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2012/12/08 10:07:42
Subject: Airbrushes - H&S Infinity vs Iwata High Performance Plus HP B
First of all I must say that I want an airbrush to make extremely details as I like to paint 28mm figures.
Many weeks now I search all the internet to find the best for myself. I end up to H&S Infinity 2 in 1 and the Iwata High Performance Plus HP-B (similar is and the Hi line HP-BH but it has a MAC valve). The prise are similar but I don't care much about the prise. I care mostly about the painting result and the problems.
If anyone uses these airbrushes please leave a comment about how happy you are with your airbrush or problems you had whit them.
As far As I know Infinity look really great but I found some people complaining about small problems. On the other side HP-BP is not so beauty full but I found none negative comment and all they say about the nice built they have.
Please help
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2012/12/08 10:17:15
I prefer the trigger action on the H&S - it feels smoother than the Iwata. Beyond that - they are both comparable.
The only real negative on either is that my H&S Infinity is the only brush which I have ever bent the needle on during normal use. The 0.15 needle bent when I was wiping off some tip dry with my fingernail. I have do the same thing with all my other brushes and have never bent one on those.
2012/12/08 12:23:59
Subject: Airbrushes - H&S Infinity vs Iwata High Performance Plus HP B
The only real negative on either is that my H&S Infinity is the only brush which I have ever bent the needle on during normal use. The 0.15 needle bent when I was wiping off some tip dry with my fingernail. I have do the same thing with all my other brushes and have never bent one on those.
Because I've already bent a 0.2 needle I just stopped cleaning my airbrush that way. I use cotton swab. Not fast but safe....
i just prefer H&S over Iwata... its just more userfriendly if you ask me
Some other modellers said the same too. They talk of some kind of magic when they had it in their hands. But if you could share more of your experience it would be great.
Well, imo its easier to take apart, clean and put back together. The trigger is easier to use and the trigger action is better/more fluid/easier to control
Plus one on that. The way that H&S designed their brush is nice because when you do a full break down for cleaning - the parts themselves are larger than they are on the Iwata HP-B. The nozzle for example on the H&S is three times as big as the one on the Iwata. If you are wearing rubber gloves when assembling them, the larger size makes it much easier to grab and align the part (just one quick example without having to field strip the two of them again to see why else I prefer the H&S over the Iwata).
2012/12/10 05:19:58
Subject: Airbrushes - H&S Infinity vs Iwata High Performance Plus HP B
The control you can get with the .15mm needle is amazing, definitely equal to the super expensive Custom Micron series from Iwata.
The problem i ran into with mine was that you really have to be careful with what you use to clean it. Most people will use alcohol, or another non soluble cleaner. In the H&S they use rubber o rings and seals and the alcohol and other cleaners eat away at those seals over multiple cleanings. So i ended up replacing about 3 sets of seals before i made the switch to Iwata. (no the seals are not very expensive themselves, even replacing 3 sets they didnt run me broke. However it is annoying to have to wait for them to ship or go find them somewhere near you!!) All in all the H&S Infinity is a great airbrush and i would still recommend it to people over paying double for the Custom Micron Series.
BUT i did make the switch to Iwata. Because they are such a large manufacturer it is easy to get replacement parts and you dont have to be picky at all in what you are using to clean the brush.
Brushes i own:
H&S Infinity Solo + i bought a .20mm needle
Iwata Eclipse HP-BS Iwata Hi-Line HP-BH (MAC is awesome)
I find Iwata to be superior FOR ME. Because of the ease of finding replacements or upgrades. Ease of cleaning due to the fact that i have yet to replace a seal. Also Accessories are a big deal with me, i enjoy finding things that are easily adapted to my iwata airbrushes and because they are such a large brand they have tons of after market additions.
Also 1 last thing of note. I live in the USA so i have to find a company that has H&S to ship my replacement parts OR use a german company. So take those things into consideration i live a lot further from germany that you do so it might not be a hassle to wait on those parts like it was for me.
I just read your second post seeing that you purchased the H&S. I should have read further down the thread. My apologies.
Hope you enjoy your new toy.
Cheers
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/12/21 07:38:52
Hopefully one day i'll have an army!
2012/12/21 08:27:37
Subject: Re:Airbrushes - H&S Infinity vs Iwata High Performance Plus HP B
NoQuestionzAsked wrote: The problem i ran into with mine was that you really have to be careful with what you use to clean it. Most people will use alcohol, or another non soluble cleaner. In the H&S they use rubber o rings and seals and the alcohol and other cleaners eat away at those seals over multiple cleanings. So i ended up replacing about 3 sets of seals before i made the switch to Iwata.
