iwata ECL101-IM Eclipse Airbrush Series Instruction Manual

Iwata ECL101-IM Eclipse Airbrush Series Instruction Manual

NEED ASSISTANCE
If you have any issues or warranty service questions, contact your local ANEST IWATA affiliate before returning to your place of purchase.

ANEST IWATA-MEDEA, INC.
Portland, Oregon U.S.A. +1-503-253-7308 (M-F)
[email protected]
www.iwata-airbrush.com

ANEST IWATA SOUTH-EAST ASIA CO., LTD.
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ANEST IWATA RUS LLC
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ANEST IWATA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD.
Mt. Druitt, NSW +61-(02)-9853-2000
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ANEST IWATA (U.K.) LTD.
Neots Cambs, England +44-(0)1480-405419
www.anest-iwata.co.uk

ANEST IWATA MOTHERSON LTD.
Uttar Pradesh, India +91-(0)120-4600500 / 14 / 17 www.aircompressors.com

CENTURY TRADING CO., LTD.
Seoul, Korea 82-2-2163-0300
www.centrading.co.kr

IWATA ECLIPSE AIRBRUSH SERIES

This multi-purpose, high-paint-flow, high-detail Eclipse Airbrush Series covers a wide range of uses. Commonly used to spray premixed or heavier paints, it is well suited for uses demanding precise control of spray when applying moderate-to-large amounts of paint to a variety of surfaces and to various-sized areas. This Eclipse Airbrush Series has established a benchmark for excellence in an all-purpose airbrush.

GETTING STARTED

Compressor
Choose an appropriate compressor for your Eclipse airbrush. The Iwata Smart Jet Compressor is a good beginner choice and will provide approximately 20-25 psi of air pressure to the Eclipse. The low – high pressure output category of compressors can provide up to 50 psi to the Eclipse. At 35 psi, the ideal air pressure to utilize all of the airbrush’s unique potential, the Eclipse’s versatility provides high-paint flow for background spray as well as for controllable fine line detail performance. This unmatched versatility is a unique feature of the Iwata Eclipse airbrush series.

ASSEMBLY (BCS)

1. Screw the air hose onto the compressor.
2. Screw the air hose onto the airbrush.
3. Adjust the air pressure to between 35 and 55 psi.
4. Check for any air leaks in the compressor and air hoses.
5. Fill the bottle with Medea Airbrush Cleaner, or the appropriate solvent for your paint.
6. Attach the bottle to the airbrush by pushing the bottle stem into the bottle joint of the airbrush body.
7. Point the airbrush away from you.
8. Press down on the main lever (#12) to start the flow of air through the airbrush.
9. Pull back on the main lever to open the nozzle of the airbrush.
10. Spray cleaning solution through the airbrush to rinse out any residual pre-testing pigment.

ASSEMBLY (BS, CS, Takumi)

1. Screw the air hose onto the compressor.
2. Screw the air hose onto the airbrush.
3. Adjust the air pressure to between 25 and 35 psi.
4. Check for any air leaks in the compressor or air hoses.
5. Place a few drops of cleaner into the bowl.
6. Point the airbrush away from you.
7. Press down on the main lever (#12) to start the flow of air through the airbrush.
8. Pull back on the main lever to open the nozzle of the airbrush.
9. Spray cleaning solution through the airbrush to rinse out any residual pre-testing pigment.

GENERAL OPERATION

Fine-Line Spray

1. Depress the main lever (#12) to start airflow.
2. Position the airbrush close to the surface, between 1/16 and 1/2 inch is common.
3. Pull the main lever back slightly to start the flow of paint.

Stippling
Iwata airbrushes are designed to produce a wide range of stippling textures. Remove the needle cap and nozzle cap (being very careful not to bump the needle) and depress the main lever. Experiment with various air pressure to achieve the right texture for your project. Higher pressures will produce larger dot patterns.

