Cleaners and paint thinners...

Ryck

Needle-chuck Ninja
Here's another noob question. I am seeing a lot of videos on YT about making your own airbrush cleaner and paint thinner for acrylic paint. Since I am only painting my foam airplanes, I will be using the cheap paints from Walmart for those paint jobs.

I have seen mixtures of distilled water, Windex, Isopropyl alcohol and glycerin. I admit that the solution sounds like it will do the job to me. And the paint thinner is very similar.

So, do these home brew cleaners do the job?
 
Here's another noob question. I am seeing a lot of videos on YT about making your own airbrush cleaner and paint thinner for acrylic paint. Since I am only painting my foam airplanes, I will be using the cheap paints from Walmart for those paint jobs.

I have seen mixtures of distilled water, Windex, Isopropyl alcohol and glycerin. I admit that the solution sounds like it will do the job to me. And the paint thinner is very similar.

So, do these home brew cleaners do the job?
Absolutely. Cheap and highly effective with inexpensive craft store or discount store paint..

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I started painting with the same supplies you seem to be using. I found that there is no need to make a "cleaner" just use windex to get the bulk of the paint out. wipe everything down with a paper towel then run distilled water through the brush until the spray is perfectly clean. Then pull the needle wipe it down and reinsert it. spray the water again until clean and you should be good to go.
With all that being said there are as many opinions as to how to clean your brush as there are how to paint a sunrise lol
 
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I also ordered a bottle of BADGER REGDAB Airbrush Lubricant for my airbrush as well. I watched one YT tutorial on how to lubricate an airbrush although I realize that the person who did that video was using way too much oil for the job. Lubrication of small mechanical things I am familiar with but at least now I know where the lubricant needs to be applied. Any other tips or suggestions are most welcome.
 
And speaking of cleaners... this may be a crazy notion but is it feasible when first starting to clean an airbrush to just submerge the tip all the way to where the cup is in a small bucket of water and just spray full force for a minute? Like I said, just a crazy notion.
 
And speaking of cleaners... this may be a crazy notion but is it feasible when first starting to clean an airbrush to just submerge the tip all the way to where the cup is in a small bucket of water and just spray full force for a minute? Like I said, just a crazy notion.
just make sure you lay down plastic sheeting as far as the eye can see.... it can get messy if you have the PSI wound up :)
 
Thanks for letting me know that doing that cleaning method isn't such a crazy idea after all. As for the plastic sheet, is that just for the cleaning or painting or both?
 
Thanks for letting me know that doing that cleaning method isn't such a crazy idea after all. As for the plastic sheet, is that just for the cleaning or painting or both?
for when you stick your airbrush in the bowl of water and pull the trigger..... its like a hot tub without the 'hot' unless you are using warm water, which is also not a silly idea
 
and if you put in a little drip of liquid soap you can make your very own miniature bubble bath lol (don't do it, its fun but sooooo messy)
 
I bought myself a heated ultrasonic bath off ebay, it was about ÂŁ50. Does a great job with water and a squirt or two of cleaner. I set it to 50 degrees C for about 30 minutes. I don't do it all the time maybe every 3 paintings or so.
 
With an ultrasonic cleaner if you want to save on the proper chemicals they use for cleaning, use them in a glass jar with your parts and just use regular water in the actual bath part of the cleaner. The ultrasonic still works with the parts in a jar.
 
With an ultrasonic cleaner if you want to save on the proper chemicals they use for cleaning, use them in a glass jar with your parts and just use regular water in the actual bath part of the cleaner. The ultrasonic still works with the parts in a jar.
just make sure the 'jar' isn't floating or is at least sealed
 
With an ultrasonic cleaner if you want to save on the proper chemicals they use for cleaning, use them in a glass jar with your parts and just use regular water in the actual bath part of the cleaner. The ultrasonic still works with the parts in a jar.
Even better. Just use water and a small amount of dish detergent. Honestly the fancy cleaning solutions are just a surfactant and water. Same as dish detergent and water really. Way cheaper.

It's what I use in mine and honestly it works better on dried paint than most commercial solutions.

A touch of simple green in water works too if you want something stronger.

It's really the motion that does the work. Whatever solution you use is really just to carry the grime away as it loosens.

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Well, I did some shopping around and I ordered an ultrasonic cleaner and I am shopping for some Createx paints as well. And... I might buy another airbrush as well. :rolleyes:
 
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