Airbrush service

matty171

Air-Valve Autobot!
Hi all
Has anyone ever sent their brush to be serviced?? I dont seem to be able to spray at low pressure with my micron even when ive reduced 12:1. Now i understand this can be due to a dirty nozzle and have cleaned it thoroughly and even managed not to damage this one, i then tried again but still no joy.

I now have the nozzle steeping in some airbrush cleaner an will try it again tomorrow but my thinking is that if im reducing that much 10:1/12:1 surely i should be able to spray at around 10/15psi?? Today i couldnt spray below about 20/25 with out issues then i was getting spidering as it was to high
Aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!
I love my micron but it came very close to getting kicked around the house today.

My next question is could this be my compressors fault?? I only have a single piston one you find on flea bay or amazon but have been using it for over a year now and recently have been using it up high for the tshirts so im thinking it might have run its course.

Any thoughts or suggestions guys,?? Could it be the brush or compressor, or even both.
Oh paints i was using today was liquitex acrylic ink carbon black and FW paynes grey, same problems with both.

Thanks for reading

Matty
 
I wouldn't rule out gunk in the nozzle, even if you've cleaned it already, hopefully a good soak will sort it out. What exactly is it doing? Are all the air holes clear, so that you are getting good airflow? Is it the same just with water?

Am I right in remembering that you stuffed a nozzle? Is it possible that you didn't replace the needle at the same time, so that the needle may have a teeny amount of wear from the old nozzle and not be seating right?

I can only think the compressor would be at fault if there were contaminates getting into your hose such as water or oil?? What are your filters looking like?

Hope you get it sorted, or someone can advise a service :)
 
I wouldn't rule out gunk in the nozzle, even if you've cleaned it already, hopefully a good soak will sort it out. What exactly is it doing? Are all the air holes clear, so that you are getting good airflow? Is it the same just with water?

Am I right in remembering that you stuffed a nozzle? Is it possible that you didn't replace the needle at the same time, so that the needle may have a teeny amount of wear from the old nozzle and not be seating right?

I can only think the compressor would be at fault if there were contaminates getting into your hose such as water or oil?? What are your filters looking like?

Hope you get it sorted, or someone can advise a service :)

Hey Squishy
Its spraying like it would if the paint was to thick, pull back nothing there but then when letting the trigger go forward again theres paint coming out. This is reduced 12:1. Then if i turn up the pressure to 25/30 its spraying ok but if im getting in close its spidering. I did clean the nozzle earlier with an old needle with some cotton wool around it and did get some gunk out, hopefully a good soak will sort it but it seems to have been like that for a while now. Frustrating
Yea ive stuffed a few nozzles lol but this is a new nozzle and needle thats only been used a few times
 
Before not spraying at all it would be grainy if it where reduction or pressure..... 12 to 1 is basically water and if you can't spray water at like 3 psi then you have troubles. Does 25 psi feel like 25 psi....does it sound like clear clean delivery at 25
I mean for it not to spray at all just a little lower but with such massive reduction.....its gotta be nozzle or comp.
 
Hey Squishy
Its spraying like it would if the paint was to thick, pull back nothing there but then when letting the trigger go forward again theres paint coming out. This is reduced 12:1. Then if i turn up the pressure to 25/30 its spraying ok but if im getting in close its spidering. I did clean the nozzle earlier with an old needle with some cotton wool around it and did get some gunk out, hopefully a good soak will sort it but it seems to have been like that for a while now. Frustrating
Yea ive stuffed a few nozzles lol but this is a new nozzle and needle thats only been used a few times

Now I can actually tell you from experience that there is definitely a tiny spec of paint in the nozzle, if you have any cellulose thinners or acetone (nail varnish remover), soak your nozzle in it for about ten minutes, also clean the tip of your needle with it to be sure, after you've done that spray a little through the brush but tilt the brush forward so it can't travel back to your trigger cavity seal, then just run your normal cleaner through a couple of times and your good to go:thumbsup:
 
I think all has been covered here , I never really had the same problem but I did noticed that a worn out nozzle can give you problems with the micron that is why I replace mine every year and always have a spare one just in case something goes wrong .
 
