Best method of airbrush cleaning between colours

Quote Rebelair,......"cleaners may be needed like what Squish mentioned but ain't cheap constantly using reducer to clean.".

This is why I posted the question . Your right the reducer isn`t cheap when your constantly cleaning or reducing the paint with it and this is why I asked the question looking for someone to give me good alternatives. But I have to admit the use of water ,by some saying use it ,and others saying don`t, has me puzzled being a newcomer to Airbrushing as to carry on using reducer or switch to water . I know reducer works to clean , and I know people are going to say TRY water and see what you think, but now I guess I`m just unsure about it. If reducer was cheap to buy, I`d have no problem carrying on using it .

If your finding water just ain't doing the job I personally wouldnt use a airbrush reducer due to the cost, go down your local hardware and buy some thinners or the like, that crap will remove anything LOL and much cheaper..I pay around $8 for a litre tin..Its nuthin to be to confused about, we all have our own preferences so essentially that will get you different answers or results..As I mentioned if its a water based paint then water should clean it easily..Also as mentioned try some warmer water as the heat will help break down stubborn pigment and add a little dishwashing liquid..For me that works a charm but as mentioned I dont use that paint..All I know is water based is NOT the same as waterbourne..Some paint manufacturers use the term water based sometimes wrongly to suggest its safe when realistically they have mild solvents in them that mix OK with water and reduce tip dry etc so they are in essence not truely water based paints..and waterbourne paints may need that slightly more aggressive cleaners.
 
just be careful what you put through your brush, if you don't have Teflon seals they will get dissolved with some of the strong thinners etc. And don't spray thinners into the air where you can inhale it..... a cleaning pot, even a home made one, to spray into is great for this sort of thing
 
I walk over to sink and run water, dump paint out, pull back needle and let water come out front, repeat or so until water is clear.

Then run cleaner through it, id recommend add cleaner, toss cap on and then shake the gun with finger on breather hole. Spray, back flush, shake then empty it.

This is wicked paint

Etac cleans a lot nicer I found.
 
My method is mostly the same as the one AndreZA posted in the first reply. Only difference is w/ my gravity brushes, while I've got the cup full of water (or whatever cleaning solvent) I'll use a pipette to rapidly swish/spray the cleaning fluid right past the hole where the needle goes back into the body to the packing seal.

That bit of "tunnel" between the packing and the color cup is where paint likes to cling and not be touched by backflushing (but will leak out in small amounts when more fluid is added to the cup). Placing the pipette tip right next to the hole and blowing cleaning solvent perpendicular to the needle cycles out the fluid inside the tunnel via Venturi effect.
 
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