SPA Modeler

I have seen pros and cons. One of the last "con" things I read, the writer said he had found paint residue in places it should not be found. . .

After the Impala fiasco/meltdown, I went to spray some IJN green on the Zero. Airbrush (Badger 105 Patriot) would not work. No trigger depression, sticky (hard to remove) needle and during the last use, it started acting like a single action.

What the heck, started taking it apart. A few uses ago, I noticed yellow paint still seeping out from behind the cup. Backflushed again, still more paint....finally got it cleared. Took the trigger assembly out and indeed it was frozen. I dunked it in some 99% ISA and scrubbed it with those little airbrush cleaning brushes. Got it moving. Hooked up the air, dunked it in a jar of alcohol and depressed the trigger on the bottom of the jar. Lotsa bubbles, but it cleaned it out.

I then took those airbrush cleaning brushes and ran them through the openings and got a ton of gunk out of the needle shaft openings. Flushed it good, scrubbed it some more and all was clean.

Put it back in place and cleaned the rest of the airbrush. The needle tube (part that screws in the back of the airbrush with the lock nut for the needle) would not seat properly and was sticking. Pulled it back out and discovered the little threaded end for the locking nut was bent a bit sideways. I honestly have no idea how that happened, except I do not use the rear piece of the handle. If I can find one, I'll start. I've ordered that part and a new spring from USA Airbrush Supply. Swapped that part with the older 105 and things are working.

Bottom line for me? I guess I won't be back flushing airbrushes any more.

I've also read recently about not backflushing. The last few airbrushing sessions I have stoped doing it and honestly by not doing it, it's faster to clean the airbrush.

I haven’t backflushed my 105. On siphon feed external mix airbrush types, yes it’s a good idea. On internal mix airbrush types, probably not as good of an idea... definitely not with the gravity feed types. Cleaning those is simplicity.

Why is it better to backflush a suction feed, Carlos. On my Badger 150's (which I hardly pick up any more) I could always clear the entire paint path with pipe cleaners and Q-tips, and soak the head parts separately.

Well on my old 350, that’s what the manual said to do first off. And being an external mix brush, it would blow all those remaining paint particles back down into the jar, instead of in that more challenging to clean elbow assembly of the jar that plugs into the brush itself.
With an internal mix airbrush such as the 105 and 155, I can see where the paint would go where it should not during a back flush.

Oh, I see. I wasn't thinking of the 350 external mix type. Sorry.

All this agro dear children is why the lord gave us paint brushes...

Still gotta clean them.

The fancier the item, the fancier the cleaning.

I backflush my Paasche H. I’m at a total loss with my double action brushes. Hit and miss. I need to learn how to maintain them. I’m okay at using them but they just don’t work most the time.