Airbrush Problems - PremiAir G35

[Threshold Of Dreams]

My PremiAir G35 airbrush has given a number of years of good reliable service , however this year it has been nothing but trouble.

I have been ready to dispose of it on more than one occasion , basically the spray has been `weak` as though my compressor has been underperforming or the airbrush is partly clogged.

I gave it a clean yesterday , no improvement.

I may have made a mistake here but to clean it I have been using a little spanner type tool to remove the tiny nozzle and immerse it in cellulose thinners for around 10 minutes !!

I was about to put it into the dustbin , then did a bit of reasearch and found that spare nozzles and needles are available , albeit `China produced` , I did not know that these were replaceable parts !

I am convinced that is where my problem lies , the needle no longer protrudes from the nozzle ( you could just about see the needle move to and fro from the nozzle end when the trigger was pulled - this is no longer apparent).

There are spare nozzles and needles available to buy on Ebay and Amazon of varying sizes 0.3mm \ 0.4mm \ 0.5mm .

Can anyone advise if these type of nozzles and needles are a universal fit for my PremiAir G35 ( I suspect this is now known as Sparmax SP35) OR would I be best approaching a reputable Airbrush dealer for advice and availability of parts.

Thanks in anticipation !

Edited August 15, 2021 by Threshold Of Dreams
amended text

[Trainshed Terry]

It could be that the tip of the needle is damaged. I use one of these SharpenAir Repair Needles - Black after I have cleaned the needle to maintain the needle. I know it is pricey but it is worth the investment.

 

How old is your compressor.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Terry.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Trainshed Terry
Link problem

[Threshold Of Dreams]

Hi Terry ;

My compressor is the AS18-2 type , basic and without a tank , it is around 3-4 years old but it has not had a great deal of use , when I remove the nozzle from the airbrush it is clearly evident that the compressor still has plenty of power in it , I am convinced the problem lies with either the nozzle , (less convinced about the needle) , it could even be the valve when the button is pushed , I am just after a source of spare parts I guess , whether that be Ebay or a reputable supplier.

I am hoping that someone chips in whom has the same model airbrush.

[Gilbert]

Graphics direct do genuine  spare parts including nozzles and needles for Sparmax but looking at the prices it actually may make sense to get a new airbrush if you can afford it?

https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/pages/search-results?q=sparmax+sp+35+spare+parts

As for your problem - I'm not familiar with the sp35  I assume there is a circular nut holding the needle in place - can this be loosened so the needle can be slid forward?

Needle is 0.35mm btw.

https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/products/sparmax-sp35-double-action-airbrush?gclid=CjwKCAjw9uKIBhA8EiwAYPUS3OZgThK-xxe_g5sO9JUUeZjguIrn7Innfau5C6uJTmjeBst2-832dxoCq2kQAvD_BwE

 

Chris Hopper

[Gilbert]

I have not watched this but it may be useful?

 

https://thetanningstore.com/SP-35-Airbrush-Routine-Thorough-Cleaning/

[Enfys_Rainbow]

I've just sold one of these airbrushes, ironically it needed a new nozzle too. I'd recommend getting  a Sparmax one to fit.

[Threshold Of Dreams]

A replacement "Sparmax" nozzle and needle have now been ordered , the replacement needle was ordered just in case it was required .

The airbrush is a number of years old and I am a bit suspicious of rubber O rings as clearly these can or will deteriote over the years , there is an O ring of which the plunger passes through and is seated in , although this part is never subjected to any exposure to paint.

 

[Torper]

I'm puzzled by the facts that the needle no longer protrudes properly from the nozzle and that the sparay has been weak.  Nozzles can become blocked, or at least partially blocked, if the airbrush is not properly cleaned after use.  In such an event, immersing the nozzle in cellulose cleaners for 10 minutes may loosen any paint blockage, but it may not remove it.  To clean the nozzle properly you need a nozzle cleaning reamer, such as the one at https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/product/airbrush-nozzle-cleaning-reamer/.  I'd strongly recommend that you get one.  Long immersions in cellulose cleaners, incidentally, may not be kind to any "O" rings that may be present.

 

Also, when you cleaned the brush I assume that you took the needle out and cleaned it - did you try pushing it through the nozzle when both were out of the brush to see if it went though properly (has to be done with care!)?  Are you sure you reseated the needle, pushing it fully into the brush?  If you didn't, that could be a cause of it not protruding properly through the nozzle.  Also, on some airbrushes the needle does not automaticlly engage with the trigger mechanism when it is pushed back in, and in that event the trigger feels floppy and the needle doesn't pull back properly.

 

Lack of air pressure could also, of course, be down to your compressor.  If you have recourse to another airbrush, or have a friend who has one, it might be worthwhile testing it with your compressor.

