Air Brushing – Air Brush

Question:

Ken, Thanks for the reply.  I checked very closely and the threads at the nozzle and in the body don’t appear to have been cross-threaded (and no, it wasn’t me that had the borken-off tip.  Mine is fine).  I did buy a new needle and needle o-ring and installed them tonight with Super Lube.  The old o-ring was pretty chewed up and the old needle had a bent tip.  I think the previous owner had a hard time getting the needle through it without poking it a time or two.  What I found was that if I removed the nozzle and ran the new needle in till it extended about 3mm past the end of the body, the needle appeared to be slightly off-center.  If I rotated the needle I could see the tip describe a tiny circle, indicating that the needle was slightly bent. With the nozzle in place, the needle would be centered only when fully closed.  Once I began to open it, it would draw toward one side and stay there all the way to full open.  Is this critical to have the needle absolutely centered in order to get the best results?  What are the typical symptoms seen in the spray pattern (if any) when the needle is slightly off-center?    Is it typical to have a new needle with a very slight bend in it, maybe .3mm to .5mm over the entire length of the needle, or should I expect it to be absolutely straight? Thanks again, Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hey Gary, Sorry about the problem with the iwata. You are right, all the HP series have what’s called "self centering" type tips. The HP-C doesn’t have a removable head assembly like T&C and some Badger Models. It sounds like the tip was cross threaded into the body. You will need a new tip no matter what. If I remember right didn’t you remove an old tip? They will usually snap when cross threaded, because you need so much pressure to tighten it. What I do is remove the tip and I have a tool to re-cut the threads, which usually solves the problem….but it costs. The repair kit cost me $450.00 Australian about 14 years ago, from Germany. I would contact Media in the USA and see if they have a service centre you can access. or if they can tell you where to purchase a tap to chase the threads. as a point of reference: In Australia that airbrush sells for close to $300.00…a needle/tip assembly cost $74.00. I charge $25.00 labor here to rebuild the airbrush, which would include the thread repair. I am sorry, but to my knowledge, there is no easy answer. One final note: I always place the needle in the body with the needle loose and extended beyond the head by 3/8". I then place the new tip on the needle sliding the tip into the body threads, using the needle as a guide. This usually prevents you from crss threading the body/tip. Ken

Response:

Gary W. Gerfen said: Diode, The most logical place would be your local beekeeper if you want the pure wax.  They sell the stuff to distributors, but would probably sell a small amount to you for a couple of bucks.  Check your yellow pages under beekeepers (duh!).  Otherwise, cabinet makers use it to make their drawers glide smoother and seamstresses use it to make their thread slide easier.  Try carpentry shops and sewing/fabric shops.  

I’ve never heard of beekeepers in this part of the country (Long Island, NY), but I guess anything is possible.  I’ll check.  The cabinet maker supply is a good idea and may be my best bet.  Thanks guys. — -||- Diode -|<|- ‘68 L-79 Coupe ‘79 Triumph Bonneville The plonk?  You can’t HANDLE the plonk.

Response:

I have an Iwata HP-C that I bought used earlier this week and I just noticed that the needle is not centered in the fluid nozzle as it’s withdrawn.  As the trigger is pulled back, the needle taper stays against the bottom of the nozzle.  I thought that maybe it might be slightly bent, so I rotated the needle 180 deg., but same thing; it still stays against the bottom of the nozzle.  This is a brand new needle.  The one that was in it when I bought it was bent at the very tip.  I smoothed it on a super fine grit diamond abrasive block, but I figured I’d keep it for a back-up.  I double-checked the new one and it’s straight as a die.  Do I need to somehow center the nozzle? Thanks again Gary

Response:

