Airbrush Troubleshooting Guide, Why Doesn't It Work? Demystifying Airbrushes.

[@ethan_g709]

Finally someone made an in depth and comprehensive guide to understanding your airbrush. Thank you for this.

[@spidiq8]

You're welcome, I hope it's useful to you.

[@brohofied2561]

started airbrushing a week ago i got an iwata revolution and i run on all sort of issues X) till i decided to not just clean the needle part and cleaner spraying but open it all up, surprise surprise, there was some gold pigment below the trigger and some dry magenta on the nozzle, opening it up helped me understand more or less how it works so i searched youtube to find more info and found your insightful video, now i really understand how it goes, thanks :)

[@IBAKaspian]

Usually I don't watch videos of this subject matter that are longer than 10-15 minutes long. You Sir made a very informative video and it was delivered in a manner that kept me watching for the entire time. You got yourself another subscriber :-)

[@spidiq8]

Thank you and I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@mtchllro]

Thank you 🙏 I have had lots of “experts” advice with regards to my airbrushing woes. You have not only explained in a non patronising way how and why a airbrush works you have explained exactly what was wrong (having to work paint delivery back and forth to get paint out) and how to fix it. Thank you again.

[@luizcordova]

Just coming to comment on how amazing this explanation is. Thank you for all the technical part, which is really hard to find. Thanks a lot!

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped.

[@jadenstefan9231]

You prolly dont care at all but does someone know a tool to get back into an Instagram account? I was stupid forgot my account password. I would appreciate any help you can give me

[@nehemiahkylan3579]

@Jaden Stefan Instablaster =)

[@jadenstefan9231]

@Nehemiah Kylan thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@jadenstefan9231]

@Nehemiah Kylan it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much you saved my ass :D

[@dreadpatch]

New to airbrushing here. I have been having trouble with my airbrush and your video really helped me diagnose my problems with it. Thank you! More power to you good sir.

[@jerrybickley7694]

Thank you for making this video. As someone that is new to airbrushing models, I had picked up an airbrush and found that it wasn't working correctly. Your diagrams and troubleshooting tips helped me identify that it was in fact a defective unit, and not something I was doing incorrectly. Got a replacement and all is good!

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped and hope you enjoy airbrushing

[@WingsOfGaming]

This is a comprehensive video and certainly a must watch for amateurs. Been having problems and most googled answers are mostly about using different paints, thinning ratios, air pressure or both. Never about the source and steps of troubleshooting. Through this video, I had a better understanding and solved my problem.

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, glad you found it useful.

[@asdf9890]

Just started airbrushing a few weeks ago, this was very helpful advice and insight. Thanks! It really seems practice and experience is the key to figuring it out.

[@sahhull]

I'm very new to paint spraying. I cannot believe that people actually need a video on this

[@spidiq8]

No one begins knowing anything, we all learn.

[@corkcamden9878]

I appreciate your understanding of mechanical principles because with this knowledge, you explain in a logical procession, the step(s) which must occur sequentially for a system to complete its operational cycle. You never fail to explain a step, which taken as a series of steps, explains how a system completes its operational cycle. Your logic is easily grasped because of your methodical approach. In short, I appreciate your ability to break a system down into easily understandable steps. It is this quality which sets you apart from all others.

[@attilakovats5139]

Hands down the best airbrush video i ve seen so far!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you

[@larrydelaruelle5778]

Another excellent explanation. I especially appreciate your take on the 'consistency of milk'; I had not heard it explained that way. Thanks.

[@OG_Beckie_Leigh]

Thank you so much for this! I just got my 1st (very inexpensive) airbrush which, of course, came with no instructions at all. I’m not a “you just do it like this” type of person. I need to know the how and why of the way things work. Your video is PERFECT!

[@spidiq8]

Thanks. Glad you found it helpful.

[@mihalislymperakis2422]

Brilliant, wonderful educational and incredibly helpful job! I wish i had it at hand when I started airbrushing!!! Even today it can function as quick reminder. Thank you

[@murphaph]

This is a real no-nonsense explanation. I have recently started airbrushing and learned a lot here about what to look out for when things might not go to plan. I am almost keen to strip my brushes down now (cheapo Chinese things but do the job and at €30 I can afford 1 each permanently fitted with 0.2 and 0.5 nozzles)

[@michael42158]

Thanks to this I was able to diagnose a problem with the trigger which was not depressing the valve for the air supply properly. Thanks.

[@msee383]

I’ve just found your channel and am new to airbrush. Thank you for de-mystifying a lot of my concerns. You now have a new regular viewer!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you. Glad you found it useful.

