Techniques for Cleaning an Airbrush
Many different projects might require the use of an airbrush: nail salons use them to paint intricate designs, and even makeup artists use the airbrush to apply perfect foundation. Whatever your reason for airbrushing, you will need to clean your device regularly to keep it spraying smoothly. You can use water, turpentine or special air brush cleaners to clean the body of the brush. For a deeper clean, disassembling the brush is necessary to clean the harder to reach areas.
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Water
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Using water is a technique that works well when your air brush is used with water soluble paints or even makeup. With this method, water is inserted into the bowl of the airbrush and a tissue or cloth is used to block the end of the airbrush. When turned on, the airbrush forces a backflow of water in the bowl, cleaning out the interior of the bowl. This process is repeated several times until the spray from the airbrush is clear. This method works best on a top-loading airbrush, but you can put water into a bottle with a small nozzle for bottom-loading brushes.
Turpentine
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Turpentine is another method of cleaning an airbrush. Turpentine can be used when using paints that are not water soluble such as oil or tempera paints. You can purchase a small jar of turpentine designed to fit on the bottom loader of your airbrush. Keep the air compressor on and spray turpentine through the brush until the spray is clear. If you have a top loader, you can use the back-flow technique.
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Disassembly
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Although cleaning agents can remove much of the paint from inside an airbrush, to get the best possible clean, you will have to disassemble the brush and use a small cleaning tool to get inside the hard to reach places. A small brush, like ones used for cleaning braces, can be inserted through the body of the airbrush when it is disassembled. Also, inserted a cotton swab into the disassembled brush can help remove any residual paint left over from the liquid cleaning methods. Smaller pieces that are removed can be soaked in your cleaning solution.
Air Brush Cleaner
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Many different brands of air brush cleaner can be used in cleaning your airbrush. As with the turpentine and water methods, you can either insert the air brush cleaner into the top bowl of the brush or through the bottom loader. Blow the special cleaner through the device until in runs clear. These cleaners are designed for use in air brushes and come in a bottle with a tip that can be inserted into the bottom loader of the brush.
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