Todd Michalak takes a look at one of Iwata''s latest creations offered up through Airbrushes.com; the HP-SBS Airbrush

Read the Review

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Todd,
Very nice review on the Iwata airbrush. But the only thing that I noticed unless I read the review wrong was any comments on how the needle was tapered compared to other airbrushes which could cause a problem with the flow of paint. Basing this on our last conversation when I had talked to you about my Iwata and the problems I was having. Otherwise like I said very nice review.
:-)--<

Hey Jody, Yes, I did not state the design differences of the Iwata needle...and certainly not the way we had discussed in person...LOL The needle taper is about the same as the other Iwata brushes I have taken apart. It is shorter than other brushes I have. I did mention the part about raising the working pressure to 20 to 25psi, which is the opposite of what I tell people to do with water based acrylics. With the Iwata brushes, the slightly higher pressure does help with flow and prevent the clogging for the most part. As we talked about before, with the nature of water based acrylics, they tend to dry quick without adjustments or additives. With Iwata brushes, raise the psi a little and keep a damp brush or Q-tip near by and swipe the tip every so often...should keep things working smoothly!

Todd,
Thank you for replying. So with all the conversation we've had on the subject,I did post here my constant problems with the (my)iwata airbrush. It's titled frustrated modeler,I have tried just about everything but throw them away or get a new compressor!
Jody

y we figure things out my friend! I read through your thread...actually everyone is kind of spot on. LOL Sorry, I know that does not help. The funny thing about all this stuff, is that there are a pile of things that will affect how the airbrushes work/respond.

My understanding from your post is, after a while of using a brush (a year or so), you are experiencing spitting from the brush?

I guess the first thing I would suggest is to hit the almighty "checklist"; a series of items that pop into my head when I start having a problem.

1 - What is my pressure set at
2 - How thinned is the paint
3 - Environmental conditions - Inside and out...it may be dry inside the house, but if it is raining, you will experience issues.
4 - Is the brush clean

This is the basic stuff. It also seems like you have a clear understanding of all these items and are still having the problem. Before tossing out the compressor, what are you using? Like in your post, does your compressor have a tank? Whether you have a tank or not is not the problem (99% of the time), but if there is water built up inside...that would cause it. Another issue might be the hose. Are you using a coiled hose somewhere in the supply line or have something longer than 10 feet or so? Sometimes the hoses can collect condensation causing problems. An inline water trap sometimes helps...but if the line is emptied, there will be no problem. Most of what I read, makes me believe you have water infiltrating somewhere into the mix...the sudden "spit" is a telltale sign. A dirty tip is another. What is confusing is the fact you are experiencing this with Tamiya. Tamiya is a solvent based acrylic. When thinner, the solvent clean the tip as you spray. The solvents can also help dry the air (somewhat).

I will defer to the one comment about checking the compressor...if you use some water and do not see any spitting and the pressure is maintained throughout....then it is probably not the compressor. I highly doubt it is the brush(s) either. Probably a combination of the paint mix and environmental at this point.

Make sure that you mix is "pure". When adding paint to the cup, use an eye dropper if you can. I know if and when I have something like this happen, a little amount of dried/thicker paint from the bottle makes it into the airbrush. It might sneak down into the tip at the bottom and not get mixed up when you add thinner. I mix in my cup, but add the thinner first and then introduce paint. Also, if I do not use all the paint after painting, I wash out the cup with water or cleaner but do not spray through the tip...dump it out, use a tissue or something and wipe out the residual. This will keep "crap" from getting stuck in the tip.

I use around 7 or 8 different brushes and two different compressors...the main compressor being a cheap Harbor Freight with no tank. You know all of the demos I do during the year plus the long hours I spray here at home and mine has lasted well over 4 years now. I do have a water trap on my regulator...but I still get water build up depending on environmental conditions. As for the brushes...they all will respond a little different depending on conditions...but for the most part, correct thinning and environmental are the biggest triggers of issues.

After all the blah blah blah....what are you using for a compressor and how is it set up (hose, regulator and whatnot)?