Yin & Yang

[Guest]

Anyway, enough about the airbrush...... Cheesy Bean toasties, come on, I bet you all want to try it?

I'm game! Toast, beans, cheese... what's not to like?

[Guest]

Without wanting to open another can of nightcrawlers, having used all kinds of paints there's no doubt in my mind that enamels thinned with cellulose thinners will always provide the best finish.
But we need to fit our hobby in with our lives (and family!), so even I'm considering moving more to acrylics. Initially I'll use them for large area coverage & enamels for fine work.


I might also invest in this nozzle cap - it looks as though cleaning the nozzle mid-spray might be easier. I think it comes as standard with the H & S Solo


[ATTACH]143857[/ATTACH]

Yep, that is the pinch cap. The Ultra was reviewed by Phil Flory, an out and out H&S fan and he took this tip off his airbrush and put it on the Ultra so it does work. So easy to pinch the needle tip with a thinners dampened tissue to clear build up. Also possible to pinch and blowback which is nigh on impossible with the Ultra cap.

[ojays]

That is nice to know. I wonder how others would rate their H&S and whether they have had any issues. Cheers

Although mainly a hairy stick modeller, I have an H&S Ultra as well as a Badger 105 Patriot and a 40 yr old Miji mini-spraygun.


No problems with the H&S and Badger using Vallejo acrylics, the Miji is only good with enamels though.


Gregg

[Gern]

Now he tells me!


My old cheapo Chinese airbrush which I used for about 4 years - just like you Graham, I had some miserable times with it but struggled manfully on - finally gave up the ghost just before Xmas. Guess what I bought to replace it!


I've only used it a couple of times and find it sprays OK but it's more fiddly to clean than my old one. I might just get me one of those pinch caps, but is there any sort of cover you can get? I just know if I put one of those on, I'll dink the end against something and bend the needle!

[ojays]

Without wanting to open another can of nightcrawlers, having used all kinds of paints there's no doubt in my mind that enamels thinned with cellulose thinners will always provide the best finish.
But we need to fit our hobby in with our lives (and family!), so even I'm considering moving more to acrylics. Initially I'll use them for large area coverage & enamels for fine work.


I might also invest in this nozzle cap - it looks as though cleaning the nozzle mid-spray might be easier. I think it comes as standard with the H & S Solo


[ATTACH]143857[/ATTACH]

Do you have the part number for this please.


Is it for the Infinity Solo or the Evolution solo, as the Infinity Solo is going to be discontinued soon!


Gregg

[Guest]

Do you have the part number for this please.
Is it for the Infinity Solo or the Evolution solo, as the Infinity Solo is going to be discontinued soon!


Gregg

I don't know about part numbers Gregg, but here's a link that might help


https://www.everythingairbrush.com/airbrush-spares/harder-steenbeck-spares/h-s-needles-nozzles-and-air-caps.html?limit=all

[Guest]

Might be worth asking John if he can get them?

[Guest]

Now he tells me!
My old cheapo Chinese airbrush which I used for about 4 years - just like you Graham, I had some miserable times with it but struggled manfully on - finally gave up the ghost just before Xmas. Guess what I bought to replace it!


I've only used it a couple of times and find it sprays OK but it's more fiddly to clean than my old one. I might just get me one of those pinch caps, but is there any sort of cover you can get? I just know if I put one of those on, I'll dink the end against something and bend the needle!

There isn't a cap for it Dave but I am sure you can make one out of poly tube or something. I have been thinking about this and I think I am going to get a .4 needle/nozzle set for it, might be better than the .2 for the way I work with acrylics.

[colin m]

Personally I'm very happy with my Ultra. The ease of cleaning & floating nozzle design scores top marks with me.
However, if acrylic paints were my go-to (especially Vallejo) then I can see the difficulties. Score another for lovely enamels?

I'll give you another score for enamels. I've got a few old enamels which I use once in a while. Give them a good stir and they're ready - So why am I finding so many 2 or 3 year old acrylics no longer fit for purpose ? I think I'm going off Vallejo.

[stona]

I had similar issues with my old Iwata. The nozzle in these is floating rather than screw in like the Iwata. In fact, I was quite happy with my Iwata until I stripped the nozzle threads.

Graham, I assume you mean the thread in the brass part into which the tiny nozzle itself screws. If so, when you order a replacement nozzle from an Iwata dealer you get both parts for your money. About 20 quid will have the airbrush fixed.


Absolutely agree with Patrick that enamels will give the best finish more easily and without all the stress that acrylic sprayers seem to suffer, but I also appreciate that they are not for everyone.


As you mentioned White Ensign enamels (Colourcoats), I can confirm that so far at least the ones I have ordered from Sovereign Hobbies, who have taken over the line, work just as well as they ever did. My recent Bf 110 is sprayed and painted entirely with them!


Cheers


Steve

[eddiesolo]

Sadly, I have to accept that my Tamiya SdKfz 251/1 now sports the worst paint job I have ever achieved.

Welcome to my world...every model is like that.

[Guest]

S

You get what you pay for and I should have paid more. But, having said that, it could still be down to me. The Ultra gets good reviews.

i don't think, and I really mean, don't think that it's the price or quality that is the issue here graham, you must have got a wrongun' and its worth sending it back for a replacement. I have one of thes, and I think it's a pretty damned good airbrush, but it's not beyond the realms of fantasy that the odd rogue one gets through. The only problems I've ever had with mine are due to the crap I'm trying to blow through it! I've also been using it for some small paintings I've been messing around with. Using inks and watercolour, I'm finding it better than the old De Vilbis super 63 I used to use, and that was always reckoned as the guvnor when it came to airbrushes. I don't want to start a feud here (seriously folks, I don't!) but nothing is a bigger ask, for an airbrush, than using paints that dry really quickly. And I have all but given up on acrylics in my airbrush, for this very reason. It simply doesn't suit my way of working. I like to have time to look at what I've done, and, if needs be, adjust it. And once that synthetic resin goes into its chemical change, that we call curing, you wanna get it out of your nozzle well pronto. We've all had those little worms squirt out of our tips haven't we?


Anyway, back to reality, after a good clean, run some water through it and look at the spray pattern against a dark background. You'll see clearly if it's ok, if not, send it back! Sorry to have rambled...ops: