Paint Flow problem

[r3play]

hello I have an Iwata HP-CS and use Com-Art paint and i'm having a paint flow problem. I take apart and clean my brush after every use, i thin the paint 1:1, 1:2 or even 1:3, I will also play with the PSI and still a flow problem. I just cant get detailed lines with it i also feel like i have to pull back to far to even get a little paint out then POW big blob any help would be great as it gets frustrating when it wreaks my art.

 

[airbrushtutor]

Is the air-hole in the paint cup/ jar free and open?
Have you checked there's no binder/ junk in the tip by taking it all apart?
Is your needle bearing firm?

Double check these things and let us know how you get on.

 

[Strictly Attitude]

I think we should start a airbrush trouble shooting thread shows problems and how they are fixed like a repair and troubleshooting manual for an airbrush. Like
1-Paint flow problem-see step 1 (have a list of steps)
2- bubbling paint in cup- see steps 3+4

Step 1-clean airbrush thoroughly, remove and soak nozzle and check for chunks of dried up paint
Does this solve your problem if not go to step 2
Step 2-check needle bearing and make sure it's firm
does this solve your problem if not see step 7

Get the jist I think with the amount of airbrush problems we see this would be a big help make it a sticky thats on top

 

[EDGECRUSHER]

possibly bent needle tip? Had this happen a lot on an old Iwata brush that I just couldn't get the air cap to thread tightly enough on. Had to scrap that one. :-(

 

[r3play]

ya a stripped down my brush again did another good clean, but i did noticed that the needle tip has a slight bend i mean the very tip of it could that be the problem?

 

[Russ Allen]

If your needle is bent, its highly possible that your nozzle is too. As far as the paint flow problem, try this remedy and tell me what you get. Get some food coloring and a paper towel. Load the airbrush with the food coloring and tell us how it sprays. You can see how the airbrush is spraying this way because of the color, but its also thin enough it will flow with no resistance like water. Let us know if you are still getting the flow problems.....oh, and you wont need a ton of pressure either, 20psi or a bit lower. Since its on a paper towel, you can still leave your pressure high if you wish, but if you want to see if your nozzle is damaged, I'd recommend to turn the pressure down low and try some fine lines to see if its getting good tight lines or if its straying (foggy, splotchy, etc...)

 

[wickedartstudio]

It could be the problem is not your brush at all. I've had issues with Com-Art as well. The pigment seems to form hard little chunks for some reason. If you pour paint into your airbrush cup straight from the bottle, these little chunks are being poured in too and will reak havok on your brush. I've found that filling up a sink or bucket with a little hot water and allowing your paint bottles to sit in said hot water for 10 minutes or so helps a lot. After that, give the bottle a good shake and strain it through a paint strainer.

 

[EDGECRUSHER]

ya a stripped down my brush again did another good clean, but i did noticed that the needle tip has a slight bend i mean the very tip of it could that be the problem?

any kind of bend in the needle especially at the end will start a splatter type condition. It's basically like holding a very small pencil up to the end of your AB like in the rock texture (splatter) tutorial. Protect your needle at all cost. There's ways of restoring that tip but I think it's just better to have a spare JIC.