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Cool Way of Keeping Your Airbrush Clean


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I used Ultrasonic cleaners in the shop daily for cleaning sub assemblies intact. In order to use less cleaner (solvent) I put water and a drop of dawn in the tank, I then used a pyrex beaker suspended into that....lot easier to clean out the beaker than the tank. I switched over the years to Limomene concentrates made from citrus working well...but boy does it smell sweet!!

I had a larger tank than Micro Marts unit...but Mine was a $400.00 dollar tool.....and yes, Harry they will clean your dentures...just don't leave them in too long!!

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I had a larger tank than Micro Marts unit...but Mine was a $400.00 dollar tool.....and yes, Harry they will clean your dentures...just don't leave them in too long!!

Actually, I was asking for your benefit. I figured it would make a great Christmas present for you! :lol:

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These ultrasonic cleaners have been around for a long time. When I was in college back in the stone age :lol: (actually the late '70s), Rapidograph sold one that cleaned their technical pens. I never bought it, though... the pen set was expensive enough, especially on a college student's budget! ;)

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Jim, I think the idea here is to clean further . . . what I would probably recommend with HOK paints and other urethanes is to clean the gun with lacquer thinner first and then put it in the machine with some sort of degreaser . . .

The machine is only good for in-depth cleaning of particles, etc . . . NOT to actually clean all the paint off the gun.

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A tip I learned in the custom paint business (40 years experience) was to clean the paint guns with spray can carburator cleaner. Spray the outside to clean,spray through the paint inlet while working the trigger to spray it through the gun; takes about 30 seconds and removes ALL traces of paint from the inner and outer surfaces. When done,shoot a teaspoon of lacquer thinner through the airbrush,and you're finished !This will not harm the neoprene/rubber 'O' rings in a Badger,Binks or Paasche brush; dunno about some of the newer ones like Aztec or Grexx...........'Z'

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The guy used Windex. What would Windex do with HOK paints that I believe are lacquer? Could lacquer thinner be used in such a machine? What about a larger unit filled with Purple Power - would it remove paint faster?

Jim,

I am not certain, but I think it is not a good idea to use ANY solvents in an ultra-sonic device. Just my two cents. Need change? B)

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No, nothing but put all the parts together. Once you start spray (water to test) you can adjust the parts again.

The best thing to do with a new airbrush is to practice with water or window cleaner and then to take the thing apart and put it back together until you learn all the parts and how the machine works.

Keep the instructions near by.

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i dont know if i have instructions,LOL, dont remember

Cranky has an airbrush tutorial on YouTube, real good. Basically, the long needle, the trigger button (which becomes free when the needle is removed), the tip... real basic. See the Doc's vid to see how few parts there are. Gently wipe that needle clean with a towel soaked in thinner, put it back together. Before disassembly, squirt lacquer thinner through (we would spray into the paper towel for severel seconds, then push the tip tight into the towel tight while still spraying; forces thinner to back up- WEAR EYE AND SKIN PROTECTION!). Clean out the bottle; add another dab of thinner; and repeat the "spray-thru" procedure. Have a container such as a metal coffee can (do they still have those?) to dispose of waste thinner.

TIP- ask a body shop if they have any leftover empty 1 or 5 gallon metal thinner / reducer cans. I use a 5 gallon with a metal funnel, topped with window screen so nothing else goes down into the toxic abyss.

Edited by Jon Cole
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Here are the specs on the model number I got:

Ultrasonic Cleaner (CD-2800)

Dimensions: 20X12.5X14cm

Tank size: 600ml

Timer setting: 3 :) minutes

I have already cleaned my 3 guns, and I left them in the window cleaning/hand soap solution for a couple of hours, doing a few rounds of the 3 minutes.

The guns come out brand spanking new.

Next Doctor Cranky is going to clean his dentures, his neck bolts, and gold goggles!

I will list what I paid for this machine in the next post. I gotta go find out.

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Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DKDAVW/ref=oss_product

I'm just sorry I didn't think of this a couple of years ago to save myself on all that cleaning frustration.

Again, keep in mind that the machine is NOT going to do heavy cleaning in removing gunked up paint. You have to help it along by wiping down all the parts, and then the machine does the micro cleaning, and at that it does an EXCELLENT job.

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