Hi Ken, When I said that I replaced the needle and o-ring, I guess that I actually replaced the needle and packing washer.  I’m referring to the tiny black rubber 0-ring (nylon packing washer?) in the main body in front of the little brass screw (packing nut?).  I adjusted the brass nut till there was just slight drag on the needle, using Super Lube on all moving/sliding parts.  The needle seems to roll ok on a glass surface, but I think the curvature is so slight over the length of the needle that it’s not really noticeable except when it’s chucked up in the brush and rotated.  As I said before, with the nozzle removed I get a slight circular wobble at the very tip of the needle, maybe .5mm in diameter when I rotate it.  In addition, the needle doesn’t wobble about the center of the threaded nozzle hole, but slightly below center so that when the nozzle is mounted the needle drags on the bottom of the nozzle orifice itself, all the way back through its limit of travel.  The only time it’s centered in the nozzle is when the needle is completely closed and no paint is flowing.  It seems as if the axis of the needle in the body is slightly above the axis of the nozzle hole.  I think I’m going to place a call to Iwata-Medea customer service in Oregon and see what they can suggest. Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body. The only thing you haven’t mentioned is the condition of the packing washer. When you put the needle in, do you feel any drag on the brush? If not, take a jewelers screw driver (flat tip) and gently tighten the packing nut in the airbrush body….only turn an 1/8th of a turn at a time. Keep checking the needle to feel if there is any drag. I mention this only because if everything else is off, this is probably too. If you can get it to tighten, you should replace the packing washer…make sure you get the newer nylon type washer, as it’s solvent proof. The nozzle is what centers the needle when seated. When you pull the needle back and it goes out of line…either the needle is bent at the tip some how or the nozzle is at an angle. Needle’s do get bent in shipping and I just roll them between two pieces of plate glass (0.5mm) to get them stright. I wish I had the damn thing here and I could see it and test it. It sounds simple, but I do know your frustration. A couple of ideas to help everyone: Always put you needle in backwards first to make sure the passage through the trigger is clear and then flip it the other way to install..no bent needles! If your airbrush is spraying slightly off centre, just work without the aircap/needle cap on the brush. The brush will work fine and you’ll be able to adjust your aim for perfect control. BE CAREFUL..don’t bump the needle end! You can also take off both the needle cap and nozzle caps and use the air brush to stipple. Drop your air pressure to a few pounds (I pinch the braded hose)…hold the trigger down and pull the trigger back and forth….only works on gravity feeds. By increasing the pressure, the paint specks get smaller and decreasing the pressure makes the drops bigger. Works well for rocks, grass and fur. I spray fine drops and dry brush the droplets in one direction to make fur or grass. Super lube is a brand of needle lube….like badger’s needle juice. The stuff works great with water based paints. Paul: HP-C’s don’t have removable heads…I sure wish they did. Now you know why the micron costs so much…lol… Ken

Response:

I had the same thing with my Custom Micron which I got second hand. I just went and replaced the whole head assembly for piece of mind. You can get the nozzle re-centred but it’s not all that easy. It makes a lot of difference to the quality of spray when the needle is centred perfectly, especially on finer lines. Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have an Iwata HP-C that I bought used earlier this week and I just noticed that the needle is not centered in the fluid nozzle as it’s withdrawn.  As the trigger is pulled back, the needle taper stays against the bottom of the nozzle.  I thought that maybe it might be slightly bent, so I rotated the needle 180 deg., but same thing; it still stays against the bottom of the nozzle.  This is a brand new needle.  The one that was in it when I bought it was bent at the very tip.  I smoothed it on a super fine grit diamond abrasive block, but I figured I’d keep it for a back-up.  I double-checked the new one and it’s straight as a die.  Do I need to somehow center the nozzle? Thanks again Gary

Response:

Gary/Ken: The new parts showed up today for the Iwata HP-B and I put it back together.  New nozzle, needle, packing washer and packing nut.  I’m still getting very tiny bubbles in the paint cup.  I cleaned everything carefully before reassembly.  Any ideas? — -||- Diode -|<|- ‘68 L-79 Coupe ‘79 Triumph Bonneville The plonk?  You can’t HANDLE the plonk!

