Hi everyone

I've had a look through but can't find anything that can help me. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but please be patient with me and see if you can help maybe...

I am using a Clarke Air dual action no. CAB-2P through a large clarke compressor. Air is not a problem, I can run 100+ psi and the tank is 24 litres... the problem is my paint supply has stopped.

The spray went gradually down until I was only getting a tiny "cone" of paint coming out, about 2mm thickness when held tight against the model, but a bare misting at anything further... then the paint stopped altogether.

I stripped and cleaned the airbrush, and adjusted the needle position. The paint is tamiya acrylic thinned with water (about 50-50 water-paint)

do you guys have any ideas what might be stopping my paint flow ?? I have tried using the hopper as well as the paint bottle both results the same.

Might try thinning the Tamiya with alcohol or window cleaner. I tried water once and it was a pain trying to get everything to work right again.

There could be a number of problems causing this, as Mark said, it could be thinning the paint with water. Tamiya suggest their own thinner which is alcohol based. Sometimes the small breather hole in the bottle lid gets blocked, stopping paint flow. But as you say it happens with the hopper (I think also known as paint cup, which has no lid), them maybe this isn't it.

Do any bubbles blow through the paint cup? This could be caused by a poor seal between the body of the airbrush and the spray head, try sealing with plumbers tape or bees wax.

Acrylic paint will dry on the tip and needle very quickly causing flow problems. So the tip and needle need to be cleaned with a rag or cotton bud dipped in alcohol or cleaner every few minutes (or less!). If your spray is fine every time you clean the air brush and the spray diminishes after a minute or two, then I think this is the probable cause. I know it's a faff, but it is unavoidable with acrylics.

Is the needle bent at all? does it centre in the nozzle? Is the tip of the nozzle damaged? This can cause problems.

When you say you've adjusted the needle, how did you do this? To set the needle before spraying, push it through the airbrush till it stops in the nozzle but don't push too hard, then tighten the chuck nut. The needle should not be in any other position. Also when cleaning always pull the needle through the front of the airbrush, never pull it out the back, as this could bring paint in to the workings.

Finally, is every single part fully clean? You may want to use cellulose thinners and lint free cloth (not tissue) to thoroughly clean it up.

Ross

The Tamiya acrylic paint is alcohol and not water based. So mixing it with water is really silly as it does not really mix well.

I use Isopropyl (rubbing) Alcohol at a ratio of 2/3's paint to 1/3rd thinner.

You can use water to flush the AB after use but always run some rubbing alchol through it to finish.

Like the others I also think your paint is drying on the tip as you spray.

cheers
Cliff

thanks for the quick replies guys, those are excellent explanations. I am new to airbrushing, so the technical downfalls are new to me too...and as for tamiya paints being alcohol based, I did not realise !! The big red WATER SOLUBLE label on the side kind of had me fooled so I feel like a bit of an idiot... time to buy some rubbing alcohol I guess and give that a shot!

thanks a lot for the helpful answers. I knew I could count on you lot

Jon

all acrylics can be mixed with water

Not necessarily so, the Tamiya acrylics are alcohol based.