Figured i would show you the steps it takes to clean out my Iwata Neo airbrush.
I clean my airbrushes at the end of every session. Flush between colors, Strip and clean before you put it away.
When you get into the habit of working like this, things take almost no time at all.
All in all, if i were not taking pics, each of my airbrushes take between three and five minutes to clean. If i use all three during a session, i set aside about 10 minutes at the end to make sure i don't have problems the next time i pull them out.
The cleaning fluid you use to clean your airbrush will depend on the type of paint you have been using in it that day. Today i have only used acrylic in the Neo so i will be using Tamiyas X20A acrylic paint thinner ( rubbing alcohol/window wash/window cleaner without ammonia would all work as well)
If i were using Enamels or Lacquers, i would be using lacquer thinner or acetone for cleanup.
2 paper towels and a couple Q tips will also be needed
I bought a pack of 100 disposable shot glasses for about 8 bucks off amazon a while ago, i use them for anything from mixing paint to storing small parts i don't want to lose temporarily. Today one is for holding thinner. Put about 1/2 inch of thinner in the container you are going to use.
Almost all gravity feed airbrushes are designed with the same basic design so it should not matter what make airbrush you have.
The basic anatomy across the board will be similar to this. yours may look slightly different depending on manufacturer. yours might not have a removable paint cup, yours might have a combined needle cap/nozzle cap, they all clean the same.
Unscrew the handle and loosen the needle chucking nut, then slide the needle itself out of the airbrush. set that aside to you dont bend or damage the tip.
The Neo comes with a removable paint cup so to make things easier i unscrew it and remove it for cleaning. I dip one of the Q tips in the X20A and wipe the interior liberally to remove any left over paint from inside the cup. Once clean i set this aside and move to the next step.
Next i unscrew the needle cap, head cap and nozzle from the front of the airbrush and drop them into the thinner to soak for a brief time.
Now if you have done quite a bit if painting ir feel you have alot of buildup inside your airbrush, you can dip the entire head of it into the thinner to help saturate left over paint inside the business end and make it easier to remove.
While the parts are soaking, grab the needle and a Q tip, soak the Q tip in thinner and wipe down the needle until it is clean.
When you are done soaking the parts its time to clean them up to put them back together. use the Q tips soaked in thinner to remove a majority of the crud, stubborn hard to reach places i sometimes have to coax with a toothpick then Q tip. Once clean wipe down with a paper towel and reassemble in the reverse order that you took it apart with.
This is whats left after a basic cleaning session. All in all the entire process too me about 5 minutes. And that was only because i was taking pictures while i was going.
Remember that if you are looking for great paint jobs, you have to keep your equipment clean. At the end of painting sessions, fight the urge to tell yourself ' i will do it tomorrow '. the longer paint sits, the harder it gets and the more resilient it will be to try to remove.
Keep em clean
cya soon