Man, I was looking forward all week to painting today. I got some new paints, a new figure and an idea, so I started getting ready. I cleaned up my workspace, mixed the paints, took my airbrush apart to clean it and when it all went back together something went wrong. Now my airbrush (an iwata Eclipse HP-SBS) is behaviing like a single action airbrush- when I press the trigger down, paint is escaping before I pull back on the trigger.. I think its the nozzle, and that I might have pressed the needle to much when I put it together and stretched the nozzle head opening out a bit, so now the needle doesn't block the opening correctly. I hope that's it- if thats the case I just have to get a new nozzle (from a place downtown)- if not.. time to start a new airbrush fund. =(

Can any of you fellow painters with more knowledge of the innerworkings of an airbrush diagnose my problem? I'm just taking a bit of an educated guess as to the problem.

thanks,

Phil

You have fine taste in airbrushes! I would check to make sure that the "under-button" workings were put back together correctly. I had a bit of difficulty making sure everything was lined up right going back in. I'm no expert, but I don't think you stretched the nozzle. Just remove your crown cap & see if you're getting a smooth back/forth motion w/ the needle. Sounds like maybe a little sticking, or the paint flow mechanism is seated wrong behind/in front of where it needs to be?

sounds dirty. have you tried taking apart he whole airbrush and making sure the needle and all the openings don't have some dried up paint inside?

That sounds about right. It happened to me and they we as little bit of yellow paint trapped that set me back. I found it by putting the needle in backward, blunt end first and had to fish it out with a shaved down toothpick.

Ahh thanks for the tips folks. Apparently it was something wrong in the "putting it all back together"- I took it apart again, reassembled it, same problem... pulled it apart again, cleaned it again, put it back together again I think I forced something somewhere, and BAM- it worked again.
I was so happy it was working again that I painted a Rangeas!


phil