Took My Old Aztek To Bits For Fun

Interesting!

same, still works

That is cool!

I see, when I take my aztek apart it will be to buy myself a badger 155 anthem.

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson ... making a piece of equipment that you cannot open and perform normal maintenance on baffles me completely.

If the the sealed parts were truly maintenance free, I might agree with the design. As it is I think I agree with your sentiments. I had an Aztek double action which died on me. I didn't rip the thing apart, but sent it back for warranty replacement. To their credit, Testors made good on their warranty, although I was out about three or four bucks postage and worse close to a month's turnaround time. During the time I was without the Aztek, I picked up a Badger 200 which really seems to be an upgrade.

Having confirmed that the newly returned Aztek body worked, I placed it in its fancy wooden case where it remains to this day. I suspect that unless the Badger goes belly up or some situation presents itself where the Aztek's double action is a lot more advantageous than the Badger's single action, the Aztek will remain in its wooden box.

A while ago, someone on this forum had posted a link to a French website which had detailed step-by-step instructions for disassembly an deep cleaning of an Aztek body. Although taking it apart voids the warranty, if I were ever to start using the thing again, and if it were to clog up again, I might well use the Frenchman's disassembly and cleaning instructions to have a go at it myself.

Like Darson, this is becoming more and more the case concerning the Aztek maintainece problem. Aztek owners are having to resort to disassembling the airbrush to see for themselves what keeps making the airbrush die, or if anything, just to have a look at it's internals. Like Darson, I took it apon myself to dismantle my Aztek repeatedly to do the cleaning myself. For me this was the only logical solution to keep my Aztek alive, preventing it's enevitable death and return to the manufacturer. This worked for over 6 years until I just got fed-up with the airbrush entirely. In late 2000, I purchased the Iwata Eclipse BCS after reading a review in FSM. The iwata cost less than the troublesome Aztek, very user friendly, performed beyond my expectations, and and for me, redefined quality, engineering, easy of use and maintainence. I have since settled on the Iwata Revolution (HP-CR) and the HP-C, which rounds out all my airbrushing needs. My old Aztek A470 is used by my 4-year-old daughter and wife for their craft needs. If you're looking for a replacement for the Aztek airbrush system, for scale modeling concider high quality brands from the folowing munufactuerers listed below. Price and availability are pretty resonable from web stores such as www.dixieart.com and www.bearair.com and the like.

1. Iwata: Prices vary from $59-$300(+ or -)
Any Eclipse, Revolution, or High Performance model

2. Badger: Prices from $49-$200 (+ or -)
100HG series(eqivilent to 150 but gravity-feed) 150, 200, Anthem, 360 and Sotar for detailing.
Omni/ Vega: Any (a lower cost option, highly similar to the Iwata Eclipse models)

3. Paasche: Prices from $40-$60
F (not widely known, excellent for detailing, single action, similar to H with smaller tip, sprays anything!)
H (single action, extremely versitile, does it all!)
V or VL (art, movie, hobby industry standard, highly versitile, easy to use/ maintain)
Millinium (same attributes as the VL, only more streamline, same great performance)

Tamiya HG: Any

*New comers are the Hobbico ModelMaker DA400 (gravity-feed) Pro Airbrush and the DA450 (bottom-feed) copies of the Iwata HP-C, and HP-BC2.
It features a gravity-feed side-feed cup(DA400) or bottle attachment (DA450) .3mm nozzle/needle, same high quality Japanease engeneering as the Iwata and Tamyia line. Both airbrushes are double action.
The DA400 double action is priced at $59.99 ($99.99 as a kit) and the DA450 kit at $79.99. Both are due on the market in late Nov. 2004, available from www.towerhobbies.com

don't forget the harder and steenbeck evolution, grafico, and colani. they are all nearly 250-300. joys of expensive german quality.

About a year ago after getting totally fed up with mine and not caring weather I got it to work or not I took mine apart and found the same thing. I was unable to put it back together and therefore brough a Iwata. Best buy I have ever made. Anyway, I think there was paint that went back monthes if not longer inside that thing.