[@dwightcrisman3238]

Wow! My Krome bubbled in the cup on air only. After adjusting the hold down ring and spray regulator it now works fine. Thanks for an in depth video

[@spidiq8]

Glad I could help you.

[@qpidrc9454]

Thank you very much for a very educational video! I have searched high and low for a proper tutorial on how to clean and maintain my airbrush. I have also Searched high and low for a descriptive video that shows the proper breakdown of the airbrush and functions of the airbrush. This is the only video that has properly done that for me in detail. Thank you very much sir. Greetings from the US.

[@spidiq8]

Glad it was helpful!

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Hi Spidiq8 , many thanks for your v prompt reply , your work experience alone , speaks volumes ! I myself worked in Texas as a house painter in the late 60's. Some genius came in using a spray gun kept us going briefly before we folded !😁 This is my spare brush ! When plugged in it sprays air , however on triggering it it sprays liquid . Have tried a trigger from a cheap portable - same result . I'll check but worried about seals etc. As usual , grateful for your advice n help ! Keep safe ! Best Edward

[@spidiq8]

It'll definitely be the air valve, you'll note on your other air comes out when you press the plunger, and paint when you draw back the needle. If the seal is damaged, incorrectly fitted or dirty or dry they can stick and typically stick in the open position. This is a tiny rubber O ring in the air valve which is the bit where your hose connects and the trigger is right above. A very VERY tiny smear of silicone grease on the O ring before refitting will help if it's just a bit dry for example, but emphasis on the very, you don't want any silicone based products mixing with the paint. Stay safe over there.

[@Halliden88]

I purchased a neo iwata airbrush for warhammer models 6 months ago, have had problems because I never took the time to learn how they work, watched this video and never had a problem since, thankyou for taking the time to make this video it's been a massive help to my hobby time, brilliant many thanks again.

[@welshparamedic]

A brilliant video, just rediscovered model making after a 53 year break (jretired and now have time to carry on doing things like model making, painting etc again) however as a youngster i used to paint my airfix models with the old style enamel paints we had in the 60's and70's...but i now wated to 'upgrade' so i bought a compressor with a tank and an airbrush, a cheap 'made in china' model...bad move, it worked sort of but i bit the bullet and ordered a H and S evolution and its a different league as compared to the 'cheapo' but i eventually had a few problems, however your fault finding/fix video has been a godsend....plus a good teaching style! thankyou very much...new subscriber!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you. I'm glad you found it useful and thank you for the subscription. I try to organise my videos in playlists because I make a variety of content so if model making is your primary interest check my playlists for model related videos. If you're new to airbrushes you might benefit from my airbrush cleaning video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpS2c35moZp_mNk

[@davidroots773]

This Video really helped me out ! I brought a 2nd hand airbrush as I’ve always wanted to use one. The nozzle was completely blocked. This video has really helped me to understand the workings of the Airbrush . Thank you so much

[@spidiq8]

Glad I could help!

[@ryurc3033]

You are helping a ton of people. Apparently I lost one of the tiny o rings. My automotive o rings arent small enough. At least it was a cheapy. Might be better to start with a better airbrush anyway. Thank you for taking the time to break it down in terms a normal fella can understand

[@spidiq8]

You're very welcome and thank you. For small o rings you can try eBay but also horological suppliers as these are commonly used in watches.

[@westtech001]

Thank you. This is the first comprehensive info on the internal parts and workings of an airbrush that I have seen -- and I've been looking. Being a "newbie," I really appreciate your taking the time to produce this for people like me.

[@spidiq8]

You're welcome and thankyou for the feedback. Glad you liked it. It's this kind of feedback that makes me realise it's worth doing videos like these.

[@saltykrug]

Thanks for the basic info. I had trouble ranging from large globs coming out, plugging up and not inserting the needle far enough into the gun. I bought a Harder & Steenbeck so I figured I bought a good gun. Holding the gun a far enough distance back from the minis I was painting was something I had to learn as well.

[@spidiq8]

It's a definite learning curve but they're great once you get used to them. The H&S are great brushes

[@theBaron0530]

Excellent video! I like how you lay out the process-"Check this first, then this, then this." This is very helpful. I've shared this with my club at Lehigh Valley Scale Modelers, too. Thanks very much!

[@spidiq8]

theBaron0530 Thank you for the share and I'm glad it's useful. That's the mechanic in me and no matter what I look at it's a step by step approach, first look at the procedure and check each step in a linear fashion, if the order it happens isn't relevant and you need to test by replacement start with the cheapest component. :)

[@paulfaheyFineArt]

Wow. Most thorough explanations I have seen. Really complete instruction. Thanks,

[@optrirominiluikus]

You're a lifesaver! I had a problem where I got good airflow, and bubbles in the cup when I tried to paint. Opened the airbrush up and cleaned it. Still had good airflow afterwards, but still no water coming through. Opened it up again, and this time I cleaned it out very carefully. Used these tiny rubber toothbrushes to clean out the channel where the teflon seal sits, and now it works! Going to be real careful about cleaning it out after each use from now on, hopefully without having to disassemble it every time.