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body. Ok, I have something interesting to add here… I have 2 HP-C’s, one I used for the first time last night. The first one has a needle that isn’t centered, it lies against the side of the tip when it retracts. Lines breaks up and clogs easily when I try to get hairlines. So I break out the NEW HP-C, this is the first time I take it out of the packaging, just got it. I look at the tip and the needle retracts to the side, it’s not centered. This is literally straight out of the box. I have a look at my paasche VL, the needle retracts to the side of the tip. I replace it with a new #3 needle straight out of the package. It retracts to the side of the tip. Do I just have rotten luck or what?

I spoke with a tech from Iwata-Medea in Oregon on the phone the other day asking about centering the needle in my HP-C.  He stated that it really doesn’t matter if the needle is centered because its only job is to meter paint into the airsteam.  His opinion was that it was immaterial.  When I mentioned my concern that the constant wear on one side of the nozzle would cause it to wear prematurely he said "Not in your lifetime!  As hard as the metal is, it’s not going to wear out any time soon."  Does anyone here have any experience to confirm or deny this?  Looking at the construction of the airbrush, the only way I can see of altering the position of the needle tip in the nozzle is to change the position of the ring that the needle guide and chuck slides into in the back of the main body.  In my case, I’d have to make it sit lower somehow.  As this isn’t a replaceable part, I’m reluctant to start making changes to it in any way.  I’ve found that if the trigger spring tension adjustment is not threaded all the way in, it leaves enough slack that I can press down on the needle chuck nut and cause the tip of the needle to move up into the center of the nozzle, but as soon as I release the pressure, it goes right back to it’s original position.  Do the Microns behave the same way?  How about Paasches? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill over this? Any ideas or opinions? Thanks, Gary

Response:

Gary W. Gerfen said: Diode, Super Lube is an airbrush lubricant distributed in the US by Medea Airbrush Products.  I’ve seen it online anywhere from $5.99 to $9.95 USD per 1/2 oz bottle.  Here’s some blurbs from various websites:

Thanks again Gary.  My favorite supplier (Dixie Art Supply in Louisiana)   has the SuperLube for $6.30, so I ordered some last night.  They also have a product from Badger, but I just don’t trust the Badger name as much as Medea.  How often do you need to apply the lube? — -||- Diode -|<|-

Response:

Thanks again Gary.  My favorite supplier (Dixie Art Supply in Louisiana)  has the SuperLube for $6.30, so I ordered some last night.  They also have a product from Badger, but I just don’t trust the Badger name as much as Medea.  How often do you need to apply the lube?

I would guess you just use it anytime you disassemble the brush for cleaning as most or all of the lube would be removed in the process. It shouldn’t take more than a drop or two at most to lube the entire brush; one drop on the needle, spread to the tip with your finger, should lube the needle, needle guide, packing washer and nozzle and another drop should take care of the air lever and valve. Gary

Response:

Hey Paul, The problem with tape is the spacing of the tip. It does affect it. The bee’s wax is the old way…there are some sealers that never dry and work well. I used to get mine from Hansa in Germany. Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve used plumbers ptfe tape in the past. It seemed to work ok. Probably not as good a seal as bees wax though. Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com Mate, The fluid nozzle is not sealed. You need to put some bee’s wax on the thread of the tip and re-seal it. Just remove the tip and rub some bee’s wax on the thread and re-assemble. Take a lighter or match and heat the tip for a couple of seconds. That will melt the wax and seal the tip… Ken Gary/Ken: The new parts showed up today for the Iwata HP-B and I put it back together.  New nozzle, needle, packing washer and packing nut.  I’m still getting very tiny bubbles in the paint cup.  I cleaned everything carefully before reassembly.  Any ideas?

