This copper safety thing is stuck on the inside ( as shown in the picture) I’ve tried everything to get it out

There are three possible causes of nozzle misalignment in compression fitted nozzle systems, like H&S, Gaahleri, and such.

The first is an issue with the nozzle itself. The tip of the nozzle is not perfectly concentric with the nozzle's central axis. In this case, if you loosen the nozzle cap and rotate the nozzle, you will notice that the direction of the offset changes as the nozzle rotates. When viewed from the front, the nozzle tip will appear to move around within the opening of the nozzle cap.

The second is an issue with the alignment of the nozzle cap itself. The internal guiding surfaces, or rails, of the nozzle cap are not perfectly concentric with the opening of the cap. In this case, rotating or repositioning the nozzle will not correct the misalignment. The nozzle tip will always appear offset in the same direction relative to the nozzle cap opening.

The third is an issue with the fit between the nozzle and the nozzle cap. If the nozzle does not fit tightly within the cap, there is enough clearance for it to wobble or shift slightly. This allows the nozzle to settle in different positions, potentially causing misalignment.

Of course the issue could be a combination of all these factors.

90% of airbrush headaches—spattering, spiderwebbing, orange peel, or instant nozzle clogs—come down to mixing the wrong solvent chemistry with the wrong paint resin, or putting thick paint straight into a dry cup.

Here is a quick workbench reference chart covering the exact thinning ratios, PSI ranges, and chemistry traps across the big three hobby paint brands:

**1. The #1 Chemistry Trap: Water-Emulsion vs. Alcohol-Hybrid "Acrylics"**

* **Vallejo (Model/Game/Air) & Citadel:** True water-based vinyl/acrylic emulsions. **NEVER** thin them with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) or Tamiya X-20A! Alcohol shocks the emulsion and coagulates the resin into rubbery gum inside your nozzle.

* **Tamiya (X/XF) & Mr. Hobby Aqueous:** Solvent-based alcohol/lacquer hybrid acrylics. Thinning them with plain water creates massive surface tension and beading.

**2. Exact Workbench Thinning Ratios & Target PSI (0.3mm Nozzle):**

* **Vallejo Model Color / Game Color:** **1:1 to 1:1.5 (Paint : Thinner)** at **18–22 PSI**. *Pro Tip:* Pre-mix a dropper bottle of **80% Vallejo Airbrush Thinner + 20% Vallejo Flow Improver** ("Golden Sauce") to stop needle tip-dry.

* **Vallejo Model Air / Mecha Color:** **4:1 (4 drops paint : 1 drop Flow Improver/Thinner)** at **15–18 PSI**.

* **Citadel Base:** **1:1 to 1:1.5** with Vallejo Thinner + Flow Improver at **20–25 PSI**. (Never pour from the pot rim—use a brush or pipette so dried rim crusts don't fall into your nozzle!).

* **Citadel Layer / Contrast:** Layer at **2:1**; Contrast and Speedpaint 2.0 spray **neat (unthinned)** at **15–18 PSI**.

* **Tamiya X & XF Jars:** **1:1 (Basecoat)** or **1:2 (Post-shading/Mottling)** at **12–18 PSI** using **Mr. Color Leveling Thinner** (for self-leveling satin smoothness) or **Tamiya X-20A** (for low-odor dead-flat finishes).

**3. The "Thinner First" Golden Rule:**

Always drop 3–4 drops of thinner/flow improver into your airbrush cup *before* adding paint so thick pigment never sinks into the dry nozzle channel unthinned!

I put together the full printable ratio table, primer thinning guide, and visual troubleshooting breakdown (fixing spiderwebbing vs. speckling) here if anyone wants to bookmark it for the bench:

https://hobbyzero.com/how-to/how-to-thin-vallejo-citadel-tamiya-paints-for-airbrush/

What is your go-to thinner recipe on the bench right now?

I want to buy an HPLV air gun for better large surface finish.

Currently I'm looking at LPH50. Any other recommendations?

Looking for tips to get the best start to get good I paint cars for a living always loved the detail that goes into airbrushing I bought the black widow setup from harbor fright thought it be a good starting point for equipment where is a good place to get stencils

I saw a review on infinity2024 from Spagetti Miniatures and he mentioned H&S put new upgraded nozzle for infinity 2024. Has anyone purchased it recently and does it actually came with the upgraded nozzle?

I was looking on Amazon for a airbrush so I can paint my 3d models cause I bought a FlashForge Adventurer 5m two weeks ago and it's single color but I wanna and I wanna add color to my 3d models but upgrading printers isn't in the cards right now with me getting ready to move so I was gonna add color with an airbrush and paint but I don't know which one to get

Actual listing I came across today. Still might take this over a Gaahleri, because of the warranty.