Restoring Olympos HP-100B

[Wiz.Au]

Hello everyone, first time poster.
I am getting back into air brushing after quite some time not doing any painting. I am a Modeller, small parts painter, (not an artist) and have been known to spray a car and motorbike repair, or two. However my partner is an artist and she used to do prosthetic painting for movie and TV work. She was gifted an original Olympos HP-100B air brush, whilst I use cheaper clone copies of other brushes, as I don't normally need to do fine line work.

It's been many years since we got the brushes and little compressors out, and I've discovered the both the nozzle and needle cap are missing on the Olympos. Neither of us can remember anything about it. I did discover the nozzle was clogged completely and spent a number of hours with thinners and an ultrasonic cleaner to get the muck out of it and get it clean. This could of been why her boss at the time (15 years ago) gave it to her. She can't recall ever using it, as she had quite good clone brushes herself.

I jumped on this forum and got all the information about Mr Toshiya Takeshima and the new english website for Olympos parts. There is a listing for the Nozzle cap but not the Needle cap. I have sent them a message about a week ago and not received any reply yet. But it is that time of year too, I guess.

The only other place I have seen offer the Nozzle cap for sale is Hobbyland EU, but they want a LOT of $$$ to ship the part to me in Australia. I could buy a new brush for just the cost of the two parts & shipping from them!

After reading the posts about mixing parts with Iwata not being compatible, I am wondering if I should change the needle and nozzle, and then the caps as well, with more easily available Iwata compatible parts? Whilst I am quite skilled with working on small machinery parts, and it doesn't scare me to completely disassemble the brush, I would prefer not to have to start removing o-rings if I don't have to. But maybe the advice is; "That brush is really old, and it's been sitting unused, change the o-ring around the needle to teflon"...?? The air valve and trigger operation appears to work well now I have the nozzle unclogged. It sprays water and thinners nicely, but I haven't 'patterned' it on paper with paint yet as I didn't think there was much point without the caps fitted.

Unfortunately none of my clone brushes have the same threads as the Olympos and I can't fit any of the parts from them for any testing. It wouldn't really serve much purpose anyway if mixing Iwata parts doesn't work, I doubt clone parts would be any better.

Can anyone help me find a Nozzle cap for a HP-100B, I can get reasonably to Australia, or should I change the Nozzle, Needle, and Caps to Iwata parts? And where should I get those from? And is that all I need to change?

Thank you in advance for any assistance and/or advice you can provide me.

Oh, from what I can tell, the Air Brush is the 'newer' model of the HP-100B, if that makes a difference? I don't know yet. (Image attached)

Wiz in Oz.

 

[DaveG]

What is called Olympos today used to have a few different air caps that would fit the 100B, but it looks like they are no longer available. the air cap from an HP-62B would be great. I know I purchased a few several years ago... So, with no options being listed any longer on the Olympos site I would say your option is to turn to Iwata parts. You will want the three business parts from and HP-A, or HP-B (not the Plus series). Nozzle cap, Nozzle, and Needle. Might grab the Needle Cap while you are at it. There are quite a few Auzzies on the forum, and they will know who to turn to in country for supplies.

 

[Fran Rioja]

Hello, I also restored an Olympos HP-100b and put the nozzle and needle from a Richpen Apollo 112b on it, it works very well and much cheaper than with Iwata parts. The Apollo 112b nozzle cap also goes very well with the Olympos HP-100b. All the best.

 

[DaveG]

I didn't think about the Richpen - not sure you can get those parts in Australia, but you may be able to order them directly from Richpen in Japan. They have been very helpful to me in the past (shipping to the States).

 

[Wiz.Au]

Thank you. Appears I can only email Richpen... Is that how they work, no website?

 

[Fran Rioja]

Rich Pen index

 

[Wiz.Au]

Yup, I'm there, but doesn't seem anyway to order except to email them. Have done so.

