Air Brush Follies

I have a Badger 150.
I was quite pleased to read the airbrushing article in this month's MRR.

I took mine apart, cleaned out every little atom of dried paint from each part and put all back together properly (no mean feat for me, by the way). I put on the medium tip and nozzle and needle, thinned my paint, strained my paint, and let her rip. No paint came out. I put on a bottle of windshield fluid, no liquid came out. I raised the pressure, plenty of air, no liquid. I then felt something amiss. Air was coming sideways out of the area that the nozzle assembly screws on as well as the tip, itself. I changed to a fine tip and needle, no problems. Has anyone else had trouble with the threading?

 

Get hard-core brush cleaner at the HD. Use a rubbermaid container as this stuff attacks most plastics. Completly disassemble the airbrush to its core components and let them soak overnight in the brush cleaner.

You will want to use a heavy duty pipe cleaner (available at Walmart) dippd in brush cleaner and clean out the components. For the cap/nozzle, use a small toothpick. The nozzle is what usially clogs first. Also make sure you clean off the paint on the entire lenth of the needle.

Put the nozzle and cap back on, THEN insert the needle. After the needle is fully angauged with the nozzle cone at the tip, tighten the needle bracket. Your needle should move back about 3-4mm if you pull the trigger back, then snap back into position when released.

Keep in mind i do then every 5-6th time I airbrush. you can usially get away with running brush cleaner through the brush after each use. it does need a thrurough cleaning every now and then however.

Two things about the article. First, it was obviously written by the MR staff, where supplies are never in shortage. I always pre-mix my thinner into the paint to keep them from drying out too fast once opened. I also return unused paint back into the bottle.

The other thing is it IS ok to shake a bottle. I don;t know how they keep the paint off the cap, but this seems to be a loosing battle for me. Infact, i usially add an old metal wheelset to act as a ball bearing to mix the paint faster.

In real life, things are always more complex then an article

 

Definitely sounds like a clogged tip, yep..

On paint storage: I also had lots of problems with paint bottle caps getting locked due to dry paint... Until I happened upon this here Trainboard forum where guys suggested that I store the paint bottles upside-down.

I tried that, and voila! No more locked-on bottle caps! These days, all my Floquil bottles are stored upside-down.

 

Besides a clogged tip, this also can be caused by a missing or damaged/split washer on the head assembly.
part 50-055 (in red circle)

 

one of my airbrushes is a badger 150 as well. it's also leaking air around the tip.

due to the lack of lictite blue i used some fingernail color. this sealed the thread enough.

 

Long ago. In a hobby shop far, far away. I bought one of the highest quality airbrushes available, with all the accessories. I got a really good compressor with reservoir tank, filter and de-humidifier.

Nothing but the best for me, I’ll have you know.

I then bought books and magazines detailing how to use an airbrush, then spent many long hours practicing its use.

And I have the bags and boxes full of old boxcar and hopper car shells to prove it.

I can now say that I use my airbrush for virtually all of my spray painting needs.

I use the f@&%!^g thing to pry the tops off of spray paint cans.

I have come to the conclusion that these things were originally developed in the Dark Ages as a tool of the Inquisition and that the people in our hobby that can successfully use airbrushes are in league with the Devil.

Yep! That’s right they have made a Faustian bargain, and somewhere in their attic or cellar is a painting of a locomotive that is getting ever more grotesque and hideous with each diesel or steam loco they paint.

Maybe I’m being unfair to these folks. Maybe they are just this ages alchemists, gifted with talents and knowledge denied us “Mundanes”.

In either case, those who have demonstrated true mastery of the airbrush are one more group of people……That really, really annoy me.

 

to SD90NS:

Sometimes keeping things simple actually yields better results... Painting locos and rolling stock usually just requires something that can mist down a thin, even coat of paint. You don't need no fancy-schmancy $2000 quadruple-action airbrush with 40 different attachments that can draw 0.00001-inch lines when all you want to do is paint a loco with solid colors.

When painting locos and cars, usually it's the masking tape and how you apply it that makes or breaks the model, not the airbrushing itself.

If in the future you can get past the aversion to try airbrushing again, get a simple one like the single-action Badger 200 (which is what I got), and get good paints and thinners like the Floquils, practice your masking techniques and also try laying down a few coats on a scrap shell, and I'm sure you will be pleased.

Oh... It also helps to keep the equipment clean. I have had my Badger 200 since 1988, and it works as good as the first day I got it because I keep it meticulously clean. And no, I didn't have to sign my soul to B.L.Z. Bubb nor did I sell him my first-born.

Example of my airbrushing efforts in the 6th post in the thread here: http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/9/t/007950.html

Good luck and don't give up!

[ March 04, 2006, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: LongIslandTom ]

 

Thank you for the tips.

I only use acrylics and I smoke a pipe, so I have no need for Walmart. I use a jewelry vibrating cleaner with windshield washer fluid to loosen and clean the tips. I have a hunch there might be some pain stuck in the holes in the tip that are around the tip. I will try again, later.

Nelson- I have the rings and actually remember to put them on when changing needles and tips. Where did you get the diagram?

 

Mark, I also have a Badger 150 that is 25-30 years old. A few years ago I replaced the valve assembly (50-036) and the O-ring (50-055) that Nelson circled in red. (I believe that was all.) After that the 150 worked, and still works like a sweetheart.

I ordered my parts from an art supply store in New Orleans, but I'm sure you have many stores in the NYC area that can help you. Maybe even one that will overhaul your brush for a reasonable price. The Badger Website also has much helpful information and links to many other sites.

[ March 04, 2006, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Hytec ]

 

From Rex Art
http://www.rexart.com/badgerairbrushes.html

Be careful with pipe cleaners. Use the ones without the bristles. The bristled ones can gouge the soft parts of the tip.
I refuse to admit how I found this out.

 

Mark:

Let those tips soak for awhile so the paint can loosen up. Sounds like the same problem you had with the Aztec airbrush.

Stay cool and run steam.....

 

Postscript-

You know that little kiddy wrench that is included in the kit? Use it. That extra little turn that you can't do with your fingers appears to cut off the airflow out of the back of the nozzle.

Super Postscript. It was, indeed, clogged with raw sienna. I soaked and vibrated the tip, cleaned out all of the goop and it now works well.

 

9 times out of 10 it's usually the clogged tip. That's why that's what I'd suggest one look at first when troubleshooting.

Now if you want to keep that airbrush operating like new, best clean it METICULOUSLY every time after each airbrushing session, before you put it away. My 1988-vintage Badger 200 still works as good as the first day I got it, and I never had to replace any parts all this time. I chalk it up to good maintenance.

 

Just soak the air brush tips and then clean them out thoroughly.

Stay cool and run steam....