Iwata Custom Micron 0.18mm needle

A

Arent Jack

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Photo on 13-12-2017 at 18.23.jpg Photo on 13-12-2017 at 18.35.jpg
No wonder I was getting so much tip dry on my brand new Iwata Custom Micron CM-SB v2. I never thought about checking the needle because I thought it would be highly polished for that price! Checked it today, the top of the needle didn't seem very sharp either and the texture of the steel pretty rough! (PHOTO 1). Photo 2 is 10 minutes later after using 1200 polishing resin block (needle in the cordless drill), then 2000 wet sandpaper, then 3000 polishing resin block. Then metal polish with a felt disc in the multitool on a stand and the needle in the cordless drill. Covered it with some Regdab, so hoping to get less tip dry tonight!
 
Nope none of the needles are polished when you get them stock ,
But polishing them really is easy to do .
It says here on the internet about the needle:
  • Highly polished, hardened stainless-steel needle for exceptionally smooth transition from detail to mid-range spraying... So after reading that I never thought of looking at it. I just thought GREAT I don't have to polish it. I'm working with it now still getting a little bit of tip dry but far less than yesterday! Lines are a lot thinner too and more controlled. Absolutely loving this new airbrush! Can work super fast and detailed! Just amazing machine. I build a rig with two toothbrushes which I saw on YouTube last night. It works pretty well, using a little IPA on it. Using kids toothbrushes because they have softer britles! And I added 10 drops of Glycerin to the paint and put a bit of pantyhose on top of the bottle. Don't know which of all these things works the best, but my tip dry problem is sorted!
 
It says here on the internet about the needle:
  • Highly polished, hardened stainless-steel needle for exceptionally smooth transition from detail to mid-range spraying... So after reading that I never thought of looking at it. I just thought GREAT I don't have to polish it. I'm working with it now still getting a little bit of tip dry but far less than yesterday! Lines are a lot thinner too and more controlled. Absolutely loving this new airbrush! Can work super fast and detailed! Just amazing machine. I build a rig with two toothbrushes which I saw on YouTube last night. It works pretty well, using a little IPA on it. Using kids toothbrushes because they have softer britles! And I added 10 drops of Glycerin to the paint and put a bit of pantyhose on top of the bottle. Don't know which of all these things works the best, but my tip dry problem is sorted!

You shouldn't have had to do that at all to a new needle, I've had the micron myself and replaced the needle 3 or 4 times and never had to polish any of them, for what those needles cost you shoukd have been entitled to a replacement, I was looking at the micron on Amazon just minutes before you posted the text above and read exactly the same text on sites from three different vendors, they state highly polished because that is exactly what should have been done, I reckon you got one that slipped through quality control, even iwata's lower and mid range models come ready for use, if you have to do all your own machining you might as well just make your down needles, every iwata I ever bought worked fantastic straight out of the box.

What paint are you having tip dry with?

And have you considered the k33 needles and k33 balm from Fox's, I'm sure with your skills you would instantly see the benefit:)
 
You shouldn't have had to do that at all to a new needle, I've had the micron myself and replaced the needle 3 or 4 times and never had to polish any of them, for what those needles cost you shoukd have been entitled to a replacement, I was looking at the micron on Amazon just minutes before you posted the text above and read exactly the same text on sites from three different vendors, they state highly polished because that is exactly what should have been done, I reckon you got one that slipped through quality control, even iwata's lower and mid range models come ready for use, if you have to do all your own machining you might as well just make your down needles, every iwata I ever bought worked fantastic straight out of the box.

What paint are you having tip dry with?

And have you considered the k33 needles and k33 balm from Fox's, I'm sure with your skills you would instantly see the benefit:)
Yeah that's what I thought, I actually have a spare 0.18mm custom micron needle here I'll pop that under the microscope in my break and have a look! I'm using Golden High Flow acrylics
 
You shouldn't have had to do that at all to a new needle, I've had the micron myself and replaced the needle 3 or 4 times and never had to polish any of them, for what those needles cost you shoukd have been entitled to a replacement, I was looking at the micron on Amazon just minutes before you posted the text above and read exactly the same text on sites from three different vendors, they state highly polished because that is exactly what should have been done, I reckon you got one that slipped through quality control, even iwata's lower and mid range models come ready for use, if you have to do all your own machining you might as well just make your down needles, every iwata I ever bought worked fantastic straight out of the box.

What paint are you having tip dry with?

And have you considered the k33 needles and k33 balm from Fox's, I'm sure with your skills you would instantly see the benefit:)

I saw those needles online yesterday but 100 euro for a needle is a bit much when I have a perfect polishing set-up here! I was tempted though... I did get three softsprings because I ordered an Olympos HP-100SB and a MP-200B (S3HOLE) from Japan, so I can fit them in there and in my CM-C plus v2. I ordered a Blair softspring already for my CM-SB v2 and ordered a K33 Detail Split Needle Cap because I don't like working without a cap when so close to the canvas. Sometime I touch it even.... Is this balm so much better than Regdab? I use Ballistol Gun-Oil spray for all the other parts because it's very thin and all natural and doesn't interfere with the paint. I love this Ballistol stuff!
 
Yeah that's what I thought, I actually have a spare 0.18mm custom micron needle here I'll pop that under the microscope in my break and have a look! I'm using Golden High Flow acrylics

Golden high flow is great stuff but well known for the level of tip dry, especially with the darker colours, black and umber in particular, I used to dab a little machine oil on the tip of my needle and immediately wipe it off which seemed to help with tip dry, but I would ususlly do that two or three times in a long session, golden and com-art were always my favourite paints.
 
Yeah, It looks burnished in the pic which on stainles makes the surface extremely hard, which would make sense for longevity and monitarily. Just curious.

