A friend of mine was rooting through some boxes and came up with an airbrush he used for illustration 15-20 years ago, along with a compressor and a bunch of bottles and fittings.
Score #1 is, what appears to my amateurish eyes, to be a Badger 150, except it doesn’t have the set screw on the front of the trigger, and the handle has a rounded end. It’s a dual action siphon feed, at any rate. It sure could use a good cleaning, and if the cumulative opinion of the forum Airbrush Xperts agrees that it’s worth fixing, I’ll go and buy some new needles and regulator/head bits. The bottles and fittings are probably too corroded to clean up, but what do I know? Maybe a good soak in thinner would work wonders?
Score #2 is a compressor that works, it’s an Intermatic PC-410. It is VERY similar to the WR Brown HS-410 Speedy Sprayer tested in the FSM Painting & Finishing Scale Models Handbook #10 first published in 1991 (which I cherish), but doesn’t have a on/off switch (to be amended by yours truly). I will also replace the braided hose, as this one smells just like you would expect a cloth covered hose that has spent the better part of two decades moldering in a cardboard box in an attic.
So do I spend around $50 CDN fixing this thing or $140 to buy a new Badger 150 with all the tips, cups, bottles and hose fixings? What’s the consensus?
$50 beats $140 any day. Unless the nozzle is split or the needle bent it will probably just need a good cleaning. A complete head assembly is about $20 US and a needle is about $5 US. Corrosion doesn’t hurt bottle adapters, but if you want a new one they are only a couple of dollars.
I’ve been playing around with it a bit. The needle looks fine, though perhaps a bit corroded, so I will definitely replace that. The nozzle looks clear. It is missing the protective cap which isn’t that big a deal. It holds air under pressure with no hissing, so all seems good there. The trigger works as I would expect a trigger to work. I haven’t sprayed any paint through it yet. I’ve got some reading to do before I make a mess!
The compressor is, um, interesting. Hops about like a madman, though that seems to be normal for it’s type. I’ll have to bolt it down to board to keep it still. Maybe I should put some heavy duty springs under it to damp out the vibration. It’s very LOUD! which might be good as it drowns out my kid’s noise. [:p]
Considering my investment so far is some cleaning and posting on the forums, I think I done real good!
Or should I scrap it and by that Aztek like MikeV always suggests? [:o)]
airbrushes don’t “wear” out but some parts do… at the worst like you said is $50 CDN for refurbishing it so I think it would be ok… once you get all the parts replaces the only thing to replace in the future might be a needle or so… no big deal…
Good luck with it and lucky you!!! I had to buy mine! [;)]
I had the LHS airbrush expert check it out. He suggested replacing the needle only (which isn’t in stock so I ordered it), the nozzle is in near perfect condition. He pronounced the air hose in average condition for the age and suggests spraying it down with a 20:1 ratio of water and bleach to get rid of the musty smell. He found a replacement adjusting screw in his “parts” drawer and attached it without my realizing it. Since I’m a “valued” customer (read a customer with no ability to not buy something when I visit the store) it’s one less part for me to worry about. I’ve also ordered the 1/4 oz colour cup and a couple of (3/4 & 1 oz) bottles so I don’t have to clean up the old ones right away. So basically I have a decent AB for under $20. At some date in the future I might order a fine needle and head assembly which run just under $20. Now if I could only find an owner’s manual. Not that I read them, but I’ve noticed my desk is not quite stable! [:-^]
I’ll hunt around to see what deals I can get for a regulator and a moisture trap. I’m going into the airbrushing biz!
Yes, I am lucky. I also have VERY good friends! [bow] Thanks Dugg! [bow]
another metal color cup is a handy thing to have if you think about buying one in the future… you can take the one with paint off, put thinner in it and let th paint be dissolving while you put thinner to blow through the brush for clening in the other one… I think you might find eventually you use the color cups more than the bottles for painting…