Greasing your needle question....

[Springz]

I have an Iwata Custom Micron and was just wondering how often I should wax/lube the needle. I ran out of the lube that comes with the Micron. Does anyone actually lube their needle?

If so, how often?

And is there an alternative?

I haven't really had any problems without lubing it but maybe it i did the brush would perform better.

 

[jagardn]

By the thread title, I didn't know if this was going to be a children friendly post.

I use SuperLube on my brushes every time i use them(on the needle when I am done cleaning).
I put it on the trigger and spring sections occasionally to keep the trigger action smooth.

Badger does make Needle Juice as an alternative, it does feel more oily than SuperLube.

I wouldn't say it is necessary, but a $6 tube lasts forever.

 

[Mr.Micron]

I use super lube as well and I lube it on every cleaning. or about once a week or so depending on how the brush is running.

 

[Springz]

By the thread title, I didn't know if this was going to be a children friendly post.

Haha, yeah i was trying to think of a title that explained my question and didn't sound too dirty, i failed.

But thanks guys, are there no alternatives to superlube, something i may have lying around the garage or house that i could potentially use?

 

[Madbrush]

I prefer to have my hands greased, and not with mayonnaise,


I only lube my brushes when I strip them down, and I only strip them down when they stop performing as I would like, now and again I use 3 or 4 different brushes and I forget to clean or insufficiently clean at least 2 of them, I generally lose the plot when there is so much going on.

I stripped, cleaned and lubed all my brushes just before the paintpals started, but only because they sat for months doing nothing.

If you are using your brushes frequently and they perform well, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, nor do they need attention, generally if you thoroughly clean them after use, and you don't need to strip them to do that, there should be no need to do anything except enjoy them.

I only ever use water based paints, after use I clean first with water half filling the cup and with a rag on the nose, I blow back only and empty the water out from the cup, but not through the brush, after that I use the the airbrush cleaner and again half fill the cup and putting my hand over the cup shake it vigorously and then blow everything through, I then finish off by rinsing with water, I tried missing this stage but the cleaner dries in and leaves a sticky mess in the brush, then I need to strip.

 

[ulltraz]

i only lube my guns when they all stripped down.also i use common and simple glicerine,which does the job,since i only use waterbased paints its not everyday that i do that.

 

[HCP-draggin]

Glycerin will work, and it's dirt cheap and easy to find, but, unlike Superlube, it will eventually dry out and gunk up if left to sit too long. It's not hard to clean, so it won't ruin a brush or anything, but it can be an annoyance. Remember that the whole point of putting lube on the needle is NOT to lube the needle. The needle is just used to carry the lube to the Teflon or rubber bearing, where it "conditions" the bearing. I use superlube every time I tear down an airbrush for cleaning (or trouble-shooting, parts changes, etc). In between "full" cleanings, I put a bit of E'Tac condition-air into the paint cup. This does a few things. For one, it acts as a lubricant, and keeps the needle bearing conditioned. Plus, it will keep any lits bits of paint that might be stuck in there from drying or sticking to anything. Generally, any little bits of paint your general cleaning missed will tend to float to the top of the condition-air, where you can just dump it out. While glycerin will work, I'd just pay the few extra bucks and get some superlube (or other brands equivalent)