I have no Idea! I'm just glad I polished! I see you have a Procon Boy ps-270, how is that brush? I am very curious about it!
 
I saw those needles online yesterday but 100 euro for a needle is a bit much when I have a perfect polishing set-up here! I was tempted though... I did get three softsprings because I ordered an Olympos HP-100SB and a MP-200B (S3HOLE) from Japan, so I can fit them in there and in my CM-C plus v2. I ordered a Blair softspring already for my CM-SB v2 and ordered a K33 Detail Split Needle Cap because I don't like working without a cap when so close to the canvas. Sometime I touch it even.... Is this balm so much better than Regdab? I use Ballistol Gun-Oil spray for all the other parts because it's very thin and all natural and doesn't interfere with the paint. I love this Ballistol stuff!

I've never tried the k33 balm or needle myself but those here who have them swear by them, I think @musicmacd will be of more help there.

Yep, naked needles don't like canvas:eek::eek::eek:
 
I have no Idea! I'm just glad I polished! I see you have a Procon Boy ps-270, how is that brush? I am very curious about it!
Fantastic! Theres a whole writeup http://airbrushforum.org/threads/first-impression-procon-boy-ps-270-mr-hobby-gsi-creos.19272/
Daveg is calling the 770 right on par with the Iwata microns.
My 270 best i can work out is probably very close to an hp-b+
with a few,I would say, advantages (removable head,mac valve, married trigger and air pin)
 
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Photo on 13-12-2017 at 21.28.jpg

Alright, I just opened the packaging of a brand new 0.18mm Custom Micron needle just to check! Als you can see again the texture of the tip is pretty rough and there isn't a proper point on it!!! This is just insane! Supposed to be the best of the best at 25 pound each! OMG!!
 
View attachment 51426

Alright, I just opened the packaging of a brand new 0.18mm Custom Micron needle just to check! Als you can see again the texture of the tip is pretty rough and there isn't a proper point on it!!! This is just insane! Supposed to be the best of the best at 25 pound each! OMG!!

That really does look bad, it looks like the taper itself is pitted, I would contacting iwata and causing a stink:mad:
 
My friend bought a new SB V2 and it was in very poor shape, it like Iwata are dropping the gun and getting stuff made in China now :(
 
It says here on the internet about the needle:
  • Highly polished, hardened stainless-steel needle for exceptionally smooth transition from detail to mid-range spraying... So after reading that I never thought of looking at it. I just thought GREAT I don't have to polish it. I'm working with it now still getting a little bit of tip dry but far less than yesterday! Lines are a lot thinner too and more controlled. Absolutely loving this new airbrush! Can work super fast and detailed! Just amazing machine. I build a rig with two toothbrushes which I saw on YouTube last night. It works pretty well, using a little IPA on it. Using kids toothbrushes because they have softer britles! And I added 10 drops of Glycerin to the paint and put a bit of pantyhose on top of the bottle. Don't know which of all these things works the best, but my tip dry problem is sorted!
Yeah I read the same thing and thought the same until I looked at the needle.
I just got in this
* TOOGOO is a registered trademark. ONLY Authorized seller of TOOGOO can sell under TOOGOO listings.Our products will enhance your experience to unparalleled inspiration.
TOOGOO(R) 12Pcs Diamond Polishing Lapping Paste Compound Syringes 0.5-40 Micron 5 Gram
Color: Random color
Material: Diamond
Granularity:
0.5 Micron - Final Polish
1.0 Micron - Mirror finish
1.5 Micron - Mirror finish
2.5 Micron - Mirror finish
3.5 Micron - Fine Polish
5.0 Micron - Fine Polish
7.0 Micron - Pre Polish, fine lapping
10 Micron - Lapping metals
14 Micron - Stock Removal or lapping metals
20 Micron - Stock Removal or lapping metals
28 Micron - Medium fast lapping
40 Micron - Fast lapping or stock removal carbide
Package include:
12 pcs 5gram Diamond Polishing Lapping Paste
Note: Light shooting and different displays may cause the color of the item in the picture a little different from the real thing. The measurement allowed error is +/- 1-3cm.

only cost me a little less then 8 dollars US. and you only need a small dab of it .
 
It says here on the internet about the needle:
  • Highly polished, hardened stainless-steel needle for exceptionally smooth transition from detail to mid-range spraying... So after reading that I never thought of looking at it.
When have you ever read advertising that was completely true.

You guys have to keep in mind how high of magnification this is, thats actually a pretty smooth surface. "highly polished" not in my opinion but pretty smooth and by some standards i would guess it does fall into the polished category of surface finishes.
It's certainly not just machined and left that way. I'd guess burnished. Which with stainless would simultaneously surface harden.

K33, foxy claims is kolsterized in order to harden it ,which is a form of plasma nitriding which is geared toward austenitic stainless alloys that do not respond to heat treatment.

http://www.foxystudio.com/product/marissa-k33-0-18mm-fluid-needle/
At the bottom of this page you will see a highly magnified pic of the standard Iwata micron needle taken by @redcore .
Looks the same as arentjacks standard pic to me.
and Herbs needle is from how many years ago and he wouldn't call it polished.
I don't think this is anyhting out of the ordinary.
Here is redcores writeup and you can see the same pics there
http://airbrushforum.org/threads/foxy-studio-k33-0-18mm-needle-vs-standard-iwata-0-18mm.18474/


@DaveG Has done some experimenting to see whether how sharp the point is really matters and found it to not be such a huge factor. I don't recall the specifics youd have to ask him about it.
That flat-ish point just keeps it from getting damaged as easily and is suuuper tiny.

In any case If you look at a needle from any other manufacturer under this kind of magnification i'm betting you'll find it a bit rougher.
 
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