Broken Airbrush

[tybrenis]

Hey everyone,

My airbrush was pretty disgusting with built up paint etc. over the last year so I decided to soak it in some paint thinner (methyl ethyl ketone to be precise). I know that was probably a dumb thing to do.

Now, all the parts are great and clean etc., but when I press down for air, nothing comes out. Yes, my compressor and air source are fine, same with my hose, I checked them.

I am using a Paasche VLS dual-action airbrush. Perhaps there is an O-ring or something in there that may have dissolved or something?

[Slug Toy]

that doesnt make much sense... methyl ethyl ketone (aka 2-butanone) is very similar to acetone. acetone is an awesome organic solvent and was used just like distilled water in chem labs until they decided there were a few adverse effects on people. it shouldnt dissolve rubbers or plastics or metals or glass or anything. the only thing it should dissolve is chemicals (in this case certain ones found in paint).

my first reaction would be to throw it in some nice hot water to see if something gets loosened up that was lodged in an important place. beyond that i dont know what to do right now.

[Commando]

I had that same Airbrush for a while. It seemed pretty indestructible to me.

I looked it up on Paasche's website(www.paascheairbrush.com). Here is the technical manual.

http://www.paascheairbrush.com/2005_parts/vl_vls_airbrushes.pdf

I bet you just melted some paint into the air valve or something minor like that. You can pull that whole assembly out of the bottom by unscrewing the nut inside the connector on the bottom. Check out the manual. Also you can order parts straight from them if you need them.

[tybrenis]

Thanks commando! I'll go give it a look right now.

Slug - Methyl ethyl ketone breaks down a lot of plastics, and if you leave many plastics (polystyrene, acrylic to name a few) in it for a bit of time, they will turn into goop.

[AKA_RA]

...if you leave many plastics (polystyrene, acrylic to name a few) in it for a bit of time, they will turn into goop.

mhmm, you can actually make some nice DIY acrylic "glue" using acetone. as for dissolving an O-ring, that really depends on the composition of the chemical in question and the material of the O-ring. If that is the case, at least replacements should be cheap and not too hard to find.

[Slug Toy]

Slug - Methyl ethyl ketone breaks down a lot of plastics, and if you leave many plastics (polystyrene, acrylic to name a few) in it for a bit of time, they will turn into goop.

really? well thats news to me. im looking into that.

[tybrenis]

Hey guys,

I took it apart and cleaned it up a bit, and it helped, but is still not working enough for me to paint anything. I'll keep looking into it, and probably will end up just replacing it.

[AKA_RA]

so all the parts are there, in the right place and everything, and just nothing happens?

[tybrenis]

It's hard to say. I took out the little assembly on the bottom and everything looked pretty normal. However, the trigger doesn't depress all the way, so obviously there is something wrong. They are only 8 bucks on the Paasche site, so I might buy one.

[Aero]

I have that airbrush. Make sure that the trigger is alligned propperly. Its pretty finiky. I had it just slightly off last time I clean it and it didn't do squat, twisted it alittle and *bam* worked like a charm. Also makesure theres no paint inside the valve that could be blocking the airflow.


and Slug, acetone is terrible for plastics. It dissolves them like none other. Although it can be fun to pour on styrofoam...just don't, I repeat don't take whats left over outside, and don't light it on fire, and deffinatly don't have fun whilst not doing any of that.

[tybrenis]

I have that airbrush. Make sure that the trigger is alligned propperly. Its pretty finiky. I had it just slightly off last time I clean it and it didn't do squat, twisted it alittle and *bam* worked like a charm. Also makesure theres no paint inside the valve that could be blocking the airflow.


and Slug, acetone is terrible for plastics. It dissolves them like none other. Although it can be fun to pour on styrofoam...just don't, I repeat don't take whats left over outside, and don't light it on fire, and deffinatly don't have fun whilst not doing any of that.

Absolutely under no circumstances should you have a great time by dissolving styrofoam and make your own napalm. You should also NEVER put it in something like a water balloon and light it on fire and launch it or do anything else sweet with it. Never.

[Slug Toy]

well it seems my knowledge of ketones failed miserably. i forgot to take into account the oxygen sticking off the structure... that leads to good hydrogen bonding and similar dissolving properties as water. ya i was stupid for a second there.

a respectable scientist such as myself would never think of having fun with something explosive. the last thing we need around here is entertainment... its just too exciting for me. ill just think about how dangerous it is and be thankful that im not planning on trying it...

[Aero]

However, I do recommend that whenever you are working with chemicals such as acetone you should always handle them with caution. They can be very dangerous if miss used and should not be taken lightly. It is always a good idea, whether or not you have chemicals around, to keep a fire extinguisher near your modding area. Everything from wood shavings to metal dust left over after using a dremal can catch fire or burn. Please be very careful when working, especially if it involves chemicals.