Reaper Vex (Small cup) - off to a dissapointing start
- Thread starter DaveG
- Start date
tatocorvette
Air-Valve Autobot!
Where/how do you order the F1? Asking for a friend....
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
or more specifically -
The good also in part removing! OLYMPOS F-1 【PREMIUM】 (Simple packaging)【Special price】
【ダブルアクション】ノズル口径：0.2mm※イージーパッケージ品（簡易包装品）をご購入される場合は、専用ケースや専用ウレタンマット入りでの包装品でないことや、説明書や付随品におきましてもローコスト化さ…
olympos-airbrush.ocnk.net
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They are not helping me either. Never seen a design like that. Been looking for a A cup airbrush. I really didn't need to see those two.I have the webpage open on the F2, and she keeps taunting me!! You guys are not helping my lack of self control!!
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
I heard back from Reaper this morning. They will either repair or replace the brush if I send it back to them. I guess this is a pretty standard way of dealing with issues, so no problem with that proposal - other than knowing what I paid for the brush. I simply don't want to have to spend more money to get it to work the way it should have in the first place. So, I will either just put the brush on a shelf as is, or take on the repair out in the shop if I feel motivated. I can clean up the two tapered surfaces (brush body, and head base) in order to align the nozzle without too much fuss.
I would recommend buying the Patriot Arrow and Super Fine detail conversion parts before buying the Reaper (@$78 total - save yourself $100)
If you want to spend the $200 on a brush, I would highly recommend looking at the Hansa 281 with an additional .4 conversion set. The brush exudes quality throughout (@$205 total).
I would recommend buying the Patriot Arrow and Super Fine detail conversion parts before buying the Reaper (@$78 total - save yourself $100)
If you want to spend the $200 on a brush, I would highly recommend looking at the Hansa 281 with an additional .4 conversion set. The brush exudes quality throughout (@$205 total).
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RK Ink and Focus
Detail Decepticon!
Will they not refund you the shipping and repair free of charge?
tatocorvette
Air-Valve Autobot!
I would kindly ask them for a return shipping label (they pay shipping both ways) with the explanation that if you are expected to pay for shipping, then the unit will rather be discarded from use at a loss. Either way, you are not satisfied, other alternatives are been explored and their products are no longer been considered.
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
Here's an example of out of the box performance - Actually, maybe even better than it was originally, as I spent some time trying different nozzles and such - You can see, the Reapers spray pattern almost looks more like a cats head than a dot (slightly tilted to the right, as cats do 
). The pattern has two pronounced points, one each side of a depression in the pattern.
The second row of dots are about the smallest I could get the VEX to produce, while the smaller dots below them are the same paint sample put through a stock Patriot Arrow with the Super Detail nozzle/needle combo installed. Paint was taken out of the VEX and put right into the Arrow. Same deal with the lines - VEX on top, Arrow below. The box on the right is a blow up of the box on the left to make the patterns easier to see.
All I really needed to know was that Reaper was willing to deal with the issue - they get credit for that. For me personally, it isn't worth the effort dealing with the brush any further than just fixing the brush myself.
I will repeat my earlier recommendation on this brush. Save the money, and buy a Patriot Arrow and Super Detail conversion set. Having the general purpose nozzle/needle/air cap that came standard on the Arrow will give you a BUNCH more versatility than just changing to the general purpose needle in the super detail nozzle of the VEX will. That is unless you don't mind paying an extra $100+ for the black finish.
). The pattern has two pronounced points, one each side of a depression in the pattern.The second row of dots are about the smallest I could get the VEX to produce, while the smaller dots below them are the same paint sample put through a stock Patriot Arrow with the Super Detail nozzle/needle combo installed. Paint was taken out of the VEX and put right into the Arrow. Same deal with the lines - VEX on top, Arrow below. The box on the right is a blow up of the box on the left to make the patterns easier to see.
All I really needed to know was that Reaper was willing to deal with the issue - they get credit for that. For me personally, it isn't worth the effort dealing with the brush any further than just fixing the brush myself.
I will repeat my earlier recommendation on this brush. Save the money, and buy a Patriot Arrow and Super Detail conversion set. Having the general purpose nozzle/needle/air cap that came standard on the Arrow will give you a BUNCH more versatility than just changing to the general purpose needle in the super detail nozzle of the VEX will. That is unless you don't mind paying an extra $100+ for the black finish.
tatocorvette
Air-Valve Autobot!
and the gun case...
