A great video. I found your explanation so clear and easy to follow. I have since switched to taking the needle out the back, and the time saving is significant. What I particularly like is your reasoning that the needle and cup should be clean before you remove the needle.
I also fill my airbrush through the nozzle since we are talking about stupid stuff airbrush users do. You're alot more calm and measured about it than I would be. I'm also surprised at the number of commenters who actually use the front for nozzle removal.
Either method will work (provided their airbrush needle can be removed from the front because some cannot) and some people are set on one or the other for various reasons. I agree the better method is removing the needle from the back. At the end of the day I see no reason not to be calm about it. All I can do is share my own knowledge and experience. It's up to each individual to decide if my advice is right for them.
Thanks for another very informative video. I also remove my needle from the back, but I apply a slight film of Iwata lube to the needle before installing it and I haven't had a problem. I use 91% Isopropyl in the same way you used the 4012 reducer, what do you think about using the alcohol, it works great, and after I assemble the airbrush I spray distilled water to flush out any residual alcohol.
I used to use Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning purposes too. It is a fantastic cleaner for water-based paint! In fact, when my current old supply of 4012 Reducer is used up, I will go back to using Isopropyl alcohol for stubborn paint residue.
I prefer to remove them from the front and install them that way as well, with shaky hands(coffee jitters) I have a better chance of getting them in properly without damaging the tip. My Badger Sotar 20/20 however needs to be removed from the rear due to a ball that is affixed to the rear of the needle...I've thought about cutting it off but have been reluctant to do so.
Hey Adam! That's the thing about it from my point of view, I've often heard others suggest one way is correct and one way is not. We're all a little different and sometimes what others view as "wrong" works better for an individual, as in your case, for a variety of reasons.
Want to hear an absolute horror story about airbrush cleaning? My needle was constantly getting stuck so I sat down to do a thorough deep cleaning of my Iwata Revolution with solvent. I pulled the needle, squirted a good bit into the paint cup and used a small brush to make sure I got it all the way into the packing, the nozzle, passages, etc. Suddenly I noticed the bristles getting really hard and smelled superglue. I had not, in fact, picked up the pipette of lacquer thinner, but a pipette I had filled yesterday for another project with water thin clear CA glue. AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!! I tried to wipe it out but it was too late, the glue had already filled and set up in the nooks and crannies and all I got was chunks of paper towel glued into the cup for my troubles. The good news is that acetone really does fully break down CA glue and with a few hours of cleaning I was able to get every bit of it out, but man I hope never to have to do that again...
Personally I never take the front section apart unless I have to. When I was a beginner I accidentally ruined the threads on the nozzle. They are very delicate. Yes, if you are not careful you might damage the tip of the needle when re-installing it from the back, but a needle is about 1/5 of the price of a nozzle. And it takes too long. (I mostly use an Iwata HP-CP)
Thank you for explaining this. If you happen to get paint on your needle packing, is it advisable to take a pointed q-tip or dentek brush to try and get it off from the back of the body?
Great question! The first issue that pops into my mind concerning the tools you mention is the reach of those tools. The needle packing screw is generally located pretty deep in the brush, forward of the trigger. A DenTek brush or cotton swab will likely reach the packing seal in most airbrushes once the rear handle, needle, needle chucking guide and trigger assembly have been removed. There are some other things to consider though. Cotton swabs and DenTek brushes are both great tools for cleaning in my opinion, as long as I can see the part I'm cleaning. The downside to cotton swabs is they can leave little bits of cotton behind which can wreak havoc later down the road when those fibers get saturated with paint and stick to parts inside your brush. A DenTek brush solves the issue of leaving cotton fibers behind, but you can't see what you are doing deep inside the brush. We would be working from the back of the brush and pushing either of those tools (or any other tool for that matter) forward in order to clean the needle packing seal when it is installed in the airbrush, correct? The risk of pushing material (dried paint, cotton fiber, etc.) through the packing seal and further into the body of the brush is also a concern. The area behind the needle packing seal in the airbrush body is pretty open to allow installation of that seal. The area forward of the needle packing seal in the airbrush body is much smaller. It's generally only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the needle. So if a foreign material gets pushed forward of the seal during cleaning, the performance of the brush will likely suffer. Does that make sense? For those reasons, I prefer to remove the packing seal from the airbrush when I need to clean it and that doesn't happen very often. I generally need to clean my airbrushes that thoroughly only once or twice per year. What are the odds that you will push some foreign material through the packing seal if you don't remove it? They are probably pretty low, but it is something to be aware of.
