Ultrasonic cleaner liquid solution
- Thread starter Nathalie
- Start date
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
You can 
You can also use water in the cleaner bath, and then place your parts in a smaller glass or plastic container full of Airbrush Cleaner, Restorer, Alcohol, etc. - and place it into the bath. Just make sure it is not floating, or if it is, that it is somehow kept from tipping over. Unless it is capped. This way you use less cleaner or solvent...
I have an album on on FB page outlining some of the step I use while using an Ultrasonic cleaner -
https://www.facebook.com/davegs.airbrush.exploration/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1716303788475202
You can also use water in the cleaner bath, and then place your parts in a smaller glass or plastic container full of Airbrush Cleaner, Restorer, Alcohol, etc. - and place it into the bath. Just make sure it is not floating, or if it is, that it is somehow kept from tipping over. Unless it is capped
. This way you use less cleaner or solvent...I have an album on on FB page outlining some of the step I use while using an Ultrasonic cleaner -
https://www.facebook.com/davegs.airbrush.exploration/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1716303788475202
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Nathalie
Double Actioner
Thanks Dave for the informations. I've red everything. But I still have a question on my Vallejo primer/varnish problem.
So I'm using an iwata eclipse 0.5 needle. I shoot neet. I clean up as I do with my other iwata 0.35, that I use for Tamiya and Alclad II. But each single time when I take back my airbrush let's say 24 hour ofter cleaning, the nozzle is jammed. I have to clean it up again as if I did not clean it up properly. But my technic work for all other media/airbrush. That's why I was looking on a ultrasonic cleaner in desesperate cause.
But now that I red your explaination, it seem not good to do it on dayly bases.
Can you help me ?
Thank
Nath
So I'm using an iwata eclipse 0.5 needle. I shoot neet. I clean up as I do with my other iwata 0.35, that I use for Tamiya and Alclad II. But each single time when I take back my airbrush let's say 24 hour ofter cleaning, the nozzle is jammed. I have to clean it up again as if I did not clean it up properly. But my technic work for all other media/airbrush. That's why I was looking on a ultrasonic cleaner in desesperate cause.
But now that I red your explaination, it seem not good to do it on dayly bases.
Can you help me ?
Thank
Nath
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
I am at a bit of a disadvantage because I do not have the Vallejo products here to try... but, can tell you what I do with some other products I do have -
The first bit I will mention, is that I noticed tht while spraying out a brush, quite often the most effective part of the spray out is the very end. What I mean is that with paint in the cup, I can dump out any remaining, add a little water or cleaner, and swoosh out with a soft brush, and dump that- then add more water or cleaner to the cup. I can spray an entire cup of water through the brush, but if I watch the color stuck to the inside of the cup, and on the needle - they usually don't even move until the very last bit of water is being drawn out of the cup - so, this has taught me to add only a very small amount of water to the cup to spray out - adding lots is a waste of time. Solvents are different... but, I tend to use water for most of my cleaning (using water based paints), until the end. It is cheaper.
I may spray water through a cup one or two times between colors, or end of day. Then I will pull the needle and wipe it, slip it back in, but not quite all the way, and spray water through again before seating the needle. Spray water again, and pull the needle and wipe it. When the needle is starting to look fairly clean when wiped, I will usually switch to either reducer for the paint, or some sort of solvent. I repeat this routine until the needle wipes clean, with no trace of color. If I used clear, I add a drop of color to the brush, and spray it through, as to give a tint to the cleaning process. Clear can be hard to know when you've gotten it all. End of day, after my needle has wiped clean, I slip it back in, but not quite all the way, spray water through, and leave the brush like this (needle drawn back a little,) until the next time I am ready to use it. Next time, the first thing I do is set the needle forward, and spray water through the brush, before starting.
I do use some acrylic polymer primers that should clean up with alcohol, but have found that alcohol actually causes the primer to bond to the needle. So, I have found that a final cleaning with acetone is more effective.
The first bit I will mention, is that I noticed tht while spraying out a brush, quite often the most effective part of the spray out is the very end. What I mean is that with paint in the cup, I can dump out any remaining, add a little water or cleaner, and swoosh out with a soft brush, and dump that- then add more water or cleaner to the cup. I can spray an entire cup of water through the brush, but if I watch the color stuck to the inside of the cup, and on the needle - they usually don't even move until the very last bit of water is being drawn out of the cup - so, this has taught me to add only a very small amount of water to the cup to spray out - adding lots is a waste of time. Solvents are different... but, I tend to use water for most of my cleaning (using water based paints), until the end. It is cheaper
.I may spray water through a cup one or two times between colors, or end of day. Then I will pull the needle and wipe it, slip it back in, but not quite all the way, and spray water through again before seating the needle. Spray water again, and pull the needle and wipe it. When the needle is starting to look fairly clean when wiped, I will usually switch to either reducer for the paint, or some sort of solvent. I repeat this routine until the needle wipes clean, with no trace of color. If I used clear, I add a drop of color to the brush, and spray it through, as to give a tint to the cleaning process. Clear can be hard to know when you've gotten it all. End of day, after my needle has wiped clean, I slip it back in, but not quite all the way, spray water through, and leave the brush like this (needle drawn back a little,) until the next time I am ready to use it. Next time, the first thing I do is set the needle forward, and spray water through the brush, before starting.