Response:

The 3rd little pig spoke thusly: Ok, I have something interesting to add here… I have 2 HP-C’s,

Maybe it’s just your eyes that are crooked and the brushes are fine )   Could be a bunch of defective HP-Cs got out the door at Iwata.  Either that, or they just want you to buy a Custom Micron… — -||- Diode -|<|-

Response:

Hey Gary, Sorry about the problem with the iwata. You are right, all the HP series have what’s called "self centering" type tips. The HP-C doesn’t have a removable head assembly like T&C and some Badger Models. It sounds like the tip was cross threaded into the body. You will need a new tip no matter what. If I remember right didn’t you remove an old tip? They will usually snap when cross threaded, because you need so much pressure to tighten it. What I do is remove the tip and I have a tool to re-cut the threads, which usually solves the problem….but it costs. The repair kit cost me $450.00 Australian about 14 years ago, from Germany. I would contact Media in the USA and see if they have a service centre you can access. or if they can tell you where to purchase a tap to chase the threads. as a point of reference: In Australia that airbrush sells for close to $300.00…a needle/tip assembly cost $74.00. I charge $25.00 labor here to rebuild the airbrush, which would include the thread repair. I am sorry, but to my knowledge, there is no easy answer. One final note: I always place the needle in the body with the needle loose and extended beyond the head by 3/8". I then place the new tip on the needle sliding the tip into the body threads, using the needle as a guide. This usually prevents you from crss threading the body/tip. Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks for the reply Paul, I can’t really afford to replace the parts just now – what’s the procedure for centering the needle on the HP series?  Maybe airbrush ken can shed some light on this problem.  The nozzle itself threads in so I don’t think its position is adjustable.  Is there some way of realigning the needle position?  Would a new needle o-ring help? Thanks, Gary I had the same thing with my Custom Micron which I got second hand. I just went and replaced the whole head assembly for piece of mind. You can get the nozzle re-centred but it’s not all that easy. It makes a lot of difference to the quality of spray when the needle is centred perfectly, especially on finer lines. Paul.

Response:

Well I would say the needle being to one side definitely alters the spray pattern. I couldn’t get my micron to spray a fine line until I got a new head. Same needle as before and now it is perfectly centred with the new head. On the old head it was to one side and trying to get a fine line was a nightmare. Even a medium line was a pig and wasn’t consistent. When I got the new head it sprayed like a dream. Same paint and the old needle, just a new head. The needle being to one side has to alter the spray pattern and having first hand experience plus 15 years of airbrushing knowledge I say the guy from Iwata is just palming you off with duff info. Spraying a precision fine line needs a precision tool and a needle to one side isn’t precision in my book. Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body. Ok, I have something interesting to add here… I have 2 HP-C’s, one I used for the first time last night. The first one has a needle that isn’t centered, it lies against the side of the tip when it retracts. Lines breaks up and clogs easily when I try to get hairlines. So I break out the NEW HP-C, this is the first time I take it out of the packaging, just got it. I look at the tip and the needle retracts to the side, it’s not centered. This is literally straight out of the box. I have a look at my paasche VL, the needle retracts to the side of the tip. I replace it with a new #3 needle straight out of the package. It retracts to the side of the tip. Do I just have rotten luck or what? I spoke with a tech from Iwata-Medea in Oregon on the phone the other day asking about centering the needle in my HP-C.  He stated that it really doesn’t matter if the needle is centered because its only job is to meter paint into the airsteam.  His opinion was that it was immaterial.  When I mentioned my concern that the constant wear on one side of the nozzle would cause it to wear prematurely he said "Not in your lifetime!  As hard as the metal is, it’s not going to wear out any time soon."  Does anyone here have any experience to confirm or deny this?  Looking at the construction of the airbrush, the only way I can see of altering the position of the needle tip in the nozzle is to change the position of the ring that the needle guide and chuck slides into in the back of the main body.  In my case, I’d have to make it sit lower somehow.  As this isn’t a replaceable part, I’m reluctant to start making changes to it in any way.  I’ve found that if the trigger spring tension adjustment is not threaded all the way in, it leaves enough slack that I can press down on the needle chuck nut and cause the tip of the needle to move up into the center of the nozzle, but as soon as I release the pressure, it goes right back to it’s original position.  Do the Microns behave the same way?  How about Paasches? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill over this? Any ideas or opinions? Thanks, Gary

Response:

Thanks for the reply Paul, I can’t really afford to replace the parts just now – what’s the procedure for centering the needle on the HP series?  Maybe airbrush ken can shed some light on this problem.  The nozzle itself threads in so I don’t think its position is adjustable.  Is there some way of realigning the needle position?  Would a new needle o-ring help? Thanks, Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I had the same thing with my Custom Micron which I got second hand. I just went and replaced the whole head assembly for piece of mind. You can get the nozzle re-centred but it’s not all that easy. It makes a lot of difference to the quality of spray when the needle is centred perfectly, especially on finer lines. Paul.

