Airbrush woes (2nd hand Badger 150)

[Lert]

That was actually a very good thought, but no, that didn't work.

Right now I'm thinking that either I'm the biggest airbrush noob what's ever noobed, or the airbrush is borken somehow. My buddy will be able to set me straight.

[ALPHA]

That was actually a very good thought, but no, that didn't work.

Right now I'm thinking that either I'm the biggest airbrush noob what's ever noobed, or the airbrush is borken somehow. My buddy will be able to set me straight.

Good luck Lert...sorry I wasn't of any help

ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Note to remember Lert.... airbrushes are pretty simple tools...some are designed with complexity...but even then..are still simple...I'm sure there is something simple going wrong with your brush... if I had it in hand...would probably have it working in a few mins...so don't give up on it...the model 150 is one of badger's better airbrushes... reason that design has been copied many times over ...I own two of those copies...one original...but with a side feed ..all are still working...after over 25 yrs of ownership

ALPHA

[wibblywobbly]

Ok, here's what the problem is, based on what I am reading.

You get air through the airbrush, it comes out under pressure, so you know that this is all working ok.
You put your finger over the end, and the back pressure will cause bubbles in the reservoir, so you know that in reverse the air goes to the paint.
You take your finger off and depress the trigger, and nothing comes out, so you know that the air is going to the needle tip, but it isn't sucking paint through.

This tells you where the blockage is.

I would hazard a guess that you have a lump of dried paint stuck in the passage between the paint reservoir and the inlet for the air.

When you use back pressure it acts as a one way valve, it pushes the blocked paint out of the way, and lets air back into the reservoir, take your finger off and the valve closes, blocking off the paint supply.

If you remove the needle, fill the reservoir and nothing drains out it pretty much confirms where the blockage is.

There are two things you can do.

Remove the needle, fill the reservoir with airbrush cleaner and leave overnight.
Next morning use a cotton bud to scrub right down into the reservoir neck.
Only use back pressure to agitate the airbrush cleaner, otherwise you will be sucking the blockage further down the passageway.
Empty the reservoir by pouring it out, not by using the airbrush as normal.

I would also suggest using proprietary airbrush cleaner, rather than turpentine, or water. The real stuff really does make a difference. If you can get hold of some fine brass wire you can use this to help clear out the blockage.

Once you have fluid coming through the airbrush just keep running it as normal, using back pressure, and emptying the reservoir by pouring the contents out. Eventually you will get rid of the blockage and any residue, but if it is solidly dried paint, it will take some patience to get it out.

I thought my airbrush was trashed, or my compressor was faulty, or the regulator was faulty when mine did this but sure enough it was paint build up. I now run cleaner through the airbrush and leave it with some left in the reservoir overnight whenever I use it. I only use diluted acrylics and I get this problem, if you have hardened enamel down there you may never get it out, but its worth a try.

The other alternative is to buy a Chinese airbrush, I have one, as cheap as chips. It has lasted me years, but at least I know that I can bin it and buy a new one without breaking the bank.

I have the bottom one in this pic. If you get one with adjustable airflow on the brush, you can control pressure from the brush as well as the regulator, which is great if you don't have a regulator, or you want fine adjustment while you are spraying.

https://www.everythingairbrush.com/airb ... h-kit.html

[Lert]

Your description of the problem is spot on, Wobbly. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what you mean by "the passage between the paint reservoir and the inlet for the air" ...

Do you mean this bit that I've highlighted in red?



That bit is entirely clear. I've doublechecked it, there is no glob of dried paint there acting as a valve.

The 'neck' and 'hose' of the reservoir bottle are also both completely clear of obstructions, as is the vent hole in the reservoir bottle lid.

If you mean something else, could you please highlight on the image what you mean? Thank you.

[ALPHA]

If it can backflush... the passage is clear...that's one of the ways to clean that passage..the problem is there is an air leak somewhere...thus creating a loss of vacuum ...thus no siphoning of the paint from the cup
I'd say be patient Lert...let your buddy take a look at it...I'm sure he will get it solved

ALPHA

[wibblywobbly]

On your pic you have a red line, I am assuming that points to the needle guide (the collar).

If the channel that the red line takes back to the reservoir is clear, then in theory there is nothing to stop the paint getting sucked up when the air passes over the top of it.

Eg the air goes up through 50-013 and forwards, as it goes forwards through 50-035 it sucks the air up and through 50-046. The needle tip is moved backwards and forwards by 50-019, which varies the airflow and hence how much paint is pulled through when you move the trigger.

A quick test. Reassemble the airbrush without the needle and just use water in the reservoir, see if it will function with no needle in there. Even if there is an air leak it should still work, if you can feel a blast of air on your hand then the air pressure should be ok.

You can ignore my ideas above about filling the reservoir and leaving it overnight. I forgot the yours isn't gravity fed and that the contents of the reservoir won't drain down through the body. Though you could try turning it upside down (which you may have already tried).

The problem with airbrushes is that they are precision made, and that anything that is more than a few microns deep can cause problems. I have just been airbrushing primer (first time I haven't used a rattle can for the job) and by the time I had finished the paint output had dropped considerably, I had to gradually increase the air pressure to keep the paint flowing. I finished and cleaned it, and had full pressure back again.

There is one other thing that may be causing the problem, and I had this on my last compressor. When spraying indoors the compressor is taking air from the room and forcing it through the compressor pump. Mine had mysteriously stopped pumping air even though it was making all the right noises? I stripped the compressor down and found loads of paint coloured gunge in the output, regulator and hose. Over the years the fine mist that was in the room had been sucked through with the fresh air and gummed everything up to the point where it wouldn't work anymore. I think that the real problem was the pressure release valve was jammed open, and it was a sealed unit that I couldn't clean or replace. I ended up junking the compressor and getting a new one.

If your airbrush works on your buddy's compressor, then you know where the problem lies.

[Lert]

A quick test. Reassemble the airbrush without the needle and just use water in the reservoir, see if it will function with no needle in there. Even if there is an air leak it should still work, if you can feel a blast of air on your hand then the air pressure should be ok.

I'll try that tomorrow, but I doubt much success.

[ALPHA]

Hey Lert...had an idea pop into mind...try it without the white plastic gasket....there is a hole in the back of it that the air comes out of ...the gasket is there to make sure there aren't any leaks...thing is..it might be expanded a little...so not allowing the head to seat completely even though you have tightened it to the limit..if that works....get some wet sandpaper and thin the gasket out

ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Hey Lert...any updates?

ALPHA