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped. I have a cleaning how to which might be useful also for you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpS2c35moZp_mNk

[@optrirominiluikus]

@@spidiq8 thanks! I'll have a look right away.

[@deadsilence7319]

I have the same problem but i just got my airbrush today so i shouldnt have to clean Can u tell what the problem is?

[@reifaa2905]

Perfect, I really like the way you transport information and appreciate your effort to make this informative video!

[@lillyvassileva9029]

Very helpful video,thank you very much!

[@edtarverd1]

Best detailed and informative video regarding how airbrushes work and trouble shooting. Your explanation helped me better understand my periodic air clogging issues at the nozzle. Thank you.

[@yavorkaloyanov4483]

Of all the airbrush videos I've come across, this one was the most helpful. Thank you!

[@spidiq8]

Thanks. Glad it helped you.

[@DavidRamirez-ww5kv]

Thank you for posting your video sir. Probably the most informative video on airbrush use and troubleshooting I have seen on KZbin. You described the issues that I have been having with my airbrush. I have ruined several models due to very inconsistent paint application. I am almost at my wits end. I am going to look at the items you described in this video.

[@spidiq8]

Good luck and let me know how it goes

[@NSYresearch]

Hi Spid.... thanks so much for this video, I was having issues with my cheap cordless brush, I only use it for priming and basecoats, and was gonna throw away £50.00 of kit ..but this video really helped me understand where the issues were. Thanks once again for saving me time and money.

[@spidiq8]

Glad I could help you.

[@imrozgill9711]

i left the nozzle loose after through cleaning sesh. and got the same problem which is getting bubbles in the paint cup. but as i dismantanled the brush and found out the loose noozle and after i tighten it .its all good and working . thank you for your tips and knowledge

[@itsChris65]

I cant believe that was a 35 minute video very informative

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, glad you liked it.

[@xephorce]

this video needs more recognition. this is so helpful. I have a cheap master g22. just got it not used it yet but been researching about it and have seen mixed reviews and it seems like most people are expecting it to be a unicorn instead of realizing its a start setup.

[@spidiq8]

The G22 is a good brush once set up. So often I look at airbrushes and find it's either poor setup or not understanding the cleaning and how they work.

[@xephorce]

@@spidiq8 thanks. I just hope It does what I need. One of the first things I gonna get is a .5 nozzle and needle. The .3 should be fine for most things but I am gonna need a larger coverage area for terrain and what not. If u have any tips, mods, or suggestion I would gladly listen. Thanks again

[@spidiq8]

@@xephorce There's little else I can say but the .5 will make a difference for large area coverage and worth it.

[@xephorce]

@@spidiq8 thanks again I may hit you up with another question sometime in the future. Have yourself a great day.

[@xephorce]

one last thing I just noticed. I was looking at reviews of the .5 needle and nozzle and saw a few people claiming that the nozzle broke off rendering their G22 useless. they claim to only finger tighten the nozzle. they claim the nozzle they got was just junk. Have you heard of this? now I am concerned about my airbrush, worried that the part my wife order are bad. I am wondering if this happens because of some shady low-quality parts. basically, knock-off parts for a knock-off. I hope I made this clear lol, thanks again for letting me pick your brain. I am very aware that the nozzles are very delicate and need to be treated with extra care.

[@IconoClastPhilosophy]

This is seriously one of the best airbrush primer videos out there. You totally saved me. thanks!!

[@spidiq8]

You're welcome, glad it's useful to you.

[@nickrogers3111]

Thanks for the videos, very informative. I been messing with a cheap Chinese Airbrush for weeks. I think from you explanation I finally figured out why I'm getting air but no paint.

[@spidiq8]

The cheap ones can be great but equally if you get a bad one they can be so frustrating if you're new to them. Once you understand how they work and get the hang of them like anything they become easy to diagnose. Good luck with yours and I'm glad the video was useful.

[@nickrogers3111]

@@spidiq8 I'm actually trying to fix the cheapy to give it to a friend, I got fed up and bought a badger..it works like a dream with a .5 needle

[@spidiq8]

@@nickrogers3111 Best of luck. My very first cheap airbrush worked like a dream from the start, the second one I got had a defect in the nozzle thread and never would seal all the time. This is the real difference between the cheap ones and name brands. Iwats and Badger are my go to recommendations and they're all typically individually checked before leaving the factory.