I think all has been covered here , I never really had the same problem but I did noticed that a worn out nozzle can give you problems with the micron that is why I replace mine every year and always have a spare one just in case something goes wrong .

His nozzle is less than 3 weeks old;)
 
@ad fez @Madbrush @Squishy @Ronald art and anyone else i missed

guys thanks for the replys so far, i have just finished testing it again after re cleaning the nozzle, again.
So heres my findings
Paint is reduced 10:1 and is liquitex Carbon black

10psi trigger right back before any paint comes out

15psi not much difference

20psi trigger around the halfway mark before any paint comes out

25psi about quarter if the way back, not able to do really fine lines

30psi works fine for a few lines then pauses, if i give a full blast it works again fine, small hairlines.

I tested with just water aswel at around 10 psi and its the same as above.
As @Madbrush has stated the nozzle is only around three weeks old and has absolutely no damage to it, i have a mini microscope to look at it, now there is the slightest bend on the needle tip but even under my microscope its hard to see and i know its not that causing the problem.

Im thinking it could be my compressor, either the gauge is t working correctly or because ive been doing tshirts this last few weeks and had it up high maybe its just give up the ghost.
Like i said above this has been getting worse for a while but its got to the pissing off stage.
Could it be my brush
Could it be the compressor
Could i just be a twat
Im baffled
 
If it's a diaphragm compressor the diaphragm could be worn due to working at high pressure.
 
Does the compressor still work normally,I.e does it still fill the tank in the same time as it used to
 
Can you strip of the head and see if the piston moves side to side, sloppie, as your ring could be worn and causing air slippage.you could tell this if your compressor is also running hotter than normal.
 
It might be a reed type compressor and if that becomes damaged it won't work efficiently, can't be more specific unless it was in front of me, then I would have a better idea.
 
Havnt a clue mate just know its a single piston tankless one, so it prob is

Have you noticed a difference in the sound your compressor makes?, and dies your Neo work ok on it? If your als behaves different then it could well be the compressor, my compressor sometimes makes a noise like it's about to die and delivers very little pressure, when it does inlet it cool for a half hour or so and it's back to normal, mine is the same as yours but with a small tank.
 
Can you strip of the head and see if the piston moves side to side, sloppie, as your ring could be worn and causing air slippage.you could tell this if your compressor is also running hotter than normal.
Mate im not sure about the temp as ive had a fan pointed at it for months now and its on most of the time when im painting, tho i did forget to turn it on the other day and the compressor was roasting in no time but i was doing tshirts so the pressure was right up, i dont mind if i have to replace the compressor i need a tanked one anyway, rather that than have to send my brush away
 
Could you take your brush to a body shop, or mate with a compressor and try it out, would def prove if it's the brush or comp.
 
Have you noticed a difference in the sound your compressor makes?, and dies your Neo work ok on it? If your als behaves different then it could well be the compressor, my compressor sometimes makes a noise like it's about to die and delivers very little pressure, when it does inlet it cool for a half hour or so and it's back to normal, mine is the same as yours but with a small tank.
I didnt actually think about trying the Neo, ive always had the pressure up when i was using it, ill try that tomorrow and thatll answer my question i suppose, infact i cant wait untill then im away to try it now
 
I didnt actually think about trying the Neo, ive always had the pressure up when i was using it, ill try that tomorrow and thatll answer my question i suppose, infact i cant wait untill then im away to try it now

If you've been using the compressor at constant high pressure for your shirts there is a good chance you melted or weakened the membrane which is basically a piece of vynil plastic sort of thing that wouldn't stand up to that kind of abuse:(
 
Well now im gutted, at 10psi even with a badly damaged nozzle and a kinked needle the Neo sprayed well, which tells me that the compressor is ok, i going to get a tanked one but its not a necessity.

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