CAUTION
The needle and nozzle are very delicate. Even a slight bend on the tip of the needle can adversely affect the spray pattern. Replacing the needle cap on the Eclipse with an optional crown cap will protect the needle, yet enable an extremely narrow line to be sprayed.

Wide-Line and Background Spraying

1. Depress the main lever (#12).
2. Position the airbrush further away from the surface, from 1/2 to 6 inches is common.
3. Pull the main lever back much further, releasing more paint to cover the bigger area.

Line thickness can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the airbrush and the surface, by manipulating the main lever and by raising or lowering the air pressure. An extremely narrow line can be obtained by carefully removing the needle cap (#1), positioning the airbrush closer to the surface and working at a lower air pressure.

Increase the distance between the airbrush and painted surface to control the line’s width. Increasing the air pressure will also affect the spray width. The Eclipse’s maximum useable line width is approximately 2½ inches.

Cutaway Handle
The cutaway handle (#19) is a special feature on the Eclipse. Its purpose is to free up paint clogs that may have formed at the tip of the airbrush without removing the handle and the needle.

1. Unscrew the needle cap (#1).
2. Unscrew the nozzle cap (#2).
3. Adjust the air pressure between 5 and 50 psi.

Lower air pressure will give you coarse stipple whereas higher pressure will provide a fine stipple effect. Paint viscosity will also effect the stippling texture.

Air Pressure
For the Eclipse, working pressures generally vary between 25 and 55 psi, depending on what type of work is being done and what textures are desired. In general 35 psi or above is preferred to take full advantage of the unique, versatile spray characteristics of the Eclipse. The viscosity of the paint and your desired spray characteristics will also affect your ideal pressure. As a general rule, larger amounts of paint, or thicker paints, will be sprayed with higher pressures.

PAINT PREPARATION
For non-specific airbrush paints, proper preparation, including filtering the paint through a nylon mesh, is critical for best performance. Thin paint with its proper solvent, and make repeated passes across the work to build up the color. This improves your work’s quality and decreases your airbrush’s cleaning time.

CAUTION

• Always spray in well ventilated areas.
• Do not spray solvent based (flammable) paints around open flames.
• Use the appropriate respirator to safely filter out paint vapours particular to your specific paint type.
• Wear eye protection to prevent paint contact with eyes.
• Never exceed the airbrush’s pressure limit (98 psi).

MAINTENANCE

Cleaning the Airbrush between Colors (BCS)

1. Remove the paint bottle.
2. Attach a bottle containing the appropriate cleaning solution.
3. Spray until the solution sprays clear.
4. Remove the bottle of cleaning solution.
5. Spray air until the airbrush sprays dry.
6. Attach a bottle containing the next color.
7. Repeat cleaning procedure when finished.

Before Each Session
Spray water, or the appropriate paint solvent, through the airbrush to make sure the airbrush is working properly.

After Each Session
Or any time the airbrush becomes clogged:

1. Increase the air pressure.
2. Spray cleaning solution for a short time.
3. Clean the needle if necessary.

Cleaning the airbrush this way helps clean the paint passage, the nozzle and the needle thoroughly.

Cleaning the Airbrush between Colors (BS, CS, TAKUMI)

1. Dump out the color cup’s excess paint.
2. Rinse the cup with the appropriate cleaning solution.
3. Use a paper towel to wipe out any leftover paint.
4. Fill the bottom of the cup with cleaner.
5. Spray cleaner until the spray is clear.
6. (TAKUMI ONLY) Separate cup from adaptor and wipe adaptor and cup threads clean using a paper towel.
7. Add the next color to the color cup.
8. Repeat cleaning procedure when finished.

NEVER soak your entire airbrush in any liquid. NEVER store your airbrush with spray medium or cleaning agents in the fluid cup.