[@filibertkraxner305]

This is easily the best airbrushing related video I've watched to date! Thanks so much for de-mistifying the fault-finding process. Blowing through is not cleaning - I needed to hear that! I'm off to sharpen a cocktail stick ;-)

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@mrsaizo0000]

I have a Harder & Steenbeck airbrush, after a while, I started having issues with it. So I ordered stuff to do maintenance. At the end, it was the quick connector that was bad. Also, cleaning is essential, even if I use the airbrush for 10 minutes or 8 hours, I always clean it completely.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Thanks again Spidiq8 for all help and advice! You'd have made a great teacher ! Your u- tube video on Airbrushing and cleaning streets ahead of anything I've seen ! Best Edward.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you, very kind of you and if people find them helpful I'm grateful for that.

[@donaldthomann1613]

Brother, you should be a teacher. Great video. Helped a ton, as well as your quick and thorough airbrush cleaning tutorial.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you so much, it's knowing that these are appreciated that makes me so pleased to share them.

[@gregwatters2183]

Hello there what a great and informative video, as many comments have stated i am relatively new to airbrushing and am having trouble with my h&s ultra, i will try some of your advice and see if this works.Also just wanted to say thanks again as airbrushing has a steep learning curve and having such experience available is really helpful. Thanks again.

[@nokiot9]

Greg Watters remove the valve at the base and submerge the entire thing in alcohol 99% or hardware store acetone (mineral spirit). Make sure you pull the needle back too. Also I keep some of it in a needle tip bottle and feed it into the air port in the bottom then screw the valve on and blow air thru it. Doing all that makes sure you get solvent into every single area of it so it can’t clog. I find most issues with mine are caused by clogs.

[@Foksipanter]

Sir You are my hero. When i poured water in , I noticed bubbles. The o ring was missing. Thanks !

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped.

[@MrPaulstrivens]

Great video nicely delivered and informative. Have watched far to many vids with people in baseball hats talking to fast and shouting with a wobbly handheld camera a refreshing change.

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, I hope it was useful to you.

[@jerryocrow1]

Like others, a great video, science over opinion, and verifiable techniques. Clear, concise, and understandable. A great list!!!Thank you!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you. Very kind of you and I hope it was of use.

[@wood88liam]

Thank you. My airbrush was spluttering and not spraying well or straight. I though I had bent the needle. But there was a tiny fleck of dried paint on the nozzle I missed when cleaning. Socked in cleaner and used and toothpick and its back to working great. Thank you for the video!

[@spidiq8]

Great stuff, glad it helped. One you know the principal behind how they work they're simple to diagnose.

[@wood88liam]

@@spidiq8 yeah I feel alot more confident with taking it apart and cleaning now. Thanks again.

[@owenthomas7014]

Very underrated video.

[@donmead4870]

Thank you for that instruction. Took all the mystery out of this tool and it's function.

[@adrianolsen-woodhamwoodtur4980]

Extremely helpful and comprehensive review of how airbrushes work (and don’t work)........many, many thanks. One question, can you explain the different needle/nozzle sizes and their uses?

[@spidiq8]

Absolutely yes. They're simply for the fan size of the spray area, the larger the nozzle the more paint it will deliver allowing you to spray a larger area from a slightly further distance. The downside is that you can do fine lines as easily with a large nozzle. 0.3 is a good compromise for most model kit painting, 0.2 is really only for airbrush artists who need pencil thin detail and 0.5 is perfect if you regularly spray primer, clear coat or very large models.

[@adrianolsen-woodhamwoodtur4980]

@@spidiq8 thank you for this....very helpful

[@datamek]

Great thanx for tips. I just got my first airbrush today and experimenting...

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Hi Spidiq8 , just spotted your reply ! Agree with you ! Makes no sense to leave nozzle in place when cleaning , always carefully , like their idea of shoot 🔥 water thru it though! Expecting a replacement nozzle n needle next week ! Will report any news ! Your video still the best , and makes most sense ! Stay safe ! Edward

[@spidiq8]

Very kind of you to say, thanks. Please update when you get the replacement. Hopefully it'll be back to full working order for you.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

As Sandy Shaw used to say " message understood" again very grateful and many thanks ! Best wishes and stay safe ! Edward

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, you too!

[@AnarchoFuturist]

Thank you for this! I had an issue where air would flow but no paint would come out. I filled it with water as you said, didn't see any air bubbles and the water came out fine. Turns out my silver paint just needed some thinner in it. Phew! Thought I damaged my air brush.

