Lube

W

wrongway

Guest
What does everyone use to lube their airbrush other then super lube
 
Nothing. Many people like to lube, but I found over time it could get gummy. I stopped using it and don't miss it at all, in fact I prefer the action without it. As long as my brush is clean, it feels real smooth as it is. Just my personal preference though.
 
Super lube is OK if that's all that you can get. I got some K33 lube with the micron I brought, Foxy Art Studios (see the advert on the front page) do it, not sure if you can buy it separately. Send them a message. Marrissa is a member here.
 
I think Squishy has it right - especially for a newbie. If you do lube, you will wind up over lubing :). Having said that, there are definitely some lubes out there. They are not all the same, and some are better than others - There is Iwata, which is blue in color. I have heard many people say that over time this lube tends to gum up, and dry out. I have never used it for anything, but a small amount burnished onto the tip of a needle... Badger has "Regdab", and Paasche has some stuff that looks like light machine, or air tool oil. I've not found that any of these has offered me any type of advantage when used. All of these are liquid, with the Iwata being the thickest viscosity wise...

There is a product being sold through Foxy Studio in the Netherlands called "K33 Airbrush Balm". Not sure what it is, but it looks like a food grade silicone grease - I have no idea if it is or not, but this stuff I like. After a deep cleaning on a brush, I will apply a very small amount to moving pieces, or on seals, and it keeps everything slipping and sliding along quite well. You don't goop up a surface, but more like burnishing a tiny amount in, and it works a charm. If experiencing tip dry, a small amount burnished onto the needle can slow it down... While not an absolute must, if you have an opportunity to try the stuff, I do recommend it.
 
I use superlube. I read somewhere that it is mostly glycerin. I have used pure vegetable glycerin before to see if I could tell a difference. The superlube is thinner. I would use glycerin though if I was out of superlube. But I have at least a dozen tubes. Shouldn't run out any time soon!
 
I use super lube and was lubing everything when i first started. I was putting it on the air valve under the trigger and soon found out that it started sticking.
I was visiting dru blairs webpage and he has 14 airbrushing tips on there. One of them is " dont lube the air valve" lol.
I managed to clean it all off and its working freely now.
Just a little tip to anyone new to airbrush as apparently once enough is in there its hard to ungum it. sticky trigger is annoying.
 
I mainly only use it on the section of the needle that slides back & forth inside the needle bearing. I do sometimes use it on the tip of the needle to combat tip dry, but I am constantly cleaning the tip, so probably just wiping it right off.
 
Superlube on the needle taper does help a little in combating tip-dry, but it doesn't last long in that context, for obvious reasons. As a lube it's nothing special, and as other's have mentioned it does dry out and cause minor sticking after a while.

Badger Regdab has the best actual lubrication of the lubes I've tried, by a very wide margin. A little on the needle shaft, and brush action will feel like the bearing got loose or fell out somehow. It also doesn't dry out, unlike Superlube. Downside is it has a very watery viscosity, so it's hard to apply without it dripping or wicking to other areas. Badger had an indecent some years ago where an entire tainted batch of lube made it to market, and their reputation is still on the rocks as a result of bad experiences people had during that interval. You'll see people saying that it's bad B/C it turns yellow and gummy, but this is not accurate to the stuff that's currently on shelves. I've got a 2oz bottle of it I've been using for around two years now, and it's great stuff.

K-33 is a grease instead of a fluid, so it's very easy to apply precisely, and it also doesn't dry out. Downside is it only lubes a little better than Superlube, and no where near as well as Badger.

On my Iwatas I use Badger lube on the needle shafts/bearings, and that's it. Iwatas have clean machining and nice smooth plating, so the trigger assembly and other bits don't really need any lube. On my SOTAR I use Badger lube on the needle shaft/bearing, and K33 on the trigger cutout & rocker. Badger's machining is rough, and the plating is thinner than Iwata's, so the 2 SOTARS I have need lube on the trigger assembly or else the action feels intermittently scrapey/grindy. K-33 is better for those bits as it stays put longer.

I used to put Superlube on my needle tapers to help with tip dry, but don't bother anymore since the difference is minor and short lived.

BUT, squishy and DaveG are correct: you don't actually NEED any lube. A decent AB will function perfectly fine & comfortably without any. It's just sort of a minor optional tuning thing, not an essential maintenance thing.
 
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