Badger Airbrush woes

[BigDaddy]

I got out my old Badger airbrush.  The compressor seems louder than I remember with a lot of popping noise.  The airbrush, 20 years old, unknown model number or whether it is fine, medium or heavy, blows air bubbles in the paint jar.

Took it appart and the needle is slightly bent but otherwise all passages look clean. Couldn't find out what model it is but the 150 has a teflon bearing and a washer.  I have no washer and if there is a bearing, I don't see it and if it's in the body of the airbrush, I don't know how to get it out.

Badger has a lifetime warranty so I am going to send it back rather than throwing a bunch of parts in it and hoping it works.  How much compressor noise is normal, mine is a badger 80-1?

[G Paine]

Badger has a free repair service, not incuding shipping. I have used it a couple of times when my air brush was not working properly and I could not find the problem. I found out about this from the folks at the Badger booth at the Springfield show some years ago. They have a crew of people who know all the places inside the brush that chunks of paint can hide out and how to clean it.

Include a description what you have tried that did not work. They will contact you if parts need replacing at extra cost.  My air brush came back like new!

Details here:

http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Service-Supprt.asp

[tloc52]

Exact issue I had. Sent it to Badger about a week later it came back fixed. They truly have a great service but hooked it up to my Badger compressor and same thing, just blows bubbles.

Turns out it was the compressor, as I hooked it up to a pancake nail gun compessor, dialed down the PSI and it worked great then and now, but now I have a regulator and water trap added to the line. Find another compressor to test out the airbrush before you give up on it.

Happy New year

TomO

[BigDaddy]

I am missing at least 1 teflon washer from what I can find online, plus after 20 years, it's time for new orings.  It's more basic than the model 150.  If the compressor is any good, is another question.  They offer the same deal on compressor repair.  I took a short vid.  The snapping and popping are less noticeable on the vid. 

[rambo1]

what about if the brush has been sitting around for along time should it be cleaned before use? rambo1...

[BigDaddy]

One week door to door, USPS.  Jesus, cleaned it, replaced the head assembly, needle, plunger o-ring, needle bearing, new protective cap.  They discounted the parts 60% and sent it back asking that I send them a check or Paypal.

You don't get service much better than that.  Thank you Badger.

PS it was a model 200

[jrbernier]

I have a Badger 200 that is at least 30 years old. I have replaced the needle & tip(dropped it), and I bought one of the new medium tips with the notches(Badger claims better performance with fast drying acrylic paints). That air brush has lasted through Scalecoat, Badger, and Floquil paints. I bought a Badger 105 'Patriot' back in 2010 at the NTS. I also have a pair of Harbor Freight 'dual action' air brushes - All four of them work great as long as the paint is mixed/thinned correctly. One screw-up and the metal parts go into the lacquer thinner bath...

Jim