"Airbrush problem" Topic

I have a badger 150 dual action airbrush. Trying to paint some tanks today and having a real problem. Very little paint is coming out with the trigger pulled and depressed fully. If I slightly release the paint trigger, more paint will burst out, then go back to a reduced flow. Slightly release the trigger further and again a burst of paint, but the increased flow will not continue if I leave it in the position I relaxed too.

Hard to explain, any ideas? I have disassembled and cleaned it, nothing seems to be amiss. It's not tip drying or anything else I have experienced before using the same pressure setting and paint brand etc etc etc.

What paint are you using? What are you using for dillution, what parts? What is your pressure?

Try just spraying water. If that works fine, its not the airbrush. Clumps in the paint? I sometimes have to dilute my paint more than normal if it is hot outside.

I was having this probelem too after I took my airbrush apart to clean it. The help guy at TCP told me I might have a slight gap in the nozzel area. It can be caused by damaged or worn threads from over tightening. The gaps cause paint to clog inside the nozzel. Mine would also get tiny bubbles inside the color cup making the paint foam. For a quick fix he sugested putting bees wax on the threads, so far its worked for me but I ordered another head assembly anyways.

Airbrushes are such a PITA!@!!

It does seem to be the paint. I thinned it down some more (too much) and it sprayed normally, then I had to thicken it some more and it went back to what it was doing. Guess I'll just do it by hand rather than open up a laboratory to get the ratio of thinner exactly correct for this particular paint (Citadel: Death World Forest). Thanks for the feedback.

I have this problem when my paint is too thick.

I'll run the brush for a bit, and it sputters but generally works fine.

Over time a layer of paint will build up on the needle, and by continuously holding down (air on) and rocking the trigger back and forth (more and less paint), it jostles that paintclog loose. You do get paint to come out that way, but it's diminishing returns after a while.

What I do now is.
a) unscrew the needle tensioner, pull the needle out the back (don't unscrew anything at the front).

b) spray a single squirt of windex into my paint reservoir, and mix it up with the needle until homogenized

c) swish the needle through some water to loosen whatever is stuck to it, then wipe it on a paper towel.

d) reinsert needle, screw down the tension knob.

If it's still doing the "paint on pulse" thing, then take the front nozzle off, along with the tip, and clean those out.

I'm still a rookie with my paasche double action, but the windex thinning seems to work a treat, even with Basics Acrylics (the ones you find in arts and crafts places that are not specifically for airbrush use or miniatures).

Windex or rubbing alcohol will become your best friends for thinning… ;-)

In my experience, many hobby paints and craft paints suck in an airbrush. Very often it is because the pigments are ground fine enough. With craft paints, I can thin enough to get it going but there is very little adhesive quality left to the paints.

Model Master and Tamiya acrylics have a good reputation for airbrushing. I believe the same can be said for Polly Scale (and Polly S when it was still made), Vallejo, and Andrea.

A friend of mine has a large stash of Polly S which he thins like crazy (his wife's family owns a hobby store ;-) He gest fantastic results. One of his secrets is priming with Polly S as a gets a smooth finish which allows him to make fantastic hand painted shields you would swear were decals!

I can't comment on GW, Coat D' Arms, Reaper or P3. Would love to hear folks that have good results with these brands or other brands. I don't care for Tamiya because of needing their products to thin them (I believe they are alcohol based acrylics??).

Anyone care to chime it with specific brands that work and don't work for them? Also problems with specific colors in a brand would be helpful too.

Sounds like the paint is too thick. The old standby is your paint should be the consitancy of milk.
I only use Windex to clean as I have heard the ammonia will etch the brass.
I really like Liquitex Airbrush medium. Great stuff. I generally use a mix of Model Masters, GW, Vallejo, and craft paints and have had good results with all of them through a Badger 155 and 150.

P3 claims to use liquid pigments, so they should work fine.

Still somewhat of an airbrush beginner, but have had no issues using Liquitex Soft Body acrylics mixed with Liquitex Airbrush medium.

Badger are good…. but I swear by my Thayer Chandler every time. None of this thread and bees wax stuff (this is the correct fix for Badgers) . The whole head and tip comes off allowing you to pull the needle out through the front end, this stops dry paint being pulled back through the guts of the airbrush everytime you want to clean the needle……big time saver. Take the blocked nozzel off ( soak it in a little screw top container of alcohol) and wack a clean one in…..away you go. Nozzels are always getting blocked. The other thing that helps I find is a drop of retarder, reduces the amount of times you have to stop and clean the build up on the needle tip.

I only use Windex to clean as I have heard the ammonia will etch the brass.

Windex has ammonia in it. Ammonia will attack brass.