Paint spurting with Iwata Revolution

HI, I've been airbrushing with an Iwata Revolution for awhile now using Vallejo acrylics. Recently, when I tried different mix ratios of black paint to distilled water or windex, I was experiencing the paint shooting out at spurts when the trigger was only pulled back half way. When I pulled the trigger fully back, nothing came out but air. I deep cleaned the brush and tested it with water, and now I get a nice stream when trigger is fully back.
However, I even resorted to using black Vallejo primer,and despite what it says on the bottle that it can be used with airbrush as is, I tried distilling it with distilled water and also tried windex separately, along with the primer by itself, and experienced the same effects of spurting paint. Can anyone please tell me what the correct ratio of paint to distilled water or windex is, and also why it may be spurting when the trigger is back only half way? Like I said, I deep cleaned it after trying all these methods and now it shoots a steady stream of fluid when I pull the trigger back all the way. Thanks!

Could be a few things. Leak at the head, paint too thick and clogging up the nozzle, paint needs to be strained, paint drying before leaving the nozzle. Lots of variables, have to narrow it down. Primer and thicker pigments like black spray better with a larger nozzle .5 mm

Do you mean the paint not atomizeing? and it sprays a straight stream?

Thanks for the quick replies, guys. Seems to be that black is the only color I'm having problems with. I have yet to give it another go after thoroughly cleaning it, so I'll try in a bit. Are there any tips to diluting the black paint, or primer when I try again? I don't think it has to do with the nozzle as I haven't had problems with black a few times in the past...don't remember doing anything different though. Do either of you know the ratio of paint to thinner? And do you recommend windex at all? I've been airbrushing with distilled water for quite a while and haven't had any issues up to now. Thanks guys!

With black paint I start at 3 to 1,3 drop's reducer 1 drop paint,and work up from there.as for the windex I used to use homemade reducer but now just use 4011 aa or high preformance aa reducer just about as cheap cost wise as windex / homemade reducer after you buy all the things you need for it to work,without all the hasles

basepaint said:

With black paint I start at 3 to 1,3 drop's reducer 1 drop paint,and work up from there.as for the windex I used to use homemade reducer but now just use 4011 aa or high preformance aa reducer just about as cheap cost wise as windex / homemade reducer after you buy all the things you need for it to work,without all the hasles

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Cool. That's all I needed to know. I was doing it 1:2. I found black is a real fickle pigment to use. Keeps clogging up my airbrush. Thanks for your help

yea that might be a little thick?also what pressure are you spraying it? That make a diff. too

basepaint said:

yea that might be a little thick?also what pressure are you spraying it? That make a diff. too

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50psi. I overwork the compressor if I go down. I think it may just be the pigment I'm using. Other colors shoot fine through it.

no airtank on the compresser?I spray at 15 to 30 psi with no prob. try your pressure and reduce the paint till it starts to spider,then lower the pressure til it sprays good

Does your compressor have a storage tank?
If not, might be worth it just to ease the poor little fellows load?
Sounds like serious overload on a small one, to me.
50 psi is about where T-Shirt guys start and work up from there!
In my head, I have this vision of a fire crew spewing a great stream of paint through a fire hose at a giant sized t-shirt!
Am I coming down with something??

It's not advised to use windex but it's possible. Have you strained the paint yet? Is it old or new bottle