Expert: Ellen Choate - 5/24/2008

Question
QUESTION: the airbrush is clogged and is not working properly. The paint comes out from the paidnt side. Please help to get it cleaned so it can work properly.
Thanks in advance.


ANSWER: Can you give me more information?  By "the paint side", do you mean it's coming out around where you put the paint cup or bottle?  I'm sure I can help you with your problem if you can explain it to me in more detail.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: yes air and paint shoots back from the paint bottle yhe airbrush is an iwata eclipse hp-bcs

Answer
Okay.  The most likely thing is a clog in the cone or head assembly.

Take the head assembly apart so you have the big, main piece (head cap), the smaller piece (nozzle cap) that goes on top of that, and the tip (cone).  Check the holes in the nozzle cap and the head cap.  If there is dried paint in there, clean it out carefully with fine wire or fishing line.  Use anything that's firm and small enough to fit in the holes but won't do damage.  Now see if there's dried paint just inside the end of the tip (cone).  Sometimes there is a little ring of paint there that's hard to see.  Hold it up to the light and look through the big end.  Clean that out very, very carefully.  You don't want to stretch out the end of that little expensive part.  Also check the holes in the end of the airbrush, and the place where the paint bottle goes.

When I clean my airbrush at the end of a painting session, I pinch my fingers around the end of the airbrush and spray a water and cleaner mix.  This causes it to backspray into the water bottle, flushing paint out of the tip and through the head assembly.  This is a helpful thing to do with cleaner, but it also sounds like what is happening to your paint.  
One other thing to consider.  Be sure that your cone and needle are the same size.  Both must be small, medium or large.  If they are not the same size, it can prevent the paint from spraying.
Be sure to clean your airbrush very thoroughly at the end of every painting session.  I know they tell you not to, but I disassemble mine and soak it for an hour or so about once or twice a month. I use a mixture of Createx airbrush cleaner and water or Windex and water.

Let me know if this solves your problem.  If not, we'll try again.
Ellen