For this reason I purchased the CRplus model that the manufacture says :
"These models are distinguished by a triple inner coating of copper and nickel and a high-gloss chrome-plated exterior. A further advantage of the new CRplus series is an innovative longlife needle seal consisting of three solvent-resistant PTFE seals distinguished by a new type of screw technology. The longlife PTFE seals are also fitted on the gravity cup screw fitting, nozzle and air valve."
I hope I will not have problems with seals.... Just hope
NoQuestionzAsked wrote: I just read your second post seeing that you purchased the H&S. I should have read further down the thread. My apologies.
Don't feel bad for that. Maybe someone else will be helped with that post!
dominiquekee wrote: This thread is poisonous... should I get myself an airbrush?
What are the benefits?
I'm pretty new with airbrushing but I really LOVE it.
Positives :
-Thin layers
-Perfect coating
-Perfect highlighting
-Perfect colour gradient
-Very easy to apply primers - varnishes often
Negatives :
-You have to buy an airbrush, air compressor (I made a silent on my own) witch has a cost.
-You will certainly buy and some more air colours even if you can use your old ones.
-Airbrushing needs enough practice.
-Airbrushing needs to be careful so as not to bend needle or break its parts.
-When you begin airbrushing there will be always something you should buy like a new thinner, another new thinner, primers, 4 kind of varnishes and when you buy them you will find that there is a better thinner and varnish from that you bought and so on .....
I think it was 2 years ago that they stopped using the rubber seals and switched to all teflon. Before that, you could get teflon seals to replace the rubber ones - but they were not standard. Now they are standard.
The teflon seals will stand up to all the various chemicals and solvents which are used to thin paints and clean the brush.
2013/01/05 10:20:43
Subject: Re:Airbrushes - H&S Infinity vs Iwata High Performance Plus HP B
Today I decided to post my small review for my NEW airbrush.
As I had already wrote some posts before I bought an Harder and Steenbeck Infinity CRPlus gravity feed with 0.15 needle and 2ml cup.
First of all I have to say that my old airbrush is an VEDA A-180. (Chinese but really worth money). So any compares will be with it.
The first thing that everyone notice is that it is very very beautiful. I'm always happy to have it in my hands even when I don't paint.
The CRPlus is exactly like the regular Infinity but it has a a triple inner coating of copper and nickel and a high-gloss chrome-plated exterior. That makes it little shiner looking it and it meant to be mostly for people having allergies on hands. This difference is enough to have another series of spare parts from classic infinity.
The size of the airbrush is almost like all other (maybe a bit smaller).
Searching on the internet + having the airbrush on my hand I couldn't find almost any serious difference between Infinity and Evolution series (evolution has half of infinity prise!!!!!!!!!)
The really nice thing is the Y Crown Cap. It is fantastic. It protect the needle but you can't clean it as-well.
The trigger is smooth enough (to tell you the truth from videos I've seen it thought it would be MEGA-smooth but it isn't) Finally it has PTFE seals protecting it from almost all rough varnishes and stuffs like that.
Now to the really useful things.
The needle is an 0.15 mm. I order it that small. You can have it with 0.2, 0.4. It is very very well built, very smooth and spotless. That makes the airbrush having less clogs . Don't forget the smaller the needle the thinner the paint. The great thing is that the nozzle comes a bit out of the cup and it is very easy to clean it.
I found a "recipe" for home-made thinner. This has 60% water, 30% retarder, 10% flow-aid. Because I couldn't find flow-aid to buy I made a mix with 70% water- 30% retarder. With this thinner I had almost none clogs. So I insist to make this thinner.
The paint flow is very nice and I have no problem spraying primer, after that paint and then varnish. All smooth all nice.
If sometime it clogged, cleaning it is a piece of cake.
Some people complaint that because the needle is ultra fine it bends easy. That it must be true but not fully. I want to say that if you clean the airbrush needle with your nail it maybe sometime bend. If you clean it with cotton swab I can't see the way you can bend the needle.
Another thing I notices and noone has mention it is that it make less noise!!!!! With my old airbrush when I was spaying I count hear good enough my radio but now almost 70% noise reduction!!!!
The only extra I had to buy (MUST HAVE) and it was really expensive was the Nozzle Cleaning Set witch has 2 brushes and a metallic needle cleaner.
Conclusion.
I'm very happy to have this airbrush. Nice built, good looking, and great tool.
PS. Yet I can't find serious difference between Infinity and Evolution series
KostasIII wrote: The only extra I had to buy (MUST HAVE) and it was really expensive was the Nozzle Cleaning Set witch has 2 brushes and a metallic needle cleaner.