I always remove and install the needle from the tip. I once bent a needle installing it from the rear, so I always go though the front. Although I did once spear my finger installing it from the front. But blood is cheaper than a replacement needle, LOL.
Hi, Would you like to do this same test but with a complete cleanup? I have the idea that when you do a front removal you can start disassembling earlier since the needle and the cup don't have to be as clean. Also with the nozzle off its easier to clean (Im talking about the same airbrush as the video)
This video wasn't intended to be a test. It was created to point out the pros and cons between each method commonly used to remove the needle. Neither method is right or wrong. My airbrush will always be completely disassembled anytime I'm doing a complete or very thoroughly cleaning. So, it really doesn't matter whether the needle is removed from the front or the back in that case because the brush is being completely torn down. Perhaps I've misunderstood your question or the point you're trying to make. If that is the case, please clarify and I'll answer again.
@@wickedartstudio Yeah, sorry my bad. With "complete cleanup" i meant to start the countdown with used paint on the cup. I wasn't referring to the process of completely disassembling the airbrush and doing a deep clean, but to test the time it would take to remove the needle starting to count with the paint on the cup. I believe it could give different results. Since to take the needle from the back you need to clean the cup, needle and nozzle really well, to avoid dragging paint to the inside of the airbrush. While if you took the front off and push the needle, you could do it without taking the time to clean everything as much, since once nozzle is off you could clean it faster with a really soft brush and some cleaner. Or so i believe, specially when its kind of clogged, which is when I tend to remove the needle.
@@IDCrish That makes more sense and I'm following your train of thought now. Thanks for clarifying. I'm not sure it will make a difference in the end because it's really not necessary to clean the cup differently in my opinion. Having said that, now I'm curious and I will test this out in the future. Thank you for the suggestion!
I prefer pull out needle from a rear part, but I remove the front part with nozzle every time I end my painting session just for sure that it always clean . But you speak I don’t have to do it every time. Sometimes when I clean the nozzle I found a some paint into it. What if I don’tclean it and that paint will stay for a several weeks, for example? Or your advice is for everyday working only? I use my airbrush once in 1-2 or 3 week ))
A thin layer of residual paint does get left behind in the nozzle of my airbrushes because I don't completely tear them down and thoroughly clean them at the end of every session. You won't remove every trace of paint in the brush by simply spraying a cleaning solution through the brush. Having said that, that thin layer of residual paint doesn't hurt anything initially as far as performance is concerned. That residual paint will continue to build up in the nozzle with further use over time. Eventually, it will reach a point that it does begin to affect the performance of the airbrush. At that point, I will remove the fluid nozzle and clean it thoroughly. The airbrushes I use most often normally reach that point only a handful of times in any given year, and I use them daily. So, based on my experience, it is not necessary to completely strip down a brush and thoroughly clean it after every use. There's also nothing wrong with doing that if that's what you prefer to do. I think it's beneficial to realize you are degrading the air seal created by the threads of the head cap and nozzle cap each time those parts are taken apart, but the airbrush will still last you a very long time!
i am having an issue what to do if to thin my paint it does not to be to seen to be spraying corectly? the thinner the paint the lower the pressure? maybe like 10 or 15 should i try? i make my own from acrlyic most are ok but some i made to thin?
I would absolutely suggest playing with different air pressures. You are correct, thinner paint usually sprays better at lower air pressure because it's easier to control. The main problem you're likely having is based around making your own airbrush paint with acrylic paint. If the paint you're using wasn't designed to be sprayed through an airbrush, the pigment particles in the paint are likely too large to fit consistently through the needle/nozzle of your brush. Those pigment particles won't dissolve when the paint is thinned, and they will clog your brush frequently. A better and less frustrating solution would be to purchase paint designed for airbrushing.
The brushes are not designed to have the needle removed from the front. It causes unnecessary wear and tear on the seals and head, and due to needle shape, which is only precision machined for the first half of the needle, you can stretch or damage your teflon o-rings, requiring replacement. Simply put, the risks of damage to threads on the head or damage to o-rings, or dropping the needle because you are working against gravity, make it a poor practice. It is not worth it. It actually doesn't take that much wear and tear to break an air seal on threads. Even as few as a dozen times can do enough wear and tear to cause pulsing in the airbrush. It is much better to simply remove the needle in the manner that it is designed, because it does not introduce wear and tear to the air channel.
You say it's unlikely to pull some paint back into the seal, but you demonstrated with the needle wipe, that you did pull back some paint - even while filming, which I don't consider unlikely, but extremely likley. Sorry, noob here, but I don't get it.