Cleaning the Needle

1. Unscrew the handle (#19) from the airbrush body.

2. Loosen the needle chucking nut (#18).

3. Gently pull the needle (#17) straight out.

4. Fold a soft cloth damp with cleaner over the needle.

5. Rotate the needle to gently wipe the residual paint off.

6. Carefully insert the needle into the airbrush until it seats
   fully against the nozzle (#4).
   CAUTION
   The most probable time to damage the needle is when the needle passes through the main lever (#12) and through the needle packing screw (#14b).
   If the needle stops abruptly, retract and examine the trigger mechanism for proper assembly and re-insert the needle.

7. Tighten the needle chucking nut finger tight. Pull the main lever back and forth to visually confirm the needle’s ability to move.

8. Screw the handle back onto the airbrush body.

Periodically
To ensure smooth main lever action, lubricate the needle (#17) and the main lever mechanism (#12) regularly.

1. Unscrew the handle (#19).
2. Loosen the needle chucking nut (#18).
3. Remove the needle.
4. Coat the needle lightly with a high-quality lubricant, like Iwata Lube.
5. Wipe the needle with a soft, clean cloth, leaving a light coat of lube behind.
6. Re-insert the needle gently into the airbrush.
7. Tighten the needle chucking nut.
8. Screw the handle onto the airbrush body.
   Drip one drop of lube into the slot directly behind the main lever and as close to the main lever as possible.

CAUTION
DO NOT over-lube the needle; transferring excess lube into the nozzle may cause severe paint flow problems.

DO NOT use light machine oil or WD-40 for lubrication. These lubes cause the needle to stick when it moves through the needle packing and can also get into the air system.

If it becomes absolutely necessary to dismantle the airbrush remember that most situations, unless otherwise directed, do not require tools.

TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES

REPLACEMENT PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

Nozzle (#4) In time, the nozzle may wear or be damaged and may need to be replaced.

1. Unscrew the handle (#19).

2. Loosen the needle chucking nut (#18).

3. Gently pull the needle (#17) part way back. It doesn’t need to be fully pulled out.

4. Unscrew the head cap (#3).

5. The nozzle should fall out. If it doesn’t, push it gently to the side with your thumb.

6. Fit the new nozzle onto the airbrush body.

7. Screw the head cap onto the airbrush body.
   • Hand tighten cap or “lightly” tighten it with the provided wrench.
   • DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

8. Push the needle all the way forward until it seats with the new nozzle.

9. Tighten the needle chucking nut.

10. Screw the handle onto the airbrush body.
    TIP: Keep a spare nozzle on hand for unforeseen accidents.

Nozzle contains Nickel.

Crown Cap (Optional Accessory, Standard on Takumi)
A crown cap replaces the needle cap (#1). It physically protects the needle while spraying very fine lines. It also prevents pigment build-up and spattering when spraying large backgrounds.

Preset Handle (Optional Accessory, Standard on Takumi)
The preset handle replaces the handle (#19). A threaded adjusting
screw mounted behind the handle limits the distance the main lever can be pulled back. This provides accurate control of paint volume and is especially useful when doing repetitive, precision work.

Needle (#17)
Iwata needles are made of precision ground and hardened stainless-steel that will withstand prolonged usage. They are, however, subject to easy physical damage because of the long tapered, extremely fine tip. If the needle point becomes severely bent, it must be straightened before pulling it back through the nozzle. If not, the bent needle might damage the nozzle as it’s pulled through.

TIP: Keep a spare needle on hand for unforeseen accidents.

Quick Disconnect (Optional Accessory)
A quick disconnect joint is screwed onto the air hose and a quick
disconnect adapter is screwed onto each airbrush. When using multiple airbrushes, the quick disconnect joint facilitates changing airbrushes on the same air hose quickly.

All Iwata airbrushes are warranted against all manufacturing defects of material and manufacture or workmanship for a period of FIVE years from date of purchase. This warranty does not cover needles, nozzles, O-rings and internal packings since these parts need to be replaced occasionally due to normal wear. Any other parts or materials that are or become defective so as not to be usable within this period will be repaired or replaced. This warranty does not cover damage caused by negligence or airbrushes which have been altered or abused in any way.

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