Iwata hp-c, good choice?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Hello all,
Could anyone give me a bit of advice on the Iwata hp-c airbrush[?]would it make a good “first quality brush”[?].I would be using it mainly on tamiya 1/12 motorcycles.There seems to be so many brushes on the market,choosing the right one seems difficult!![?]

Thanks in advance

Simon

2

Simon, i made the mistake of purchasing the hp-c for painting 1/48 scale a/c. don’t get me wrong, the hp-c is an excellent airbrush, but the .3mm needle/nozzle combo that comes standard with this airbrush is a tad too small for modelling paints IMO. some have reported having no problems spraying model paints with it, but i thought it was too finicky myself. its more of an illustration airbrush geared toward handling medium with smaller pigment. if you like iwata, the iwata eclipse hp-cs which comes with the .35mm n/n combo is a GREAT choice for modelling!! i love mine!! and my 2nd choice would be the economic iwata revolution hp-cr that comes with the .5mm n/n combo. my 3rd choice would be the Omni 4000. later.

3

I’ve been using the HP-CR for several months & like it a lot. As Saltydog says, many prefer the HP-CS, but for the $ difference the CR is a good choice.

Regards, Rick

4

I have an Iwata HP-C and love it. Does all I could ask. You can change the needle and nozzle on the HP-C too. It is a very fine painting instrument. Go for it.

5

I would agree with Chris and go with the HP-CS if you want a good, all-around, gravity-feed Iwata. The HP-C is excellent also but it is more expensive and replacement parts are higher than the HP-CS if I remember correctly.

What do you want the airbrush to do? That is the first question to consider.

Mike

6

the Iwata is a great choice, but at a not so great price. A badger 100LG is around half the price of the Iwata, and with the medium n/n, it’s at least as good as the Hp-cs.

7

Thanks for all the info chaps.Forgive me if I`m asking too much for 1 airbrush to do all components in a 1/12 motorcycle kit,but I have very limited expeirence with airbrushes{got an entry level one with car tyre…lol).The main parts I would be spending time on would be the expansion chambers(exhausts),heat staining them.Most adverts say the quality brushes can spray from hairline to an inch so I presume i can spray the bodywork also?

Thanks again

Simon

8

the hp-cs is good for broad coverage and fine lines as well. the most valuable asset in airbrushing a fine line is practice!! there is no way to buy experience, so yes, a good quality double action airbrush and lots of practice will render most any effect you wish to take on as far as models go. good luck. later.

9

the hp-c will do for almost everything you put it through, but the hp-cs will do it better since the needle isn’t quite as small. the hp-cr (revolution series, around $60) is a decent all around airbrush, with the high point as spraying metalics since the needle is .5. it’s much easier to spray metalics thru a wide opening than a close one.