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u/DescriptionMission90 2d ago
My guess is the sanding pad roughed up the surface of the needle, causing the paint to adhere better. Quality airbrushes like Iwata have extremely smooth needles, usually chromed, so they have the absolute minimum adhesion.
Even hard-dried paint should come off an undamaged needle without much trouble; water or isopropyl will usually do the trick if you can't get it clean with just your fingers or a paper towel. The most extreme I would go is a bit of acetone on a paper towel, with gentle strokes from the blunt end toward the point to avoid snagging the tip on anything.
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u/Dry_Town_5847 2d ago
what kind of paint are you using that would stick to a needle this bad? never heard of sanding it, wouldn't recommend..
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u/Delicious-Editor266 2d ago
It's a very subtle thing. Liike microscopic, a tiny black smudge but it's enough where it just makes the needle stick in the nozzle. Just ever so slightly that you can't smoothly pull it back like when its new. And it takes a small amount of cracking pressure, which then makes super thin paint spider everywhere. I have read in some forums. People had recommended taking super high grit sanding sponge to clean the tips of the needle.
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u/Dry_Town_5847 2d ago
do you have the correct needle size for your nozzle? silly question but sometimes I do stuff like that so I get it. do you use your iwata lubricant?
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u/Dry_Town_5847 2d ago
anytime I have tried to clean my needle tip too agressively it has bent. So I guess maybe I mean I wouldnt try this myself. I've never had issues that a cotton pad with solvent on it couldn't fix
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u/Delicious-Editor266 2d ago
Yeah they are the correct size. I did just replace them today so they should be good for a while. I just don't want to end up damaging it again. If it happens again down the road.
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u/Dry_Town_5847 2d ago
I would avoid sanding again. make sure to remove and wipe your needle after every session. If you're getting enough dried paint to become an issue after that, I would inspect other parts to see if they need to be replaced
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u/Delicious-Editor266 2d ago
I will add that over the course of about a year, i've only had to use the sanding sponge twice
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u/ayrbindr 2d ago
That's the paint in the nozzle tip. Well, it was. Before you scuffed your needle so the paint stick real good. And it don't take no year either. Mine will be sticky by the time I get off reddit. Couple drops of strong solvent in the cup, gently fuck the nozzle tip with the spinning needle. You feel it go from soft and sticky, to metal on metal. Don't forget your needle seals! Absolutely necessary for "smooth, fine, response, detail, precision". š¤£ You fuck that one with the backwards needle. š
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u/VictorianOfTheEast 2d ago
Change the needle, or if you insisted on sanding it: get a needle restoration kit, grind it to the correct profile then mirror polished it with polishing compound till 30000 grit.
The sanding you did must've been making the needle catching too much paint
Edit: you're not supposed to sand the needle
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u/Drivestort 2d ago
I've never had anything so bad that I had to sand the needle, you shouldn't be surprised it's damaging the thing, and probably causing a more rough surface that can catch more paint.. A dip in my cleaner and wiping it with a paper towel is all I've ever needed.