I have this kit from Airbrush City
2 single actions and a double action.
They are solid built, use Badger replacement parts and have functioned flawlessly for over a year now.
I love mine and all my paint needs are covered.

Just get them from Ebay, or email them and purchase that way.
heres an ebay auction going right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=28111&item=8146062500&rd=1

I recently sent in my Aztek airbrush for some fixing or replacement. Any purshased after 2003 only has a 3 year warranty. Purshases before 2003 have a life time warranty. After three years you may as well take it apart.

First let me apologize on my bad English

I live out of the USA and can not send my Aztek to the manufacturer (it will cost me more then buying new one). I decided to disassemble it and to check what is wrong there. I was surprised to see that paint "build-up" disturbed the needle pivot to move all the way freely (although the adjuster was moving freely). After a good clean-up inside, the airbrush is functioning again like new

Glad to see your airbrush works. Not so fun for me. If i ever send mine in, i hope they ran out of 370's, 430's 470's and 480's. I hope i get a full refund.

If anybodies interested here is the link to the French site that describes how to disassemble your Aztek.
http://www.master194.com/maquettes/autres/aztec.htm
One day if I get the effort up I might actually clean and reassemble the Aztek so that my daughter can play with it.


Also, the lifetime warranty is one of the greatest marketing dupes of all time and no I'm not talking about Testors but in general. A lifetime warranty on a product is simply that, a warranty for the lifetime of the product, it is not a warranty for your lifetime. That lifetime may be 10 minutes or 50 years, but it's up to individual manufacturers to fix their products or not.

My main point stays the same though, if paint can leak behind the nozzle of the Aztek and into the body of the airbrush you should be able carryout normal maintence and clean it out.

Cheers
Darren

I checked that site darson gave, let me tell you ...the airbrush there looks clean compare to my aztek.
The main problem (as I see it) is reverse flow of paint into the airbrush from the pivot that limits the nozzle needle.
I add a small piece of plastic as a gasket (drilled with the same diameter of the pivot) that avoids the reverse flow into the airbrush.
I hope it will help the guys that can't send the airbrush to repairs.

QUOTE: http://www.master194.com/maquettes/autres/aztec.htm Cheers Darren

BTW ...If you use the Avant Browser, You can translate it into english version (web page)

To disgruntled Aztec owners:

I also found my Aztec 4709 totally gunked up with paint. My LHS recommended a non-toxic, non-polluting solvent called E-SAFE. Put the brush body totally in it for a day. Take it out and wash in warm water to get the solvent off your hands and the brush. Dismantle the brush--it is a really simple design--and with a stiff wire probe the back of where the air enters inside the needle housing (at the end of the blue hose). That will clean the paint buildup on the 1/16" x 1/8" airhole leading to the needle. Return to E-SAFE if more solvent time is warranted. After all is clean, rebuild the body. If you watched how you took it apart, it will go back together easily. My brush is now perfect. I suspect I will need to do this once per year. A little E-SAFE is also good for cleanup after a painting session.

Good luck!

Chris

Where can we purshase E-safe

I don't know what is E-safe, but i cleaned my AB with thinner

Ernie:

E-SAFE is a "safe paint stripper" as listed in, for instance: http://www.bachelorettelinks.com/safe_paint_stripper.html.

I bought mine at my hobby shop in Burbank, CA. See www.houseofhobbies.com/modelpaints.html at the bottom of that page. I like it because it's safe and reusable. Use whatever solvent you like.

Chris

plasticmod992,

It is nice to hear someone from around here recommend Tamiya HG. I have been here for more than a year now and there are only 2 members here (J-Hulk and me) who use Tamiya HG. I am not familiar with the most of the AB mentioned here and I am sure they are great as advertised but the Tamiya AB is also very good. I have the Tamiya Spray Work Basic Compressor (small and simple-but not so strong) and with Tamiya HG AB , I can still make fine lines without problems. Clean-up is a breeze as you can completely take it apart in seconds. I think it sells for about 70-80 US$.

The Tamiya HG brushes are good, used them myself.

But than knowing who manufactures them I can heartily recommend them.