I've been airbrushing for many years. I use acrylics, enamels, and Lacquers.


I just tried spraying some Dura aluminum Alclad with my airbrush and it is blowing out fuzzy.


any ideas why?

Incompatible thinner?

Hi Barney,
No thinning. With Alclads it’s not needed. Another reason I am stumped.

I know no thinner is used. Trick question, sorry.

Only other variables I can think of are:
- condensation in compressor tank. But that would cause spatter, not fuzz.

- air pressure too high. Collateral spray flying about, drying and landing on model.

- spray distance too far. Allowing spray to dry before it hits the model.

I think this might have something to do with the Iwata airbrush's cleaning. Even a simple dried speck of paint can throw off the spray.

I have an Iwata and when new, it was a fantastic dream to spray. But when it ages, it gets so finicky that airbrushing performance is affected.

One has to wipe the ENTIRE needle down with cleaner and use a Q-Tip to clean out the crown cap and nosecone tip right through the body channels where the paint flows through.

I thought just running cleaner through the Iwata would work, but nope. Every single session needs a complete breakdown and parts cleaning, hence many airbrushers gravitated away from Iwata to other brands that are easier to clean.

I think you have dried paint on the needle and nozzle caps that is throwing off the air and spray.

Peter, I have 3 Iwata's and have not had that issue but once. I run a bit of lacquer thinner through before I finish cleaning when using enamels or lacquers. When using acrylics I run some Windex through followed by some water. I also have an ultrasonic cleaner I sit my airbrush in before finishing for the day. This is the same basic process I used with my Badgers when I had them.
Which Iwata did you have?

How old is the Alclad?
I had the same issue a while ago and and it appears that the Alclad has gone off, my bottle is about 8 years old.

Hi Marc. Try to lower your air pressure. Alclad suggests to paint at 12-15 psi. I use their paints with my Iwata HP-B and it works great. Hope this helps.

http://alclad2.com/how-to/

Thanh

I concur with Peter on this one. I have an Iwata HP-B and have used it for a number of years and I really like it. However, as Peter mentioned, after a few years of use, I generally must break down the airbrush and clean it thoroughly. Any amount of dried paint can create havoc on a project. Is your Iwata new? Regardless, of its age, you may want to break it down completely, clean and lube it before re-assembly. Hope that cures your fuzzy issues.

Cheers!

chuck

Normally I would say your paint needs to be thinned, but as others have said, Alclad is supposed to work without thinning. I used to use their primer and I never had to thin it. With any other paint when this happens, adding thinner and mixing usually gets rid of it.

I have an Iwata and I can run it for a long time without breaking it down for cleaning. I just run lacquer through it when I'm done and it just keeps sailing along. I usually need to clean it after I've run some kind of varnish through it and I've often pondered whether I'd ever clean it if I didn't put varnish through it now and again.

I have an Iwata HP-C that served me well for over a decade until I learned how finicky it became. Only certain paints seem to spray properly through it, namely Gunze and Tamiya. I've had issues spraying other paint brands cleanly through my HP-C and airbrush was a frustrating experience.

For acrylics, I run water and Windex through it until I realized that my trigger had a "sticking" problem when I push it backwards during my last airbrushing session. I thought the spring was worn, or it was just the paint viscosity when spraying.

It turned out that my needle had a dried speck of paint on it that was affecting trigger action. I had to Q-Tip the entire needle clean to get back a smooth trigger action. The spray would be splatter or drop in blobs and the paint would run out the front of the crown cap because the needle didn't properly seat and seal the nozzle tip.

Yes, I normally DO NOT recommend breaking down the Iwata because the precision is such that the trigger and needle seat in precise alignment and reassembly could be a real pain. But if you really need to clean your airbrush's needle and inner body, that is the only way to do it.

Hence interior Iwata cleaning is one reason why expert modelers are abandoning Iwatas for Harder and Steenbeck airbrushes. Iwata is made in Japan and H&S is made in Germany. Pro-Airbrushers seem to prefer the German engineered airbrushes better as they're easier to clean and function better.

***
A company did say that if paint is stored before 40 degrees F, it could be ruined as the pigments and thinner break down from the cold and turn into goo, such as if the paint is stored in the basement. A modeler told me that sounds hooey and the company probably just says that to sell more new paint; he recommended adding thinner to revitalize the paint.

For me, I have found that I can just run some Windex or lacquer thinner after each paint color I use and at the end of the day I do a thorough disassembly and cleaning and lube before putting up the airbrush. I don't think it matters which airbrush you use. If some paint is left in the airbrush with each use, it will not work well for long. To me the biggest challenge is the area between the paint bowl and the seal around the needle. The ultra sonic cleaner gets to all the areas you can't easily reach. No matter which airbrush You use, I recommend getting an ultrasonic cleaner. I got mine through Micro Mark I believe. It cycles through a cleaning in about 4 minutes.
I have also found that airbrush parts wear over time with use and occasionally parts get some damage and need replacing. Iwata makes a tool kit and a cleaning kit. Both I have found to be helpful.

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I got my Iwata cleaning kit and tool kit at Hobby Lobby and used the 40% discount.

Be aware of which metal you plan to place in the ultrasonic cleaner.
Aluminum can suffer surface pitting. Anodized aluminum will also show loss of color. This is regardless of which cleaning solution used.

I do not think the Iwata's have aluminum. I believe they are chrome plated brass. I haven't seen any issues with the finish.

I have found the paint degrades with excessive cold temperatures. They were designed for best performance at 70 degree F. the farther away from 70 degrees you get the more the performance falls off.

I don't want to muddy the water too much here. I have been using Iwatas for over 30 years (I will not divulge my age here. Diagnosing from afar can be tricky; but what the heck.
I'm in the "cleaning, needle, nozzle" category. Everything I've read here sounds very helpful. I would like to mention a couple more things:
1. How long have you had that brass nozzle in the brush? I ask this because repeated cleaning and reinserting can cause the tip of the nozzle to flare or get hairline cracks. These are caused by the pressing the needle in place with just a little too much pressure (it is almost an imperceptible thing) , over time. In turn the airbrush will often fuzz the paint as it comes out.
2.I use bottled air so I no longer have this problem. Have you checked your moisture trap recently? Acrylics are like linebackers; they can take a humidity hit. Lacquers are sensitive, like dancers, and can get their feelings hurt quite easily.
3. Lacquers are happier at lower pressure and less distance from the work piece.
4. If you use fine steel wool to swipe your needle clean that may need to stop. Everytime you do that you are putting very microscopic scratches on the needle. Then the paint will get fuzzy - I know I went through a steel wool phase a few years back.
As they say, Advice that is not paid for may not have value. So I ma offering this up as suggestion and not gospel.
Mike