'ere we go again!

[Gern]

I bought a new H&S Ultra from John last week. It came with a 0.2 needle/nozzle set. In addition, I have in my H&S spares box:

2 x 0.4mm needles
1 x 0.2 needle
2 x 0.4mm nozzles
1 x 0.2mm nozzle
1 x 0.4mm pinch cap
1 x 0.4mm pinch cap nozzle
1 x 0.2mm pinch cap
1 x 0.2mm pinch cap nozzle

Spare seals which I have duly replaced.

I have tried ALL the combinations of needles, nozzles, pinch caps and pinch cap nozzles to try and swap the existing 0.2mm set up to 0.4mm. The only combination I have found that works is the needle/nozzle set which came with the brush.

There are no other combinations which work. Not one allows the airbrush to seal the nozzle so any liquid I add literally drips from the end of the brush. Some of the combinations leave the needle sticking out from the nozzle by about a centimeter - and they still don't seal the nozzle.

Have H&S changed their design or am I just the most unlucky owner of an airbrush in the entire universe?

 

[Andy T]

Oh dear, doesn't sound like you're having fun.

Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs but do you know about the identification markings? The needle will have 1,2 or 4 bands around the back end (0.15, 0.2, 0.4) and the nozzle has the same number of grooves in it.

Really, if the bands & grooves match they should work together fine. I always keep my air cap (pinch cap nozzle as you've called it) together with it's relevant nozzle as they are different too

Here's a snap I've just taken. 0.4 at the top showing the 4 grooves on the nozzle and single groove around the cap. The lower 0.2 doesn't have that groove. I've not seen anything official but that might be how you tell them apart, as they definitely have different sized holes.



H&S did upgrade their needle design to what they call V2 a few years back but as far as I'm aware they are still cross compatible, they just changed the shape of the very tip to move the focal point of the paint and make them more sturdy.


Thats all the help I can be I'm afraid, I'm hoping it's just a mix up of differently sized components

 

[Andy T]

Just had a thought - is it the brand new version of the Ultra?

Being so new I haven't seen any info on whether the parts still swap with other models like the outgoing one does.

I'd imagine they will but it's possible they've changed things in the new design.

 

[The Smythe Meister]

OMG...
This type of thing,(along with many others),is EXACTLY the reason that I don't use an Airbrush unless I really have to.... far more trouble than they're worth imho

 

[Andy T]

Ha, and I only starting building models so that I had something to airbrush. Funny old game

 

[Gern]

I'd heard about grooves on needles and nozzles but not seen pictures, so at least I know what I should look for - but now I'm even more annoyed. It seems two of my nozzles have gone walkabout. I'm left with just two. One with just one band and one with two bands.

Of my four needles, two have what look like two bands in the middle of about 1cm of crosshatching. One needle has a single band on the plain needle shaft, and the last one has no bands at all.

My two pinch tip nozzles also have no bands.

For information - the only combination of needle and nozzle I can get to work in my new Ultra both have a single band.

I'm thinking I should enrol in a local art college and learn to use a hairy stick properly!

 

[Andy T]

Further research shows it's only the V2 needles that have the bands, so maybe some of the ones you have are V1

Wierd that your new ultra has single bands if it's supposed to be 0.2. It's not the new, 2024 redesign ultra as that hasn't been released just yet but I'd still expect it to be V2 unless it's old stock, so I'd expect it to have 2 bands. Very strange.

Sorry, I'm pretty much out of ideas but these images may help identity what you've got. The dual taper tip is the giveaway for V2

 

[David Lovell]

Blimey Dave seems a right old gallon can of worms ,Andys thoughts and pics have gone straight over my head blimy bit complicated. Have you tried dropping a line to H+S surly they can put you in the picture ,now I'm not knocking posh air brushes but are some of them a bit like apple its there stuff there way and were change things so that ,that won't work with this now. Airbrushes ive got one upper class a nice middle class the rest are cheepo chinky copies ,im not very good with the air brush but enjoy using them and the posh one hardly sees the light of day perhaps because I dont want the type of problems your experiencing if something goes wrong ,I hope you get this little mystery sorted sooner rather than later keep us up to speed with the outcome please Dave as these things become important reference for other people with said problems. Dave

 

[Gern]

So it seems I have two 0.2mm V2 needles and either a 0.15mm or 0.2mm V1 needle - it should be 0.2mm as I've never bought anything in 0.15mm - and no 0.4mm needles at all. Strange as my original A/B was the Dual Ultra, which came with both 0.2mm and 0.4mm needles, and I've since bought another 0.4mm needle to replace one that PJ bent - I managed to straighten the bent one so I should have at least two.