 

Finally, fairly recently I had some spray problems with my Sparmax GP35 - not the same problems as you, rather an occasion stutter while spraying.  Basic cleaning of the brush didn't resolve it.  However, I subsequently popped the brush, partially disassembelled, into an ultrasonic bath and that did the trick

 

DT

 

 

[brossard]

Mine is a Paasche double action and is great.  I mostly use acrylics and clean the brush after every use.  However over time, there seems to be a buildup of grunge.  When this happens I soak the relevant parts in Lacquer Thinner which shifts the gunk - you can see it.

 

As for compressor, a pressure regulator is very important.  Mine is pretty old and I had to add one.  I think most compressors today come with regulation.

 

Finally if you spray acrylics, you will improve performance by adding some paint retarder to the bowl.  Acrylics tend to dry in the nozzle, retarder extends the drying time.

 

John

 

PS, I recently got myself this:

 

https://www.neatandhandy.com/products/premium-airbrush-for-hobbies-crafts

 

This seems a good idea as I plan to airbrush my track soon and was dreading having to drag the clunky compressor around.

[Hibelroad]

12 minutes ago, brossard said:

 

 

PS, I recently got myself this:

 

https://www.neatandhandy.com/products/premium-airbrush-for-hobbies-crafts

 

This seems a good idea as I plan to airbrush my track soon and was dreading having to drag the clunky compressor around.

There is a review of this contraption 

 

https://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/2021/02/mini-airbrush-with-compact-compressor.html?m=1

 

I think I would drag the compressor round and spend the £40 on beer. 

[brossard]

24 minutes ago, Hibelroad said:

There is a review of this contraption 

 

https://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/2021/02/mini-airbrush-with-compact-compressor.html?m=1

 

I think I would drag the compressor round and spend the £40 on beer. 

 

I prefer to make my own judgements. (Although Phil P is a well known name here).  I will use it to weather a wagon in the coming days and let you know.

 

John

[Gilbert]

6 minutes ago, brossard said:

 

I prefer to make my own judgements. (Although Phil P is a well known name here).  I will use it to weather a wagon in the coming days and let you know.

 

John

Reviews can be useful sometimes - I've just been looking at spray booths and at least one review of the one I was looking at ( out of interest - not to buy) was clear that in use the booth did  not appear "strong enough" to achieve the advertised 4m2 per minute - which is not just nice to have  but essential to your health and well-being..

Chris

Edited August 17, 2021 by Gilbert

[Phil Mc]

I too am puzzled by the ‘needle not protruding as far as usual’ comment.

I use a Badger airbrush, and admit I am not familiar with the one having problems, but with mine, the paint used effectively wears away the needle and housing, making the needle thinner and the housing larger, so the needle eventually protrudes further than it used to.

It does take a long while mind, I’ve only replaced them once in about 10 years of regular use !!

I’m intrigued to know what you find as a solution !!

 

cheers,

Phil.

[Threshold Of Dreams]

Just an update on this , I have removed and refitted the nozzle more times than necessary , the nozzle has also been immersed in cellulose thinners which was NOT a good idea on my part as I am sure there is a tiny miniature rubber seal on it.

I have since damaged that nozzle by overtightening with the small spanner included in the set , hence a `Sparmax` replacement has been ordered.

On the damaged nozzle I have used a fine needle to poke into the hole and can now see daylight throught that hole , something I couldnt previously , it could be the problem alll along was the nozzle having a tiny speck of dried paint within it causing the weak or non-existent spray pattern.

There is nothing to suggest there is a problem with the compressor as when the nozzle and end piece were fully removed and the trigger pushed , the air pressure through the airbrush seemed `powerful` and with no deterioration .

I have ordered a new nozzle and needle which should arrive in the next day or so  , hoping that these bring the airbrush back to its usual standard !

[Pete the Elaner]

I hope you get this sorted soon.

It was nice to see replies offering genuine help rather than nonsense. As a cyclist, I am so bored of hearing 'new bike' as an answer to something simple like a chain being noisy, but people are actually deluded enough to think they are being funny to recycle this age old joke.

Apart from the very cheap stuff from China, most airbrushes seem to have a good supply of spares, so most components should be replaceable.

 

I also use Cellulose thinners for cleaning, but not every time. It seems to be more aggressive at dissolving paint than many chemicals, but I have also wondered if it may be attacking a small seal somewhere. Rubber seals seem to be confined to the air line section (at least they are with my Iwata & Paasche), but my old Badger had a nylon seal near the nozzle.

I often take a tiny piece of cotton wool, soak that in the thinners & rub it around the inside of the nozzle with one fork of a needle-nosed tweezer. The cotton wool picks up some dirt even if the nozzle has been in soak for a few minutes.

