Iwata users. A warning.

[Sir Desmond Glazebrook]

My 2 airbrushes were used by a kid recently. He sprayed windex through each brush. The windex corroded both brushes.

Don't spray windex through an airbrush.

[Old Dog]

I only have one Iwata and have never used windex in it, that said I do use it to clean my Badgers whenever I use acrylics (mostly clear coats) but I always flush with lacquer thinner after the windex and have not had any issues.

[1to1scale]

Same here, used windex. I am aware ammonia can erode chrome plating, not corrode it. And it will not harm brass. My airbrushes all have a semicircular area of missing chrome inside the cup, I suspect this is from the chroming process. I have never had any other issues, but I always flush my airbrushes with Madea airbrush cleaner, so the ammonia does not have a chance to affect much.

[Sir Desmond Glazebrook]

I have no idea what really happened. Apparently it had made it's was right up to the trigger. Everything was frozen stiff. Chris at Iwata had to use pliers to open everything. He had never seen anything like it. He wss gonna send everything back yesterday but I asked him to wait until Monday. 

I will take photos. This is what happens when one loans things out. My mate wanted to compare Iwatas to his Badgers before purchase. 

No good deed goes unpunished. 

[1to1scale]

Wow, that’s pretty bad! I wonder if it was some kind of strange electrolysis that happened. A small electrical charge can do nasty things combined with liquids. 

[[CAT]CplSlade]

Was the kid using it to clean the windows of an apartment complex?

[Sir Desmond Glazebrook]

2 hours ago, [CAT]CplSlade said:

Was the kid using it to clean the windows of an apartment complex?

I think he was just squirting them. School holidays, bored and nothing better to do. The Custom micron cost nearly $700.00! The needles were also destroyed. I had to replace each. The kid also lost the rear section of the HPC Plus. Chris had a second hand one. Had he not it'd be too expensive. Better to simply buy a new one.

But all good now. I had an Infinity and Silverline, plus the top Badger as back ups. I can't complain.

I am always prepared for the worst you see. 

[GazzaS]

I use acrylics and glass cleaner all of the time.  And I do have a brass area at the bottom of each cup of my two Iwatas.  Never had any problems, tho.  Nothing seems to be touching the needlrs.  I think they're stainless steel.   They do act unhappy if I don't wipe the needle clean after each use.

[1to1scale]

Funny this subject is up, I just sprayed paints and primers through my brush today, all varieties, lacquer, Tamiya, Vallejo, and used four different cleaners to clean at various times in the process. So I figured, since this was a topic, i would go ahead and do a super clean/tear-down and see what my brush looked like. I am happy to report that other than some internal buildup, the components were in amazing shape. I did not see any corrosion or damage at all. I just have to say...”I love my Iwata!”

[Sir Desmond Glazebrook]

I also love my Iwatas. 

What I find interesting is that I prefer both my Silverline and HPC Plus over my Infinity and Custom micron. The Silverline is beautiful and has a safer nozzle than the Infinity to protect the needle. The one advantage the Infinity has is the exposed needle point which allows one to wipe it more easily, but in so doing puts the needle point in a position to be damaged....

I still have a long way to go before I can use all four at their optimum potential. Including my lovely little Badger Sotar. Which incidentally a similarly exposed needle point.

[1to1scale]

Airbrushes have come a long ways since I had a Testors siphon jar, Model Master Aztek, and my Pasche siphon feed cup. Even my cheap $25 Master is light years ahead of those old ones.