Drying out is the number one cause of airbrush malfunctions. The good news is that it’s an easy problem to fix. All you need is a few drops of airbrush cleaner and a few minutes of your time. In this article, we’ll show you how to prevent airbrush tip dry and keep your airbrush running like new.
What is Airbrush Tip Dry?
If paint gets stuck on the needle of your airbrush, it is called airbrush tip dry. This can happen when too much paint builds up on the needle. When this happens, it can block the flow of paint from your airbrush, making it hard to adjust the spray pattern and causing splatter.
To reduce how often tip dry happens, try these tips
- Properly maintain your airbrush needle
- Clean your airbrush
- Properly thin your paint
- Lube your airbrush needle
- Try some Additives
Properly maintain your airbrush needle
Be Careful Not to Bend the Tip of Your Airbrush Needle
The needle on your airbrush is thin and easy to damage. If you bend the needle, the paint will catch onto the imperfection and you will get “tip dry.” This happens when the paint doesn’t leave the airbrush properly because of the bent needle. Luckily, most of the times I have done this I have been able to carefully bend the needle back into alignment with my fingernails.
If you bend the main part of the needle, you can cause the needle to not sit straight in the airbrush. This can create more pressure on one side of the needle and increase drag on the paint, which will slow it down and cause tip dry.
Polish the Airbrush Needle
The needles for airbrushes are manufactured in large quantities. They come out pretty smooth but they are not perfect. This makes the surface easier to stick to than a well polished surface. By polishing the needle tip, you reduce the surface area available for the paint to cling to. This is a tedious process that needs to be done very carefully so you don’t damage your airbrush needle.
I think that this would be one of the last solutions that I would try if you are having trouble with tip dry. I feel that the other solutions are simpler and have less danger of causing damage.
If you want to paint your car, there are a few things you can do to help the paint stick better. One is to use a polishing agent to get a really smooth surface.
Clean Your Airbrush
Airbrushing is all about the flow of paint through your airbrush and onto your models. If your airbrush is dirty, the paint will not flow as well. This can also cause clogs and spurts.
Properly Thin Your Paint
To airbrush properly, you need to know how to thin your paint. If your paint is too thick, it will not flow through the airbrush very easily. The paint will leave your airbrush in large droplets, and these larger droplets are more likely to stick to the tip of your airbrush’s needle.
To paint with an airbrush, you need to thin the paint to a much thinner consistency than when you use a hand-held brush. But you also need to be careful not to thin it too much, or the paint will lose its color.
Different paint brands have different recipes for making their paints. This can sometimes cause problems when you try to use a different brand of thinner with the paint. This is more likely to happen with enamels and varnishes than with water-based acrylic paints. If you have been using one brand of paint for a long time, it’s a good idea to try thinning it outside your airbrush before using a different brand, just to be sure there won’t be any problems.
Lube Your Airbrush Needle
Needle lube is what it sounds like. It’s a substance that you put on your needles to make them move more easily. There are two brands that I prefer, Iwata and Badger. When I lube my needles, I put one drop of lube on my finger tip, then slowly pull the needle between my finger and thumb while rotating it. I only pull so the needle doesn’t stick me, I never try to push it forward.
You do not need to use a lot of lubricant, because too much can come off and mix with the paint. You should only lubricate the half of the needle that is towards the tip. The airbrush relies on friction to hold the needle in place as it moves back and forth. Lubing the back end of the needle would reduce that friction.
Lubing your airbrush needle makes it move more smoothly through the airbrush. I didn’t know how much friction there was in my airbrushes until I lubed one for the first time. There was a big difference.
Try Additives in Your Paint
There are a lot of different additives that can be put in your airbrush. Some of them work really well, while others don’t work so well. There are two types of additives that can help reduce the risk of your airbrush nozzle drying up. They are called drying retarders and flow improvers. They work similarly but they are different products.
Drying Retarders
Drying retarders are chemicals that are added to paint to make it dry slower. This is helpful because if the paint dries quickly, it can stick to your airbrush needle tip and cause problems. Drying retarders don’t make the paint as thin as thinner does.
Drying retarder should be used sparingly. If you use too much, your paint might not dry for a few days or even longer.
Flow Improvers
Flow improvers, or flow aids, help reduce the surface tension of your paint so it doesn’t bead up as much and flows more easily. They’re also great when painting with a hand-held brush. In my experience, flow improvers affect the viscosity of your paint to a lesser extent than thinners, but more than drying retarders.
For water-based acrylic paint, I use Vallejo airbrush flow improver. I haven’t had any issues with it reacting with any brands.
Adding a small amount of flow improver is usually enough. However, adding too much can cause the adhesive to not work well.
Paint Thinner
The paint thinners that are made by paint companies have mostly the same substance as the paint base. For most of the paints that are marketed for miniature painters, this would be primarily water, since we tend to have water based acrylic paints marketed at us. Many manufacturers will also add flow aids and drying retarders to their thinners.
Different paint types, like enamels and varnishes, require different chemicals to break them down. The chemicals in the thinners will be stronger for these paints.
Generally, you can add a lot of thinner without having any problems. You can usually add up to 25% by volume without any issues. But if you add more than 50% by volume, you might break your paint.
FAQs
What is dry tip in airbrushing?
The dry tip in airbrushing is the part of the needle that becomes dry and brittle when too much thinner is added to the paint. This can cause the paint to not flow correctly and can damage the airbrush.
How do you lubricate an airbrush?
To lubricate an airbrush, put one drop of lube on your finger tip, then slowly pull the needle between your finger and thumb while rotating it. You only pull so the needle doesn’t stick you, you never try to push it forward.
How do I keep my airbrush from clogging?
There are a few things you can do to help prevent your airbrush from clogging. These are:
- Use the correct type of paint for your airbrush. Not all paints are made the same and some will be more likely to cause clogs.
- Don’t add too much thinner to your paint. Thinners can help reduce the chances of clogs, but adding too much can increase them.
- Keep your airbrush clean. Clogs can form when paint residue builds up in the gun. Cleaning it regularly will help prevent this.
- Make sure the needle is lubricated correctly. If the needle isn’t lubricated properly, it can cause friction and lead to clogs.
How can I make my airbrush last longer?
To make your airbrush last longer, you should avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, store it in a cool and dry place, and keep the needle clean. Additionally, you can periodically disassemble the airbrush and clean all the parts with a brush or compressed air.