The F1M Forums

Hi all.

For the second time in less than six months, the nozzle broke on my Iwata HP-C Plus.

*Sigh*

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good, dual-action, gravity feed airbrush? One that can do fine work/lines/etc. but perhaps less fragile at the tip?

Many thanks!

How did it break????
I alway tight them by hand... more than enough.

What tool are you using to remove the noozle? I've had an Iwata for 10 years and never had this problem. If you decide to sell it let me know!

The first time, my lack of experience with this particular airbrush caused me to tighten the nozzle with the wrench supplied. I tightened it too much.

This second time, I'm not sure what happened. I had cleaned the whole airbrush, but the nozzle was very hard to screw back in. I (silly me) used the wrench to put it back in place. When I tried to spray, the paint just bubbled in the cup (indicating a blockage). So I stopped, emptied out the cup and tried to remove the nozzle. That's when it broke.

*Sigh*

20/20 hindsight...

I would recommend Iwata Custom Micron [CM], quite expensive compared to HP, but much ease to wash.

CM mixes the paint and air in the front, while HP mixes in the rear. You can tell this difference pretty clearly when you pull out the needle after usage.

Ok, back to the washing part, CM airbrush doesn't require to take out the nozzle to be cleaned, you just remove the needle and drop solvent to the cup to wipe the majority paint residue by soft cloth. Then, pull some 3-4 ml solvent into the cup, slope the airbrush so that the solvent will drain from the nozzle by gravity. You do this several courses til you see clean solvent from nozzle without any paint residue.

Finally, shake the airbrush a few times to force the solvent liquid out from the nozzle by centrifugal force. You are good for the next use. I have been blissed by these magnificent CM airbrushes for 5 years, always perform at top notch when needed, never had an issue.

Before that I had used HP for about 2 years, not guarantee works each time, some times blocked so cup just back bubbles (just like your case), some times blows only air but no paint, lol.....

Oh, another tip is I always wash the airbrushes immediately after each use, especially for prime and 2K clear coat, matt coat, etc.

Jeep wrote:The first time, my lack of experience with this particular airbrush caused me to tighten the nozzle with the wrench supplied. I tightened it too much.

This second time, I'm not sure what happened. I had cleaned the whole airbrush, but the nozzle was very hard to screw back in. I (silly me) used the wrench to put it back in place. When I tried to spray, the paint just bubbled in the cup (indicating a blockage). So I stopped, emptied out the cup and tried to remove the nozzle. That's when it broke.

*Sigh*

20/20 hindsight...

Ok, so it sounds like you cross threaded the tip. Have you tried just ordering the parts you need like the basic body and nozzle? Might be cheaper than getting a whole new airbrush. The Iwata is a really nice brush if you take care of it. I've owned 4 of them to do differant jobs and they have never given me any reason to regret buying them.

If you do decide to keep it, here is a trick to be sure you start the nozzle straight when you put it back on. Slide the needle in and do not tighten the collet. It should slide easily. Push it so it extends out about 3/4" beyond the end of the airbursh. Slide the nozzle over the end of the needle and use the needle to guide it into the threads. Screw the nozzle in with your bare fingers until it snugs down. You shouldn't need any more pressure than that. No need to crank on it with the wrench.

I developed this technique because I was afraid my fat old fingers would drop the nozzle and the carpet monster would get it. Works perfectly every time for me and I have yet to lose the nozzle.

Jeep wrote:The first time, my lack of experience with this particular airbrush caused me to tighten the nozzle with the wrench supplied. I tightened it too much.

This second time, I'm not sure what happened. I had cleaned the whole airbrush, but the nozzle was very hard to screw back in. I (silly me) used the wrench to put it back in place. When I tried to spray, the paint just bubbled in the cup (indicating a blockage). So I stopped, emptied out the cup and tried to remove the nozzle. That's when it broke.

*Sigh*

20/20 hindsight...

The threads on these are very tight, but if it’s hard to screw in, unscrew it a bit and then screw it back in once it’s easy to.

Hopefully the threads on the brush are fine. I’d get a new tip and see if you can screw it in at all, otherwise you may need a new body. I’ll find the tool I use with my iwata that helps a lot with threading it correctly.

https://www.amazon.com/Iwata-Medea-CL-N ... 2961&psc=1 is the noozle wrench I have. It helps keep it in line and also from falling off and going somewhere.

To answer the OP, the Iwata Eclipse brushes have a different nozzle that just press fits in the body, as do the Harder & Steenbeck airbrushes. And the Badger Patriot. The Paasche Talon has a screw-in nozzle, but it's much more robust. There's also the Badger 100 and Sotar 2020 which have robust screw-in nozzles and are perfectly acceptable detail brushes, though less 'flashy' than the pricier brands.

Why are you removing the tip? I rarely find any reason to remove the tip. Just get a cleaning reamer if it's for cleaning purposes...