Hey guys, maybe someone can help -

I'm currently using an Iwata HP-CS, with a Studio Jet compressor.

A little while ago, I started getting water splatters out of the airbrush nozzle while painting (Happens while the action is depressed, doesn't have to be pulled back, or have paint in the cup) My moisture trap is connected to the compressor, and the line runs from there to the brush. The moisture trap is fogging up very quickly, so you would think it's working?

I went out and picked up the Iwata pistol grip filter, which mounts directly to the in-feed on the brush, in an attempt to stop any more moisture from travelling from the line to the brush. This has helped, but I find if I get the filter as tight as it will go, my action doesnt release, air pressure out of the brush is low, and air continues to blow out. If I get it screwed on more gently, the brush works fine, sometimes needs more pressure or I get more of a splatter than a spray, but that's defeating the purpose as it's not an actual seal anymore, and the water problem starts again.

NOW, it has been pretty humid here in Toronto for the last while, so maybe that's the problem? There's so much humidity in the air that 2 traps can't quite get it all?

ANY help here would be great, summer is a great time for modelling with all the time off, but my brush won't work!

Toronto doesn't have enough humidity to beat 2 working moisture traps...

It almost sounds as if you've got water in the body of the airbrush, and it's somehow leaking past the seals every so often.

Hmm..I don't think it's water in the actual airbrush, I've cleaned it out thoroughly and regularly.

If I just disconnect the airbrush from the hose, water splatters out of hose on idle....
It seems like an awful lot to be coming out, with the moisture trap all fogged as well...

Do you have a tank? Sounds like you have water in the tank and need to drain it. Your humidity up there shouldn't be that bad to get by 2 water traps.
I live in NC, and have used 2 traps in the summer when humidity here gets up into the 90% range. I have taken the second trap in line and immersed it in ice water; that will trap almost any water in your line, but you have to empty the trap when it gets full.
I would not mount the trap to the airbrush, as it will hinder the brush movements and tend to splash into the air line when you do move it.
Hope this helps.
Norm Samuelson

This is the compressor I'm using - unless I'm thicker than bunker door, it doesn't have a tank...

http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/products/sprint_jet

and this is the secondary trap (pistol grip) -

http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/products/hardware

Two things I can think of are moisture build up in the hose, or you have a moisture build up inside of the the compressor.

It cant be the hose, i've run the airbrush long periods of time to blow out the water, and it just keeps coming.

How would I go about getting rid of moisture in the compressor? ANd would that not get caught by the moisture trap before it hits the hose?

Take the hose and trap of the compressor and run it, see it anything is coming out? I beleive my compressor has a drain on it.

Sounds like there must be pretty high ambient humidity, and the trap can't get it all out.
OK, try this: find a can or large bowl that you can place next to the compressor and deep enough for the water trap to fit into. Then fill the can/bowl with ice water. This will tend to chill the air as it goes through the trap and condense the moisture out.
This is not very pretty, but it will work.
If you can paint in an air conditioned room, that helps a lot, too, as the AC dries the air.

Thanks for the help everyone! I took the moisture trap off, nothing damp coming out of the compressor.

The humidex is at 74% right now, and that's out at the airport, so in the city it might be higher...That could be the problem!!

Is your compressor on the floor or resting on a shelf?

It's sitting on the desk next to me....