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Iwata Hi Line HP-CH


Carlo

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Hi guys,

I’d like to ask you an advice.

 

I’m looking for an aerograph capable of fine work but at the same time able to spray without problems (cloggings) the paints we normally use.

 

I work in 1/72 (expecially in this period… I’m in love with the old good Hasegawa jet kits!!!) - 1/48 scale. 

I use acrylics (Gunze and Tamiya), enamels (Humbrol and Model Master, but I’d like to try the Mr. Color one day) and lacquers (Alclad).

My compressor is a simple AS-186.

 

I’m seriously considering the Iwata Hi Line HP-CH with it’s 0,3 mm needle - nozzle - nozzle cup combination. Actually I wouldn’t go below that diameter.

 

What do you think about this choice?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

All the best,

Carlo

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I think I have the Chinese replica (BD-180) made after that model. It's a great airbrush for the money, I can only imagine how nice the original must be. One thing I really hate about it is how complicated everything is. The nozzle is very small, lots of rubber seals, needs special tools to disassemble and reassemble... I'm an H&S fan in that regard. Very simple construction, easy to maintain, only a few seals to go bad and they're cheap and easy to replace... If you can live without having the air regulator on the airbrush's body I'd say go for H&S (Evo, Infinity, your choice). I bought a separate H&S coupling that has the air regulator on it, got used to it fast. I wouldn't worry too much about the nozzle size standard on H&S, even the 0.4 nozzle allows for a good control and decent line width (with the right paint). Speaking of paint: once you try Mr. Color you'll forget about everything else. It's in a whole different class compared to Humbrol and Model Master (personal opinion, obviously).

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8 hours ago, Carlo said:

Hi guys,

I’d like to ask you an advice.

 

I’m looking for an aerograph capable of fine work but at the same time able to spray without problems (cloggings) the paints we normally use.

 

I work in 1/72 (expecially in this period… I’m in love with the old good Hasegawa jet kits!!!) - 1/48 scale. 

I use acrylics (Gunze and Tamiya), enamels (Humbrol and Model Master, but I’d like to try the Mr. Color one day) and lacquers (Alclad).

My compressor is a simple AS-186.

 

I’m seriously considering the Iwata Hi Line HP-CH with it’s 0,3 mm needle - nozzle - nozzle cup combination. Actually I wouldn’t go below that diameter.

 

What do you think about this choice?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

All the best,

Carlo

Personally if you are looking at Iwata I would look at the HP-C plus. The hi-line without the mac valve and cheaper.

Others I would look at are the Harder & Steenbeck Evolution Silverline 2in1  (very flexible, easy to clean, cheap to maintain )and the Sparmax GP35 (Side feed trigger brush) see links

Iwata HP-C plus

Harder & Steenbeck  Evolution Silverline 2in1

Sparmax GP-35

 

Paul

modellingtools.co.uk

 

 

Edited by little-cars
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9 hours ago, little-cars said:

Personally if you are looking at Iwata I would look at the HP-C plus. The hi-line without the mac valve and cheaper.

 

 

Thanks for your answer!

 

May I ask you why you don't reccomend the MAC valve? It's because the possibility of fine tuning of the air pressure that the MAC valve gives you is not so important, or do you think that the MAC valve itself is an obstacle to the movement of the aerograph around the model?

 

 

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Air regulators are great things, but you already have one on the compressor.  Having a secondary one on the brush can be a distraction when you are learning the brush. And it is cheaper to add a mac valve later if needed.  (Harder & Steenbeck quick release parts with mac valve is only £20 and seal the end of the hose when you take the brush off to clean it.  

 

Paul

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12 hours ago, little-cars said:

Personally if you are looking at Iwata I would look at the HP-C plus. The hi-line without the mac valve and cheaper.

 

 

 

I've had a HP-CH for a good few years now and use the MAC Valve regularly, obviously its going to cost more than the HP-C but worth it in my opinion. 

All these add ons never look right to me.

Tim.

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Carlo, I have the exact airbrush you are asking about and I model very much similar subjects to yourself and use the same paints. I use the HP-CH for 90% of my work including mottling on 1/72 Luftwaffe subjects. I also have an Iwata Custom Micron CM-C+ which cost a lot more than the HP-CH but I rarely use it as I find the Hi-Line can handle most of the jobs I want to do.

I would happily recommend the Hi Line to you and think you will not be disappointed. I do not sell these products but am a very satisfied user of Iwata airbrushes.

 

Duncan B

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22 minutes ago, tank152 said:

I've had a HP-CH for a good few years now and use the MAC Valve regularly, obviously its going to cost more than the HP-C but worth it in my opinion. 

All these add ons never look right to me.

Tim.

Hi Tim,   Mac valves are OK, and you get used to where they are on the brush. My thinking was that with the 186 compressor has a tank.  It's nice to be able to remove the airbrush without loosing the pressure in the tank. So a quick release under the air valve with a wheeled quick release adds useful  functionality to the setup and lowers the price for the customer.

Paul

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16 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

I think I have the Chinese replica (BD-180) made after that model. It's a great airbrush for the money, I can only imagine how nice the original must be.

