Broadway Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 After cleaning my Iwata Neo a few times it has now started leaking air from the nozzle cap thread. The nozzle cap had some thick grease on initially which I assume was sealing the joint. Since Google has not been very forthcoming on what can be used, any advice on how to seal the joint would be greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Beeswax - it will work https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/Prepared-Beeswax.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu4KXuYyx9AIVyZ7tCh3apQbsEAQYAiABEgLkh_D_BwE 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_W Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Agreed Beeswax. I use a chap stick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Beeswax is also available in block form. It's a wonderful lubricant for wooden sliding surfaces, like drawers and windows, and for driving in wood screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 Or if you are vegan you can use PTFE tape ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ade H Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 I found prepared beeswax to be difficult to apply neatly and effectively, so I use PTFE now. I much prefer it and I can get a better seal with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadway Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 On 11/24/2021 at 3:10 PM, little-cars said: Or if you are vegan you can use PTFE tape ! I've dug out some old PTFE tape so I'll give that a go to start with and see how it goes. Thanks for the replies, I may check out beeswax sometime when I see some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Firstly, I agree that beeswax is a good answer. PTFE would probably work too but I would find it too much of a faff winding it onto such a small thread and getting all the remains off when replacing it. But an observation about the actual problem - I have had a number of airbrushes, three Iwatas (though not Neos) and none of them have arrived out of the box with thread sealer. I have some beeswax but the only airbrush that needed it was a £15 Chinese clone. Personally, I’d be concerned that a new airbrush is delivered with grease on the nozzle cap thread to make it work - sounds like a bodge to cover up a manufacturing fault to me. Maybe Neos are different, but none of my Iwatas (or other makes) have come with thread grease nor needed it. Cheers, Nigel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 The Neo airbrushes are not actually made by Iwata just branded, I think they are made by Sparmax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 3 minutes ago, Dads203 said: The Neo airbrushes are not actually made by Iwata just branded, I think they are made by Sparmax. Even some Iwata stuff (the compressors for example) are made by Sparmax. I have a Sparmax airbrush - no thread grease on that either. Threads aren’t airtight - the sealing should be done by the mating surfaces usually done with an O-Ring. If the O-Ring or mating surfaces are damaged letting air get past then the thread alone won’t stop the air escaping. That is why you put beeswax on the threads (to make them airtight) but you are only really doing that to address a problem elsewhere - it really shouldn’t be needed. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 1 hour ago, nheather said: Even some Iwata stuff (the compressors for example) are made by Sparmax. I have a Sparmax airbrush - no thread grease on that either. Cheers, Nigel Well Iwata do own Sparmax so that's not a supprise. They also own Harder and Steenbeck too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_W Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 I think you need to be sure of the sealing mechanism used as it varies by air brushes. This is a marked up Iwata diagram for my HP-BS. Important: The Iwata types that do not use an O-Ring to seal the nozzle cap, like above, typically get supplied with a red liquid thread sealant that hardens and then cracks off when the nozzle (3) or nozzle cap (2) are removed. This then needs replacement to get a seal. Maybe they have now switched to something like a beewax . The position of the air cap (2) is going to determine the annulus size at the needle so I like to tighten it up hand tight onto the shoulder on the main airbrush body (13D) setting the needle/air cap annulus geometry. Note no O-rings on the air cap. This works. Ignore the reference to the PTFE packing. The usual that comes up in other discussions. Here is the Iwata NEO. Similar construction, so no O-Ring, Beeswax should do the job. And, you do not need much. Not all air brushes are the same. The Iwata HP-CS has a self centring nozzle and use an O-ring to seal the air cap. No need for beeswax. I find PTFE requires more pressure to lock up and do not trust it for position. I would not use it unless you have a sloppy thread, unlikely with Iwata. Recommendation - bees wax. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ade H Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Based on the manual for my airbrush, I understood that the larger part which you've labelled as the air cap was the head cap and the smaller part bewtween that and the crown was the nozzle cap. For me, it was the nozzle cap thread which leaked air and it showed up as bubbles when I splashed cleaner on it. I was advised to seal it and it seemed to improve atomisation in back-to-back testing. I didn't find any problem with tightness or alignment, but perhaps that may depend on where the tape is applied and how much is used. Switching to tape also allows me to remove the nozzle cap for speckling without renewing the sealant every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tijuana Taxi Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 (edited) Just to confuse matters the nozzle (no 3 in the diagram) on my Iwata HP CH is threaded as is the air cap and nozzle cap. No O rings or air leaks, didn't come with any thread locking fluid, never used beeswax or PTFE tape either. Edited November 27, 2021 by Tijuana Taxi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tijuana Taxi Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 3 hours ago, Ray_W said: I think you need to be sure of the sealing mechanism used as it varies by air brushes. This is a marked up Iwata diagram for my HP-BS. Ray Are you sure that's a diagram for an Iwata HP BS? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_W Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 4 minutes ago, Tijuana Taxi said: Are you sure that's a diagram for an Iwata HP BS? My bad, I have a HP-B Plus. Thanks for picking that up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nheather Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 2 hours ago, Tijuana Taxi said: Just to confuse matters the nozzle (no 3 in the diagram) on my Iwata HP CH is threaded as is the air cap and nozzle cap. No O rings or air leaks, didn't come with any thread locking fluid, never used beeswax or PTFE tape either. Same here. Very interesting to hear about the red sealing liquid - never seen that on any of mine. One is a CS so that makes sense but the other two weren't. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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