[@munachieze2473]

Having the same problem, how did you solve yours because I’ve tried everything to no avail

[@AnarchoFuturist]

@@munachieze2473 I first tested the gun with water and made sure I had a nice even cone of spray....this told me the brush itself had no problems. Then I added my paint and then added drops of airbrush medium(you can find it on amazon), mixed it inside the cup and then test fire it and add more drops of medium until its spraying smoothly and not spattering.

[@kennyb4871]

Absolutely brilliant video. Some I already knew, much is brand new. Your illustrations are very informative. Great way to convey what's going on... Thanks for taking the time to make this. EDIT: Just noticed the "demystifying.... BRILLIANT play on words. Extra 10 Point for that.....

[@spidiq8]

Haha, thank you. I hope it proves helpful to you. I used to spray in a garage years ago and when you do that you have to be trained in at least the basics which includes knowing how the spray gun works and why and how you have to do things a certain way, unfortunately with airbrushing there's lots of bad and outright incorrect information it there. Especially with regard to cleaning.

[@robbinduverney6567]

This video was VERY useful. My specific within was a luminesse makeup Gun. Now I know how it works and what's wrong. After watching I now know its the seal. Now I don't know how to replace the seal but I have knowledge of how to take apart reassemble and how it works. Great job. Thank you. Do you replace seals for customers??

[@spidiq8]

It's something I can do provided the seals are available, are you in the UK?

[@stevecsongvay3455]

Fantastic and clear explanation. Fabulous diagrams. Thank you for your effort.

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, glad it was useful

[@18deadmonkeys]

I just bought my first airbrush. I like knowing how my tools work before I use them. This video is priceless. Time to put some paint through it!

[@spidiq8]

Glad it was useful. Enjoy your airbrush.

[@tomatoes3]

Thank you for the best described and well spoken informative video I have come across on AB's. Certainly learnt something from this , going to inspect my AB's later , esp the nozzels ! John .

[@peabody2884]

Great video. Airbrushing is a black art. After watching this I think I bought a cheap air brush thinking simple. Cheap and simple doesn't go together. Every time I watch one of these videos I end up spending more money.

[@spidiq8]

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope it's useful for you and re the cheap stuff. The problem isn't that it's no good. Often it is perfectly good but the qc is so hit and miss. The cheap Chinese brush in this video was the first I got and works great. I used it for years before upgrading and still get it out to remind myself it works well for priming etc. Then I bought another which was terrible fitting and wouldn't seal or work correctly. If you're completely new to airbrushing then I'd recommend the compressor no hesitation but something like a NEO as a first brush as they have qc and you know it should be in working order. When you go to the higher Iwata models you'll actually receive a test card they sprayed from your airbrush to check it's functioning.

[@DavidMFranks]

Blimey, this is excellent. So easy to understand. Please can we have more videos from you?

[@spidiq8]

Thank you.

[@randomsucks2444]

thank you.i bought a cheap one to start out. your video really, really helped.

[@fizziealladin5282]

This was awesome. Thank u so much.. I hope I gt the hang of this properly, soon and see exactly where my problems are with my airbrush gun and the problems with how I'm using it. Thanks again 💯💯💯💯💯

[@spidiq8]

Thanks. I'm glad it helped you. One you get everything working it's very worth it.

[@cerethpainting6606]

Thank you for this video! I just started airbrushing models and was getting frustrated. This has been of immense help!

[@spidiq8]

Glad to help.

[@ttoddh1]

Thanks. I needed this. Once again defective user at my end and now I know how to check and change my best practices.

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped you, thank you.

[@bass-addikt9115]

thank you sir for sharing your knowledge with us. by far one of the best video on the topic. have a good day.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you for the feedback, it's good to hear that it's been of use.

[@StewartBremner]

Thank you for this. It's amazingly helpful and informative.

[@Moxiltws]

Thank you so much for this video! You're so right about the imortance of understanding how the airbrush works!! I was realy close to just get a new airbrush but I finaly find out what the problem was and it's due to my new understanding of how an airbrush works. I had a really bad case of sputter even when spraying ink. It was not a dilution problem and it's making me crazy. When I saw your video I thought of new things I can try to make the airbrush fonction as intended again. It was a problem of air wich I had no idea could happen. Some paint had cluged the end of the air cap leading to a poor delivery of air flow. It works perfectly now I cleaned it. I can't thank you enough for the releaf (and to made me not spend 250€ for nothing ^^)

[@spidiq8]

I'm so glad it helped. I see so much bad advice on model making forums regarding airbrushes which inspired me to make this and I'm always glad if someone gets good use from it.

[@johnricc5868]

Thank you for sharing your experience, this is a very useful video.