 

[DaveG]

yes, that is the way I did it (Many times). A sales manager will write you back, work out an order, then send you and invoice to pay. My last order took 6 days from first contact, to delivery in the States.

 

[Wiz.Au]

Have Richpen quote, it's better than any other option so far even if the shipping is the same price as the parts.

Just one question, can I expect the same performance from Richpen parts as the original Olympos? I know mixing parts doesn't work, so I'm better replacing all parts with Richpen, but just wondering if I should keep looking for an Olympos Nozzle Cap and eventually get it back to all original parts.

I have nothing to compare the Richpen parts against to know if as good as all Olympos parts would be.

 

[Fran Rioja]

Have Richpen quote, it's better than any other option so far even if the shipping is the same price as the parts.

Just one question, can I expect the same performance from Richpen parts as the original Olympos? I know mixing parts doesn't work, so I'm better replacing all parts with Richpen, but just wondering if I should keep looking for an Olympos Nozzle Cap and eventually get it back to all original parts.

I have nothing to compare the Richpen parts against to know if as good as all Olympos parts would be.

Hello... I don't know how the Olympos 0.2 nozzle behaves, but my Oly hp-100b has the nozzle and needle of a Richpen Apollo 112b installed. I just tried it with the nozzle cap of a Richpen Apollo 112b that I have and it works very well, they are almost identical airbrushes. In other Olympos that I have, the nozzles are more demanding in terms of dilution of the paint compared to other brands.

 

[DaveG]

Have Richpen quote, it's better than any other option so far even if the shipping is the same price as the parts.

Just one question, can I expect the same performance from Richpen parts as the original Olympos? I know mixing parts doesn't work, so I'm better replacing all parts with Richpen, but just wondering if I should keep looking for an Olympos Nozzle Cap and eventually get it back to all original parts.

I have nothing to compare the Richpen parts against to know if as good as all Olympos parts would be.

There are those that swear by Olympos, and I completely get it. People develop favorites based on personal reference(s). That said, Olympos stopped advancing when they stopped production in the 1980's... other brands progressed with changes in manufacturing and theory. Sticking to just the numbers, the Richpen parts are going to actually work better than the original OEM parts. The biggest difference is that the exit bore of the nozzle cap is smaller in relation to the od of the nozzle, and will create a higher/faster change in pressure. The needle is also not quite as delicate.

One last thing... Richpen is part of the company that actually did the production on Olympos brushes.

 

[Wiz.Au]

(snipped)
One last thing... Richpen is part of the company that actually did the production on Olympos brushes.

Yeah, I did read that in doing my research. And the comment about how Olympos needles are 'butter soft' compared to others.

I've ordered 2 of everything that could possibly get damaged or wear (Needle, Nozzle, Needle Cap, and some O-Rings) while I was paying the extortionist charging the freight companies now want to ship to Australia.

It's amazing how I can get heavy brass air line adapters shipped FREE from AliExpress in China, that takes 10-14 days, but some tiny air brush parts are going to cost USD$25 to ship and prob a month to arrive. Most US places just don't even bother shipping here anymore.

Thanks for everyone's help on this. It's much appreciated.

Off Topic;
I'm about to order the paints I need and order my first model kit project for about 20 years. I've been coaching model building lately with the Air Force Cadets I mentor/supervise every week and some weekends.

A 1/48 F14D Tomcat that I'm going to custom paint and decal as a VF84 CAG bird (middle pic) on one side and VF101 Grim Reapers on the flip side (bottom pic). Won't be an original replica as VF84 never got the D variant, but it's what I like & think will look cool.... having two different markings looking from either the left or the right sides. I can just turn it around when I get bored with one look, for the other. But also going to do canopy up so you can see the cockpit details, refuelling probe out & and afterburner nozzles open, which could never happen in real life either.




Not sure why just now, but a guy & a girl in my SQN are doing X-Wings at the moment. I think I did mine 30 years ago!