Helicopter Painting

Badger 155 Anthem... pencil thin to 3 inch spray without changing nozzles, needles, or anything else. It does have a very touchy trigger that takes some practice to get use to.

Semper Fi,
Chris

Well, there you go. I've got a Badger 200 and I feel I'm more limited by my skill with it than I am the airbrush itself. I've gotten some good results with it so far, and I keep getting better each time I use it.

Hopefully some of the real "gunslingers" here will chime in with their suggestions so you can make a better informed decision than my ramblings.

Thx for the responses.

Chris, how easy is it to clean the 155? Do you by any chance have any pics in the forum or online where I could view the results from your 155?

Lemon, have you used the Fine nozzle for 200? Do you have any pics available?

Thanks

Any dual action airbrush should do you fine, pick one that fills your needs

I concur with grandadjohn. Buy a good quality dual action airbrush and practice with it. I use a Paasche V, which has worked well for me for many years. I have to change the needle and tip occasionally, but it takes just seconds, and I find that in 1/48 scale, I can do everything I need to with the medium needle. Just make sure you get into the habit of cleaning it thoroughly after each use. Nothing is more frustrating than getting all set up to paint and having problems because it didn't get properly cleaned the last time you used it.

Good Luck,
Phil

Hi all

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm in two minds about getting the airbrush overseas or online because of warranty.
If the brush isn't purchased from a LHS there is no reason for them to support it.

Chris, Lemon, have you had any problems with your Badgers or has anything ever broken. The reason I ask is that I can get a Badger online for 40% less than I could locally and I'm tempted to take the gamble on the warranty.

Thanks again for all the comments and feedback, it is appreciated.

John

Hey all,

I have two badger airbrushes myself...the latest is a dual action....and one thing
potential buyers should be aware of is the fact these airbrushes are quite fragile
when it comes to cleaning and disassembly....The needles are particularly easy
to bend or damage and once this occurs your paint will not shoot out the intended way...replacement needles can cost around $15.

I'd look into the aztec line which offer some nice airbrushes with many options.
The A470 seems popular as it comes complete with many attachments and a
video for using.

P.S.
If you're in the market for a compressor make sure you get one with a shut off switch and a regulator...If you've never used these features before you'll understand why they're important later...

Thanks for listening..
Tank

Thanks for the input Tank and the heads up on the needles.
If I went that way I was thinking of getting spare needles just to be safe.

Other than the needles, have u experienced any other issues?

Well,

Since you're asking and seem intent on the badger...I'll give you my experience in using this airbrush so you might get the idea of what it's like.

The airbrush itself is made up of a few important parts which need to be dissassembled each time you paint for cleaning...The most delicate as mentioned is the needle...It bends very easily with even the slightest pressure and the fine needle tip is very...very fragile bending even easier...

I clean the airbrush thoroughly after each paint color used...I try to use acrylics when possible as they clean easier...usually hot water will do the trick and for more stubborn, dried paint...a little acrylic thinner...

When cleaning...I take the needle out first...The badger brushes have a screw which tightens around the back of the needle...with that loose I pull the needle out and use a soft cloth soaked with thinner, etc to wipe off the paint...paying special attention to the tip...you can also use a Q-tip....After the needle is out I use a Q-Tip to wipe around the nossle head...make sure the needle is out or else you can bend the tip of it when cleaning the nossle. you might want to take the nossle apart for stubborn paint..as all badger nossles are two parts...There is a tefflon washer which is found along the thread of the nossle head...It's small and easy to lose so take care not to let it out of your site...If it's missing you'll notice your brush will vibrate when spraying or your paint might shoot out wrong....I usually keep the brush connected to the air line...and when you pull your needle out the trigger will fall out if it's upside down...when sticking the needle back, don't force it....believe me though as careful as you are if you're using the fine needle...you'll probably bend it eventually...you might use a plier or other tool to straighten it though and salvage it for future painting...

This is why I advised you to look into the aztec brush...some would say that the badger and similar type are "vintage'" and the newer models like the aztec lines offer easier use and maintenance along with good control and ease in cleaning...