[@AuntJemimaGames]

Excellent video, very comprehensive and helpful, thank you!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you, glad it was helpful.

[@kevinkerlin5603]

Well explained and in detail how to trouble shoot airbrush problems.

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, glad it helped.

[@dan97526]

Most helpful airbrush troubleshooting vid I've seen. Thank you.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you for the feedback, glad it helped.

[@tayboteeairbrushcustomartw195]

Wow now I understand where my Airbrush problems thank you sir for the education

[@spidiq8]

Glad I was able to help you.

[@akesterton]

Really useful video - it helped me isolate a problem with the nozzle seal - thank you.

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped.

[@Emtbtoday]

Thanks for the video mine was blowing bubbles back in the pot iv adjusted the pin and working great now perfect thanks, it was the screw nearer the trigger needed screwed down more on both out the boxes brand new

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Hi Spidiq8, sorted thanks to you ! Even though it wasn't my Iwata , and was still working what was happening was annoying - turns out the little button on the attachment of the hose to the gun was stuck down thus not pushing up on the trigger piece that fits into the trigger hole ! Just finished a camo pattern on a 🐅 finding it hard to a achieve thin lines, pity one cannot purchase a o.3 needle for it or(Iwata Revolution). Again as always appreciate your input ! Best Edward

[@spidiq8]

Good to hear you sorted it. You can get 0.3 needle and nozzle for the Iwata. However I've managed fine lines with the 0.5, if you experiment with thinning the paint a little more and using lower pressures 10 to 15psi and spraying closer you'll be surprised.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

@@spidiq8 I usually thin my Tamiya paints by filling bottle to the lip with my home made X20A , will try pulling down the pressure and getting in close to get fine lines . Trying to save 💰 these days ! Thinks and stay safe! Edward

[@antonjonsson424]

very helpful and clear explanation. thank you

[@TomasMcAdam]

Excellent video. Really learnt a lot. Thanks Mr Dude!

[@robthompson1399]

A very comprehensive overview of the subject. Thank you for making the time to do this. I have a cheap chinese airbrush. I build models occasionally and wanted to try it out. Unfortunately I have had no joy, your video has helped me to ensure the the tool is fully clean, and all O rings apperar to be intact. I am using acrylics on war planes, so they are often matt. I've tried the paint that comes with a starter set, and vallejo airbrush paints. I've tried airbrush thinner and I've tried water to thin. I can only get my airbrush to spray water alone, airbrush thinner or cleaner. It sprays those very well. I can only get the airbrush to spray paint that is so heavily thinned that it is impractical on another level. Any advice here would be much appreciated. Once again, many thanks. Rob

[@spidiq8]

Acrylics are tricky. They are finicky about the thinner used and need very low pressure to spray because they're prone to drying on the needle tip and nozzle, (you'll see the term 'tip dry' used in model groups. If it sprays water it will spray paint. Thin your paint with the branded thinner to the consistency of milk, much thinner than most people tend to think is right. Then at about 12 to 15 PSI try spraying again.

[@robthompson1399]

@@spidiq8 thank you, I'll give it a shot.

[@johanbergqvist3939]

Very informative. Have helped this newbie alot. Thanks!

[@jonbru1]

Very helpful, practical guidance.

[@rickmoreno6858]

Amazing work. Got yourself a new sub. Most Detailed job! Love it. You helped me so much, a modeler who came back after 20+yrs cause real life happens! Plus this is my 1st airbrush I ever had!

[@spidiq8]

Thank you, I hope you enjoy your return to the hobby.

[@rickmoreno6858]

@@spidiq8 yes it's been expensive, but I got a nice airbrush, set of tamiya acrylics paints, not all of them, working in getting migs ammo products, ak colors, and well just got 2 more model kits, total of 17 in stash, with many more coming. So yes I'm enjoying it very much. I did realize I have the trouble of losing parts for 1/72 scale kits.

[@cwakgaming1852]

Really great vid, the disgrams at 8:00 - 9:00 was especially helpful. I've had loads of trouble with mine clogging, mainly on black paint, tried thinners and drying retardents but no joy!

[@spidiq8]

Glad it's useful. Is it a particular brand of paint you're having problems with?

[@cwakgaming1852]

@@spidiq8 GW citadel, just switched to their own airbrush paints and am having great sucess immediately.

[@spidiq8]

@@cwakgaming1852 Right. Acrylics can be a bugger, have a look at my reply to Gary Songer which should be above yours. Thinning acrylics designed with brushing in mind is an art and often one that can't be repeated consistently. The best acrylics for airbrush are alcohol based ones like Tamiya.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Hi Spidiq8 , hope all well with you ! Purchased a Iwata Revolution on your advice , delighted with it ,as with my As 18-2 compressor . However the a/ brush that came with pumps out air as soon as I attach same to compressor , appears to work but only use it spraying varnish ! Any advice on how to sort it ! Best Edward.

