Iwata HP-CS owners

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anybody else has problems spraying metallic paints (Tamiya acrylic, Testors enamel, etc.) through their brush. The metallics are the only paints I am having trouble with. They just seem to come out of the nozzle in an uneven flow of paint, regardless of pressure, thinness of paint, etc. Could it be that the .35mm nozzle is slightly too small for the larger metallic pigments, causing a flow problem? If this is the case then I will get the optional .5mm nozzle and needle to use just for metallics. It may be another problem altogether but nozzle size seems to make sense to me because as I said normal paints (smaller pigment size I guess), spray perfectly. Just thought I would get some opinions before I went out to get the optional parts. Thanks guys.

Cheers…Snowy.

2

Snowy,

It sounds like you have answered your own question mate. [;)]
That .35mm nozzle is pretty small and as you said the metallic pigments are plugging that small opening. This is the problem that we have addressed on this forum before with illustration airbrushes being used for modeling.
I am not sure whether the .5mm tip would work or not but it sounds logical that it would since the .35mm is at least getting the metallics through part of the time as it’s sputtering. [:D]

Mike

3

I use Humbrol metalcoat and several of the Alcad brand through my HP-CS and have no trouble. I also think that these look the best too. I haven’t used testors since getting my Iwata. Worked fine through my Aztek though.

4

I haven’t had any problems spraying metals through my CS.

Here’s a pic of my in-progress F-86

It was sprayed with MM’s buffable Aluminum, and was in fact the very first paint job I ever did with my Iwata.

I have never used Tamiya’s paints, however.

stinger

5

very nice stinger! Which kit is that? I’ve got an academy in 1/72 on the back burner

6

Thanks Plum1030

This is also in 1/72, by Hobby Craft.

Here’s the same kit as mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3170674514&category=2587

I’ve nothing to do with this auction, just my only way right now of showing you the kit.

A really nice looking A/C all around I think. I may do another soon if I ever finish this one.

stinger

7

Looks great. I do mostly 1/72 and I’m amazed I stick with it as my hands shake and My eyesight is crap. I was trying to pre-shade panel lines on a 1/72 F-14, I couldn’t even come close to doing straight lines. I was able to make do but still, the shaky lines were embarassing.

8

Whoops, just edited my post. Look again.

Off topic, I know, but I shake sometimes, too. And I’ve admitted to myself that I need glasses to see that close.

Haven’t tried preshading my self, yet. is it really that effective? Do you have to spray a really light final coat for it to show through?

stinger

9

Thanks for the help guys. I’m just guessing, but I would suspect paints like Alclad, Humbrol Metalcote and MM’s Buffable Aluminiun probably have a finer pigment than “normal” metallics, and that’s why apparently they are working OK. It’s probably why they look better as well. I’ll try to find some of these paints and give them a go before I do anything else. Thanks again!

Cheers…Snowy.

10

Good luck Snowy and let us know how things turn out.

stinger

11

if you decide to go with alcad be sure to use their gloss black base coat. It looks much, much better with it, just looks like silver paint without it.

12

Snowy,
I have the same problem with the MM Metalizers in my HP-CS as well. I solved the problem with the interchangable .5mm nozzle and needle. I also added just a few drops of Metalizer thinner to the paint to improve the flow and set the air presure to approx. 15 psi…works great. By the way excellent looking F-86 my friend, nice to see another 1/72nd scale modeler around here!

13

Thanks again fellas. Greg, If you tried the .5mm nozzle and needle and it worked, that confirms the theory for the rest of us. Might be handy to have, even as a spare. Oh, and by the way, the F-86 belongs to Stinger. I can’t take credit for it, though I’d like to.

Cheers…Snowy.