Badger airbrush blocks easily

[John Isherwood]

10 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

I thinned down some Precision Paint green and had a bash at spraying some brass kits. It took several coats to get decent coverage but I still get the nozzle clogging. Paint was well stirred well with a broad plastic spatula. Now wondering why the nozzle keeps clogging. It was cleared by just screwing the needle up tight and opening it again. I'm using white spirit to thin the paint at 25psi. any more ideas?

 

I stir paint with a piece of wire, bent to a triangle with a shaft, mounted in a mini-drill - start slow, unless you fancy redecorating and a change of clothes!

 

I then thin the paint - white spirit is fine - to the consistency of milk, NOT cream, as is sometimes recommended.

 

I've seen all sorts of spraying pressures suggested, and still couldn't give a recommended pressure - I just do a few test puffs onto scrap card  and adjust the pressure regulator to get a steady, but not too heavy, paint flow.

 

Shortish bursts of spraying, releasing the needle in between, to regularly clear the nozzle.

 

Not really very helpful - but keep trying!

 

CJI.

[roythebus1]

Every little helps! I've had this air brush since about 1972 when they were first introduced here from the USA and never really had much luck with it!

 

I know when I'm stirring 5 litre tins of paint for painting buses I used the battery drill with one of those big rotating things you can get in B&Q, that seems to work ok! I'll try the bent wire in the dremel tomorrow. My right foot is green where I spilt paint on it on Thursday.

Edited September 24, 2023 by roythebus1
typo

[Torper]

A majpr clue in this is when you say with regard to your Badger airbrush that you've "never had much luck with it".  Having read through this thread it seems to me that you've done everything that has been suggested and yet still you're having problems.   Does the Badger work just spraying white spirit alone?

 

Assuming the problems persist, I suggest that you splash out £20 or even less and buy yourself a new "cheapy" airbrush.  Once upon a time cheap airbrushes were pretty awful, but they're not now.  The Fengda range on Amazon, for example, start at about £16 and all get really good reviews.  Other sellers have similar airbrushes.  So buy yourself one of these cheap airbrushes and try it out with your thinned Precision paint.  If it works well then it's your Badger that's the problem and in view of its history perhaps the dustbin may be the appropriate place for it and you can use the new airbrush in future (it'll almost certainly be good enough for most modelling jobs).  If, on the other hand, it does that same as the Badger, then I'm afraid that it's you to blame somewhere along the line though I can't think where. 

[John Tomlinson]

On 20/09/2023 at 21:35, roythebus1 said:

Maybe not, I was using etch primer 60/40 mix. I'm aware that only a thin coat is really needed. Maybe I need to thin it a bit more.

 

What would you suggest for top coat, Precision Paints, oil-based. also what air pressure? PP website suggest 30 psi and 10 psi for etch, but at that pressure nothing was picking up.

 

If this is the Precision two part etch primer it isn't thin enough. Needs to be two to three parts thinner for one part etch primer. Their instructions on the product are wrong!

 

It will come out wet and appear on the model as a thin yellowish coat that doesn't cover. It etches by drying off and biting into the metal. Leaving a gap of at least 24 hours before overpainting is essential for the etching to work properly, I often leave a week or so. Otherwise it will eventually fail, all your subesquent work on finishing and lining is wasted, and you're back to square one.

 

John.

[Torper]

For an etch primer I really wouldn't bother with an airbrush and all the complications that that may bring.  Instead buy yourself a rattle can of UPol Acid 8 etch primes - it's available from halfords at £17.99, and no doubt other stores also sell it.  Although quite pricey, it's an excellent product that gives an exceptionally smooth finish and a 20-minute drying time.  And you don't have to spend ages cleaning it afterwards!

[roythebus1]

Thanks for the tips above. Yes, the Badger seems to work ok with white spirit so this would indicate the paint being too thick. Yes I used the etch primer as per the instructions and thought it looked far too thick. i remember dad spraying my 1948 Rover 75 for me and he said that the etch primer should be barely visible. I think it's a mistake a lot of people, myself included, make.

 

I've painted the fleet of coaches that have been etch primed and the finish seems quite good, although there's a few flecks of dust here and there. They'll rub out with a bit of 1200 grade wet and dry and maybe a drop of varnish to finish it off.

 

BTW, what is the correct colour for BR DMUs post-1960? I can't seem to find it in the Precision Paint range. there's a 1954 DMU green, a SR EMU green...