About once a quarter I give my airbrush a deep clean which includes soaking the smaller components in Mr. Tool Cleaner, which is a very strong cleaner the will dislodge anything.
Usually I finish that put it back together, flush it with water and it’s ready to go.
The first thing to paint was the underside of the CF-22 I’m working on as part of my RCAF what-if series. This comprises mixing AK Gen 3, and Gen 3 thinner and a drop of two of Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver.
I’m still working my way to get the AK Gen 3 ratios dialed in as easy as I find using the Tamiya. One thing you must to with the AK is several light coats where the Tamiya is more forgiving if you are a bit heavy on the airbrush trigger.
Right away I noticed the ratio was off, but I’d had that happen before. I proceed to do a few light coats pausing long enough (I thought) for the coats to dry in-between.
I finished and cleaned the airbrush noticing it took a bit longer to spray completely clean.
When I turned around to look at the model the following greeted me.
After my initial shock (and some language). I realized what had probably happened.
After cleaning the airbrush I always flush it with water before starting any new project. I think I did not flush it enough and the some of the lacquer cleaner was still in the airbrush body.
Lesson learned. Make sure I flush it fully out before starting anything new. The kit is recoverable after a light sand and perhaps a fresh coat of primer.