Response:

After thinking about it for a while, Gary W. Gerfen stood up and yelled: Ken, Thanks for the reply.  I checked very closely and the threads at the nozzle and in the body don’t appear to have been cross-threaded (and no, it wasn’t me that had the borken-off tip.  Mine is fine).  I did buy a new needle and needle o-ring and installed them tonight with Super Lube.  The old o-ring was pretty chewed up and the old needle

Ah, a new piece of information that I can use…what is "Super Lube" and what can I use in it’s place, since I don’t have any? (I’m the guy that snapped the nozzle off) — -||- Diode -|<|-

Response:

After thinking about it for a while, airbrush ken stood up and yelled: Mate, The fluid nozzle is not sealed. You need to put some bee’s wax on the thread of the tip and re-seal it. Just remove the tip and rub some bee’s wax on the thread and re-assemble. Take a lighter or match and heat the tip for a couple of seconds. That will melt the wax and seal the tip… Ken

Since I don’t have a hive near my house, I’m going to have some trouble finding bees wax.  Do you know what else it’s used for so I know what specialty stores to look in?  Thanks Ken.  BTW- This is what started the whole mess in the first place.  I over tightened the nozzle trying to eliminate the bubbles…that’s when I snapped it off.  If I knew then what I know now…  :o) — -||- Diode -|<|-

Response:

Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body. The only thing you haven’t mentioned is the condition of the packing washer. When you put the needle in, do you feel any drag on the brush? If not, take a jewelers screw driver (flat tip) and gently tighten the packing nut in the airbrush body….only turn an 1/8th of a turn at a time. Keep checking the needle to feel if there is any drag. I mention this only because if everything else is off, this is probably too. If you can get it to tighten, you should replace the packing washer…make sure you get the newer nylon type washer, as it’s solvent proof. The nozzle is what centers the needle when seated. When you pull the needle back and it goes out of line…either the needle is bent at the tip some how or the nozzle is at an angle. Needle’s do get bent in shipping and I just roll them between two pieces of plate glass (0.5mm) to get them stright. I wish I had the damn thing here and I could see it and test it. It sounds simple, but I do know your frustration. A couple of ideas to help everyone: Always put you needle in backwards first to make sure the passage through the trigger is clear and then flip it the other way to install..no bent needles! If your airbrush is spraying slightly off centre, just work without the aircap/needle cap on the brush. The brush will work fine and you’ll be able to adjust your aim for perfect control. BE CAREFUL..don’t bump the needle end! You can also take off both the needle cap and nozzle caps and use the air brush to stipple. Drop your air pressure to a few pounds (I pinch the braded hose)…hold the trigger down and pull the trigger back and forth….only works on gravity feeds. By increasing the pressure, the paint specks get smaller and decreasing the pressure makes the drops bigger. Works well for rocks, grass and fur. I spray fine drops and dry brush the droplets in one direction to make fur or grass. Super lube is a brand of needle lube….like badger’s needle juice. The stuff works great with water based paints. Paul: HP-C’s don’t have removable heads…I sure wish they did. Now you know why the micron costs so much…lol… Ken

Response:

Gary W. Gerfen said: Diode, Super Lube is an airbrush lubricant distributed in the US by Medea Airbrush Products.  I’ve seen it online anywhere from $5.99 to $9.95 USD per 1/2 oz bottle.  Here’s some blurbs from various websites:

Thanks Gary.  I’m about to place another order with Dixie Air, so I’ll add that on.  The new parts are supposed to arrive tomorrow.  I can’t wait to go back to using the Iwata instead of the Paasche. — -||- Diode -|<|- ‘68 L-79 Coupe ‘79 Triumph Bonneville The plonk?  You can’t HANDLE the plonk!