[@spidiq8]

If it spray air out immediately, the air valve is either stuck open or the seal in there is damaged or not seated correctly. If you check out my disassembly videos you can see how to remove and check the air valve assembly, shown in the video here on a NEO, but they're all much the same, some valves unscrew as a unit from the connector, some have a slotted brass nut inside the connector. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2m8fIh3Z7h6sLc

[@DanJustason]

This was excellent. Very enlightening for me. Thank you.

[@spidiq8]

Glad it's helpful to you.

[@andrewhartley7325]

Just want to say that video was very helpful in every way thank you very much in new to the airbrush world the one I own is a ganzton is it ok to ask some questions many thanks Andy

[@spidiq8]

Glad I could help

[@tim5205]

Great informative video. I learnt quite a bit.

[@barlow2976]

Thank you, very useful and a UK production is so much better!

[@spidiq8]

Thanks, I hope it's useful to you.

[@adurbe]

This just saved my airbrush (and project) thank you!

[@bullranderman]

Best instructional video out there, thank you.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you. Glad you liked it.

[@edwardkennedy5680]

Hi Spidiq8 , I hope you are keeping well and surviving these difficult times . You have been a great source of help and good sense in the past in helping me with Airbrushing magic! Question for , my no 2 airbrush ( cheepie) which came with the As 18 compressor is bubbling continuously despite everything it has to be the Nozzle ! I have always cleaned as your video , but see now others say never touch the nozzle and therefore draw needle out backwards - , have ordered a replacement - cheap ! Bubbles are a pain in the tail end ! Will soon find out if that's it ! Best Edward

[@spidiq8]

Hi Edward, apologies for not replying until now. I've heard a few say not to remove the nozzle but if you think logically, why supply a wrench specifically for it and also alternate sizes, also for me, you cannot properly clean without, just take care when refitting.

[@mcarnet]

Fantastic info, thank you! I would like to know who the 11 people are that disliked this video...

[@spidiq8]

Thank you, glad it helped. I honestly don't know why since people like to hit the dislike button but if the anonymity of it helps them feel better then it's OK. ☺

[@gregoryroberts3949]

i appreciate all the tech and it gave me some insight and things to look for. however, u didn't include a siphon type brush. my problem being that while i have good air flow and no clogging in the uptake tube or bottle vent or anywhere in the brush nothing is pulled from the bottle.

[@spidiq8]

With a siphon type the resultant low air pressure passing over the tube allows the paint to flow up it and become atomised and spray, a Venturi effect like in a carburettor. The reasons for no flow are either paint too thick/airflow too low or a combination of both or a blockage. Being sure there's no blockage it has to be one or both of the others. Check that your vent hole is clear if it's a capped jar and the air pressure has to be quite a bit higher to get the same effect from a siphon feed.

[@patrickdemets6018]

Thanks for the brilliant video! Complete airbrush newbie here. I purchased a cheap Chinese airbrush and I'm having a terrible time with it, but I suspect that I'm partly to blame. Am I to understand that the airflow is NOT to be modulated; that it's strictly off or on? That would simplify things. I thought I had to press gently to get the "right" airflow and then pull back for the desired amount of paint to come out. Still, my paint (I tried Vallejo primer rust, Tamiya flat blue and flat red, Badger green, and Reaper Master Series) winds up grainy on the surface or spider-webbing and my airbrush clogs up after a very short time. I'm getting good at cleaning though LOL! I tried various needles/nozzles (0.2, 0.3, 0.5), various pressures, and various paint consistencies. All NOGO. But as I said, I suspect the issue is with the operator. It's a learning process alright, but I'm slowly leaning towards buying a "real" airbrush.

[@spidiq8]

