"Airbrush Parts Cleaner "

By Dan Hagen

Here is a little time saver that I came up with while doing a full day of airbrushing . I know that with one or two airbrushes it doesn't take long to clean them when you are done. But as you add more airbrushes to you arsenal of equipment it will become hardier to keep all of those airbrushes and parts clean. This little item will clean your airbrushes c while you are working on your next design. So lets get building our cleaner and I hope you enjoy this how to.
Here is a basic list of the items you will need to build this airbrush cleaner.

1.Two feet of copper line (copper line should fit inside barbed nipple with minimum side to side play) Pictured below

2.A 1/4 inch ball valve and a 1/4 inch barbed nipple .

3. A large coffee can with lid

4. A small air exhaust nipple (Hardware store)

5. A 3M scuff pad (Auto supply store).

6. 1/16th drill bit and a hand held drill or drill press

7. An X acto knife

8. 5 minute epoxy ( Wal-Mart or Hardware store should have this on hand)

1. The first thing you want to do it take you copper line and drill with the 1/16 th bit and drill a series of holes on one side of the line. Set them about 1" to 2" inches apart. You want about 10 to 15 small holes in the copper line ,but do not drill the whole line leave about 13" of the line with no holes. Now take a pair of pliers and crimp the end of the line closest to the holes. You want the air to be able to come out the holes that you have just drilled. Now take a full pop can or spray can and slowly coil the line around the can this will keep the line from kinking and pinching the line off. You want about 2 full coils. Now with that done let move to the next step.

2. Now you want to take your 1/4" ball valve attach the 1/4" barbed nipple to the valve, you can use pipe dope tape to keep it air tight. Now take your copper line and scuff the end of the line, 80 grit should do the trick. You can roll the 80 grit up and scuff the inside of the nipple also ,but it isn't needed. Take and mix up some 5 minute epoxy and apply it to the copper line the end of the line you just scuffed. Goop it on good . Now take the line and push it into the barbed nipple (do not push it all the way in or you may have trouble with the valve opening, about 1" to 1 1/2" should do fine.) Let it set till the epoxy cure I let mine set for about an hour.

3. This is what it should look like when your done with this part of the project . Pictured below.

4. While you are waiting for you epoxy to dry take your X acto knife and make a small "x" in the lid for the coffee can just large enough to put the air exhaust nipple in. This will help vent the air from the can so you don't pop the lid of when you turn the air on.

5. This is what you parts cleaner looks like after you have put the coil in . Pictured below

6. Now we need to make a filter of sorts to trap all the dried paint from the needles and tips. Take your lid and lay it on top of the 3M scuff pad and use you X acto knife to cut the pad. This will be put over the copper coil and will still allow the air to pass through. Cut a small notch to allow you copper line to pass by.

I hope you found this article helpful.
Two more great resources to learn more about airbrushing, kustom painting are my airbrush, kustom painting magazines. Check them out via the links below. Until next time "It's just paint" have fun.

Airbrush Technique Magazine

Airbrush Artist Magazine

Copyrights :Airhead Airbrush.Com , Inc. Reserved No part of this tutorial may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from Airhead Airbrush. Com , Inc.

Discuss this tutorial on our airbrush forums

Back to airbrush lessons index

Airbrush supplies / Airbrush magazine / Airbrush Tricks and techniques / Airbrush artist / Airbrush Artists / T shirt artist / Airbrush Videos / Airbrush Lessons and Techniques / how to custom paint / Airbrush Forums / Airbrush product review / Airbrush artwork / Legends car racing / Helmet painting