Aztek 430 problem, nozzles not closing

I think that would mean the needle isn't moving forward enough to block the hole. Is there a way to adjust it? hth

Keeper (of too much crap)

Yes, the roller control at the back of the airbrush. (controls ammount of paint flow, and trigger activation point, ie; you can set it to single or double action)

If necessary, one can also take the tip apart, and pull the needle out and clean it. A small pipecleaner will clean the needle housing. Do not damage the orifice that the needle goes through ! Remember when reinserting the needle housing into the nozzle body itself, one ridge on the needle housing is wider than the others. Make sure that it is lined up with the proper wide slot in the nozzle body. (body will not screw into aribrush fully if not installed right) Than screw the complete nozzle body assembly back onto the airbrush. BTW... dont lose the spring that goes around the needle itself in the process...... (been there, done that...)

Another thing to note here. My tips were spraying unusal, and uneven patterns, and spattering. A check of the airbrush itself showed a large piece of gunk (paint residue) in the body around the plunger that pushes on the needle itself. Scooped it out, and no more problems. The cleaning arm on the wrench supplied did not go down far enough to fully clean this area out.

I can cut fairly fine lines down to 1/8" wide with mine :) (oil paint, 70/30 thinner to paint, @ 15 psi, 3" from surface)

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Thanks for the answers but I tried a completely new nozzle, never used and it had the same problem. My version doesnt have the adjuster in the back, thats the 470. I have cleaned it as good as I can but I think the problem is that the pin is not going all the way forward. I can move the trigger almost half the way back before the pin start moving.

In message , Kyrre writes

You've sussed the problem, the needle operating pin is not moving over its full travel, this is usually caused by paint leaking back past the operating pin into the body and drying inside gumming everything up.

You have several options:-

If still under warranty and you can do without it for a while return it for a replacement.

Remove nozzle and try cleaning around the pin with the cleaning tool, plenty of thinners, cocktail sticks, tissues etc. whilst operating the pin.

Remove nozzle, air hose etc. and soak overnight in thinners and try operating again.

Dismantle the body and do a proper cleaning job. This can be achieved by gently prising between the two halves with a blunt instrument (steel rule etc.) starting at the aft end where the air hose enters and gradually working forwards. As the two lock pins are eased out they can be removed by closing the body up and pulling with pliers. If you have screws here life would be much easier. With one side open take a good look where everything goes, then disassemble innards and soak in thinners, oven cleaner, paint stripper for an hour or two, then remove paint with old toothbrush, cocktail sticks, tissues etc.. Reassemble in reverse order and you have an as new body. Disclaimer - This Will Invalidate Any Warranty!!!! and I give no guarantees it will work, but this is what I do with mine every six months or so.

This is a common problem with Aztec Brushes and is probably why they have stopped their lifetime body warranty. I have a love hate relationship with mine. It's brilliant when its working.

Sounds like it.

Go back to the second paragraph of what I wrote, and it's the same problem. The supplied cleaning tool did not go back far enough to get the built up residue. I used a dential tool, but a pipecleaner should do the job.

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

I took it apart after the soking method didn't work, cleaned it and now it seems to work ok again. Thanks a lot for the help.

In message , Kyrre writes

No Problem Kyrre, glad you've got it working again! :-)