Iwata Revolution CR Comments

I felt the same way when I got mine. It took me a couple of hours to adjust to the feel of it, but now I don't even notice the brush at all when I'm painting. I'm glad that you like it as much as I like mine. Remember to post some pics when you're done.

John,

Good to hear you like it. It will of course feel funny at first because you haven't had a real airbrush in your hands yet, just that plastic spray can that Aztec tries to pass off as an airbrush.

Mike

I too felt the same way when I got my HP-CS. I was also using an Aztek. My first session with my Iwata was near perfect. I was ecstatic. People malign the Aztek but it was the first airbrush I could do quality work with. My Sotar (using enamels), Badger 100LG did me no good and my Paschee VL and H were just plain crap, spray cans would be better. ( I know this is a repetitive rant but I wouldn't want others to waste the money that I have.)

Hey guys, thanks again for the help here, I’m just ecstatic with the way this brush is working out!

Mike V, I was really torn between the Iwata and the Badger line of brushes that you advocate. I’m an American and I do my best to buy American regardless of price differential. We as a people are killing ourselves here and selling ourselves out by buying otherwise. The choice was tough but the resounding response from this forum and an automotive graphics-painting forum I frequent was so overwhelming that I just had to try the Iwata. I may still purchase a Badger brush down the line just to compare differences but for now, this thing is golden. Anyway, just want to say thanks for your input, Mike.

As for the Azteks, I have three, two single action internal mix brushes and a double action. They nurtured me through many years of use and with work I got pretty good results from them. I will still continue to use the double action for my enamels applied to areas where finish is not of great concern…..engine blocks, rearend housings, etc. One thing, I think that my struggles with the Aztek all those years have aided in my ability to use the Iwata right out of the box. No learning curve here at all and results are spectacular. I may break my 6 year old son in on the Azteks….LOL! By the way, all the work on the below link was done with Aztek airbrushes. About half of them are complete repaints and all are 1:18th scale diecast.

Madda and Plum, thanks fellas!

Merry Christmas to all!

Link: http://users2.ev1.net/~yasdnil/

QUOTE: Originally posted by John L Mike V, I was really torn between the Iwata and the Badger line of brushes that you advocate. I’m an American and I do my best to buy American regardless of price differential. We as a people are killing ourselves here and selling ourselves out by buying otherwise. The choice was tough but the resounding response from this forum and an automotive graphics-painting forum I frequent was so overwhelming that I just had to try the Iwata. I may still purchase a Badger brush down the line just to compare differences but for now, this thing is golden. Anyway, just want to say thanks for your input, Mike.

No problem John, you have to go with what you like best.
I think that most Iwata users have never tried the Omni that I prefer and the Anthem which is also real popular now, and that is why they push the Iwata so much. No doubt they are excellent airbushes, but I think Badger does not get a fair shake in many cases.
Glad I could be of help in you making the choice that you made, and I am going to one day buy an Iwata myself to see if all the raving is justified or not.
I have had my eye on an Eclipse CS for some time now.

My appologies if I have offended any Aztec owners as they seem to work fine for some people and I don't want my remarks about this airbrush to be received as an attack on the people using them. I just feel there are much better choices for the same amount of money.

Merry Christmas to you and yours also John

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by John L If I had any complaint at all about the brush it would be the ergonomics, as I find it somewhat awkward to hold.

I had the same impression when I first used my HP-CS. My first thought was to put a larger diameter foam rubber hose or something around the air feed tube, but I never got around to it. Now that I've had it for half a year, I've adapted to it and don't even notice it, but I think I'll still try my idea.

Glad you're happy with yours.

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

stinger

QUOTE: Originally posted by John L Hey guys, thanks again for the help here, I’m just ecstatic with the way this brush is working out! Mike V, I was really torn between the Iwata and the Badger line of brushes that you advocate. I’m an American and I do my best to buy American regardless of price differential. We as a people are killing ourselves here and selling ourselves out by buying otherwise. The choice was tough but the resounding response from this forum and an automotive graphics-painting forum I frequent was so overwhelming that I just had to try the Iwata. I may still purchase a Badger brush down the line just to compare differences but for now, this thing is golden. Anyway, just want to say thanks for your input, Mike. As for the Azteks, I have three, two single action internal mix brushes and a double action. They nurtured me through many years of use and with work I got pretty good results from them. I will still continue to use the double action for my enamels applied to areas where finish is not of great concern…..engine blocks, rearend housings, etc. One thing, I think that my struggles with the Aztek all those years have aided in my ability to use the Iwata right out of the box. No learning curve here at all and results are spectacular. I may break my 6 year old son in on the Azteks….LOL! By the way, all the work on the below link was done with Aztek airbrushes. About half of them are complete repaints and all are 1:18th scale diecast. Madda and Plum, thanks fellas! Merry Christmas to all! Link: http://users2.ev1.net/~yasdnil/

Hey, that is some nice looking work there John! I'm glad I could help out some with your choice, though I don't have anywhere near the expertise MikeV does. I do love my airbrush. Also, where in Oklahoma are you? I'm in Tulsa myself.

Thanks for the kind words regarding my work, madda. As for where I live...how about right down the road from you in Wagoner. I think we spoke briefly sometime back regarding your artwork, which is incredible btw! If I recall, you are a dental tech, right?

Ahhh, that's right, I forgot. I've slept since then I guess. Jeez. I feel a bit foolish now, though I've never been very good with names. Thanks for the compliment on my drawings. How many of those die cast cars do you keep for yourself?

Not very many! I get as much joy out of doing them as I would in keeping them. Besides, I have so many diecast already that I have absolutely no room for any more.

