How Long

[ralph]

When i'm at work and abing, sometimes i get called away for awhile. When i come back my ab seems to act up.Normal tip dry prob, but sometimes it spits and sputters. So i give it a cleaning. I guess my question is how long can you leave paint in the cup (Gravity fed).I've been going through more paint lately because of that.

[Pelts]

My brother used to tell me to clean my ab out before I leave. He knew me better than anyone that I probably wouldn't be back before the paint dried.

[redneck]

the main thing is the temperature where you are spraying paint, is the paint cup cover up when you walk away ?

[ralph]

Red,
The cup cover is usally on. I try to always spray with the cover on.Room temp. about 70.

[redneck]

I try to spray paint with the cover on too but it got messing when I forgot, the longer time that I left paint in cup that I can recall is a couple of hours,I clean the brush as soon as possible usually as soon as I finish because I will forget if I don't

[Diaz Dezine]

I'd clean it out everytime I walk away and everytime before i put it up for the night. Dont want that paint drying up in your cup or within the AB.
DIAZ

[yardartnut]

Originally Posted by ralph

When i'm at work and abing, sometimes i get called away for awhile. When i come back my ab seems to act up.Normal tip dry prob, but sometimes it spits and sputters. So i give it a cleaning. I guess my question is how long can you leave paint in the cup (Gravity fed).I've been going through more paint lately because of that.

Take just a few seconds and drop in a touch of whatever thinning fluid you are using and backflush in the cup...that should hold the paint till ya get back..if ya have a lid for the cup ...place a small piece of tape over breathing hole and put the lid on .
The less air the paint gets the longer it takes to thicken and cause problems

[CANONFUJI]

If you want to avoid any cloging problems I would just clean before you leave it for any length of time, seems to work for me.

[cotto clay]

I think it depends a lot on what type of paint you're using.... I've left my airbrush for a day with createx paint in it and I put a piece of tape over the hole at the top.
When I picked it up it sprayed exactly the same as before. Its not something I recomend though. If its giving you trouble you've left it for too long. A decent remedy is to pour the paint into a container and quickly spray some cleaner and back flush your brush by covering the tip while you spray. Then leave the cleaner in it. It wont take long and when you come back and put some paint in there it should spray fine. Those triple action handles by Iwata are pretty sweet for quick half ass cleaning.
If you have to leave in a hurry try just putting tape over the hole when you go and when you come back dip a toothbrush in cleaner pull back the needle and scrub out the tip.....it might work

[cotto clay]

I just realized I repeated what yardartnut said lol
only it took me way longer to say it.....oops