Made my own H&S caps for Microns

crewchief227

Needle-chuck Ninja
Hey all, been awhile since I've been a regular. So after giving my Microns a deep cleaning, I thought what the hell, I might as well take some crown caps that I never use (have a few spares from buying new heads), and take a dremel to them to make basically the two prong caps that the H&S Infiniti has on it for my Microns. That brass cuts fast, could do it better if I used a file, and a vise. I wound up with a 'functional' needle cap that still allows picking, and doesn't affect airflow, or view of the needle. IDK any Micron users that use the cap, and idk how your supposed to use the stock cap. It gets completely blocked with paint so fast it's ridiculous. I guess that's why they put the storage on the handle now, LOL. We'll see how long this lasts until I need my bare needles back. Pics here: http://imgur.com/gallery/EBqtUFa
 
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I think the point here is not having to fork out nearly forty quid for one when you can make it yourself for next to nothing out of the cheap Chinese ones, Lion Art also in the Netherlands has his own version of them for far less, the last one I bought from him was I believe €7.50 and still is, check here. :)
damn,this is great link!
 
We aim to please;) if you order anything form him, tell him I sent you, then you can pay double:)

He's a member here and an all round super cool dude:thumbsup:
I regret that I clicked on your link if I am honest. I was browsing the store and now I wanna have bunch of stuff... I am so naive dang -.-
 
I think the point here is not having to fork out nearly forty quid for one when you can make it yourself for next to nothing out of the cheap Chinese ones, Lion Art also in the Netherlands has his own version of them for far less, the last one I bought from him was I believe €7.50 and still is, check here. :)
Yeah I seen them their, that is also where I first saw the Airtek moisture traps (you can find them cheaper on Amazon, but shipping takes forever from Japan), and let's not forget foxie's $100 needles. Which I would pay for, if they were titanium or solid tungsten needle, but not a modded iwata needle.
 
Yeah I seen them their, that is also where I first saw the Airtek moisture traps (you can find them cheaper on Amazon, but shipping takes forever from Japan), and let's not forget foxie's $100 needles. Which I would pay for, if they were titanium or solid tungsten needle, but not a modded iwata needle.

The price of the open crown cap is ridiculous considering all it does is stop you stabbing a canvas, I mean 40 bucks isn't going to do that job any better than 50 cents would producing something the same shape, I've had it in my head to make myself some disposable push on ones out of hard plastic tubing, I am quite the expert at stabbing canvas or anything else for that matter but I've still got to get the standard crown cap off when I work or I can't see a thing:)
 
I did one of mine then lost it. Did another and snapped 1 prong off lol. Haven' t bothered since but i might just have a go when i get enough spare time to actually do something.

Lee
#noairbrushleftbehind
 
Yeah I seen them their, that is also where I first saw the Airtek moisture traps (you can find them cheaper on Amazon, but shipping takes forever from Japan), and let's not forget foxie's $100 needles. Which I would pay for, if they were titanium or solid tungsten needle, but not a modded iwata needle.
I had long thought very similarly until i really started looking at making my own tougher needle.

I looked into making a Ti needle using 6al4v (grade5) Ti. No-one does it because, well, its a bad idea. Ti has a poor shear strength, can't hold an edge (or a sharp point)very well unless you get into exotic beta Ti's that are roughly equal to stainless and though its technically much harder than un treated 316 ss It has poor surface wear characteristics and actually scratches more easily (but doesnt indent as easily, thus the harder rockwell) than untreated 316. The treated 316 is far harder than even the hardest grades of Ti. Comparing scratch resistance would be like cardboard vs granite.

Certain grades and alloys of tungsten might be a contender....It has its own troubles for this application but might be a contender.

I have to say I think foxy has actually made a fantastic choice with those needles..... a hardened surface layer combined with all the other strengths of stainless make it a near perfect combo, beating the characteristics of kolsterized stainless for an airbrush needle would be pretty difficult without getting into some extremely exotic materials.

Some of the more easily treatable martensitic stainless alloys would be a bit more economical and offer the same properties as the treated 316 but at the expense of always having to have your needle pulled out to let dry after a waterborne painting session.
 
yeh I have contemplated buying one of thos k33 needles but T 100 euro i just cant do it.

Lee
 
yeh I have contemplated buying one of thos k33 needles but T 100 euro i just cant do it.

Lee
Has anyone here actually bought one of those needles? I have never seen an outside review, or test of one vs. stock in a YouTube video. Maybe I have to be the one that takes that step off the cliff. HAHAHA I would however make a video of an iwata needle AFTER I did my polishing, and prepping, and then the K33, cause a stock iwata needle comes out of the package pretty rough.
 
Has anyone here actually bought one of those needles? I have never seen an outside review, or test of one vs. stock in a YouTube video. Maybe I have to be the one that takes that step off the cliff. HAHAHA I would however make a video of an iwata needle AFTER I did my polishing, and prepping, and then the K33, cause a stock iwata needle comes out of the package pretty rough.
Yes, I believe @musicmacd ,@JackEb ,@DaveG , @Airbrush Dreams and several others have them. The photo of the tip at 100x or whatever on foxys site actually came from a member here @redcore. Which he posted in this thread http://www.airbrushforum.org/thread...-needle-vs-standard-iwata-0-18mm.18474/page-2

The polish on the k33 is nothing special compared to a good self polishing job, I believe, It is the fact that its surface hardened to Rc 58 or so.
They say theres like 7 other steps or something which i believe come down to shipping it out to be hardened and taking it back out of the package etc. etc. LOL
 
Yes, I now have two of them in use. I like them, and am not sorry for having spent the money. If you are looking for finer detail, you won't get that. If you are looking for painting, and not worrying about anything else, you get that. When I tested my first one, I didn't really notice any difference until it dawned on my how long I had been painting without picking at the tip dry... I have since gone to more closely trying to control the environment in my studio, and find this has done at least as much to eliminate annoying tip dry, so I don't sweat it too much.
 
I know that @musicmacd cried when he damaged his k33
I do have one but I havent painted since i bought it so i havent even installed it in the brush yet, but with Paint Pal on no doubt that will change in the next week or two.

I have no experience with polishing airbrush needles but i did buy half a dozen el cheapo generic needles so that i can practise my technique without damaging a good one.

for those still on the fence with the k33 you may like this review by @haasje dutchairbrush

http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/the-marissa-k33-needle-by-zsolt-for-0-18-microns.12437/
 
I know that @musicmacd cried when he damaged his k33
I do have one but I havent painted since i bought it so i havent even installed it in the brush yet, but with Paint Pal on no doubt that will change in the next week or two.

I have no experience with polishing airbrush needles but i did buy half a dozen el cheapo generic needles so that i can practise my technique without damaging a good one.

for those still on the fence with the k33 you may like this review by @haasje dutchairbrush

http://www.airbrushforum.org/threads/the-marissa-k33-needle-by-zsolt-for-0-18-microns.12437/

In my mind that is exactly the disadvantage of the k33, damage one and its done. At least anything that makes it special is done. Repair it and youve done away with the surface hardening. For now i stick with repairing the needle i have, which can be done at least 15 times before you need a new one, if not more.
 
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