Response:

Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body.

Ok, I have something interesting to add here… I have 2 HP-C’s, one I used for the first time last night. The first one has a needle that isn’t centered, it lies against the side of the tip when it retracts. Lines breaks up and clogs easily when I try to get hairlines. So I break out the NEW HP-C, this is the first time I take it out of the packaging, just got it. I look at the tip and the needle retracts to the side, it’s not centered. This is literally straight out of the box. I have a look at my paasche VL, the needle retracts to the side of the tip. I replace it with a new #3 needle straight out of the package. It retracts to the side of the tip. Do I just have rotten luck or what?

Response:

Diode, The most logical place would be your local beekeeper if you want the pure wax.  They sell the stuff to distributors, but would probably sell a small amount to you for a couple of bucks.  Check your yellow pages under beekeepers (duh!).  Otherwise, cabinet makers use it to make their drawers glide smoother and seamstresses use it to make their thread slide easier.  Try carpentry shops and sewing/fabric shops.   The newly formed beeswax in a hive is soft and pliable at the normal temperature of the hive (the bees keep it at about 98 deg. F).  If the wax you end up with seems a little too hard to work with, warm it up to that temperature and it should soften up. Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Since I don’t have a hive near my house, I’m going to have some trouble finding bees wax.  Do you know what else it’s used for so I know what specialty stores to look in?  Thanks Ken.  BTW- This is what started the whole mess in the first place.  I over tightened the nozzle trying to eliminate the bubbles…that’s when I snapped it off.  If I knew then what I know now…  :o)

Response:

Diode, Super Lube is an airbrush lubricant distributed in the US by Medea Airbrush Products.  I’ve seen it online anywhere from $5.99 to $9.95 USD per 1/2 oz bottle.  Here’s some blurbs from various websites: Medea Super Lube "Natural and non-toxic, Super Lube can be used on all moving parts of an airbrush. Use Super Lube on the main lever, needle packing, and valve piston packing will help keep them moving smoothly. Apply Super Lube in the needle cap along the needle to enhance paint flow and to prevent tip drying." and "Super Lube is a non-toxic product that contains no petroleum or silicone additives. It can be used on all moving parts of the airbrush. It will not effect or react with any water, lacquer, or enamel-based paints. Use it on a regular basis to keep your needle and trigger from sticking or binding." http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/product/01004148/ http://art-supply.best-emporium.com/PID-ZzA1vIF/Medea-Super-Lube-1-2-… http://www.misterart.com/store/view.cfm?group_id=7932&store=001 It’s suggested to apply a small amount directly to the needle and spread it with your finger.  Apply a tiny amount to other moving parts. I found it at The Art Store in Pasadena, CA. for $9.95.  Check your local art supply house that carries Medea or Iwata products. Hope this helps. Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Ah, a new piece of information that I can use…what is "Super Lube" and what can I use in it’s place, since I don’t have any? (I’m the guy that snapped the nozzle off)

Response:

You sure your name isn’t Mr Unlucky from number 13 Unlucky Drive in Unluckysville. (sorry) Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gary, The first sign of a mis-aligned tip/needle is you will see paint gathering on one side, inside the needle cap (aircap). In extreme cases you will see the spray pattern deform on the paper. 90% of the time it’s the needle being bent. From time to time I do fine cross threaded tips. That’s why the self centering tips work so well, as they are machine fitted to the body. Ok, I have something interesting to add here… I have 2 HP-C’s, one I used for the first time last night. The first one has a needle that isn’t centered, it lies against the side of the tip when it retracts. Lines breaks up and clogs easily when I try to get hairlines. So I break out the NEW HP-C, this is the first time I take it out of the packaging, just got it. I look at the tip and the needle retracts to the side, it’s not centered. This is literally straight out of the box. I have a look at my paasche VL, the needle retracts to the side of the tip. I replace it with a new #3 needle straight out of the package. It retracts to the side of the tip. Do I just have rotten luck or what?