Perhaps I should've done a better job explaining that point or used different wording. I apologize for the confusion. The amount of residual paint left on the needle after it was removed was very minor. My main concern is the risk of allowing large amounts of paint to travel through the needle packing seal because that paint will find its way into the trigger and air valve assembly which will cause the trigger to stick (it's also far more difficult to remove the trigger assembly and the air valve assembly in order to clean them properly). The minute amount of paint wiped away from the needle after it was removed was not even close to being enough to allow paint through the needle packing seal and cause the sticky trigger issue. At the end of the day, it's nearly impossible to clean every last lit bit of residual paint from within the airbrush body without completely disassembling the brush and thoroughly cleaning everything (which is not something I recommend doing on a regular basis for the same reasons mentioned in the video). That very small amount of residual paint left in the brush can sometimes be enough to dry and freeze the needle in place temporarily if the needle is immediately put back in the brush and the brush is stored in a dry state. Storing your brush wet ruclips.net/video/dBrkEsik2NE/видео.html alleviates that issue.
hell yeaa....i alway pull my back n sometime take it out n clean needle n put it in 1/2 way . and when my gun empty n gonna mix another paint then i would let gun soak in cleainin solution while i mixs paint or whatever then clean my gun bla bla bla lol
A great video. I found your explanation so clear and easy to follow. I have since switched to taking the needle out the back, and the time saving is significant. What I particularly like is your reasoning that the needle and cup should be clean before you remove the needle.
Very informative. Thank you for answering an age old question for those of us that never knew the pros and cons of both.
I appreciate the kind words Keith!
Very useful, Trevor. I hadn't figured on the wear on the nozzle through disassembly. You are, sir, the King of Airbrushers!
Thank you for the kind words my friend!
I also fill my airbrush through the nozzle since we are talking about stupid stuff airbrush users do. You're alot more calm and measured about it than I would be. I'm also surprised at the number of commenters who actually use the front for nozzle removal.
Either method will work (provided their airbrush needle can be removed from the front because some cannot) and some people are set on one or the other for various reasons. I agree the better method is removing the needle from the back. At the end of the day I see no reason not to be calm about it. All I can do is share my own knowledge and experience. It's up to each individual to decide if my advice is right for them.
Beautifully explained. Lots of useful detail here. Thanks.
Thank you!
Thorough and informative as usual. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
Thanks Karl! I appreciate the kind words my friend!
I have seen so many people say one way or the other! You always have great content 👍👍 thanks for making them!
Thank you my friend!
Thanks Trevor another great tip👍
Thanks Rich!
Thanks for another very informative video. I also remove my needle from the back, but I apply a slight film of Iwata lube to the needle before installing it and I haven't had a problem. I use 91% Isopropyl in the same way you used the 4012 reducer, what do you think about using the alcohol, it works great, and after I assemble the airbrush I spray distilled water to flush out any residual alcohol.
I used to use Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning purposes too. It is a fantastic cleaner for water-based paint! In fact, when my current old supply of 4012 Reducer is used up, I will go back to using Isopropyl alcohol for stubborn paint residue.
I prefer to remove them from the front and install them that way as well, with shaky hands(coffee jitters) I have a better chance of getting them in properly without damaging the tip. My Badger Sotar 20/20 however needs to be removed from the rear due to a ball that is affixed to the rear of the needle...I've thought about cutting it off but have been reluctant to do so.
Hey Adam! That's the thing about it from my point of view, I've often heard others suggest one way is correct and one way is not. We're all a little different and sometimes what others view as "wrong" works better for an individual, as in your case, for a variety of reasons.
Nice and very informative video, however, are you sure the first AB at 4:43 is an Iwata? It looks to be a badger by the nozzle type.
Thank you and yes, all of the airbrushes that appeared in this video were Iwata.
@@wickedartstudio cool, after my comment i did some research e found that iwatas also have this kind of nozzle. I didn’t know it before.
Want to hear an absolute horror story about airbrush cleaning? My needle was constantly getting stuck so I sat down to do a thorough deep cleaning of my Iwata Revolution with solvent. I pulled the needle, squirted a good bit into the paint cup and used a small brush to make sure I got it all the way into the packing, the nozzle, passages, etc. Suddenly I noticed the bristles getting really hard and smelled superglue. I had not, in fact, picked up the pipette of lacquer thinner, but a pipette I had filled yesterday for another project with water thin clear CA glue. AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!! I tried to wipe it out but it was too late, the glue had already filled and set up in the nooks and crannies and all I got was chunks of paper towel glued into the cup for my troubles. The good news is that acetone really does fully break down CA glue and with a few hours of cleaning I was able to get every bit of it out, but man I hope never to have to do that again...
