Airbrush advice needed.......

[The Dad Fisherman]

when you say "Acting Up" do you mean that its sputtering. I've had mine do that a little lately. Not giving out that fine mist like it usually does. I've tried cleaing it, But I may have to try the windex thing and see if that helps.

I'm also using a new compressor so I was thinking it was either too much or too little pressue going through...been using it at about 40 lbs.

[Diggin Jiggin]

TDF, when I say acting up I am having trouble to get it to spray the light mist like you'd do to fog around the eyes on low pressure without gettingit splotchy.

Sometimes I think the problem is just that most of my paint is now 2 seasons old. The stuff really drops out of suspension and as much as you shake it I don't think its ever as smooth as it was when you bought it.

Also when I press the button down to shoot the air, the button is sticking so the aid keeps flowing. You can lift teh buttton to shut it off. I tried to oil it while assembled but that didn't seme to work. When I take it apart next time I'll try and get a drop of oil inside the hole were the button sits.

I've been messing around with some oils and shooting oil and odorless thinner to clean it so who knows. I'm almost done with the my last batch for a while so I'll break it down really good tomorrow and get some pipe cleaners and see if I can get it working the way it should again...

[Tagger]

I lost the spring on the button once ,, got new parts ,,all unscrews and comes out where the airhose attaches ..
http://www.dixieart.com/155_Anthem_Parts.html
pretty easy and not too exspensive as I recall .

[justplugit]

Try a back flush with straight simple green then soak the needle, cone, nozzle and headpiece in it over night. Junk comes off pretty easy the next day with a pipe cleaner or pick.
Jigman told me Dixieart has a small brush that works well, never got around to buying it.

[Karl F]

use rattle cans

[capesams]

try using very hot simple green..soak your airbrush parts. cold sg. doesn't cut anything.but hot sg. will dissolve grease..oil..trarnish..salt..corrosion,,but won't touch plastic..rubber..nylon..chrome or baked on paint on metal...been cleaning fishing reels for years without hurting anything the reels are made of..this could help out with airbrush problems too.

[gone fishin]

I use SG and if I am having sputtering trouble, I strip it down and soak the components overnight. That usually does the trick. Be sure to backflush the airbrush when done and then run plenty of cleaner through it.
Also -- sputtering from poor paint is NOT helped by thinning with water. If the paint is old use Createx transparent airbrush extender. It usually cures the sputtering and allows nice fine spray. DF if you are running 40 lbs. your paint is too thick. That will also cause uneven coverage and blowouts.