Response:

Mate, The fluid nozzle is not sealed. You need to put some bee’s wax on the thread of the tip and re-seal it. Just remove the tip and rub some bee’s wax on the thread and re-assemble. Take a lighter or match and heat the tip for a couple of seconds. That will melt the wax and seal the tip… Ken – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gary/Ken: The new parts showed up today for the Iwata HP-B and I put it back together.  New nozzle, needle, packing washer and packing nut.  I’m still getting very tiny bubbles in the paint cup.  I cleaned everything carefully before reassembly.  Any ideas?

Response:

I’ve used plumbers ptfe tape in the past. It seemed to work ok. Probably not as good a seal as bees wax though. Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com

Mate, The fluid nozzle is not sealed. You need to put some bee’s wax on the thread of the tip and re-seal it. Just remove the tip and rub some bee’s wax on the thread and re-assemble. Take a lighter or match and heat the tip for a couple of seconds. That will melt the wax and seal the tip… Ken

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Gary/Ken: The new parts showed up today for the Iwata HP-B and I put it back together.  New nozzle, needle, packing washer and packing nut.  I’m still getting very tiny bubbles in the paint cup.  I cleaned everything carefully before reassembly.  Any ideas?

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Gary, I found when my Micron had the same problem that you are suffering from it was difficult to get it to spray consistently and fine lines were impossible. This was all from the needle retracting to one side. My threads weren’t cross threaded either so I don’t know what was causing the problem. I only cured it by getting a new head set. Paul. — http://www.littlemisspinup.com http://www.paulcorfield.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ken, Thanks for the reply.  I checked very closely and the threads at the nozzle and in the body don’t appear to have been cross-threaded (and no, it wasn’t me that had the borken-off tip.  Mine is fine).  I did buy a new needle and needle o-ring and installed them tonight with Super Lube.  The old o-ring was pretty chewed up and the old needle had a bent tip.  I think the previous owner had a hard time getting the needle through it without poking it a time or two.  What I found was that if I removed the nozzle and ran the new needle in till it extended about 3mm past the end of the body, the needle appeared to be slightly off-center.  If I rotated the needle I could see the tip describe a tiny circle, indicating that the needle was slightly bent. With the nozzle in place, the needle would be centered only when fully closed.  Once I began to open it, it would draw toward one side and stay there all the way to full open.  Is this critical to have the needle absolutely centered in order to get the best results?  What are the typical symptoms seen in the spray pattern (if any) when the needle is slightly off-center?    Is it typical to have a new needle with a very slight bend in it, maybe .3mm to .5mm over the entire length of the needle, or should I expect it to be absolutely straight? Thanks again, Gary Hey Gary, Sorry about the problem with the iwata. You are right, all the HP series have what’s called "self centering" type tips. The HP-C doesn’t have a removable head assembly like T&C and some Badger Models. It sounds like the tip was cross threaded into the body. You will need a new tip no matter what. If I remember right didn’t you remove an old tip? They will usually snap when cross threaded, because you need so much pressure to tighten it. What I do is remove the tip and I have a tool to re-cut the threads, which usually solves the problem….but it costs. The repair kit cost me $450.00 Australian about 14 years ago, from Germany. I would contact Media in the USA and see if they have a service centre you can access. or if they can tell you where to purchase a tap to chase the threads. as a point of reference: In Australia that airbrush sells for close to $300.00…a needle/tip assembly cost $74.00. I charge $25.00 labor here to rebuild the airbrush, which would include the thread repair. I am sorry, but to my knowledge, there is no easy answer. One final note: I always place the needle in the body with the needle loose and extended beyond the head by 3/8". I then place the new tip on the needle sliding the tip into the body threads, using the needle as a guide. This usually prevents you from crss threading the body/tip. Ken

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