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Written by: DENISE THURSTON
"Cleaning Jars"
Copyright 2007 Airbrushtech.net
Cleaning paint jars gummed with acrylics and Createx can be a tedious chore if you have many that need to be cleaned all at once. It is time consuming and boring but every once in a while it is good to break down all your jars and clean them thouroughly.
You can dismantle all your jars and jar cap assemblies and place them in a bucket or container to soak in a airbrush cleaning solution or Windex solution to help loosen and free the solidified acrylics that clings to every part. The cleaning solution will aid in the break down of the acrylic paint to free it from the surfaces. It will take a little elbow grease to clean the jars, lids and assemblies to get them into a more pristine condition.
Cleaning Paasche and Badger Jars, Bottles and Cover Assemblies
A stuck lid is one of the difficult and frustrating things to deal with when using jars. Acrylics will seal the lid on the jar tight. The first thing we think of to do is to grab a pair of pliers and attempt to twist the lid off. This is not the wisest thing to do. The force used to remove the lid will also break the jar and you will be in danger of cutting your hand. Slight pressure may do the trick but it may not be the wisest thing to do if you don't know your own strength. Pliers will also bend your metals caps and the caps may no longer screw on properly.
A good method of removing your stuck on lids is to melt them off by using wet heat.
Place the jar upside down in a container of very hot water and let it sit for a while keeping the water hot.
You can also take the container and use cool water covering the entire jar with water. Place the container with the jar in the microwave and turn it on high for about 2-21/2 minutes.
The jar will be very hot. You must remove the jar from the container using caution. Use a towel or paper towel to hold the jar and you can now twist off the lid.
I deliberately chose a metal lid that is in the advanced state of deterioration for this tutorial. These photos will not only show you how to clean your jars and jar assemblies but what happens to metal lids over time when subjected to water and water based products. Corrosion occurs slowly on the surfaces where the paint is scraped from the metal. In the advanced stages the metal will rust through leaving holes in the lid most especially under the washer. At the extreme final stage the corrosion under the washer will be so great that the lid assembly will fall apart leaving a ragged sharp hole in the lid and the tube assembly will have the metal center of the lid clamped between the ball nut and threaded tub nut. Caution is advised to avoid cutting your fingers.
The jar will flood with water and cover the cap inside and out protecting the metal from the microwaves. There is no need to worry about damaging your microwave or your jar's metal pieces when the water is covering them.
Using the wire bristle brush clean the inside of the jar top. Use a bottle brush to clean the jar and remove the paint under the edge of the jar top.
Run water throught the plastic siphon tube and lid assembly. If water does not pass through and pour out the other end then you have blockage. If you have no available water source then squirt water through the tube using a squirt bottle.
Run water throught the plastic siphon tube and lid assembly. If water does not pass through and pour out the other end then you have blockage. If you have no available water source then squirt water through the tube using a squirt bottle.
Push a chenille stem through the tube to remove paint clogs an paint that clings to the sides.
Grasping the ball (top of the lid assembly) at the top of the lid with the curved section of the pliers and the threaded tube nut (bottom of the lid assembly) wrench or an adjustable wrench at the underside of the lid loosen the lid assembly.
Unscrew the ball from the threaded tube nut. Paasche cover assemblies have a chamber inside the ball nut which collects paint. The paint dries in the spout of the ball nut, in the ball nut chamber, inside the threaded tube nut and the tube.
As you can see in this photo a large part of the clog from the ball nut chamber remains clinging to the threaded tube nut. Most of the time the paint remains inside the ball nut chamber and forms a solid plug. It's difficult to keep this plug open. This is one of the main reasons for a misfiring airbrush.
Remove the washer from around the threaded tube nut on the top of the lid. Push the threads downward through the hole in the lid to free it.
These 4 pieces are the parts of the core pieces of your lid assembly.
The lid, the ball nut, threaded tube nut, and the washer.
I'm using a wire bristle brush to remove the dried paint on the washer. Paint on the washer and outside of the lid are more difficult to remove due to the paint being on the outside of the jar where it is able to cure and adhere more to the surfaces. The washer needs to be cleaned on both sides so it will sit as flat as possible on the surface of the lid.
I'm using an old bent needle to remove any clogs in the ball nut. You can also use brushes to remove paint from the threads and spout. Run a chenille stem to remove the paint particles from the spout.
This photo shows the advanced corrosion to the inside of the lid. A layer of the metal is surrounding the tube nut and is being held on by solidified paint.
Use brushes or an old bent needle back end to scrape the insides of the threaded tube nut. Run a chenille stem through it to remove paint particles.
Use brushes or a wire brush to scrape away the paint. It is easier to hold on to the nut by placing it on a needle and holding the needle while using the wire brush. In some cases I've used a knife to scrape away the paint and metal to clean the nut on the sides and around the tube threads on the flat top and bottom but a wire brush usually does the trick.
Use a wire brush to clean the lid. This photo shows the damage of tools such as pliers, scratches in the paint covering the metal, water and waterbased acrylics can do to a lid and the resulting corrosion. There are numerous holes in the top of the lid caused by this corrosion.
The wire brush might be to large to do any good cleaning on the inside of the lid. Knives and needles can be used to scrape away the paint collected in the side and threads of the lid. The center of the lid shows the corrosion of the metal where the top layer of the lid has been removed when the threaded tube nut was pushed from the lid. This lid is now very thin in the center. It won't be long before the center of this lid will fall out due to the corrosion. If you look closely you can see the ragged edges of the center hole and the aluminum color of the sink through the holes in the lid.
Reassemble the lid assembly by placing the threaded tube nut into the center hole of the lid. Place the washer on top of the lid on the threaded part of the tube nut. Screw the ball nut onto the threads of the tube nut. Tighten with pliers and wrench. Replace the tube onto the tube nut.
Use an old airbrush needle on nylon and metal lids to clear te air holes. Your jar is now clean and ready for new paint.
Cleaning Badger Lids and Assemblies
Run hot tap water or squirt water with a squirt bottle through the tube to clean the tube out during use to keep the paint flowing freely.
Hot water on the dried acrylic Createx paint will turn it into soft, rubberlike material you can peel off most of the lid. Use a hard bristle brush or wire brush to scrub off the paint off the nylon lid.
This type of Badger lid and lid assembly is much easier to clean and keep clean during use than the Paasche cover assemblies. They are fixed and you cannot disassemble the lids. The tube runs straight through the lids and have no chambers inside to clog.
Run a brush or a chenille stem through the tube to remove paint from the inside of the tube.
Run water through the tube to check if the water is running through it freely. Push an old airbrush needle through the airhole to open it.
Your Badger is now good to go.