Airbrush Help

Decorating By jlr43 Updated 4 Oct 2008 , 11:48am by LisaR64

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jlr43 Posted 2 Oct 2008 , 6:52am
post #1 of 6

I just bought an airbrush for the first time and I am having trouble. It does not actually spray paint out, it only bubbles out of the cup and all over me and everything around me. Can someone please help me figure out what I am doing wrong? Thanks!

5 replies
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KHalstead Posted 2 Oct 2008 , 12:57pm
post #2 of 6

the tip is clogged. When I hold my finger over the front (where the needle is) of my airbrush it bubbles back into the paint cup (I do this to unclog the airbrush sometimes too and when cleaning it out)
Have you taken it apart yet and cleaned it??
Is it brand new?? If it's brand new I'd send it back, if it's used it probably just needs a good cleaning, you'll have to break the whole thing down and soak the parts in some hot soapy water or if you have airbrush cleaner that would be even better. You can also soak it in some window cleaner (it has a high alcohol content and gets it nice and clean)
When you're done soaking it (if you use any type of cleaner, wash it with soap and hot water thoroughly) then just rinse everything off with nice and hot water and dry, and reassemble. When you take it apart check the needle and make sure the end of it is nice and straight and pointy, not dull or bent (they can get bent very easily)

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jlr43 Posted 2 Oct 2008 , 1:27pm
post #3 of 6

Thank you. Yes, it is brand new out of the box (supposedly). I bought it a local cake decorating store, but that store is an hour away from me so I hope I don't have to take it back. I will try cleaning it first. Thanks for your help.

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sweetcakes Posted 2 Oct 2008 , 1:46pm
post #4 of 6

when making enquiries about an airbrush it really helps us if you tell us the make and model. there are so many out there and they're not all the same.

anyway bubbling in the cup means the air is not passing through, out the tip, it is backflowing like Khalstead said. This can be caused by several things. the nozzle is blocked, the tip is bent or not fitted well in the nozzle. begin by removing the needle and wiping it over, put back in and tighten the little screw at the back end well. check for bubbles. if that doesn't help clean the front end next. call the company and the store before returning it to see what they say also.

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jlr43 Posted 4 Oct 2008 , 8:34am
post #5 of 6

Thank you for all your suggestions but I found the problem...always the easy thing you never think about. It was the tip of the gun was not screwed on tightly. Sweetcakes got me thinking about the air not getting through so I started double checking everything and sure enough...there it was! It works great now and I am so excited to use it!

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LisaR64 Posted 4 Oct 2008 , 11:48am
post #6 of 6

My airbrush as the little cup on top. The air is coming through fine, but no color. Normally when I put my finger over the needle, the color bubbles in the cup, but right now, that's not even happening. I've only used it once before and I cleaned it really well with alcohol afterwards. I'm using airbrush colorant, so I don't think it's too thick or anything. Any ideas what might be wrong?

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