"Airbrush Trouble Shooting"

When you are new to airbrushing a problem like this can drive you to the brink of throwing the airbrush away.

Relax; take a deep breath it’s just paint. You are wanting to learn to airbrush as a way of releasing your creative side and relaxing please don’t lose site of those goals.

PROBLEM:
You push down on the trigger of the airbrush and paint is applied (sprayed) even though you are not pulling back on the airbrush trigger.

Pictured above are the resulting splats you might get if the above problem happens to you.

*** This is the number one reason you ALWAYS test your airbrush before going to spray on your intended painting surface. You want to make sure your airbrush is functioning properly before one of these slats ruins hours of hard work.

Pictured above the working end of my airbrush and as you can see the needle is protruding out the front of the airbrush.

For this problem to occur your needle is not seating in the nozzle of the airbrush correctly.

Loosen the chucking nut and make sure the needle is all the way forward in the airbrush, seated in the nozzle.

Careful push the needle toward the front of the airbrush while rotating the needle, you will feel the needle come to rest inside the nozzle. Do not force the needle into the nozzle as you will ruin your nozzle.

Try the airbrush again if still is spraying paint when you push down the the trigger move on down the list here.

Pictured above I have taken the needle out of my airbrush and will inspect it for dried paint on the tip which might keep it from seating in the nozzle correctly. Also check to see that the needle is not bent. Clean the needle, lube it and put it back in your airbrush.


Try your airbrush if the problem is solved cool if not move on down the list.

Pictured above I have removed the nozzle from my airbrush to inspect it. Make sure there is not dried paint inside the nozzle that is keeping your needle from seating properly, make sure the nozzle is not deformed or cracked. Replace the nozzle if you find it to be cracked or deformed. Clean the inside of the nozzle out with a airbrush tip cleaning kit, cutting touch tip cleaning tool, straight pin just be careful not to ruin the nozzle in the process.

Soaking the nozzle in cleaning solution might be helpful also. Try your airbrush now after going thru the above steps it should work correctly.

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