Help! Trouble Taking Apart Airbrush

You should have an instruction manual of sorts with the airbrush. Look in there...

It doesn't have a manual. It only came with a "Quick Start Guide" which didn't help.

I searched online for a manual and found a simple one with an exploded view of the airbrush, parts list, etc., but it didn't offer any help on my problem.

BrynnWryttur

Hi, guys!

I'm somewhat new to airbrushing. Today I went to do some airbrushing with my Iwata Eclipse HP CS and nothing would come out. The needle was jammed, but I got it loose. However, the bronze-colored, er, tip thing (I have no idea what the part is called) is absolutely stuck and I can't get it loose. Obviously, I don't want to grab it with pliers and wreck the piece, but I have no idea how to get it out. I dripped some lacquer thinner in there to dissolve any paint that might be gluing it, and then I tried some lubricant, but no luck. 

Any ideas??

 

Patrick

That nozzle is a tight force fit into the a/b body. You need to withdraw the needle first before you go grabbing at it, otherwise you'll bend it.

I don't have that A/B but I have one like it and frankly there's little reason to pull that out unless you are changing sizes.

But get the needle out, clean it, flush and clean the needle pathway.

Taking an airbrush apart is something I avoid as much as possible. It wears them out.

The bronze-colored, er, tip thing is the nozzle assembly. Iwata refers to it as the fluid nozzle for reasons beyond me.

Anyway, as somebody mentioned above, it is typical for this part to get stuck, though it usually gets stuck in the nozzle cap, not the airbrush body as yours is. In fact, if I'm not mistaken I think Don may allude to this stuck part in his review of the airbrush (on Don's Airbrush Page), also mentioned by somebody above.

In both cases (nozzle vs nozzle cap or nozzle vs airbrush body), it is a taper fit and the problem is caused (or at least augmented) by overtightening the nozzle cap. I never even use the little wrench Iwata supplies. Finger tight works for me.

I agree that a long soak in something (lacquer thinner, maybe) might work. I've done that. What works more reliably for me is 5-10 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner, though folk might scold me for putting the whole body in there.

I gave up once when the nozzle was stuck in the nozzle cap (not what you have here) and bought a whole new nozzle assy and nozzle cap, so you are not all alone or the first person this has happened to.

I know it's frustrating as all get out, good luck.

On a side note, yet again my apologies to my friends who posted above, but whose posts I cannot see whilst I compose this reply. My memoery just isn't good enough to remember who said what up there, and it is too bad we can only see 1 post above. Ahem. Ahem. Wink wink nudge nudge say no more.

About the only thing I can think of is to wrap some tape around it to give you a better grip, then wiggle and pull.  Dipping in really hot water might help.  If you have to use pliers, the nozzle might still work OK even if scarred a little.  The area that is stuck is the critical surface.

Don

Soak the business end in lacquer thinner for an hour or so.

I have the same HP-CS with the 0.35mm headset as your pic, & the 0.5mm headset, & yes, they do jam, especially when over-tightened with the spanner.

I have used a wooden clothes peg/pin to grip the collar at the base of the brass top/'fluid nozzle' & gently twisted.

I also use am ultrasonic cleaner to deep clean, which may help to loosen things up.

I have also had the tip/fluid nozzle stick in the cap. I did eventually get it out, with medical hemostat, but bought a new headset as the tapered base is essential for a smooth fit.

Bin the Blue Iwata Superlube it goes gungy & fouls the mechanism, I use Badgers' Regdab.

When assembled even with regdab on the threads, it leaks air from the threads around the headset. I was told off by the Airbrushes dot com (UK) airbrush service guy that this is intentional, & not to use PTFE on the threads.

Good luck.

What we do on fly rod furrels that are stuck is pack it in ice for 20 minutes or so, same principle, the parts shrink and break the friction. Then they pull right apart.

You might want to try a little bees wax on those tapers on assembly, then it's less likely to stick from either friction or paint. Probably even a little glycerin would work on assembly. I use dubbing wax on my Badger parts, dubbing wax is a blend of waxes, the base is usually bees wax. But I have dubbing wax for my fly tying that I will never use up in this life time so might as well use that..

oldermodelguy

You might want to try a little bees wax on those tapers on assembly, then it's less likely to stick from either friction or paint

Great advice.

This shows exactly what I do with that particular aibrush ... look at 7:30 mark ...

Paul Budzik

This shows exactly what I do with that particular aibrush ... look at 7:30 mark ...

Yes, but you are probably not dumb enough to get the nozzle stuck as badly as I have, Paul.

Having gotten that off my chest, the little rubber thingie is a good idea, thank you.