Iv’e been using a Paasche H single action airbrush for many years, but I decided it was time to try a newer design double action model. My previous experience with a double action was the Paasche VL which worked well but was very difficult to clean. Anyhoo, after reading all of the threads on this forum, I decided to go with an Iwata. The Eclipse was a little beyond my budget, especially when I’m not sure I can even use a double action after so long with a single. I ordered an Iwata Revolution HP-CR with an adaptor for my Paasche hose from Dixie Art last week and it arrived today. I am very impressed with the feel and quality of the unit, but was a little surprised at the limited amount of documentation. I have hooked it up and run some thinner through it and all seems well. Before I start practicing with paint, I was hoping anyone who owns and uses this tool could give me some tips on cleaning and maintenance. If I am reading the cleaning instructions correctly, all I have to do is clean out the cup after use and then run pure thinner through the brush at higher pressure. That really seems to easy, so am I missing something? I don’t want to use it, store it for a couple of days and find it frozen up because I didn’t clean it properly. Also, it comes with a really wierd looking little wrench with just a small slot in it. I haven’t tried to take it apart, but what exactly is the wrench for? Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Thanx
The wrench is to take the nozzle off. If you unscrew the tip, you’ll see the nozzle is round, but the base is flat, that’s where the wrench comes in. I usually clean the color cup with paper towel and q-tips, then I pull the needle out and take the tip and nozzle off. I clean the inside with a pipe cleaner and the tips out with a qtip. Always make sure you get any and all fibers out of the brush that may have been left inside, otherwise they’ll turn up in the paint. I clean the nozzle out with a white (x-fine) microbrush. I really need to get some airbrush cleaning brushes, and I will when tax money comes in [:)] I carefully clean the needle by putting some thinner on a paper towel and pulling the needle through while rolling it. Finally I clean the parts underneath the needle that I couldn’t reach until it was out. I do this with a qtip and thinner once again. Then I lube up the needle and trigger and put the whole thing back together. Don’t over tighten the nozzle or you might damage it. It sounds pretty involved, but only takes a couple of minutes.
Thanks Madda. I thought I was missing something. I assume the blow-out cleaning I described from the documentation is all you need to do to change colors during a spraying session? Too late to play with it tonight, but tomorrow I’ll put some paint in the cup and try to teach this old dog some new tricks. Really appreciate your time in responding.
We’re just like kids with a new toy, aren’t we? RJK, you are going to like that new AB. My first AB was/is an Iwata HP-C that I got in 1983. Back then the Iwata was a new company to the US and no one else had heard of it before. So I just quietly used it and I didn’t tell anyone I used a ‘no name’ brand called an Iwata as everyone else used Paasche. People would laugh at the name when I told them who made it. But the HP-C worked wonderfully for me. I took it so matter-of-factly that it was just an air brush until I got a chance to try other people’s air brushes. I questioned, only to myself, why is this other air brush and another people’s air brushes so clunky feeling? Over the years I realized it is not that the other air brushes were broken, they were acting normally, but I had a wonderfully made air brush. In other words, I was spoiled with a quality AB and I didn’t know it.
Rick, do as Madda says when cleaning your brush and you won’t go wrong. I also like to store the nozzle and needle soaking in Windex between sessions (I use acrylics) and when I am ready to spray again I just lube the needle with some Super-Lube, reassemble and I’m ready to go again. That way if I miss anything in the nozzle it’s gonna stay soft. I own a HP-CS and love it, if I buy another brush I’ll get a HP-CR like yours so I can use it just for metallics.
Ditto on the cleaning. I have an HP-CS too which is similar in design to the Rev CR. While that may seem like a complicated clean but trust me, it’s the easiest and fastest cleaning of any airbrush I’ve owned, hands down.
One good tip I got from MikeV was to turn the body upside down when you run a pipe cleaner through it, that way you don’t get any solvents down into the works. Make gravity work for you, not against you.
Thanks all of you for your support. I ran some paint through it today and cleaned it as suggested. I use only enamels and found I had to thin the paint a liittle more than with my Paasche H, but it spays very nicely. I could use it now for broader coverage, but I definetly need more practice before trying to do mottle or camo patterns. One question, I usually use lacquer thinner to clean my Paasche. Can the Iwata handle lacquer OK? Thanks again.
Yes, that Revolution has a Teflon needle bearing from the factory and they handle lacquer fine. Just don’t submerge the airbrush in lacquer as there are rubber O-rings in the air valve that the lacquer can damage.
I hear you Rick. [:D]
At least some of those O-rings can be found at the auto supply shop and that saves you time and money waiting on one from an online seller.
Don’t give up on your Paasche-H just yet for the fine lines and detailing. I found out after doing a test spray session that the H can indeed spray very nice sofe fine lines with enamels. What I did was as follows:
1.Thin the paint at a 1:1 ratio using mineral spirits or Model Master brand with a few drops of Boiled Linsead oil into it. The Linsead oil improves flow and prevents clogging.
2. Increase the air presure to around 25-30 psi, Paasches seem to like higher air presures to atomize the paint better for a soft spray pattern
3. Adjust the paint volume nozzle to let out a tiny dot of paint
Test spraying on a scrap piece of styrene until you are satified with the line width etc…and vuala! I was able to free-hand the camo on this 1/72nd AV-8B Harrier!
Thanks Greg. No I haven’t given up my Paasche H, been using one for 20 years or so and I have done decent camo patterns and mottle with it. Maybe I just wanted a new toy, but the newer design dual actions do have a lot going for them. Getting used to a dual action takes some practice but I have been spraying a scrap model and getting better at it. The Paasche H can do a very good job, but gets a little frustrating sometimes when trying to do fine detail and the brush decides to stop spraying. Then you have to play with the needle setting to get it back where you want it. After 20 or 30 restarts while doing mottle on a 1/48 Luftwaffe bird you want to throw it against the wall. However with patience I have gotten good results. The dual action has the opposite problem in that my control is still not what it should be and I get too much paint coming out. I have to say that the Iwata is manufactured to a higher quality than my old Paasche.
This thread has helped me tremendously. Thanks a lot. I recently had a SUPER CLOG in my CR and didnt relize that the .5mm nozzle was removable. It was like my AB had a cold. I removed the big red booger and my flow has returned. I have made the cleaning techniques stated above standard operating procedure on my bench! Thanks again! [tup][tup]
RJK, you are going to like that new AB. My first AB was/is an Iwata HP-C that I got in 1983. Back then the Iwata was a new company to the US and no one else had heard of it before. So I just quietly used it and I didn’t tell anyone I used a ‘no name’ brand called an Iwata as everyone else used Paasche. People would laugh at the name when I told them who made it. But the HP-C worked wonderfully for me. I took it so matter-of-factly that it was just an air brush until I got a chance to try other people’s air brushes. I questioned, only to myself, why is this other air brush and another people’s air brushes so clunky feeling? Over the years I realized it is not that the other air brushes were broken, they were acting normally, but I had a wonderfully made air brush. In other words, I was spoiled with a quality AB and I didn’t know it.