I do use some acrylic polymer primers that should clean up with alcohol, but have found that alcohol actually causes the primer to bond to the needle. So, I have found that a final cleaning with acetone is more effective.
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Kim McCann
Mac-Valve Maestro!
For an inexpensive and amazingly good ultrasonic solution, 1 part simple green cleaning solution to 10 parts (or more) water. It takes off even old dried 'thanes and enamels, and makes short work of waterborne paints like the createx line. I discovered it on a forum for warhammer players for solutions to strip paint off plastic models without damaging the plastic, and thought I'd try it with my airbrush and ultrasonic. It performed way better than expensive commercial ultrasonic solutions and works out super cheap.
"Simple Green" is available at most hardware stores in North America, and the UK. Not sure about Europe or Australia.
"Simple Green" is available at most hardware stores in North America, and the UK. Not sure about Europe or Australia.
yes ‘Simple green’ has made its way to Australia, (Bunnings for any interested Aussie) i found two possible candidates. One is an all purpose cleaner concentrate, the other is a glass cleaner concentrate.
Which one are you using Kim ?
Kim McCann
Mac-Valve Maestro!
It's sold here in Canada as an all purpose concentrate, tho often in a spray bottle, even tho the label says to water it down before spraying. It's weird.
I just unscrew the spray nozzle and use a splash in the ultrasonic, fill the rest up with water and am ready to go. That solution will last me about a week of regular use and then when it gets too loaded and dirty, empty it out and fill it up again. I get a couple months out of a $5 bottle and it honestly performs better in the ultrasonic than soaking parts in restorer. And... non toxic apparently, so that's a plus. Doesn't damage o rings either.
Smells a bit weird tho.
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Kim McCann
Mac-Valve Maestro!
Honestly I get lazy, take out just the needle and dump the whole brush, springs and all into the cleaner. Most damage comes from assembley and disassembly and not tearing it down saves that wear and tear.
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I've been using Simple Green as a model kit paint stripper and prep degreaser for over 20 years. It's been the #1 product for that in the US for... who knows how long. Dunno why it never occurred to me to use it as an airbrush cleaner, but that's a great idea.
I'm a little skeptical of it being OK for rubber O-rings long term (teflon and silicone should of course be fine), but I can't claim to know the chemistry or anything.
Make sure you get actual "Simple Green". There are some other superficially similar cleaners out there that are way harsher. There's this purple stuff called "Super Clean", which has a very similar description on the label, but is way more hardcore. That stuff is useful as a "nuclear option" for paint stripping on plastics, but it might compromise the plating on an airbrush if soaked, and I'll bet it'll destroy o-rings. Get Simple Green on you skin, and your skin will just smell like Simple Green for the rest of the day no matter how you wash it. Get Super Clean on your skin, and it'll suck the lipids right out, leaving you with an itchy dry "burn".
I know that overseas Simple Green wasn't available for a long time, and the popular stuff there (or in the UK, at least) for model kit stripping/degreasing is/was something called "Dettol" (which is not available in the US). Don't know if it's at all chemically similar, so I don't know if it's plating or o-ring safe.
I'm a little skeptical of it being OK for rubber O-rings long term (teflon and silicone should of course be fine), but I can't claim to know the chemistry or anything.
Make sure you get actual "Simple Green". There are some other superficially similar cleaners out there that are way harsher. There's this purple stuff called "Super Clean", which has a very similar description on the label, but is way more hardcore. That stuff is useful as a "nuclear option" for paint stripping on plastics, but it might compromise the plating on an airbrush if soaked, and I'll bet it'll destroy o-rings. Get Simple Green on you skin, and your skin will just smell like Simple Green for the rest of the day no matter how you wash it. Get Super Clean on your skin, and it'll suck the lipids right out, leaving you with an itchy dry "burn".
I know that overseas Simple Green wasn't available for a long time, and the popular stuff there (or in the UK, at least) for model kit stripping/degreasing is/was something called "Dettol" (which is not available in the US). Don't know if it's at all chemically similar, so I don't know if it's plating or o-ring safe.
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Kim McCann
Mac-Valve Maestro!
Just an FYI: the label here in Canada says it is safe for use on rubber, so I would think that applies to o-rings.
Lik anything tho I am sure over time it adds to wear and tear, so I always dilute it with a lot of water before using it on my precious tools.
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