/or out of place when the brush was put together that can also block the nozzle.

Delbert

I'm an old Thayer&Chandler brusher. After all of the above all you need to do is put a little beeswax on the nozzle threads and your problem should go away. Then every time you remove the nozzle section when cleaning your brush simply apply some beeswax to the threads and reassemble. It's a noncorrosive sealer that stays flexible but prevents the air seepage around the nozzle.

as steeleagle mentioned, it is most likely the seal of the nozzle cap assembly. Simply check your O rings and make sure that it is screwed properly. Adding beeswax will help seal it further. If you can't get hold of it (I had some trouble finding one before) you can check your local Tamiya dealer if they have the airbrush maintenance set which includes a nozzle sealant

There should be a thin vinyl or rubber o-ring under the nozzle housing, exactly where you put the mark. Check if it is there or intact. Then, also check if the part is tightened. If there is a clogging anwhere the air will escape through the paint cup by way of bubbling.

It is also possible that the nozzle housing has a crack, in this case replace it.

Just a note but it may be too late, stay away from Windex, most glass cleaners contain some Ammonia which will damage the plated finish of your airbrush.

Thanks for all the advice, guys.. not sure if I'll find beezwax here, but I'll see if I can find Tamiya's AB set.

As for Windex.. I've seen several videos on YouTube where people have mentioned the ammonia affecting the AB.. but I've also seen other videos where people have said that they've been using Windex for 3 or 4 years and their AB's have not been affected.. So, I don't know.. maybe it affects it if you're constantly soaking the AB in it and leaving it in the Windex for long periods of time.. I guess I'll find out one way or the other

Hisham

Hisham some of these O rings are teflon based as I understand it and are damaged if exposed to harsh chemicals during cleaning. I found that out some time ago during the days of spraying enamels through my airbrush.

Darren. Except for a few, Teflon should actually be very compatible with the chemicals we use in the modelling community and much harsher ones.

http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SC=none&SM=Teflon%2C%20Virgin

Ivan all I can say is some of the cleaning products I was using as advised destroyed the washer, I cannot tell you exactly what it was as it was quite a few years ago.

Regarding the wax as a sealant.. is this modelling wax used for this purpose? If not, does anyone know what this is used for?

Hisham

Polishing wood usually.

I'm sorry, I forgot to link the pic I was asking about



Hisham

Sorry Hisham I do not know what is in that product, but this is what you arte looking for Bees Wax Polish

Here bees wax comes in blocks , small blocks , if there's a place that sell sailing ship model kits they used to have bees wax , it was used to dress out the string for the rigging of the ships .

Woodworkers use solid beeswax for many purposes. (They also use beeswax polish, but this is not what we are discussing in this thread). Try a woodworking store (I don't know if you'll get it from a DIY big box, but you will certainly get if from a "serious" woodworkers' store). In the US, Woodcraft and Rockler both have it (although Woodcraft have it much cheaper). I'm sure other suppliers also stock it, these just happen to be the one's I frequent.


I'm sure equivalent stores/shops in other countries will stock beeswax, as I say, woodworkers have many uses for it. One is lubricating threads on wood screws, which is very similar to the topic under discussion here. (When driving a screw into a very hard wood, a smear of beeswax on the threads reduces the torque required to reduce the risk of the screw's head shearing off).

I use a bar of soap on the screw threads and it works the same way.

Thanks a lot, guys.. I'll see if I can order some bees wax.. and in the meantime, I'll try using a bar of soap and see if that makes it perform better

The decent result I got with the Italeri paints did not happen again It was just on that first day for some reason.. the next day I tried painting with it and ended up with the same rough surface and a tip that gets clogged every 5 seconds of painting

Hisham

chapstick works for thread sealer, its not as durable and sticky but it works. If you reapply when you break down for cleaning it should be adequate. And if you need to replace those washers around your nozzle a plumbing supply store might have what you need.

Napa here use to have a nice assortment of o rings , both metric and SAE .

If your problem is the nozzle tip , then you would have bubbles in the paint cup , if you don't have that then the tip is not leaking . I would say it's sealing . And a word of advice , those nozzles are very fragile and are so easy to over tighten . Take extreme care installing them .