Has the carpet monster somehow wormed his way into my box of spares? Or did I somehow throw them away when I had a clearout of some cheapo brushes whose seals had perished?

Oh well. Back to John's next month.

 

[Andy T]

Oh wow, not the best news but at least it's a simple explanation. You wouldn't expect a size 8 shoe to work properly on a size 10 foot.

Talking of footwear I've finally found my 0.2 nozzle this morning. I dropped it when taking the picture above, hence why it's not present. After about half an hour praying to the carpet monster last night I gave up to try again this morning.

I slipped my Crocs on earlier to head out to the shed and felt a lump, my nozzle! That's twice I've dropped something and it's fell in through the holes. Might have to start wearing slippers. Or look there first...

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Andy, thanks for the info on the needles, I went through the same problems as Dave some time ago, gave up on the H&S and went Iwata.

 

[Andy T]

It's a bit ironic that Anest Iwata acquired H&S some years ago so in a roundabout way these are Iwata too lol, but they've definitely carried on doing things in their own way. The new Ultra that's due out any time now looks a great piece of kit, engineered to be as beginner friendly as possible for a precision tool.

I rarely use my infinity now, in fact twice it's had a thorough clean and been boxed up ready for sale, but as a self confessed hoarder I just couldn't do it!

As an Iwata fanboy I still don't have one of their airbrushes. I own just about all of their spray guns and spent £1200 on their two latest models last year (absolutely worth every penny) but use mostly Creos / Mr Hobby airbrushes. They are made by the same people and share many components with their Iwata cousins, at a slightly lower price, so I justify it that way

 

[Magneto]

Oh wow, not the best news but at least it's a simple explanation. You wouldn't expect a size 8 shoe to work properly on a size 10 foot.

Talking of footwear I've finally found my 0.2 nozzle this morning. I dropped it when taking the picture above, hence why it's not present. After about half an hour praying to the carpet monster last night I gave up to try again this morning.

I slipped my Crocs on earlier to head out to the shed and felt a lump, my nozzle! That's twice I've dropped something and it's fell in through the holes. Might have to start wearing slippers. Or look there first...

That’s why I have a wooden floor (and my knee pad - just in case)

 

[john]

When changing the needle and nozzle you also need to change the nozzle cap, or they won't work, the only time you don't need to change the nozzle cap is if you are using a 0.15 to 0.2

 

[colin m]

The needle will have 1,2 or 4 bands around the back end (0.15, 0.2, 0.4) and the nozzle has the same number of grooves in it.

Well talk about a school day - I never knew. I'm off to dismantle my H&S, just because I can.

 

[Magneto]

Good luck with your build

 

[Gern]

I got a new 0.4 needle/nozzle/aircap set up (sorry John, you didn't have everything in stock so I had to go elsewhere) and all seems to be well - except for my Vallejo paints! Every time I use them I spend more time unclogging and cleaning the A/B than actually painting.

I have a selection of Tamiya acrylics and bought some Mr Color Levelling Thinner. I've done some playing around and the combination seems to be working very well. So I'll persevere with them and see how I get on.

All my Vallejo paints - LOTS of them - are now relegated to my hairy sticks!

 

[Andy T]

Good to hear you've sorted it, and I have exactly the same problem with vallejo, and other water based acrylics. I know many get along fine with them but I just can't. It may be my spraying style but the constant cleaning sucks all the fun out of airbrushing for me.

I've tried tamiya acrylics with MLT and found they work really well together too, plus it's one foot in the door of spraying lacquer paints, which is where the magic really begins in my opinion.

 

[Magneto]

I have 6 brand new Iwata to add to my ever growing stash of kits! - I also try to order from John but as you say he is mostly out of stock so I have to buy from elsewhere but at least check with him first! I have around 300 kits

 

[john]

sorry John, you didn't have everything in stock so I had to go elsewhere

! - I also try to order from John but as you say he is mostly out of stock so I have to buy from elsewhere

What am I out of stock of? pretty much fully stocked with H&S, I only had a delivery last week