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When I bit the bullet and purchased an airbrush some years ago I went all in and bought a Iwata HP-CH.


In hindsight I believe I went a bit overboard as I have never even touched the MAC valve, so I guess I could have gone for a cheaper alternative.
I've gone through two nozzles and I just bent my second needle yesterday which is very frustrating and also quite expensive.
A new nozzle plus a needle is about £40 which is insane, so I was wondering if anyone knows if I can find cheaper alternatives to the replacement needles that Iwata sells?

A quick search for "0.3 Airbrush needle" on ebay brings up a lot of cheap options, like this one here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VEDA-WD-180-AIRBRUSH-NEEDLE-NOZZLE-NOZZLE-CAP-SET-0-3MM-AIR-BRUSH-NEEDLE-/231251886361?pt=UK_Crafts_DrawingSupplies_EH&hash=item35d7afc119

From a quick glance, the nozzle looks like it would fit my airbrush and I doubt that the needle could be much different from the one I just bent.
What do you think?

Cheers.

Unless it's a total fluke, or someone is making a specific part to it a brand of airbrush (like a Grex made quick connect for a Paasche airbrush), airbrush parts aren't interchangeable. 0.3mm needles from 3 different companies will be 3 different sizes (length especially). If you compare caps, the apertures are not even close; not to mention none of the threads will fit or anything else.

Even within a manufacturer, you often (usually?) can't interchange parts between series. For instance, HP-CH needle won't work in HP-CS body; Paasche T series parts won't work in an H series airbrush.

By the way, that is a really nice airbrush that you have. The needle should be damn near bulletproof, unless you've taken off the cap or dropped the airbrush...

The MAC adapter actually isn't super useful, I think. I do not own this model, but I tried it briefly, and I seem to get much more control out of the MAC adapter that goes on the hose end. Maybe this is just my inexperience.

Also, keep in mind it has a 0.3mm instead of 0.35mm needle (I think better for miniatures) that comes with the cheaper Eclipse (HP-CS) version, plus a preset handle that is handy and quite expensive as an add-on.

One solution is, you could sell your HP-CH. The demand for it is high, and the resale value should be pretty good.

Like Talys mentionned, airbrush parts are not usually interchangeable. As I always say: "I am too poor to buy cheap."

If you buy some third party parts there is a 95%+ chance it will not work and you will end up having to bite the bullet...again but this time you will pay full price and will have spent money on a knock off.

Buy the damn thing and save yourself the trouble.

I know it sucks but it comes with the territory.

At what particular stage of handling do you ruin the nozzle and bend the needle?

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated.
A shame about the replacement parts, one would think there would be a market for it, with all the crafty Chinamen and all :p

 granander wrote:
At what particular stage of handling do you ruin the nozzle and bend the needle?

I can't really recall how I managed to damage the first needle as it happened a couple of years ago, but the other day I bent it when I pulled it out from the back (Never a good idea it seems)
I hadn't cleaned the airbrush properly after varnishing, so the needle was stuck and I had to use force.
I usually leave the crown off when I airbrush as well which I guess is asking for trouble.

As for the nozzle, I've only ruined one, not two like I wrote earlier and that was by tightening it too hard.

I'll just have to be more careful, but man, it's hard to stay focused when cleaning it several times a day between colour switches.

Seeing as you're a fellow Swede, would you happen to know of any cheap airbrush cleaners that doesn't damage the chrome?
I'm using Vallejos airbrush cleaner, but as I can't buy that in any local shop it gets kind of expensive since I have to order it online.

The only 3rd party parts I use are O-rings and hoses/fittings. Everything else I stick with the brand/series to ensure proper fit/function.

My favorite 3rd party part I got is an inexpensive quick disconnect for my Paasche hose.

From my semilocal airbrush dealer I got the tip to always pull out the needle through the front, not the back. I first remove the front end, loosen the needle lockingnut and then push it forward so I can grip it. The reason being that is you have paint residue you will not get stuck and you will not draw paintcrud through the seals and the trigger assembly. This has worked extremely well for me, I use a .15 needle and have so far not managed to bend it. I also inser from the front not to get snagged up and bend the needle.

What I use for cleaning is this:

First I have a spraybottle with plain water set to spread I use this to fill ut the cup and just run it through. If I have any dried paint I tip it out into a waste container not to get chips stuck in needle and noozle. I fill and empty the cup 2-3 times at full pressure.

Next I have regular windowcleaner, any non ammoniak brand from ICA Maxi or something like that will do. This will work so disolve the more stubborn parts. Here I also use a spray bottle set the spread. The spread is good since it sprays with pressure up againt the cup. I fill ad empty the cup 1-2 timed depending on how much paint is left.

At this stage I also work a q-tip soaked in windowcleaner around the cup to make sure I get all old paint.

Finally I use the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner. Since the airbrush is now pretty much clean I don't need so much cleaner. I use a 15ml dropperbottle and I usually only use 6-7 drops of cleaner.

The Airbrush Cleaner is by far the most effective. But if the paint don't have time to dry in the airbrush I find it to be a bit overkill to use all the time.

Also, when I take a short break from airbrushing I do the first to steps, the put some water back in the airbrush, pull pack to make sure there is fluid in the nozzle. And leave it until I am ready to go. This way, if I have missed any paint, it doesn't get a chance to airdry.