Wiping the colour cup clean

[foo]

I paint with lacquers, so I don't need much solvent to clean the airbrush out, but I do need to wipe out the colour cup to remove excess paint. I normally use cotton swabs, but recently they've been clogging up my nozzles really fast. I just started using some real pipe cleaners I bought some time ago; I'm actually using them to wipe the inside of the cup. They seem to leave much less lint (if any), but they're not as effective as Q-tips.

The problem is I store all the unused lacquer thinner/cleaner I spray because I can't flush it down the sink, so I really don't want to waste the stuff! When I was using Q-tips I could just wipe the cup clean, spray a very small amount of cleaner through it (like 2 ml), and the brush would be almost completely clean. With the pipe cleaners I'm having to use a lot more fluid. A friend mentioned using small makeup sponges, but I haven't been able to pick up any yet.

So, any advice? I really don't like unscrewing the nozzle off so frequently to unclog it. I ripped it off the airbrush by overtightening it by mistake Not to mention, it's pretty hard to clean out lint when it's stuck in the nozzle itself. Actually, would an ultrasonic cleaner help with that?

 

[rick]

I paint with lacquers, so I don't need much solvent to clean the airbrush out, but I do need to wipe out the colour cup to remove excess paint. I normally use cotton swabs, but recently they've been clogging up my nozzles really fast. I just started using some real pipe cleaners I bought some time ago; I'm actually using them to wipe the inside of the cup. They seem to leave much less lint (if any), but they're not as effective as Q-tips.

The problem is I store all the unused lacquer thinner/cleaner I spray because I can't flush it down the sink, so I really don't want to waste the stuff! When I was using Q-tips I could just wipe the cup clean, spray a very small amount of cleaner through it (like 2 ml), and the brush would be almost completely clean. With the pipe cleaners I'm having to use a lot more fluid. A friend mentioned using small makeup sponges, but I haven't been able to pick up any yet.

So, any advice? I really don't like unscrewing the nozzle off so frequently to unclog it. I ripped it off the airbrush by overtightening it by mistake Not to mention, it's pretty hard to clean out lint when it's stuck in the nozzle itself. Actually, would an ultrasonic cleaner help with that?

Put ur spray out in a big jar and when its full go to the correct place to get it processed. Google this, if there is any place where u can bring this, call some auto body repairs for advice if can't find.

For resuse filter it, to get the bigger clogs/ dried crap and stuff out. But flush a little bit of clean thinner through to get that last tiny bit off.

 

[Madbrush]

You say you store the "unused" lacquer thinners, can I assume you actually meant "used"?, if so this will actually process it's self, if you store this in a glass airtight (to avoid evaporation) jar as Rick said, leaving it to sit somewhere undisturbed and vibration free, you will notice that all sediments will fall to the bottom of the jar leaving you with almost pure thinners on top, you can carefully syphon this out and reuse it, it may remain a little discoloured due to dyes found in certain lacquers but for cleaning puposes it will still be usable, having it processed at a suitable plant will probably cost more than the thinners it'self.

It's a natural process, similar to pigment migration which is a result of all the different elements having there own specific gravities, densities and weights, the pigment being mostly the heaviest and most dense, simple fluid dynamics.

Even my wife says I sometimes sound like I know what I'm talking about,

 

[foo]

Yeah, I meant used I keep it in an opaque jar, so I can only see the liquid from the top. I may shake it now and then when picking it up but for the most part it just looks like scary dark liquid.

I haven't tried but AFAIK I can drop off the waste at a local recycling centre. However, I really don't want to waste that much if I don't need to! Nobody else wipes their airbrush with anything?

Also, does anyone know if an ultrasonic cleaner would help loosen lint out of the nozzle? In the past I've tried soaking them in solvent overnight, but it doesn't do much..