It's all preference though...If your doing camo or other more complicated schemes you should use a double action brush and should at least have a medium and fine head and needle for painting 1/35 scale or smaller...

Well hope this helps..
Good luck.
Tank

Thanks again for the info Tank.

Over at the Painting and Airbrushing forum it seems that the Aztek line should be avoided like the plague. Everybody is routing for the Badger range and Iwata etc.
But there are few people who swear by it....

I'm not sure if I'm getting anywhere

Tank you mentioned that you paint with acrylics and i'm guessing that ur badger handles them fine. Whats ur secrect because from what I understand acrylics are very difficult to aribrush? Would acrylic paint extend the life of an airbrush as opposed to using enamels?

Hey again,

There are probably a few reasons why the guys might not like the aztec brushes...they're seen as less professional for one...and more toy like....with less versatility...personally most of the modelers with experience probably grew up with badger and they prefer it now to other brands...

Acrylic paint like tamiya paints aren't necessarily difficult to paint with. They thin with an acrylic based thinner and spray a nice thin finish over your model...the problem people have is they are not as durable as the enamel finishes and they can scratch easily if the model is not handled carefully...Some acrylic lines aren't as extensive as say the model master enamel line...the Two main advantages of the acrylics are that they dry much quicker and they clean up easier without the use of strong solvents. They're easier on the respiratory system....

Whether acrylics will extend the life of the brush ...i'm not sure...certainly of you allow enamel paints to dry on airbrush parts..it will be much harder to clean them off...I switch between model master enamels and tamiya acrylics...They work the best for me and I've gotten used to what to expect with them...

One thing that's nice with the badger is that if you take care of it...it is a reliable brush with versitility...a double action one might be a bit challenging for a beginner at first...

What have you heard about the aztecs that seems so negative?

Good luck
Tank

I was checking up on the latest products and reading some reviews..and it seems this badger 155 is a real nice unit....I have the 150 myself. They are both dual action but the design of the 155 allow for easier use and care....I think for the price either one would be nice but the 155 has some nice features...one thing the badger has is an ability to control the tension on the trigger..so you can have a tighter trigger feel or more lose...this helps when your using the double action feature....

There isn't a definitive answer unfortunately...and you'll notice what you need once you start spraying your models and seeing the results...I didn't think an on/off switch was such a big deal until I started using my compressor and had to keep pugging and unpugging it...what a pain..

anyway good luck

Tank

Hi, I've been modeling for almost forty years and I have always used a badger 200.I always liked they way they sprayed the paint,it is very true the needles are fragile,and somewhat expensive. About 4 yrs ago I bought the Aztec A470 set ,
the one in the wooden case,and I must say that I love it, it doesn't have the weight of others,but you can now buy a all metal version.I really like the fact that the clean up is so simplified and takes less time than with my old faithful Badger, I have never had it clog on me or cause any trouble at all and I use both enamel and acrylic paints.This is just my experience with airbrushes are like cars and women,everyone has their preferences

Tank, in response to your Aztek question it seems that the majority of people end up having their brush replaced within the first 6 months or more frequently. Aztek claim its easy to clean but apparently it isn't and if you take it apart you lose the warranty.

My brother bought an Aztek single action brush last year round xmas time. The brush has been replaced twice because both brushes, original and replacement were leaking air.(came across this here on fsm as well) On his 3rd brush in 6 months but this one seems to work.

Me, I bought a no name brand cheap brush and it works like a bomb however it has no flexibility. I want to try pre-shading etc but the brush doesn't have the ability to control airflow and to spray fine lines etc.

I will not condemn the Aztek brand as I haven't used it personally.

One thing I have found out, is that airbrush choices are very subjective.

I've also realised that it takes patience and lots of practice to get the best out of an airbrush.

During the course of this evening I was reading posts on the ARC forum as well and the 155 got thumbs up all the way.

I think I'm going to give the 155 a bash.

Thanks again for the input.