I'm an H&S fan in that regard. Very simple construction, easy to maintain, only a few seals to go bad and they're cheap and easy to replace... If you can live without having the air regulator on the airbrush's body I'd say go for H&S (Evo, Infinity, your choice). I bought a separate H&S coupling that has the air regulator on it, got used to it fast. I wouldn't worry too much about the nozzle size standard on H&S, even the 0.4 nozzle allows for a good control and decent line width (with the right paint). Speaking of paint: once you try Mr. Color you'll forget about everything else. It's in a whole different class compared to Humbrol and Model Master (personal opinion, obviously).

Thanks for the detailed explanation bmwh548, I'll take the H&S models in consideration for sure!

 

Quote

One thing I really hate about it is how complicated everything is. The nozzle is very small, lots of rubber seals, needs special tools to disassemble and reassemble...

The original is not so complex... 😁

Look here: http://www.airbrush-iwata.it/objects/altre/HI_LINE_RICAMBI.pdf

The words are in italian, but consider only the picture, it speaks by itself.

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3 hours ago, little-cars said:

And it is cheaper to add a mac valve later if needed.  (Harder & Steenbeck quick release parts with mac valve is only £20 and seal the end of the hose when you take the brush off to clean it).  

 

Paul

Iwata too makes an "aftermarket" MAC valve for all the Iwata airbrush!

Look here (I apologize, this site is in italian, but again consideronly the pictures): http://www.airbrush-iwata.it/dettaglio.asp?Area=1&cat=40&prod=458

 

However I'm asking myself if an "aftermarket" MAC valve in such a different position with respect to the stock one behaves in the exactly the same way or in a diferent way than the stock one.

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2 hours ago, Duncan B said:

Carlo, I have the exact airbrush you are asking about and I model very much similar subjects to yourself and use the same paints. I use the HP-CH for 90% of my work including mottling on 1/72 Luftwaffe subjects. I also have an Iwata Custom Micron CM-C+ which cost a lot more than the HP-CH but I rarely use it as I find the Hi-Line can handle most of the jobs I want to do.

I would happily recommend the Hi Line to you and think you will not be disappointed. I do not sell these products but am a very satisfied user of Iwata airbrushes.

 

Duncan B

Interesting, interesting 😍

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Mac valves all do the same thing.  The Iwata one  doesn't seal the air hose when you remove it from the hose and costs a lot.

 

The quick release  with Mac valve from Harder & Steenbeck  is two parts. The first part attaches to the air valve of the brush.

 

Quick release part for airbrush

 

And the second part connects to the air hose

 

Quick release with mac valve

 

So you can remove the airbrush from the hose without loosing the air from the hose/compressor tank and you have a mac valve as well.  

In the UK the Iwata Mac valve is £25, the two parts of the Harder & Steenbeck system are £20.

 

Paul

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Duncan B said:

Carlo, I have the exact airbrush you are asking about and I model very much similar subjects to yourself and use the same paints. I use the HP-CH for 90% of my work including mottling on 1/72 Luftwaffe subjects. I also have an Iwata Custom Micron CM-C+ which cost a lot more than the HP-CH but I rarely use it as I find the Hi-Line can handle most of the jobs I want to do.

I would happily recommend the Hi Line to you and think you will not be disappointed. I do not sell these products but am a very satisfied user of Iwata airbrushes.

 

Duncan B

 

2 hours ago, Carlo said:

Interesting, interesting 😍

I have a similar set up as Duncan and yes I too can do 90% with the HP-C but I do like the CM-C for very fine work as I can drop the air pressure right down and still get very good atomisation of the paint. Less paint/air blowback when your in close.

You may want to have a look at the MR Hobby airbrushes, they are very nice for the price, I have one with a MAC valve but have never had the need to use the valve during spraying, it's just another thing for paint to get in when you spray without putting the lid on 😊

 

 

 

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15 hours ago, little-cars said:

Mac valves all do the same thing.  The Iwata one  doesn't seal the air hose when you remove it from the hose and costs a lot.

 

The quick release  with Mac valve from Harder & Steenbeck  is two parts. The first part attaches to the air valve of the brush.

 

Quick release part for airbrush

 

And the second part connects to the air hose

 

Quick release with mac valve

 

So you can remove the airbrush from the hose without loosing the air from the hose/compressor tank and you have a mac valve as well.  

In the UK the Iwata Mac valve is £25, the two parts of the Harder & Steenbeck system are £20.

 

Paul

 

 

 

Thank you Paul!

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  • 1 month later...

Save a bunch of money and get a Mr hobby ps289. 

Its an hp-c plus with Mac valve.

Otherwise the only difference is the angled air stem and removable head. Heck its made by the same people even. Needle, nozzle, aircap are the same.

The hi-lines have a bit fatter body than plus series, and have some quirky things on parts interchange and needle /nozzle conversions.

Edited by Robbyrockett
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I also have an HP-CH. It is my primary airbrush for mostly 1/48 aircraft and vehicles, but also 1/144 aircraft. I also use an HP-TH (0.5mm nozzle) for priming, base colors, and clear-coats on 1/48 and larger 1/144 subjects.

 

I'm delighted with both airbrushes  and wholeheartedly recommend them.

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