need "veteran airbrushers" advice

[Tim]

Hi everyone, I picked up an Iwata HP-B of ebay pretty cheap.
yup, you guessed it, the needle has a nice hook on the end!
question, do I replace just the needle or should I play it safe and replace the nozzle too? I started to disassemble and it was very tight so I did not pull the needle out entirely.any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thanks !
Tim

[codepunk]

Originally Posted by Tim

Hi everyone, I picked up an Iwata HP-B of ebay pretty cheap.
yup, you guessed it, the needle has a nice hook on the end!
question, do I replace just the needle or should I play it safe and replace the nozzle too? I started to disassemble and it was very tight so I did not pull the needle out entirely.any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
thanks !
Tim

If it where me I would replace both, if the needle is bent it is likely that both are damaged...

[aixguy]

Getem both, and 2 adtional needles while you are at it. Dixieart.com has free shipping over $45 and the best prices on parts that I have found.

[AgilePaws]

Tim,

You may still be able to salvage the needle though. If you can get the nozzel cap off maybe you could unbend the needle enough to get it out. Then take two coins (I use nickels), place the needle between them and while squeezing the coins together, pull the needle out. You may have to do it a few times and turn the needle until you get it straight, but it does work. Good Luck!

[Tim]

Thanks everyone!, you guys(and girls) are great people. I appreciate the help!
Tim

[markbentley]

If The Nickles Dont Work I Read Several Articles On Straightening The Needles That Seemed To Work Very Well. Check Around On The Net There Are Some Old School Tricks Of The Trade Out There. The Nickle Thing Sounds Worth Trying Though. Ill Have To Remember That One

[gab1972]

If you're a member of airbrush artist magazine, I believe Don has a video on how to straighten the needle using two nickels. It's a short video clip and he shows you exactly how to do it. I'm pretty sure it's Don.

[aixguy]

I haven't had a lot of luck fixing these if really bad. The hole in that nozzle is .20 mm in size. A 22gage insulin needle won't come close to fitting in it. If the needle came out hard, it probably has damaged the nozzle. The tip of the needle is what controles the ability of the brush to do it's smallest lines (along with the viscosity of paint, airpressure and skill of the operator) but that said, having a perfect sharp point is fairly important for deatail work. Always give fixing it a shot, even if it is not as sharp as it was, it will work for bigger stuff. I have a repaired needle I use for shirt work, since I don't use the needle cap and sometime snag the shirt. Don't want to mess up a new one when I am not doing tiny stuff.

When you remove the nozzle you will want to clean that passage between where the nozzle screws in and the cup. I just tryed these last night and they work GREAT. Use denatured alcohol for acryilcs and one of these burshes. If the bursh was used with solven based.. not sure what to use with a nylon brush that won't melt it.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/produ...&id=prod369769

[Riptide]

Try using a "fishing hook sharpener" ($6 from any sportinggoods store) to straighten out your needle, I always carry one with me "just in case". If you really want to be safe...just replace the nozzle and the needle all together.