Oh man! I'm glad you were able to at least get it all cleaned out!
Personally I never take the front section apart unless I have to. When I was a beginner I accidentally ruined the threads on the nozzle. They are very delicate. Yes, if you are not careful you might damage the tip of the needle when re-installing it from the back, but a needle is about 1/5 of the price of a nozzle. And it takes too long. (I mostly use an Iwata HP-CP)
I agree my friend!
Thank you for explaining this. If you happen to get paint on your needle packing, is it advisable to take a pointed q-tip or dentek brush to try and get it off from the back of the body?
Great question! The first issue that pops into my mind concerning the tools you mention is the reach of those tools. The needle packing screw is generally located pretty deep in the brush, forward of the trigger. A DenTek brush or cotton swab will likely reach the packing seal in most airbrushes once the rear handle, needle, needle chucking guide and trigger assembly have been removed. There are some other things to consider though. Cotton swabs and DenTek brushes are both great tools for cleaning in my opinion, as long as I can see the part I'm cleaning. The downside to cotton swabs is they can leave little bits of cotton behind which can wreak havoc later down the road when those fibers get saturated with paint and stick to parts inside your brush. A DenTek brush solves the issue of leaving cotton fibers behind, but you can't see what you are doing deep inside the brush. We would be working from the back of the brush and pushing either of those tools (or any other tool for that matter) forward in order to clean the needle packing seal when it is installed in the airbrush, correct? The risk of pushing material (dried paint, cotton fiber, etc.) through the packing seal and further into the body of the brush is also a concern. The area behind the needle packing seal in the airbrush body is pretty open to allow installation of that seal. The area forward of the needle packing seal in the airbrush body is much smaller. It's generally only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the needle. So if a foreign material gets pushed forward of the seal during cleaning, the performance of the brush will likely suffer. Does that make sense?
For those reasons, I prefer to remove the packing seal from the airbrush when I need to clean it and that doesn't happen very often. I generally need to clean my airbrushes that thoroughly only once or twice per year. What are the odds that you will push some foreign material through the packing seal if you don't remove it? They are probably pretty low, but it is something to be aware of.
I always remove and install the needle from the tip. I once bent a needle installing it from the rear, so I always go though the front. Although I did once spear my finger installing it from the front. But blood is cheaper than a replacement needle, LOL.
Yeah, I've stabbed myself numerous times over the years.
Hi, Would you like to do this same test but with a complete cleanup?
I have the idea that when you do a front removal you can start disassembling earlier since the needle and the cup don't have to be as clean. Also with the nozzle off its easier to clean (Im talking about the same airbrush as the video)
This video wasn't intended to be a test. It was created to point out the pros and cons between each method commonly used to remove the needle. Neither method is right or wrong. My airbrush will always be completely disassembled anytime I'm doing a complete or very thoroughly cleaning. So, it really doesn't matter whether the needle is removed from the front or the back in that case because the brush is being completely torn down. Perhaps I've misunderstood your question or the point you're trying to make. If that is the case, please clarify and I'll answer again.
@@wickedartstudio Yeah, sorry my bad.
With "complete cleanup" i meant to start the countdown with used paint on the cup. I wasn't referring to the process of completely disassembling the airbrush and doing a deep clean, but to test the time it would take to remove the needle starting to count with the paint on the cup.
I believe it could give different results. Since to take the needle from the back you need to clean the cup, needle and nozzle really well, to avoid dragging paint to the inside of the airbrush.
While if you took the front off and push the needle, you could do it without taking the time to clean everything as much, since once nozzle is off you could clean it faster with a really soft brush and some cleaner. Or so i believe, specially when its kind of clogged, which is when I tend to remove the needle.
@@IDCrish That makes more sense and I'm following your train of thought now. Thanks for clarifying. I'm not sure it will make a difference in the end because it's really not necessary to clean the cup differently in my opinion. Having said that, now I'm curious and I will test this out in the future. Thank you for the suggestion!
think you for the info does this process work for the siphon type also??
Yes, it sure does!
13:23 - you wiped the needle so well, you wiped away your facial hair with it! Great explanation for the airbrush mechanics!
I appreciate the kind words!