 

Now you have found a spares supply, hopefully your airbrush will be serviceable for many years to come.

[Threshold Of Dreams]

I must admit that I have considered getting another Airbrush on the basis of `two is better than one` , I do like the sound of this ; https://www.graphicair.co.uk/product/sparmax-max-3-airbrush-with-pre-set-handle-and-crown-cap/

I like the idea of the preset handle which makes it significantly easier to control the paint flow , a step up from my existing Premiair G35 !

[Pete the Elaner]

If after using your current airbrush, you feel a pre-set handle will be useful, then I am certain you will use it.

My first airbrush was single action. I could control paint flow with the handle, but other than that, it was either on or off. The 2 I have now are both double action, but I am more used to controlling paint flow by adjusting the end stop then pulling the trigger all the way back to it than by controlling how far back I pull the trigger.

[Torper]

I've got a Sparmax Max-3.  It's a very good little airbrush, excellent value for money.  The pre-set handle is not unusual - all my three airbrushes have one.  It can be very useful.

 

Also, if you haven't already got a cleaning kit, I'd suggest something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airbrush-Cleaning-Brushes-Stainless-Pieces/dp/B00UFDZE3K/ref=psdc_3063725031_t2_B0164NCUXG

 

DT

[Threshold Of Dreams]

Thanks for advice !

I mainly use the airbrush for weathering stock and I am N Gauge , the preset handle will make it easier to control the painflow and slowly build up weathering deposits.

[57xx]

I'd agree on getting the cleaning kit. I got one for my H&S and it was invaluable the other week when I foolishly put in some stodgy paint thinking it would thin out when mixed in the cup. It blocked up straight away and it needed the reamer and brushes to revive it.

Edited August 18, 2021 by 57xx

[Threshold Of Dreams]

An update on this , and this is now becoming tiresome as there are a number of projects on the workbench awaiting spraying and the damn Premiair G35 continues to be troublesome and this is after a new Sparmax nozzle has been fitted , here are the observations.

1 - attempted to spray neat white spirit , no spray , weak air pressure and bubbling in the cup , when pushing the trigger it felt `spongy` if that is the right word !

2 - removing the entire end piece (thus exposing the needle and nozzle ) results in powerful flow of air pressure - surely this rules out the compressor as being the culprit ?

3 - no blockages in the end piece mentioned in (2) above !

4 - dismantled and re-assembled the whole airbrush , this resulted in a weak and pulsating spray pattern .

5 - I am beginning to wonder if there is an issue with the valve assemble , these are available to purchase as spares or the tiny rubber  O ring where the plunger sits and passes through.

6 - I am expecting delivery of a Sparmax Max 4 any day , see how this compares , I just do not understand the grief I am getting from my Premier G35 when it has given such excellent performance in the past.

 

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

I had a similar issue with a cheap airbrush and found that the nozzle wasn’t fully screwed in preventing the outer piece from seating properly. The symptom was lack of air flow. Removing the outer end piece gave proper airflow like you are getting.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Izzy]

If there is plenty of airflow with the front end taken off then it sounds to me like the needle isn’t being pulled back properly by the finger grip. Does this particular model have needle seating adjustment? Has it been tightened to grip the needle?

[57xx]

Quote

1 - attempted to spray neat white spirit , no spray , weak air pressure and bubbling in the cup , when pushing the trigger it felt `spongy` if that is the right word !

2 - removing the entire end piece (thus exposing the needle and nozzle ) results in powerful flow of air pressure - surely this rules out the compressor as being the culprit ?

 

These two, to me, says the nozzle is blocked. It may not appear to be but bubbling back into the cup is a sure sign the air isn't able to get past the needle and out of the nozzle. This is exactly the symptoms I had the other week and had to ream some dried up paint off the inside of the nozzle.

[Torper]

But it's a new nozzle.... ........ I'm inclined to agree with Izzy that the needle isn't being pulled far enough back, particularly as the trigger feels "spongey".

 

I'm assuming that during his travails with this brush the OP has had the needle out of it.  I'm not familier with the PremiAir G35, but on my Sparmax Max3 you have to be careful when putting the needle back into the brush that it engages with the trigger.  It's a bit difficult to explain, but if you pull the needle out of the brush and then maybe play around with the trigger and pull it up, the needle won't then properly re-engage with the trigger when you put it back in the brush - it'll go in, but the trigger vwill feel loose and ineffective and it won't work properly.  Instead, when you put the needle back in, ensure that the trigger is pushed down as far as it'll go, and the needle will then properly engage with it.  This caught me out the first time I cleaned the Sparmax.  Whether of course it is the same on the PremiAir I do not know.

 

DT