How Do You Tell If You Lost Your Needle Packing?

[scaledale]

I have an Iwata Revolution CR and it doesn't seem to spray as well as what I see in videos. Granted, I'm not WGC material or Dr. Cranky but I need to rule out the machine first. It will leak or foam a bit between the nozzle cap and main body depending on what I'm spraying. Alclad goes at about 10-15 psi and thinned enamels and lacquers at around 20 psi. Mist coats seem to always be to coarse when they dry and wet coats take too much paint and go orange peel too easily.

I broke the brush down this morning and removed the fluid nozzle and needle. In the parts diagram, the packing looks like it would slide out with the needle, but it's not there. The needle is a firm fit in the body like it is sliding through some sort of sleeve but there is no (apparently) removable part in there. It's soaking in thinner right now in case it's all gunked up or something.

Iv'e been known to lose small parts before and will order a replacement packing and needle from TC Global just in case. While on the subject, anyone use the Eclipse? The needle size sounds nice and versatile and the nozzle is a different design.

Thanks.

Dale

G/T Engineering

 

[hooterville75]

Im having the same problem right now with my Badger Patriot 105 but did a complete tear down and repacked the tip hoping to solve the problem. Ill find out later this week ad Im prepping two different models to paint later in the week after the rain dies out. I was also receiving air bubbles around the same part your explaining when I would spray out the airbrush cleaner, alcohol or windex when cleaning the airbrush. Hope its fixed. If not Ill be sending back to Badger to do there thing with it to send back almost as new.

 

[scaledale]

Im having the same problem right now with my Badger Patriot 105 but did a complete tear down and repacked the tip hoping to solve the problem. Ill find out later this week ad Im prepping two different models to paint later in the week after the rain dies out. I was also receiving air bubbles around the same part your explaining when I would spray out the airbrush cleaner, alcohol or windex when cleaning the airbrush. Hope its fixed. If not Ill be sending back to Badger to do there thing with it to send back almost as new.

Badger's on-line documentation isn't as good as Iwata's, but I think what I'm talking about is what Badger calls a washer or Needle Bearing. It's teflon in the badger brushers and something else in the Iwata.

After putting mine back together, I'm positive somethings missing.

Dale

G/T Engineering

 

[Ravhin]

I have both a revolution and an eclipse and they are mostly the same with the exception that the eclipse uses a drop in type of nozzle, not a relevant feature for me but the easiness in disassembly may be for others.

The needle packing should not slide out of the body, you need to unscrew it to release it and then remove it check youtube, there are people demonstrating this, and it's not a totally trivial procedure and honestly it shouldn't be since you should only have to remove that piece in ver very VERY rare circumstances.

By what you are describing the problem seams to be somewhere in the nozzle section, either there is gunk in it or maybe the needle is bent. I suggest you take a very close look at both the nozzle and the needle. There is no reason to take out the needle packing seal and to soak the entire airbrush, depending on what thinner you are using you may be shortening it's seals life, they are not solvent proof but solvent resistant and yes there is a difference , plus most of the o rings are simple rubber which is not resistant to anything

That said if you could provide more information, like are you having troubles with alclads too ? What brands of paint are you using ? What thinning ratios are you using and what thinners ? How is the weather ?

 

[scaledale]

I have both a revolution and an eclipse and they are mostly the same with the exception that the eclipse uses a drop in type of nozzle, not a relevant feature for me but the easiness in disassembly may be for others.

The needle packing should not slide out of the body, you need to unscrew it to release it and then remove it check youtube, there are people demonstrating this, and it's not a totally trivial procedure and honestly it shouldn't be since you should only have to remove that piece in ver very VERY rare circumstances.

By what you are describing the problem seams to be somewhere in the nozzle section, either there is gunk in it or maybe the needle is bent. I suggest you take a very close look at both the nozzle and the needle. There is no reason to take out the needle packing seal and to soak the entire airbrush, depending on what thinner you are using you may be shortening it's seals life, they are not solvent proof but solvent resistant and yes there is a difference , plus most of the o rings are simple rubber which is not resistant to anything

That said if you could provide more information, like are you having troubles with alclads too ? What brands of paint are you using ? What thinning ratios are you using and what thinners ? How is the weather ?

Thanks for all that. I try to keep my cleaner specific to my paint, I use an enamel thinner for enamel paint and lacquer for lacquer. Usually just stuff from the hardware store. I use mineral spirits or alcohol for acrylics. I'm pretty good about cleaning and usually take the needle cap and nozzle cap off right away and drop them in a small jar of thinner to wash any paint off while I clean the cup. That's why I thought I might have lost the packing if it's something that slides off, which I don't think it is. I'm pretty sure it's still there. It seems to me that the needle would rattle around a little if it was missing and it fits rather firmly. the needle look OK, but the tolerances are so tight that it could be damaged without showing. I ordered a new one anyway. And a new brush... That will give me a fine and medium tip.

As far as thinning goes, sometimes it just seems like guesswork to me. I follow what the manufacturer says. the best the Internet can do is to mix to the consistency of skim milk. Guesswork. I thin lacquer and acrylics with Tamiya products and enamel with Testers.

I have a piston compressor with a tank but it's not a pro deal. The tank pressure is around 65 psi and I spray at between 10 to 25, depending on the paint.

Alclad blows great but stinks like hell. It's raining and cold. A lot.
Dale

 

[scaledale]

I took a look at Dream Knights tear-down video and I think my issue is simply that I haven't been properly lubing the needle. I have a good lube coming from Coast Airbrush. It stands to reason that it should be nice and slick in there.

Airbrushing seems to be like life. It's all about balance.

Dale

 

[Ravhin]

If you had lost the needle packing the paint would be pouring out from the back of the airbrush so you most definitely have not misplaced that.

Not sure about the lube. I do lube my airbrushes when I disassemble them, but I rarely do that.

Now the thinners ... I use hardware store stuff indeed but only to clean and I never EVER submerge my whole airbrush in the stuff, it's way too aggressive, specially lacquer thinner, but white spirits is not much friendlier to the airbrush.

But that should not be causing your problems. It's more a long run kinda thing.

Since you are saying that alclad goes on great I must assume that it is a problem with the thinning of the paint itself. Maybe you live in a particularly dry place and the paint is drying much faster than normal ? Also When I spray lacquers I usually add a couple of drops of retarder which may help, but try too add more thinner and keep experimenting. Thinning can be a bit tricky sometimes, it's a matter of testing and changing the mix as needed.

 

[scaledale]

I found an extensive video on this site today of a seminar by the president of Badger and the first thing I'm going to do is just back off on the cleaning. I also found Dream Knights teardown video and I'm not missing anything or doing anything wrong when it comes to handling the brush.

I have a tendency to overdo things and airbrushing is actually simpler than it seems. It's kind of a Zen thing like modeling itself. Thinning is just plain stupid. The best anyone can say is to mix to the consistency of 2% milk. Geez, man, I'm a scientist! What is this 2% stuff? Give me a viscosity ratio to work with or something concrete. I will be painting my Willys tomorrow with decanted Tamiya so I will se how that goes. I have lacquer thinner and will just run a little through the brush before and after the session and wipe the needle down.

Thanks for the interest.

Dale

 

[Ravhin]

I know what you mean with the milk consistency or whatever ;D Just try mixing until it works to your liking and remember the feel of the paint, it's what I did and after I got it right once I rarely get it wrong.