Cleaning between colors!

[Deidsdrawings]

Hi there. After recieving some good advice from here I purchased some paint and had my first try at airbrushing!
I was surprised how easy the brush was to control and the beautiful effects that could be achieved.
After playing with the one color I thought I would try adding some highlights, just for fun.
The problem was that when i went to change colors I was surprised, and discouraged, at how long it took to clean all the first color from the brush. It took so long to get the last specs of color from the brush that I decided not to try a new color.... and I packed it away.
Does it normally take a LONG time or do you usually just spray the excess out and then put on the new color?
Perhaps I was too thorough? Advice please!

Thanks,
Deidre

welcome to the forum, airbrushing
what kind of brush is it? Brand, model?

[VALKETEER]

Hi I’m am a newbie too. I have an Iwata Eclipse (BCS) bottom feed. It takes me about a minute or two to change colors. If you have a bottom feed too, try putting a finger over the tip and press air on only to back flow the paint back into the bottle. Otherwise it will be messy when you take off the bottle. I keep a clean pant bottle of AB cleaner on hand and spray out the last color until my AB sprays clean. You can even use a paper towel to test it on before connecting the next bottle of pant. Be sure to load the next color of pant by spraying it on a test paper towel first to make sure all old pant and the cleaner is gone . Hope that helps. Someone else with more experience may have better idea on here.

[cbrunson]

With my gravity feed, and water based paint, I just rinse out the cup and drop a couple drops of cleaner and water. Spray it out and add the next color. I can do that about three times before I need to fully clean it. With uros, I wipe it out with a paper towel and run a couple drops of reducer through it, then add the next color. Either way takes about five minutes. I can thoroughly clean it in about fifteen min. Practice helps that too.

[Snuff]

Hi Deidre,
I am lucky enough to have a laundry tub close by, and i flush mine using a piece of an old garden hose that I cut one end off of. Just turn the water on a small amount and press the hose into the cup(bottom or top feed) then pull the trigger all the way back .
This will flush ANYTHING out in about 5 seconds and leave the AB clean as new.
This is also safe 'cuz your water pressure shouldn't exceed 45 psi. anyway.
You'll know if your pressure is higher because you'll be buying a new water heater every couple of years.LOL
There are also some procedures for cleaning and maintenance posted here on the forum that are very helpful.

BTW get used to taking it apart every so often in case you have to replace a needle or nozzle it's not hard to do and will keep everything working properly.

Dont get discouraged ..... as Don says "it's only paint".

[quickchange]

I feel your pain.. lol

Right now I am working with only one bottom feed airbrush and constantly changing colors.


I am using textile colors, (acrylic).

I have a squirt bottle, like the restaurants use for ketchup, with my cleaning solution in it.. When I am done with one color, I back flush, remove the bottle of paint, hold the brush over the waste can and squirt some cleaner in.. then I put the nozzle of the bottle in the bottom feed of the airbrush and blow it through the brush.. back flush a couple of times and one more time through and I am ready for next color. A bit messy but affective.

If you need to be a bit cleaner, the cleaner in a bottom feed bottle works ok to..

[gab1972]

With my HP-C, I just dumped out the excess, squirt in some cleaner, back flush, empty, squirt in cleaner, spray wide open until all cleaner is out, wipe out with a papertowel, squirt in a few drops of cleaner, spray out, add new paint color. Takes about a minute...maybe two. With my HP-BCS, I back flush first, take off the bottle, turn upside down, squirt in cleaner as I hold it wide open for about 10 to 20 seconds, hook up the new color, spray wide open a few seconds to get the new color flushed through, then test on a piece of paper. Takes about the same amount of time. Don't get discouraged. You'll find a routine you get used to. Soon you'll be answering the same question to another newbie.

[Deidsdrawings]

A HUGE thankyou for taking the time to help me out.
My brush is a 'Trax Tool' and cost my husband about $200 (haven't seen that brand mentioned?). It is bottom feed.

Hopefully, with the few extra ideas that you have given me, I will be able to cut down the cleaning time with practice, practice, practice.

Thanks,
Deidre

[BudMan]

I am also lucky enough to have deep sink near by . I have a bottom feed and I switched to vl-1/4oz cup over jars I do not have enough jars. and maybe 2 min.next color this way.That little metal cup rinses fast, shoot it full of thinned cleaner twice next color.