First of all thanks for the compliment and I'm glad it's helped you understand them a bit. 1. Yes, air is on or off. A simple switch. Air pressure is regulated at the compressor. 2. Painting is one of those 'you suddenly get it' things. Start by controlling the variables that you can. Thin all paints to a milk consistency, whether they claim to be airbrush ready or not, try to stick to proprietary thinners until you get a feel for the paint then you can try other brands. The named thinners are designed to work with the paint. To assess the consistency which is thinner than most think. Put some milk in a mixing cup and brush it around and see how it behaves. You'll see it's very runny but will cling to the sides. Aim for this in ALL paints. Sadly model paints don't follow a set consistency and formula like the automotive paints we used did where you followed a set ratio. Forget ratios, forget anyone who starts quoting thin 1:2 or fill the bottle with thinner up to blah. You'll notice as you use model paints, same brand paints can differ in thickness so work by the consistency of milk. This will allow you to discard one variable already. I'm assuming from your list that you're mainly using water based acrylics. These are not the most forgiving paints to spray sadly but they are lauded because of the 'relative' safety aspect. They flash off and dry rapidly in airflow so the key is low pressure and spray close. The paint needs to be wet when it lands enough to level but not pool and run. (That will happen during the learning curve. Don't sweat it). So between 12 to 15 psi is ideal and get the gun closer. Practise on sheets of paper, card, plastic milk bottles. Anything at all to get the practise of laying paint down evenly. Persevere with the cheap one provided it's not clearly faulty for now, I still have and occasionally use my old Chinese cheap brush for primers etc. You will notice a difference in feel and quality in your hand with a name brand brush but get the potential problems you can control out of the way initially.

[@pamelaspeirs9518]

Excellent video, I really understood everything you did and was able to fix my issues. Thank you!

[@spidiq8]

Glad it helped.

[@nephilimcrt]

Thanks for this video. It was very helpful.

[@alexmoor1166]

Thank you for detailed video. But I stil really need an advice. I have really great constant results, when spraying Tamiya gloss acrylic paints, thined in 1paint:2thinner(x-20a) ration. In this case paint sprays as it should. In non stop mode. I don`t require to close trigger and open it again for spraing paint restoring. But it works differently for Tamiya flat acrylic paints. I thinned it in different proportions(1p:1t - 1p:5t) with different thinners(X-20a or Laquer thinner). With and without retarder. In this case the power of paint spraying decreases with time before stoping spraying at all. I close the needle, then open it and spraying starts again, but with lower power. Sometimes spraying power increases without any additional actions or after closing/opensng needle. I have observed paint accumulation on needle top. But cleaning it doesn't help mutch. I almost sure that happens because nozzle clogs. But I don`t understand why it happens with flat paints and doesnt happens with gloss paints. I just very tired to check and clear.. ((

[@spidiq8]

You should always use recommended thinners to establish problem spraying. X20A has additives in such as drying retarder etc so additonal shoudln't be added, especially if a different brand. The biggest culprit if tip dry is too high a pressure, the flow over the needle causes the paint to dry on the needle tip and around the nozzle. Reduce your pressure to between 10 - 15PSI and spray with the gun closer to the model. If you watch airbrush artists they spray at about 10PSI and about a cm from the surface.

[@alexmoor1166]

@@spidiq8 thank you very much for additional advices. I use recommended Tamiya thinners only. Retarder too. I knew that new version of Lacquer thinner contains retarder, but I didn`t know that X-20a contains it to. Reducing pressure really decreases paint drying time. Now I have experiments with pressure near 7psi and mix ratio 1pain:4thinner(x-20f) + Tamiya retarder. Sometime I have clear needle on top, but with dried paint on bottom)) I think it happens because paint is to thick and pressure is to low)) I hope that I`ll reach same result as with gloss paint. Thank you for your advices ones again.

[@skimmer8774]

I hope the time comes when I know half what you do. Very helpful. The paint on my model airplanes after drying has been like sandpaper. Additional coats don't help and varnish will dry looking as bad as the paint. Looking at all you mentioned my airbrush is fine. I may need to thin paint more?? Any help please.

[@spidiq8]

Thank you, very kind words. There's no reason that you couldn't know that and more though. For your specific problem I'm guessing you're using acrylics? These have a tendency to flash off very quickly so you need to shoot them at a lower pressure and if necessary closer to the kit. After your first mist coating you're looking for the paint to start looking 'wet' as it lays down. This is a practice thing, knowing the exact point to say that's enough and move further along, not enough and you get a rough texture and too much you get runs. Where possiblr use the recommended thinners as these often have additives like flow improvers and retarding agents to prevent the paint drying too quickly.

[@skimmer8774]

@@spidiq8 Acrylics, yes. I understand what you just taught me and I will practice this process. Thank you so much for helping me. And right away to.

[@spidiq8]

@@skimmer8774 You're very welcome, good luck with it and i'm always happy to help if I can.

[@skimmer8774]

@@spidiq8 A final note here. I just sprayed enamel paint on a clean old model wing and it dried very very nice and smooth. Wow! Now here I have 40 some bottles of acrylic paints. Thanks again spidig8.

[@spidiq8]

@@skimmer8774 I love enamel paints for spraying and it's unbeatable gloss. The only downside is the smell and long drying times. Honestly acrylics are terrible paints in so many respects but it's not worth the argument or upsetting people who like them. The fact is lacquers and enamels simply work better.