But it is the perfect airbrush if you want to paint miniature portraits of Felix the cat. Heck it even paints the whiskers for you automatically.Here's an example of out of the box performance - Actually, maybe even better than it was originally, as I spent some time trying different nozzles and such - You can see, the Reapers spray pattern almost looks more like a cats head than a dot (slightly tilted to the right, as cats do
The second row of dots are about the smallest I could get the VEX to produce, while the smaller dots below them are the same paint sample put through a stock Patriot Arrow with the Super Detail nozzle/needle combo installed. Paint was taken out of the VEX and put right into the Arrow. Same deal with the lines - VEX on top, Arrow below. The box on the right is a blow up of the box on the left to make the patterns easier to see.
View attachment 92709
All I really needed to know was that Reaper was willing to deal with the issue - they get credit for that. For me personally, it isn't worth the effort dealing with the brush any further than just fixing the brush myself.
I will repeat my earlier recommendation on this brush. Save the money, and buy a Patriot Arrow and Super Detail conversion set. Having the general purpose nozzle/needle/air cap that came standard on the Arrow will give you a BUNCH more versatility than just changing to the general purpose needle in the super detail nozzle of the VEX will. That is unless you don't mind paying an extra $100+ for the black finish.
You are the only man I know who feels it is easier to retool a airbrush himself rather than send it in for repair. Is that something you learned from repairing so many airbrushes or already was familiar with and applied to airbrushes so you could buy them without so much fear of getting a dud?
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
I taught myself to do precision machine work for another field, so adapted to working on airbrushes. It made me really sad to find something that may have survived for 100 years and be so close to being in usable condition, yet be relegated to a display simply because one part could not be found... so, I figured out how to make the part. The idea came to me when I accidentally broke one that did not belong to me. Even worse, it was a prototype made at the turn of the last century, and may have been a true one of a kind. I did eventually repair that brush, and restore it to full working condition.
If I send the brush back, it is going to cost me money, and time - I'll have to wait for it to be returned. And, lets face it, there is at least a fair chance it won't work a whole lot better than it did when I put it in the mail. They're gonna do what? Replace the nozzle, or head base ? I did those things myself before ever contacting them.
If I take it out in the shop, it might take me 15 minutes to 1/2 an hour to set everything up to make a correction cut on the body taper, and maybe a minute to actually cut it. 5 more minutes to set up the head base, and another cut, and I am back in the studio testing spray patterns.
tatocorvette
Air-Valve Autobot!
Even worst: Returned as "No problem found. It sprays..."
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
I sent in an original Sotar for a leaking packing seal, and when it was returned they had replaced many of the original parts with new (which were quite different) and the new packing seal still leaked... took me a while to find parts to return the brush to its original configuration.
RK Ink and Focus
Detail Decepticon!
Perhaps you could strip the black off and plate it properly and propose to reaper that you could mod patriots for them that are actually worth the 200 dollars and some!
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
You are not far off, as I have decided to make my own version of the brush using one of my Patriot Arrows as the base
tatocorvette
Air-Valve Autobot!
Reaper's Nightmare... all white...
Yeah I am not sure what they would do. They are a miniature company. I doubt they would have a tech on hand. Probably someone who likes to airbrush at best.
Definitely heard stories of people sending things in to badger to get fixed and getting the same problem back.
So who knows if they would replace the brush or just like you said put a new nozzle in to replace the one that is off centered.
It is great to see someone have such passion for something. It sucks that it is now such a disposable culture. Where it does not matter how good of a thing you have instead it matters how many things you have.
Great for companies that want to sell cheap crap. When someone makes a quality product they struggle because people think it is way over priced.
DaveG
Airbush Analyst
Kudos to Reaper Miniatures - after their initial request that I send the brush back, I sent them a thank you for the quick response and proposed solution, but let them know I decided to just keep the brush and deal with it myself. I sent a test sheet to them as well... I assured them I give them full credit for their willingness to address the issue without fuss. I also mentioned that I would like to get a new head base (this is one of the parts I will be machining for repair) - here is their response-
"OK, I will have that Vex part sent out shortly. I have also sent you a small E-Gift Card as an apology for the Brush failure. Use it for paints, minis, or more parts. Whatever you fits your fancy. "
I am half way through machining parts to make my own version of the VEX.
"OK, I will have that Vex part sent out shortly. I have also sent you a small E-Gift Card as an apology for the Brush failure. Use it for paints, minis, or more parts. Whatever you fits your fancy. "
I am half way through machining parts to make my own version of the VEX.
