Need Some Iwata Help

[Kris]

Want to do a good cleaning of my Iwata HP-CS but cannot get the nozzle loose. Pretty tight.

Any suggestions on how to remove the nozzle without damaging it ?

[MikePaintsBaits]

Hey Kris

I've had a issue with my nozzle as well , I took one of those round rubber pads you open

jars with & cut it up , worked great. I'm sure there,s some better ways.

Mike

[mark poulson]

You could try soaking the brush and nozzle in acetone overnight. Then try to unscrew it. Generally speaking, a soaking in acetone will soften any paint that's dried inside the brush.

If it's still stuck the next morning, you can try putting a couple of layers of duct tape on the jaws of some small channel locks or pliers, to protect the nozzle, and use them to remove the nozzle. I seriously doubt you'll have much trouble unless you previously cross threaded the nozzle, and then forced it back on.

That's what works for me on delicate stuff. Just remember that the reason it's stuck is probably dried paint, so it might not take too much force to break it loose.

Take it slow and easy.

Edited November 22, 2010 by mark poulson

[airbrushextreme]

I use a finger out of a neoprene glove and a pair of slip joint pliers I have never had any trouble just a little nudge and it breaks loose

[mark poulson]

Once you get the nozzle apart, and cleaned, hand tighten only when you reassemble, and only snug, not cranked down tight. Those are fine threads, and soft metals, so take it slow and easy.

Remember, you'll need to take it back apart for cleaning every so often, so hand tightened is plenty.

Edited November 23, 2010 by mark poulson

[68KingFisher]

The only thing I'd add is to make sure the head assembly does not leak air around the threads once its reassembled.....air leaks cause all kinds of inconsistancy problems when spraying.....a little soapy solution on the treaded areas while pressing the trigger will reveal any leaks.....fix the leaks with either teflon tape or bee's wax.

[Kris]

I can get the very small nozzle piece the screws on off. The larger brass nozzle that attaches to the AB body is stuck.

I soaked it in Acetone and still won't budge.

If I'm not making sense ... I'll take a pic and attach.

[68KingFisher]

If I'm not making sense ... I'll take a pic and attach.

Please do......Sometimes that helps diagnose problems.

[Kris]

The brass nozzle piece in pick with arrow pointing to it that I'm having trouble with.

I've also noticed that my trigger is sticking now. Sometimes I can press it down and it will stay depressed until I manually pull it up. Just not smooth ... feels 'sticky'.

I have taken the AB apart and cleaned it several times. I have soaked it in Acetone.

[mark poulson]

The brass nozzle piece in pick with arrow pointing to it that I'm having trouble with.

I've also noticed that my trigger is sticking now. Sometimes I can press it down and it will stay depressed until I manually pull it up. Just not smooth ... feels 'sticky'.

I have taken the AB apart and cleaned it several times. I have soaked it in Acetone.

Kris,

I've never taken that part of the brush apart, although I do have an Iwata, so I can't help you with that part.

The sticking trigger can be from a buildup of paint and dirty water in the needle assembly on the other side of the trigger from the tip, or it can be from dirt in the trigger assembly itself.

I would take the needle out, unscrew the rear portion of the air brush, and take the trigger out, being careful to note how it's oriented and installed. The needle actually passes through the trigger, and holds it in place, so you have to remove the needle completely first, before you can remove the trigger assembly.

When it's all disassembled, I would clean it with acetone.

Then use some air brush lube on the parts, and reassemble.

I had to do all this only once, when I let some dirty paint water run back into my trigger assembly when I had the needle out for cleaning. Now, I never remove the needle until the cup and nozzle have been flushed with cleaner, and then with water, so there's very little that can slip down the barrel and into the trigger.

I also spray some of my water/dw detergent cleaning solution into the trigger now whenever it sticks, and it loosens right up.

Edited December 6, 2010 by mark poulson

[68KingFisher]

Ok...The brass nozzle is just sitting in a tapered hole, and is simply stuck with dried paint and the fact its probably not taken apart very often.....All you need to do is grab the nozzle firmly between your thumb and forefinger and try to rock it back and forth....That might take a little force, but it should break loose and pull right out.....Now....from what I see in your photo, you should go ahead and replace the nozzle while your at it....Notice how the tip of it is flared out?....Thats not suppose to look like that....its should be the same taper all the way to the end of the tip....once they start to flare out they'll eventually split and give you all kinds of "splattering" problems and even spraying to one side, and you can usually forget detail work when using a worn tip like that....Fortunately those style nozzles are inexpensive and a cheap repair.

By the way....I noticed that airbrush has a rubber o-ring around the head assembly treads so it usually never leaks air in that area, so you can disregard my earlier advise about teflon tape and bee's wax....you normally don't need it on threads that have an o-ring seal.

I use lacquer thinner for all my washups.....Sticky triggers can mean it just needs cleaning further into the brush,and on occasion a drop of lube into the air valve where the hose attaches is needed to fix the problem.....I use airbrush lube or a touch of glycerin on all the trigger parts that rub against each other....it cuts down wear and makes the action smoother.

Edited December 8, 2010 by 68KingFisher