I have the H&S Infinity 2in1. I love it. Will agree with you that the nozzle cleaning set is a MUST HAVE. Acrylic paint can build up in the nozzle very quickly (natural), even when thinned correctly. The small reamer in the cleaning set is the only tool that can allow you remove the dried paint. Another expense, sure, but great investment for an expensive airbrush. Badger's Needle Juice (hah!) can help prolong the drying of the paint in the nozzle too.
Finally, I have to agree with those here that have mentioned how freakin' easy it is to bend the 0.15mm needle. I couldn't believe it when I noticed, as I'm always so careful. I used an emery board, very delicately, to remove the slightly bent end to resurrect an otherwise dead needle. It probably measures more like 0.17mm now though.
Rusty Robot wrote: Another expense, sure, but great investment for an expensive airbrush. Badger's Needle Juice (hah!) can help prolong the drying of the paint in the nozzle too.
Have you use it? Does it really worked? Is it really worth paying it? I've read some people using it saying that MAY help or helps a bit but not MUST HAVE.
If you are happy using it please share it with us
KostasIII wrote: Have you use it? Does it really worked? Is it really worth paying it? I've read some people using it saying that MAY help or helps a bit but not MUST HAVE.
If you are happy using it please share it with us
Let me just clarify slightly, this is a MUST HAVE if you use the 0.15mm needle and nozzle. If you have bigger nozzles (I have a 0.2 and 0.4mm) then it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I never bought the cleaning set with the airbrush thinking, "I'm going to need that". No, I actually thought at the time "I'm probably not going to need that". But within a week or so, I had purchased one. I was getting some splattering and clogs with the 0.15mm. I would be spraying just fine then everything would stop (this would happen after the airbrush sitting for a minute or so whilst I was reworking something on the model) I would have to shoot the airbrush on and off (onto tissue) to get it to work again. It was clear what was happening. In fact, this seems happens quite a lot. I've even seen it happen in tutorial videos!
Anyway, I had to purchase one because it got to the point where I could not use the 0.15mm nozzle and needle anymore. The nozzle was blocked and the needle could be pushed through to function, but it's NOT recommended to do so. All other tools I had just were not small enough to effectively clean it. The reamer is extremely easy to use and had my nozzle back up and super clean within seconds! Even my bigger nozzle had paint in it that it removed.
Here's a video on how to use it:
Bottom line then, if you are using the small needles and nozzles this is a definite must have!
Let me just clarify slightly, this is a MUST HAVE if you use the 0.15mm needle and nozzle. If you have bigger nozzles (I have a 0.2 and 0.4mm) then it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I never bought the cleaning set with the airbrush thinking, "I'm going to need that". No, I actually thought at the time "I'm probably not going to need that". But within a week or so, I had purchased one. I was getting some splattering and clogs with the 0.15mm. I would be spraying just fine then everything would stop (this would happen after the airbrush sitting for a minute or so whilst I was reworking something on the model) I would have to shoot the airbrush on and off (onto tissue) to get it to work again. It was clear what was happening. In fact, this seems happens quite a lot. I've even seen it happen in tutorial videos!
Anyway, I had to purchase one because it got to the point where I could not use the 0.15mm nozzle and needle anymore. The nozzle was blocked and the needle could be pushed through to function, but it's NOT recommended to do so. All other tools I had just were not small enough to effectively clean it. The reamer is extremely easy to use and had my nozzle back up and super clean within seconds! Even my bigger nozzle had paint in it that it removed.
Here's a video on how to use it:
Bottom line then, if you are using the small needles and nozzles this is a definite must have!
Yes,yes,yes
The reamer is fantastic. Just perfect.
Well because I have the 0.15 needle I try to find it and purchase it.
Maybe I have another review for that.
Must remember that you will need the nozzle set for the needle too.
Also, that Badger Regdab Needle Juice is a good idea (and works nice) for the 0.15mm needle.
Sorry ...... Pause ........ Small misunderstanding!!! I have the Infinity with the .015 needle.
I try to purchase the Badger Regdab Needle Juice !!!
From your experience does it solve many clog problems?
The needle juice will NOT prevent the clog or spattering from happening. What it will do is PROLONG it from happening. Allowing you to do more work for longer periods of time before clogging and require cleaning. I think it's great. I can link you to a tutorial that shows you how to use it if you like.
The needle juice will NOT prevent the clog or spattering from happening. What it will do is PROLONG it from happening. Allowing you to do more work for longer periods of time before clogging and require cleaning. I think it's great. I can link you to a tutorial that shows you how to use it if you like.
yes why not. Any help is always welcome
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/01/06 15:52:38
3,500+ point fully painted army of Unforgiven goodness
Hopefully one day i'll have an army! 
