Iwata Gremlins

The paint might be clogging on you. Have you tried thinning it more? There are guys better versed in airbrush maintenance than I who should be along before too long. If you're using a C though and not a CS, you've got a smaller nozzle that wasn't designed for big pigments like model paints have. First thing I'd try is thinning the paint way down.

Thanks for the advice Madda. I tried spraying with water, and it seemed to be fine, so the problem could be that the paint was too think, as you said.

Well, I painted with it, and it had the old problems. OK, so, I for the first time completely stripped down the airbrush, and found some old deposits. Reassembled, it worked fine, but when painting with thin paint, it came out inconsistent, and then began to spit again.

One thing I noticed was that it bubbled paint around the join between the crown (which surrounds the needle) and the body. Is this a clue?

Er, at risk of keeping answering myself! Well, I called Iwata, and I have to say, they are really friendly and nice. It seems that the problem is probably connected to the nozzle. I need to strip the nozzle assembly down, and make sure that it is fully clean, as well as making sure everything is true. I also need to improve the sealing between the nozzle cap and the body, by using beeswax.

I hope this is of help to others!

I usually strip mine down and let it soak in lacquer thinner a bit then with a microbrush or even a qtip dab out any deposits.. anything stubborn gets dunked again...

Yep, those white microbrushes are really really great for cleaning the tip of airbrushes out. The neck on them is so weak you can't press hard enough to damage the tip, the neck bends first. The cleaning head on them is perfect for reaching down into the smallest nozzle. I use the white microbrushes and my airbrush cleaning brushes, makes cleaning the crap out of any airbrush a snap. Of course, I haven't used a Paasche Turbo, so I don't know about those.

Thanks for the Info.
I have been having real issues spraying acrylic paint as of late - no issues with enamel -
on my Iwata. Maybe it's time for another dunk in Acetone.

With Acrylic, I usually get the build up around the needle and crown, my pressure is around 10 - 15 psi and 50% thinned with water or alcohol.

Wibhi - with acrylics, actually ALL paint I use needle lube, that helps eliminate about 80% of the build up of paint around the needle tip. What does end up on there can be wiped away with a thinner soaked Q-tip every so often... its about $5 a bottle available through www.dixieart.com and I believe www.greatmodels.com The main two are Badger's Regdab Neddle Juic and Iwata's Medea lube. You'll really be pleased with the results.. and cleanup is a lot easier...

I usually do a very throrough cleaning about every 15 to 30 hours of spraying.. (about once a month at my building speed) soak in lacquer thinner for 15 min or so and wipe away any left over deposits... it's like a new brush afterwards..

Thanks Tho, I'll give it a try. I may have some when I bought the iwata - just got to find it.

Osher, I found a really handy little tool the other day which IMHO is better than a microbrush for cleaning my Iwata. It's called an Interdental brush and what it looks like is a really tiny bottle brush. It's fantastic for cleaning the nozzle on my AB after a nice long bath in lacquer thinner. Although it can't get right through to the very end of the small nozzle, what the intedental brush can't reach, I finish with paper towel tightly wound to a point, dipped in thinner and worked into the nozzle.

Cheers
Darren

Cool! Thanks for all the comments guys, now I just need to find the box the Iwata came in, as I need the little tool... I hope I kept it!

Ok, found the box, and the tool. The airbrush was stripped down, and soaked for an hour in cellulose thinner. WOW! I thought my airbrush was clean, but the amount of old paint that came out amazed me. I haven't run it with paint, but with water it's certainly better, with no water coming out from the joins. The only thing I've noticed is that every minute or so the airbrush 'sneezes'. What does this mean?

Osher this only happens to me on really humid days where the build up of moisture is too much for my moisture trap and I get a small "sneeze" of water occasionally. To avoid this I simply don't spray on days that are really humid which is not really a problem where I live.

Cheers
Darren

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson Osher this only happens to me on really humid days where the build up of moisture is too much for my moisture trap and I get a small "sneeze" of water occasionally. To avoid this I simply don't spray on days that are really humid which is not really a problem where I live. Cheers Darren

Well, London is a rather damp place...however, you may be right over the moisture thing because for the first time ever I've seen moisture in the water trap.