While I try to be very careful with things like an airbrush needle, I am a bit clumsy at times. I also don’t see nearly as well as I once did. I managed to slightly tweak the tip of the needle in my Mobius .3. I could try to straighten it but in my experience that’s fraught with danger and frustration. I could also just buy a new one at $10 but then I wouldn’t get to spend money on a new tool.
I found the SharpenAir needle repair tool on YouTube and while it’s pretty darn expensive, I thought I’d give it a try since I doubt this will be my first bent needle. It’s $50 at Spraygunner and while that is a lot, I have a tool addiction and like to buy shiny things. It works by spinning the needle against some very fine abrasives at the correct angle for the tip. Based on the finish left behind by the first station, it only affects the first 2 mm or so of the needle so it shouldn’t damage a multi angle needle.
Using abrasives seems pretty aggressive but I suspect that since the tip is so thin, it tends to straighten it by bending more than by removing materiel. There are 4 steps with slightly different angles and different abrasives. I went through all 4, about ten turns each with gentle axial pressure. After that, I chucked it in an ancient Makita 4.8 volt drill and used the included mystery polish on the full length. Maybe ten minutes from opening the box, I now have a straight and polished needle tip!
I don’t think I’ll use it often but I do think it will be a handy tool for when I manage to mess up another needle.