I have two air brushes: a Badger 200 single action internal mix brush with “large” nozzle (tip) and matching needle. The other is a Paache Model H external mix with the three needles/nozzles that come with it.
I have been using the Badger as it is supposed to deliver better, more even paint coverage. I mostly spray Modelflex, with the occasional application of PollyScale, the Modelflex straight from the jar and the PollyScale thinned as much as 50% with distilled water.
Last weekend, I attempted to use the Badger brush with Accupaint, thinned about 1/3 with their thinner. The job started out OK at 25 psi. As I progressed, I got more spatters. The upshot of this experience is that I need to strip the model and start over because the finish on part of the model is quite thick and shiny and rough looking on another part of the model.
Questions: Can the Badger brush with the Large tip and needle be used for oil-based paints? If not, what do you recommend for a different tip and needlie size? For painting simple two color models, would I be equally well off resurrecting the Paasche external mix brush?
Hello Scott, I don’t think the problem is the tip or needle. The spatter could be caused by a number of things, but this particular situation comes to mind.
You said that in the beginning it sprayed OK and as you progressed the spatter increased, this could be that as you progress the hardening process of the paint in the airbrush is also taking effect, so gradually it becomes more viscous until the 25 psi is insufficient to pu***he paint through the brush consistently thus spattering increases. A possible solution is to use less paint and reload as required or you could add a little more thinner to the paint. Also remember when spraying you should keep the airbrush within a minimum dististant of 6 inches from the target and apply the paint in sweeping motions from end to end, starting just before you get to the beginning end and stopping just after you’ve passed the other end. Never worry about the colour not covering the entire surface in one or two passes because you need a little time (probably seconds) for each pass to set, as you repeat the process you’ll notice the desired consistency of the colour coming into being. this will also eliminate the uneven thickness and also the paint streaks on your ‘pride an joy’
Hope this info comes in handy.
I agree with the above poster, and would try a little more thinner and more air pressure. I’ve had a Badger 200 for about 15 years, and use solvent-based paint almost exclusively, so I don’t think the problem is with the airbrush, or your choice of tip/needle size.
Check to be sure the tip and spray head are not damaged - that can disrupt the airflow and cause spatters. Are you using a moisture trap in your air-line? I would also make sure that the airbrush is absolutely clean, as the water based paints you’ve been using always seem to leave some residual gunk that’s hard to clean out.
Good Luck!
Thanks for both of your replies. I suspect that the paint was becoming thicker in the paint jar as I painted. I was painted pretty much consistently without setting the brush down. I’d mixed about 2/3s paint and 1/3 thinner and got what I thought was the consitency of milk. But it is possible that some of what I was spraying was drying inside the brush.
Upon completion, I back flushed into clean Accupaint thinner, sprayed that out, and then flushed with paint thinner. I pulled the needle and found no residue, and removed both parts of the tip and soaked them in thinner. This is my procedure each time after a paint job. I’ve seen no evidence of left over paint.
I’ve done a fair amount of air brushing with the acrylics but this is my first time using an oil-based paint witht Badger. I’ve done a couple of models with Floquil but that was using my Paasche external mix brush.
BTW, do any of you see the need to keep the Paasche external mix brush AND the Badger internal mix brush? Is the external mix brush any better for some applications than the internal mix brush?
For hobby brushing either can be used to provide desierable results.
Which of them do you feel more comfortable with? or Which of them gives the better performance? with the cleaning factor in mind.
My advice is use the one that gives the better milage.
I’m an illustrator and I’ve used both in the begining and I can’t say that there was that much of a difference between them, just that I could clean the tip of the Badger much quicker and easier than the Paasche but that’s just me. Today I strictly use dual actions (paasche Millenium and Iwata HPBC).