Vallejo air primer blocks airbrush

[SaintsPhil]

Morning all and happy new year!

I'm taking the opportunity of the bank holiday to get some on the go projects painted! I have a cheap Chinese copy airbrush which is normally ok for what I need but I've been having problems with the Vallejo air grey primer blocking the tip. I have tried adding thinners and I always add a couple of drops of golden airbrush medium.

I had to flush my airbrush through with IPA before I started as it had become clogged over the Xmas break, I washed it thoroughly before I used it but could this have reacted with the paint?

I get about 5 mins good spray before it stutters and starts to block. I clean the nozzle and it just blocks again so the airbrush is currently soaking in IPA again!

Has anyone else had this problem too? Any expert advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

Phil

[Mike]

What sort of temperatures are you spraying in Phil? If it's too warm, it could assist the paint drying on the tip. Also, make sure that your needle is chucked fully forward. If it's not, some paint might seep through and dry/clog the tip in between sprays.

If that doesn't work, try reaming out your nozzle, as there may be some debris in there that's stopping the needle closing fully. Failing that, use Alclad spray primers, as they're the dog's privates

Happy new year to you too

[thx6667]

I've found the best results are to thin Vallejo with its own thinner then clean the airbrush with its own airbrush cleaner. I'm not familiar with golden airbrush medium, maybe that is having a reaction? I tend to stick with Liquitex Flow-Aid as this works fine with Vallejo.

I'd suggest getting hold of some Vallejo thinner and cleaner, give the brush a good flush with both then try again, perhaps even thinning the primer down a little more. Vallejo can dry on the tip, and even their own leaflets suggest wiping the nozzle every now an then.

[SaintsPhil]

Mike,

It can't be much above a few degrees as I'm sat with the window open and the girlfriends away so heating is off!

That might be a good shout about the needle not being chocked forward I have had it to bits! Only problem with these cheap airbrushes no instructions!

Cheers

Phil

[SaintsPhil]

I've found the best results are to thin Vallejo with its own thinner then clean the airbrush with its own airbrush cleaner. I'm not familiar with golden airbrush medium, maybe that is having a reaction? I tend to stick with Liquitex Flow-Aid as this works fine with Vallejo.

I'd suggest getting hold of some Vallejo thinner and cleaner, give the brush a good flush with both then try again, perhaps even thinning the primer down a little more. Vallejo can dry on the tip, and even their own leaflets suggest wiping the nozzle every now an then.

I have the Vallejo thinners and ab cleaner so I was suspicious of the medium! Only soaking in IPA to get the dried on paint out!

Thanks

[T-Tango]

First up, what size needle/nozzle does your A/B have fitted, if it's a fine nozzle, 0.15 or 0.2 then it might need diluting, if it's 0.3 or 0.4 then it should be ok as it comes, I use Vallejo Model Air primer and I don't have any problems using it at all, it is designed to spray straight out of the bottle without dilution but you can dilute it with either their own thinners or just plain ol' water, you should give your A/B a good clean after each session, I normally give mine a thorough wash through and back flush with water until the water is clear, I then follow this up with a flush through and back-flush with Badger A/B cleaner, I finally strip the needle, nozzle and head off the A/B and give them a clean with Badger A/B cleaner and this seems to do the job ok, it only takes a few minutes. HTH

Cheers

Pete

[SaintsPhil]

Pete,

I think it's 2 or 2.5 from memory. I have it clog before but never this badly! I have a feeling I hadn't chucked the needle correctly as Mike mentioned, but I've just washed it thoroughly in water do time to try again!

I'll leave the medium out this time and just go with thinners I think!

Thanks guys!

Phil

[SaintsPhil]

Thanks guys managed to get it spraying! Unfortunately I rebuilt the airbrush to ensure the needle was fully chucked, didn't use the medium, only a bit of thinners and cleaned the nozzle every so often so I don't know which of these fixed it!

Phil

[little-cars]

Some (maybe all) Vallejo paints turn to jelly when they come into contact with IPA.

This tends to affect all the paint in the main barrel of the brush turning it into anything from a thick paint to a solid lump of jelly and can or course restrict the nozzle, stopping paint getting out.

The rule of thumb for Vallejo is to use their thinner and airbrush cleaner for their paints, unless of course the bottle states differently.

For an agressive cleaner Badger sprayaway/spraycraft cleaner/liquid reamers, or foaming airbrush cleaner are the products I would try first.

[Julien]

Thin the promer with vallejo airbrush cleaner. I do and no problems through my Iwata.

I thin vallejo, lifecolor and xtracrylix with the vallejo AB Cleaner, works a treat. Contains a small amount of glycol and acts to slightly retard the paint. A

lso makes cleaning easier.

Julien