I prefer pull out needle from a rear part, but I remove the front part with nozzle every time I end my painting session just for sure that it always clean . But you speak I don’t have to do it every time. Sometimes when I clean the nozzle I found a some paint into it. What if I don’tclean it and that paint will stay for a several weeks, for example? Or your advice is for everyday working only? I use my airbrush once in 1-2 or 3 week ))
A thin layer of residual paint does get left behind in the nozzle of my airbrushes because I don't completely tear them down and thoroughly clean them at the end of every session. You won't remove every trace of paint in the brush by simply spraying a cleaning solution through the brush. Having said that, that thin layer of residual paint doesn't hurt anything initially as far as performance is concerned. That residual paint will continue to build up in the nozzle with further use over time. Eventually, it will reach a point that it does begin to affect the performance of the airbrush. At that point, I will remove the fluid nozzle and clean it thoroughly. The airbrushes I use most often normally reach that point only a handful of times in any given year, and I use them daily. So, based on my experience, it is not necessary to completely strip down a brush and thoroughly clean it after every use. There's also nothing wrong with doing that if that's what you prefer to do. I think it's beneficial to realize you are degrading the air seal created by the threads of the head cap and nozzle cap each time those parts are taken apart, but the airbrush will still last you a very long time!
i am having an issue what to do if to thin my paint it does not to be to seen to be spraying corectly? the thinner the paint the lower the pressure? maybe like 10 or 15 should i try? i make my own from acrlyic most are ok but some i made to thin?
I would absolutely suggest playing with different air pressures. You are correct, thinner paint usually sprays better at lower air pressure because it's easier to control. The main problem you're likely having is based around making your own airbrush paint with acrylic paint. If the paint you're using wasn't designed to be sprayed through an airbrush, the pigment particles in the paint are likely too large to fit consistently through the needle/nozzle of your brush. Those pigment particles won't dissolve when the paint is thinned, and they will clog your brush frequently. A better and less frustrating solution would be to purchase paint designed for airbrushing.
My iwata came with oil ? Where and when should i use some or not ?
Download the user's manual...
Is the lube the brush came with blue or clear?
The brushes are not designed to have the needle removed from the front. It causes unnecessary wear and tear on the seals and head, and due to needle shape, which is only precision machined for the first half of the needle, you can stretch or damage your teflon o-rings, requiring replacement. Simply put, the risks of damage to threads on the head or damage to o-rings, or dropping the needle because you are working against gravity, make it a poor practice. It is not worth it. It actually doesn't take that much wear and tear to break an air seal on threads. Even as few as a dozen times can do enough wear and tear to cause pulsing in the airbrush. It is much better to simply remove the needle in the manner that it is designed, because it does not introduce wear and tear to the air channel.
Hi Kim! I agree my friend!
There’s a reason Badger Patriot and other have a needle that can only be removed from the back
I'm sure the engineer(s) had reasons for those designs, I don't know if those decisions were based on any of the points I made in this video though.
hi Trevor its me Landry G
Hey Landry!
My airbrush lever fell out how do I put it back in
What airbrush do you have?
You say it's unlikely to pull some paint back into the seal, but you demonstrated with the needle wipe, that you did pull back some paint - even while filming, which I don't consider unlikely, but extremely likley. Sorry, noob here, but I don't get it.
Perhaps I should've done a better job explaining that point or used different wording. I apologize for the confusion. The amount of residual paint left on the needle after it was removed was very minor. My main concern is the risk of allowing large amounts of paint to travel through the needle packing seal because that paint will find its way into the trigger and air valve assembly which will cause the trigger to stick (it's also far more difficult to remove the trigger assembly and the air valve assembly in order to clean them properly). The minute amount of paint wiped away from the needle after it was removed was not even close to being enough to allow paint through the needle packing seal and cause the sticky trigger issue.
At the end of the day, it's nearly impossible to clean every last lit bit of residual paint from within the airbrush body without completely disassembling the brush and thoroughly cleaning everything (which is not something I recommend doing on a regular basis for the same reasons mentioned in the video). That very small amount of residual paint left in the brush can sometimes be enough to dry and freeze the needle in place temporarily if the needle is immediately put back in the brush and the brush is stored in a dry state. Storing your brush wet ruclips.net/video/dBrkEsik2NE/видео.html alleviates that issue.
thanks
Thank you!
I lost my needle. Can i use my airbrush without it?
Nope.
@@wickedartstudio oh well, going to have to throw it away
This must be a joke (an unfunny one even).
hell yeaa....i alway pull my back n sometime take it out n clean needle n put it in 1/2 way . and when my gun empty n gonna mix another paint then i would let gun soak in cleainin solution while i mixs paint or whatever then clean my gun bla bla bla lol
Thanks Dale!