Iwata airbrushes

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I bought an Iwata Eclipse airbrush model HP CS. The instructions are “Japaneese vague” and I wonder if any others have used the Eclipse series brushes and if there are any comments or hints.

The quality and “heft” are outstanding (so far).[:)]

2

I have an iwata air brush and it is the best brush I have ever used. I cant remember my model number but it is a dual action type. Fine spray, easy maintainence. My instructions were in like 10 different languages depending on what part of the page you looked at. But then again I bought my brush about 8 years ago.

Massey

3

Sounds similar to the Paasche airbrushes I have (H and VL models) which also have a substantial heft and are virtually bullet proof.

4

I took a seminar in Basic Airbrushing at a train show not so long ago. We used Iwata Eclipse airbrushes. Pretty straightforward.

There are a bajillion videos – a couple on this site, two or three in the Dream, Plan, Build video series, and a metric carload on Youtube – on how to airbrush. Go watch a couple.

Practice using cheap paint on paper or cardboard until you get the hang of it, and the feel of your particular brush. It’s one of those things that isn’t nearly as hard as it seems from the outset.

5

Bruce,

I’ve used an Iwata HP-C for years. There aren’t any big secrets to using an Iwata, but here are a few hints - clean it thoroughly after every use, avoid using the same brush for acrylics and solvent-based paints, and don’t be shy on air pressure. I usually spray at 25-30 psi. You can get even better results if you tune your brush by polishing the tip and needle.

Thanks for reading MR,

Terry

6

I have two Iwata air brushes, an HP-BCS and an HP-CS. Both work wonderfully. I recently had to replace the rubber o-ring after getting some blow back and the Iwata help line was first rate at pinpointing the problem. Keep the thing cleaned and lubed and it’ll work forever. Sparying is all in the paint mix. Every paint has its own thinning requirements. Don’t try to thin paint with liquid designed for a back yard project from a giant big box home improvement store. Keep this in mind and you won’t have problems.

-Paul