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Yes, airbrushes are all the rage in here. Unlike the other posts though, I have a question about one I have never seen posted here before!

I have an Iwata HP-CS currently. It uses a .5mm nozzle / needle assembly.

It is great for tanks, but for very fine detail like shading power swords / bolt pistols / armor plates, it seems a bit too wide.

Would an Iwata HP-BS be a good choice for a second airbrush? It uses a .35mm Nozzle. would the .15mm difference be appreciable? Should I go for something smaller for a detail brush? I know I could just get a .35mm needle/nozzle assembly for my HP-CS, but I don't want to have to go through the trouble of disassembling it and swapping out the parts every time I want a different brush.

The paint I will be using with this will mostly be Vallejo Model Color or Vallejo Game Color, thinned with Vallejo Thinner Medium.

The Iwata I have has a .35, it is nice and you can do a lot of shading on mini's with it, broad shading, but I can get quite small none the less. I am actually getting a new brush soon that will take me down to a .25, I will use the .35 for large areas and the .25for the small stuff.

I would say sell your .5, the .35 size is a very versatile needle. Or if you can find the parts just switch to a .35 needle, all the Iwata parts are interchangeable.

Ashton

You can get various needle sizes for iwatas, the prices are abit eye watering tho!

I use a .35 in mine.

*edit* they are probably much much cheaper in america actually, everything else is *sigh*

Skippy wrote:You can get various needle sizes for iwatas, the prices are abit eye watering tho!

I use a .35 in mine.

*edit* they are probably much much cheaper in america actually, everything else is *sigh*

It is not just the needle though, i forget the specifics, but there are a few parts that would need to be changed to go from a .5 to a.35.

Ashton

You'd need to buy a new needle, nozzle, and nozzle protector piece.

Total cost for all 3 parts is like $50.

Considering a new brush is like $110, I might just get a second brush instead.... or just go for something like a .25 for detail work, if the .35 is used for large surfaces.

For tank work, I don't really think I'd want anything smaller than my .5.... it seems to work great.

Ah yes, sorry, yes, should have been more clear about that. Youd need the compatible needle, matching nozzle and I think a couple of other parts

Horst, I'm sure you know who Les from awesomepaintjob is. He has this video in which he talks about 15-20 different airbrushes. Granted since he's sponsored by badger now, there are plenty of shameless badger plugs, but still good information on other brands and needle sizes as well. If nothing else, it should give you some good ideas for other models.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NxHXwOWn94

I use a .38 in my Talon airbrush for everything I do(granted I don't do super fine detail with it, mostly base coating and certain colors like white).

You want fine detail get an iwata hi line (HP-BH) which has a .2 mm nozzle. switch the nozzle set on your eclipse to a .35, its a more versatile size for all around use. Those two set ups will pretty much do everything you need. Plus the coolest thing is the hi line has a MAC valve. It's an air flow control valve under the cup on the brush itself. It let's you adjust from full psi down to detail psi without even touching your compressor. When buying a detail brush its a bad idea to go cheap, buy one nice one and it will last you forever.

My Talon came with .25, .38, and .66 needles. I found the 25 too small for my current uses and the 66 better suited for tanks and terrain. Smaller than 30 seems unnecessary IMO.

Smaller than .25 is unnecessary and not recommended for a PRIMARY brush, but if your looking for fine detail its great. It's not just for pencil thin lines. You can shade the smallest areas on tanks and units that you cannot do with a .35. He is asking about a secondary brush, and if I already had a .5 and wanted to have a second brush it would be a .2. But it is about personal preference for the most part , you gotta use a brush to really decide if you like it.

My first AB is an HP-CS ...but I eventually got a Harder & Steenbech Two-in-One ...it's a little more pricey but it's incredible and does everything.

I remember when Gunzhard said he'd post a tutorial on using Liquid Gold in an airbrush. Y U no post tutorial Gunzhard?

Gunzhard wrote:My first AB is an HP-CS ...but I eventually got a Harder & Steenbech Two-in-One ...it's a little more pricey but it's incredible and does everything.

that is just a sexy set up, I have had my eye on the brush for quite some time now...all I have heard are good things about it.

Ashton

ok, thinking of picking this up as my secondary brush then -

http://www.chicagoairbrushsupply.com/iwhipeplhppl1.html

I have that exact brush and its great! The smaller cup size makes it easier to clean and switch colors. Just remember to handle the smaller needle with care, the points bend fairly easy because of their size, and then youd have to get a new one. Great brush though, has made a difference in my paint jobs for sure.

Just thought is add something, if you pick up one of these MAC valves it makes a huge difference. You can quickly and easily adjust air psi right on your brush without touching the compressor. I have one on my HP-B and it allows me to spray different psi on different parts of the same model. Just a suggestion but I find it very valuable.

the HP-B+ has a built in mac valve, which is good. Its .2mm, which is also good.

They are in stock at my local reseller, going to pick one up today.

Sweet, buying airbrushes is fun! just to be clear the brush pictured does not have a built in mac

eh, its not a feature I care about. My compressor has a regulator, and I keep it right at my feet while spraying, so its not a stretch to adjust pressure.