Badger 150 help please.

[SpaceMouse]

Am still having problems with my airbrush. Mostly it is probably just ignorance.

I got a moisture trap and a guage and I played around with the pressures, tryong every thing from 15 to 30 psi.

The instruction book talks about putting small points of paint and wants me to practice fine lines and points and feather colors. All I can get out of it is a spray paint like spray about the size of a quarter at 6".

What am I doing wrong?

[HAZMAT9]

Sounds like you have the stock needle (the one which came with the kit). You may need a fine needle and tip. Also try adjusting the spray regulator (near the tip of the airbrush) their should be threaded adjustment near the tip end of the brush. Slowly adjust this to see if it narrows your spray pattern. There's very little good info on airbrushing out there, I've always complained about this back on my webpage. Also try thinning a bit more and be light on the trigger if you're using the double action feature. Good Luck........Steve

[SpaceMouse]

I'll play with the tip. I had not done much with that. I think what bothers me most is the quantity of paint the comes from the pen.

[jwar]

You are on the right track getting to know how to operate the spray gun before starting a project and getting totally fustrated.

Dont know what paint your using, if you had to thin it , thin it a bit more, for practice spraying.
Even if your using the coarse needle a fine line of 1/8 wide line can be attained. Are you operating the needle trigger at a fast rate as in a quick pulse or perhaps the paint is to thick as I am just guessing, wish I could see you operate it hands on.

Remember when you push down air is released, as you pull back the trigger very slowley and just a tad, you will have little paint and can make fine lines, pulling the trigger a tad further back the line or spray is wider, untill it is all the way back and a full spray is acheived. It is a gradual finese move of the finger and your 150 is a fantastic air brush. The fine tip should start out making a pencil thikness line untill the trigger is pulleld back all the way giving a broder I inch wide line.

It takes a bit to get on to it, but after you get things worked out you will never want to use a single action brush as it wont give the minute performance of a double action brush.

There is no paint adjustment on the 150, as in a singel stage as pulling the trigger back on the double action brush achieves that.

By the way did you reset the tip. Loosen part #51-010 that holds the needle in place, gentley (very gently) push needle in untill you feel it set against the tip, retighten the above part. What every you do dont ever twist the needle in the brush against the tip,, you will score the needle and tip. Also is part 50-019 in place, thats the lever under the trigger, its easy to have it out of place. E-mail me if you wish as as I hate to see a 150 not doing a great job LOL


Dont dispare it will come togather, nothing worthwhile comes easy. ...John

[davekelly]

John,

Hmmm. I once tried using a double action brush several years ago but figured it was way beyond my abilities. Your post is getting me to think I can do it. I just bought a Badger 350 about 3 months ago. Hmmmmmm Well, if I get a 150 and get caught by the wife - I'll just blame it all on you!

Dave

[jwar]

Thats A.OK with me Dave, may as well pick up a BLM too...LOL

[MickEnright]

Hello, all! Once I started using a Pasche VL (Double action, internal mix), I've never looked back. I used a Badger 200 (Single action, internal mix) for years, but I was always afraid to try a double-action airbrush--seemed like too much hassle to disassemble, clean, and re-assemble. But it's really not that bad, and well worth the effort!
One of the key things I've found when reassembling the brush is to have the needle almost "seated" into the tip when the trigger is in its starting position. That way, when you start pulling back on the trigger (Hence, pulling the needle back out of the tip) a very fine line of paint is applied, or a wider one as the trigger is pulled back. If you push down on the trigger to release air, without pulling it back to apply paint, and you have VERY little or no paint coming out, you've got it.
Good luck!

Mick

[Anonymous]

Not familiar with Badger -- I use old Thayer & Chandler airbrushes (A and AA tips, which mean fine and extra-fine), they are double-action, which means that pushing down controls the amount of air (I use a tank of CO2 to avoid moisture issues) and pulling back controls the flow of paint. Paint needs to be thin, and you need to have patience and a steady hand. Always overspray and cover with several light coats to build up to the final finish. Clean your brush after each use, and ventilate your work area and wear a mask. Airbrushing is not hard, it just takes practice to develop the skill. Hardest thing is determining how much to thin the paint to work with your brush. Regardless of the type of brush you have, practice and learn how to use it. With some brushes, you need to be very close to get finer areas of coverage. My fine tip is capable of spraying a .0625" thick line -- not that I do it, but it can be done.