Airbrush cleaning using a sonic cleaner.

[kitman]

Hi Could do with advice about the use of ultrasonic cleaners for airbrushes. Firstly , can they do any harm to the brushes themselves?. Secondly what cleaning fluid is best used in them. Thirdly what size would be recommended. Thanks in advance🙂

[Doggy]

Don't think so, a lot of people use them.

 

They normally come with a cleaning fluid, we have 2 in work.

 

Size? The smallest will do.

[Louise]

Won't damage the airbrush.  You don't need a large unit.  Mine is about 2" longer than my Iwata CP PLus (whatever that length is).

Cleaning fluid depends on what paint you used.  For any water based acrylics, a bath of water with a little detergent will do, or use Simple Green, it's great on acrylics and the price is nothing compared to the proprietary fluids many companies flog at $$$$.

 

VERY IMPORTANT: do not put solvents into the bath; i.e lacquer thinner, paint stripper etc as the fumes will destroy the lid and eventually eat away at the plastic surrounding the metal bath.... I thought metal bath so what..... but 4 months down the line my unit formed cracks.  

 

For cleaning enamels. acrylic lacquers, get a thin glass jar that fits in the bath. fill the bath with water,fill the jar with solvent cleaner and put the airbrush into that. As long as the jar isn't heavy and thick walled you'll still get the sonic "energy waves" for want of a better term to transfer to the solvent. You may have to run things a little longer but that's how you do that.

 

I couldn't live without one.  Buyer beware though just go through the Amazon reviews to get my point.

 

This is the one I purchased May 2019... it's worked flawlessly since then.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JXQ9P5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

[nheather]

I have a very basic and small cleaner (a jewellery cleaner that I ‘borrowed’ from my wife, but I have considered getting a more capable one.

 

Question - you can get ones that heat the cleaning solution - do they do a better job?

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel

[Rick Brown]

I invested in one a few years back and I can honestly say all it's good for is helping mix really old enamel paints!

Plonk tin in bath of water and let it do it's magic.

As for cleaning my airbrush, I seem to be able to do a better job myself.

Maybe I'll give it another go with different detergents. I have already tried a few that didn't seem to help much.

Maybe my expectations are too high?

 

Rick.