Say Madda, I need to break my brush down and give it a good cleaning but am a little nervous about taking it apart for the cleaning. I don't see any information on cleaning it anywhere in the materials I got either. Can you brief me on it?

Thanks,

John

Well, I usually start by taking the tips off, then the nozzle. Then I take the handle piece off, loosen the nut and pull the needle out. I usually set the needle down on the table away from me, so I don't bend it. Next I tighten the lock nut and unscrew that whole assembly and pull it out, followed by the trigger.

For the cleaning, I dip a pipe cleaner in laquer thinner and run it through from back to front, then I do another one just for good measure. I take some qtips and wipe down the tips really well, and the threads on the nozzle. I clean the inside of the nozzle out with an extra fine microbrush, the white one, dipped in laquer thinner. I find these are the perfect size, and work nicely, but one day I'll probably order a set of airbrush cleaning brushes and do away with the pipe cleaners and microbrushes. I also use a fine microbrush, the yellow one, to clean under that small ridge at the bottom of the color cup. I wipe the needle down with laquer thinner on a paper towel, pulling and rotating it very carefully as I don't really want to bend it.

Lastly I put a very very very thin layer of petroleum jelly on my needle. I find that this prevents it sticking. Super lube would probably be better, but I've not gotten around to buying any,and the I haven't had any problems doing it this way.

When you put it back together, put the trigger in, then the lock nut assembly, then the nozzle and tips, then the needle and handly. You always want to put the nozzle in before the needle, so you don't damage the nozzle trying to fit it over the needle. I like to take a paper towel and shine the whole thing up nicely too, because I like the way it looks

Hope that helps. When are you going to post some pics of what you're working on for us?

QUOTE: Originally posted by maddafinga For the cleaning, I dip a pipe cleaner in laquer thinner and run it through from back to front, then I do another one just for good measure.

Be careful doing this as that lacquer thinner can run down into the airvalve and ruin the O-ring in it. Also, pipe cleaners can leave bits of material in your airbrush at times and can plug the airbrush even after you are certain it was cleaned.

I never run anything down the needle tube like that anymore and have had no problems. I use to do the same thing you are doing with my Paasche VL when I had it but after talking to Dave Monnig at Coast Airbrush he told me that wasn't necessary.

QUOTE: I clean the inside of the nozzle out with an extra fine microbrush, the white one, dipped in laquer thinner. I find these are the perfect size, and work nicely, but one day I'll probably order a set of airbrush cleaning brushes and do away with the pipe cleaners and microbrushes.

That sounds like it would work pretty well with the Micro Brushes.
I usually just hold my tip over an open jar and insert an eye dropper full of thinner into the back of it and squeeze the eye dropper bulb which squirts all of the thinner out of the tip. I do this a couple of times and it seems to clean very well.
Although if you had dried paint in the tip it would take a while to do this way and using a brush would be a better idea. The Airbrusher's Brushes work great for cleaning like you mentioned. You should get a set when you can.
Just be careful to not shove anything too hard into the tip as they are the most delicate part of the entire airbrush and split and bend fairly easy.

Another thing that is real handy for cleaning your airbrush is an ultrasonic cleaner that they sell for jewelry. I hear they work great, although I have never tried one. They sell for somewhere in the neighbohood of $20 or so on Ebay all the time, such as this one here:



The one they sell at Micro Mark and other places is basically the same thing at triple the price or more.

Mike

Hey thanks fellas! Last night after I posted this (I'm not a patient man...LOL!), I did a little search on the web and found the breakdown of the brush. That along with some information from the Iwata website gave me enough information to remove the needle. I wiped down the needle and the needle cap and then put it all back together. Thing works great. Hey!!!! Did I tell ya how much I like this thing....LOL!

As for posting pictures, not sure I know how to do that here. It looks as if one needs to have a website or a place to post from in order to do that. At present, I don't have a website. The one I've listed is a branch off my brother's web and he maintains it. I try not to bother him much. I do have another place that I post pictures at and it contains much more recent examples of my work. Below is a link which has about six pages of misc. American Musclecars that I did. Let me know what you think?

Link: http://www.diecast-pub.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=114&cat=500

Thanks again, great bunch of people here!

John

Yeah Mike, I should have mentioned that I run the needle through backwards after I run the pipe cleaner through, that gets any fibers out. Just to make sure, I look through the brush into a light source, like you would cleaning a gun. I hadn't worried about the thinner ruining anything as the Revolution is lauqer safe, but now you have me a bit concerned.

I use an ultra sonic cleaner like that at work, but it never occured to me to try to clean airbrush parts in it. I think I'm doing okay without it, but I may just take some parts up to work one of these days, just to see how well it comes out.

John, excellent work all around. What do you use for your hoses and plug wires? Really clean and good looking builds all around.

QUOTE: Originally posted by maddafinga I hadn't worried about the thinner ruining anything as the Revolution is lauqer safe, but now you have me a bit concerned.

The Revolution is lacquer safe as far as the needle bearing goes because it is Teflon. The O-ring in the airvalve assembly on the other hand is rubber and may or may not be affected by the lacquer. That is assuming that it is even getting in there. What I did to minimize the chance of this happening was to hold the airbrush upside down with the trigger pointed at the ground, that way there was no chance of any thinner running down into the airvalve assembly by gravity when you run a pipe cleaner through it since it is now up in the air.

Mike

Ahh, good tip MIke!

JohnL,
Glad to hear back from you regarding your Hp-CR. Same results with my other Iwata airbrushes as well, seems Iwata is leading the industry-at least in the model/ hobby market with its Eclipse and Revolution line of airbrushes. Enjoy!