Manufacturing defect? Fake? Or nothing to worry about?

[Kwoui]

I recently purchased a Iwata Eclipse HP-CS set ( the one that comes with the hose, cleaner and a bottle of blue paint ) from a vendor on amazon.

The product page had good reviews, the vendor's page as well and the price was on par with the market ( the only reason I resorted to amazon was availability seems pretty much non-existent in Canada and I had a gift card on amazon) so I thought I could trust it to be legitimate.

The box and it's contents looks completely legitimate compared to the many unboxing I've watched but there is some very obvious defects on the plating where the nozzle sits (see pictures).

My compressor is unfortunately still being shipped so I can't test if it has any effect on the spraying but considering where it is I have no doubt it doesnt affect the spraying or cause any air to leak. This does make me concerned that this could be a fake tho, I've read that iwata's quality control is top notch and wonder if this is something they would let pass through. My other concern would be down the line if verdigris will be an issue since the brass(?) is exposed.

here is the pictures:





Has anyone seen this kind of imperfection on a iwata airbrush before? Is this something I should be concerned about?

Thank you
-Kwoui

 

[JackEb]

hi, Me again
I've embedded the photos so its easier for everyone to see what is going on.

I'll go and unscrew mine to see what sort of finish it has on it, but from your pictures can it be wiped off ? looks kinda like some sort of sealing goop..

I'll tag our resident Airbrush Analyst @DaveG to see if he's seen anything like this.

For future reference Maple Airbrush is up there in Canada and can help you out with anything airbrush related and her service is top notch. @Maple Art - you here Donna

 

[Kwoui]

hi, Me again
I've embedded the photos so its easier for everyone to see what is going on.

I'll go and unscrew mine to see what sort of finish it has on it, but from your pictures can it be wiped off ? looks kinda like some sort of sealing goop..

I'll tag our resident Airbrush Analyst @DaveG to see if he's seen anything like this.

For future reference Maple Airbrush is up there in Canada and can help you out with anything airbrush related and her service is top notch. @Maple Art - you here Donna

Thank you for making them thumbnails

It's unfortunately not just dirty, those pictures were taken after I tried to wash it with isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip.

I knew about Maple Airbrush ( it's actually where I ordered my paint) but they were out of stock for the set... should have went with them anyways and bought the hose separately to be honest. If I end up returning it I'll get my new one from them for sure.

 

[JackEb]

Maple art are good people bend over backwards type of business but like many they’re struggling to keep plentiful stock with freight /Covid issues

this is mine, unwiped although looking at it it could do with a good clean not the best photo but you can see it’s not highly polished


All I can suggest is giving it a try once you get the compressor (even just with water) and hold it against a dark background to see if it’s spraying properly and a little bit of diluted dish soap around the thread areas will soon show any leaks.
Never overtighten anything in an airbrush and sometimes a bit of chapstick on the threads does wonders to seal minute leaks

 

[Leakyvalve]

If you're talking about the face of the brush, mine look exactly the same.

 

[Kwoui]

@JackEb While yours isnt as bad/concentrated at the same place it does have some brass(?) showing through so perhaps this is purely cosmetic and isn't something I should be worried about.

If you're talking about the face of the brush, mine look exactly the same.

I guess we could say its the face of the brush body? Basically the front of where the head cap threads on.

Thanks guys this is reassuring, perhaps this is simply cosmetic and nothing I need to worry about. I did try to get in contact with Iwata to get confirmation that this company sells legitimate iwata products as they claim to be a distributor. Hopefully I can confirm it's legitimacy and hopefully when the compressor comes in I can make sure no air leaks and I'll be able to rest easy!

 

[DaveG]

100% completely normal. I suspect those threads are where they "rack" the brush bodies for plating. The nozzle seals within the taper, and there is not a mating surface with the face of the boss. I have been using an Eclipse for about 30 years, and have never had an issue with this area...