I just jumped back into modeling and for the first time I have been using my $100 Lowes bought air compressor to air brush using my venerable Badger 200. Back in the 80s I only used those awful compressed air in the can methods. Although I have been happy with the results using Tamiya Paints with the new setup (I did have trouble with MM acrlic clear coat). However, the couple of times I have used it I really had to crank the PSI up on the built in regulator to get any decent flow. Probably 30 to 40 PSI. That seems to go against what the recommendations are for Tamiya thinned paints. I did add a water trap and am not getting any leaks. Could it be possible my regulator either is not working correctly or is simply no accurate at the dial? I would really like to experiment more using recommended pressures from others but if it is not working corretly I have nothing to compare too. Can I purchase an inline regulator and add it near the air brush for more precise control? If so, any recommendations on which one and what would I set the regulator too on the compressor?
I don’t know what type of regulator is on it, but they can be affected by internal corrosion or lack of lubricant. If you can strip the regulator (usualy via the filter bowl), check that everything is clean & that the moving parts have a light coating of lubricant (white grease) on them.
Regulators do fail and are not that expensive to replace. I think I recently priced one at Lowe’s in the $30 range, and if you have a Harbor Freight nearby you can get one for less than $20. My setup is to have about 50 psi at the compressor with a 25’ hose quick connected to a second regulator with a low pressure gauge which also quick connects to the airbrush hose so that I can dial in the AB pressure with pretty good accuracy.
If Milair’s advice doesn’t help, maybe replacing the regulator will. Here’s hoping it’s not the compressor itself!
Get a in-line regulator called a MAC (Micro Air Control) valve by IWATA. I have 3 of these and they are fantastic to AB. I also purchased 3 quick release to be able to change AB without any issues.