Iwata Hi-line Hp-bh / Custom Micron Cm-c

[Kris]

Sold a couple of ABs and looking at buying a new one with the money. I'm looking at either a Hi-Line HP-BH or a Custom Micron CM-C.

Leaning toward the Hi-Line because its a little cheaper, basically has the same needle size and is probably just as good an AB for what I'm doing.

Wondering if anyone can give me some feedback that has one of these AB.

Thanks.

[RayburnGuy]

I have the HP-CH which I think is the exact same brush as the HP-BH except that it has a larger paint cup. I can't say enough about this brush. I started out with some cheaper brushes and when I got the Hi-Line it was amazing how much easier it made things for me. This brush is capable of painting way above my skills, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I think that gunnie3035 and solarfall also have this brush so maybe they will chime in. I've read pro's and cons about the MAC valve. Some of the more experienced painters say you don't need it while others have nothing but good to say about it. All I can say is it makes things easier for me and it seems to have lowered the learning curve. Don't think you can go wrong by buying the Hi-Line.

Ben

[Kris]

Thanks for the info RayburnGuy. I was leaning towards the HP-BH because of the smaller cup and it doesn't have the MAC valve. Didn't know much about how well the MAC valve would help or hurt.

What is your experience with the MAC valve? Do you use it? Does it help with such things as making small lines?

Thanks.

[MikePaintsBaits]

Hey Kris ,

I'm just like Ben , I don't have the "MAD" skills like many of guys here. My first brush was the HP-C Plus , which has the 3mm needle , its a Great brush. I then purchased the Hi-Line HP-AH which has the 2mm needle , I do my detail work with , as/well I have to thin my paint , due to the smaller needle. I do use the mac valve on the brush , its easy to adjust my air pressure.

Like Ben said , others will chime in , that can use any brush to paint GREAT looking baits, these guys have SKILLS that I'll never have , but have given me some great tips & tricks to make me a better painter & for that , I Tip My Hat To Them.

Mike

Edited October 1, 2010 by MikePaintsBaits

[RayburnGuy]

  On 10/1/2010 at 1:41 PM, Kris said:

I was leaning towards the HP-BH because of the smaller cup and it doesn't have the MAC valve.

Thanks.

Hey Kris, are you sure your looking at the Hi-Line HP-BH? I looked at the Iwata's at Coast Air (http://www.coastairb...ucts.asp?cat=35) and at TCP Global (http://www.tcpglobal...ne.aspx#IWA4231) and both sites show the HP-BH to have the MAC valve. Either that or my last cookie has crumbled.

The MAC valve lets you make fine adjustments to the amount of air flowing through the nozzle without having to try and fine tune your air pressure regulator. And it's done right at the airbrush so it's quick and easy. It comes in handy when trying to do small detail work which requires getting the brush up close to what your painting. Like I said before, some of the more experienced guys don't need this feature, but I need all the help I can get.

Another thing I like about the HI-Line airbrushes is that they will allow you to use either a .2mm or .3mm needle/nozzle combination. The HP-BH comes with a .2mm nozzle while the HP-CH comes with a .3mm nozzle. By purchasing the extra needle/nozzle combination you can interchange them.(you'll also have to buy the nozzle cap in the appropriate size) I don't think this is something that is possible on all the other Iwata brushes.

And don't let Mike kid you about his airbrush skills. He's a lot better with an airbrush than he lets on. Mike just doesn't like to "blow his own horn". Take a look at some of Mike's work in the gallery and you'll see what I'm talking about.

If I can be of any further help just holler.

Ben

Edited October 1, 2010 by RayburnGuy

[Kris]

RayburnGuy ... Good News ... you haven't lost your last cookie ! I was thinking about the Custom Micron when I typed that. It doesn't have the MAC valve. You are right ... the HP-BH does have it.

So to be able to run a .3 mm needle I would need the needle, cap & nozzle?

[RayburnGuy]

  On 10/2/2010 at 12:58 AM, Kris said:

RayburnGuy ... Good News ... you haven't lost your last cookie ! I was thinking about the Custom Micron when I typed that. It doesn't have the MAC valve. You are right ... the HP-BH does have it.

So to be able to run a .3 mm needle I would need the needle, cap & nozzle?

Whew....thanks for the good news............I've become rather attached to my last cookie

That is correct. The HI-Line brushes only come with one size needle/nozzle setup. The AH and the BH come with a .2mm setup and the CH comes with a .3mm setup. Not 100% positive, but pretty sure the reason the CH comes with the .3mm is because it has a larger paint cup than the AH or BH. A lot of the guys who do really small detail work and get up really close with their brushes say the larger cup sizes make it harder to see around them. That's not a problem for me as my skill levels aren't that good yet. And I didn't want to spend the extra money buying multiple brushes so I compromised and got the HP-CH with the .3mm setup and the larger cup. The larger cup allows me to use it while base coating multiple lures and not having to refill the paint cup so often and it still offers plenty of control to do any detail work I want to do. The nozzle cap (around $10) and needle (Around $18) aren't that expensive, but expect to pay around $45 for the nozzle itself. (plus shipping) If it were me and I was pretty much sold on the HP-BH I wouldn't worry about buying the .3mm setup. Especially not before I had even tried the brush. It's not something that you can't live without for at least a while. I'd also check several places before buying whichever brush you decide on. While a lot of the online stores are pretty much competitive on their airbrush prices there can be a huge difference in shipping costs. Let us know what you decide or if you need any more help.

One other thing. Just to be sure, you do understand the difference between the needle cap and the nozzle cap don't you? If I'm not mistaken the needle caps are interchangeable while the nozzle caps are not. If you decide to buy the different size setup it's the needle, nozzle and nozzle cap that you'll have to purchase. Go to the link at TCP I gave you and have a look at the parts guide for the HI-Line brushes. They have a pretty good breakdown on the different parts for the brushes.

Ben

[gunnie3035]

I do like the Hi-line it is a fine brush. But it does require thinning the paint. I'm usually in a hurry and a tad bit lazy so I generally paint everything with a HP-C brush where I can dump paint straight out of the bottle. I think most guys end up doing this once they get their trigger finger trained. I only wish they made an HP-C with the Mac valve. But the Hi-Line is a great tool and work very good for small details.

[Kris]

I ended up going with the Hi-Line HP-BH and found a good deal on it at Dick Blick Arts.

When it comes in and get to use I'll let ya'll know how I like it.

Thanks for the help.