finlander Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Bought a Paasche VL a couple of years ago. I'm still a newbie at painting and have not produced anything in the last year. A BIG gift card fell into my lap today and thought of those Iwata's. Not sure what models our HobbyLobby carries. Are they head and shoulders above Paasche? Easier to clean? That open area to adjust the needle is neat. Looking for a few responses.....thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 If you do a search on airbrush you will find a ton of threads on the discussion of airbrushes. I use a Iwata myself and I'm very happy with it. In fact I'm looking at purchasing another one. My brother just switched to an Iwata which he bought from Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon. He got the Iwata Eclipse HP CS and loves it. He says it is so much easier to clean than his old AB. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlander Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I'm sure using another brand will be the same. The VL was sticky abit, the button anyway. I'm pretty sure HobLob put the VL back on the shelf, as it was used. One needle was slightly bent, I did get another from BearAir. I'm stopping in there today to see what models they sell now. Found my Bear catalog and saw they dont carry Iwata's anymore. Wonder if parts are hard to come by? I need to git back on the horse and practice again. Been too long between lures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 BearAir was forced to drop their Iwata dealership recently, but they carry aftermarket parts. Their Peak airbrushes are very simular to the Iwata's and work just about as good if your interested in those......otherwise Iwata parts are readily available thru other venues.....I use an Iwata Eclipse for about 80% of my airbrushing and they are a great airbrush. They have the same amount of parts as any other make of airbrush so cleaning isn't really much different then cleaning any other brand.....all airbrushes are about the same in that area. Practice is the key to using any model airbrush.....practice on any substrate you can get access to....paper, cardboard, aluminum, pvc pipe, tee shirts, papertowels, ballcaps etc....lol.....you don't have to just restrict your practice to a lure body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I have an Iwata HP-B (.2mm tip) and a Revolution B (.3mm tip) and like them both. There are two things that make Iwatas my favorite. First, the design is solid and the quality is impeccable throughout the Iwata line. Second, Iwatas are categorized according to their tip sizes. So you can buy one knowing how it will work compared to other airbrushes, i.e., what kinds of paint it will shoot and how much detail you can expect for shading and fine lines. It gripes me that Badger and Paasche don't specify tip sizes - you are left to guess how they will perform until you use them. I've owned both brands and think they are workhorse airbrushes, but when the chips are down, gimme Iwata every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlander Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Was at the local HobLob today and saw they carried only the Eclipse in a kit of sorts. One uses the bottles and the other is a gravity feed. Gravity comes without an airhose. One is available for $25, but can i use the one from the VL? Is the fitting standard thru out the idustry? It also comes with a moisture trap and a couple of paints. I already have enough Createx at home. Gravity style was a dream to use after trying those bottles at first( on the VL.) Dont know if there is a couple of needles or tips with the kit. A think their 40% coupon comes out next week. By the way, BearAir has Iwata's again on their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 (edited) Was at the local HobLob today and saw they carried only the Eclipse in a kit of sorts. One uses the bottles and the other is a gravity feed. Gravity comes without an airhose. One is available for $25, but can i use the one from the VL? Is the fitting standard thru out the idustry? It also comes with a moisture trap and a couple of paints. I already have enough Createx at home. Gravity style was a dream to use after trying those bottles at first( on the VL.) Dont know if there is a couple of needles or tips with the kit. A think their 40% coupon comes out next week. By the way, BearAir has Iwata's again on their website. Paasche air hoses will not fit an Iwata.....for whatever reason there is no industry standard in that area so you'll need to plan on getting an air hose to fit the Iwatas. Most hoses are brand specific....but Iwata hoses usually fit Iwata knockoffs....lol. There are pro's and con's to each style....Siphon feed vs gravity feed that is.....Get what fits your needs best....I purchased bottle feed when I was airbrushing tee shirts so I could swap colors quickly and the bottles held more paint....I like my gravity feeds because they use less air pressure making detail work easier, but I don't like the paint cup in my line of sight, so its a catch 22 for me....lol. Either will work for lure painting, but i'll bet most guys use gravity feed, since on average most have small compressors and being able to work with less air pressure is valued highly. Having a spare needle and tip on hand is always a good thing. I hadn't heard anything new between BearAir and Iwata, but your 100% correct....they once again show Iwata's on their website...thats great...I hope they worked everything out.....I missed having them as a dealer for parts....thanks for the info. Edited October 24, 2009 by 68KingFisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 You can also buy hose adapters that let you use a Paasche hose with an Iwata airbrush, for example. Couple of bucks. Dixie Art sells good ones but unless you spend $50, they really stab you on the shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlander Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 It looks like that cup on the Eclipse holds more paint than the one with the VL. And it is right on top, not under like on the VL. I did think about an adapter, though HobLob may not have it. I'll look next time I am there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
