Considering a Badger 200NH as a secondary brush.

I have the 200NH and it does a really nice job with the fine needle.  Fine spray and versatile spray pattern.  I had some trouble with it at first but it was due to my learning curve.  Mineral spirits got on tiny inside o-ring and swelled it, because I tilted it backwards. 

Badger customer service is the best.

Steve -

I have the 155 Anthem, and I have both the medium and fine needle/nozzle sets for it. Your 155 will do the job nicely for you with the fine needle, the 200 is a single action which is just fine, but if you're used to double action you might prefer to just continue with your 155 and get the second needle/nozzle set. Lot's less expense, compared to a second airbrush.

The set you need is the Badger "Detail" conversion, consists of the needle, nozzle and regulator set, part# 41-045. Simple conversion, five minute job if you take your time. It fits multiple airbrushes, the 105, 155 and 200NH.

Plentiful on ebay, average cost is about $12-15. I scored one set for $7.99, including shipping. Let us know if you find one, or not.

Patrick

Hey Wilbur...thanks for the input. I really appreciate it!

Patrick.. Thanks so much for the info. I will go with the nozzle and regulator set that you referenced. For sure it's a cheap enough option to try.

Maybe you can clear something up. Wilbur mentioned an O ring with his. I thought that the Badger 200NH eliminated the O ring?

I have an old- really old 200 from 1970.  It has finally gone belly up- the air valve sticks and no amount of cleaning seems to fix it.  I am currently using a 150, but I liked that old 200 enough that I am planning on replacing it with a newer 200.

Steve -

I believe Wilbur is likely describing the air valve O-ring, my 200NH has no O-ring or nylon washer in the front bits. The fact that he relates getting fluid behind the needle bearing, would account for the air valve O-ring getting damaged.

When cleaning my airbrushes I hold them pointing nose down and inverted, then there is far less chance of cleaner getting into the air valve.

Patrick

Follow up, Steve.

On ebay now, the detail set you're looking for, 41-045 is $8.00 + $2.50 shipping. That's a good buy, closer to $20.00 if purchased at retail store.

Patrick

Say Patrick, thanks for the info about the O ring. That is good to hear because I once had the old version that used the O ring and I had nothing but problems with it.

Also....Thanks for the Ebay reference. I will order one.

You are a good man Charlie Brown.  

I just bought one and surprisingly, I LOVE IT.

I have a few airbrushes, most are dbl action gravity, i decided to retire the Paasche H and invest the $55 in a 200NH.

I used the single action for base coverage and i was surprized how well this brush performed, was to clean and its atomization.

Great little brush. I've been an Iwata fan for a while, but i have to say every Badger i buy is swinging me harder to their side.

Rob

I can highly recommend the Badger 200NH because I use them for all of my painting. I got the hang of them and haven't strayed since and have two of them with quick disconnect fittings so if one gets clogged up or misbehaves during painting I can quickly switch out and never miss a beat. I had initially bought them a few years back when Micheal's was having a close out sale on them for $20 a piece. Hands down the best investment I've made yet in the way of airbrushes.

Mustang, what a steal at $20 each! You really scored on that deal.

I went and ordered the kit that Patrick recommended. So, I am probably set. If I come across a good deal though, I might still buy one. Part of what appeals to me about getting this brush is the fact that it is a single action unit. For finer detail work I'd almost prefer to set the air/paint mixture on the brush and forget about it. Sometimes I find myself fighting the air/paint trigger on the Anthem. It is not much of a problem with large pieces but I fear that when I am working in a tight area, that it might become frustrating. We'll see. Probably much ado over nothing and the kit will be just fine. Then again, maybe Bakster needs a new toy!

Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts on this.

Don Stauffer

I have an old- really old 200 from 1970. It has finally gone belly up- the air valve sticks and no amount of cleaning seems to fix it. I am currently using a 150, but I liked that old 200 enough that I am planning on replacing it with a newer 200.

Don, I suspect if you sent it in to Badger, they'd completely refurb your brush for much less than the cost of a new one. I think I recall reading here some years ago about someone sending an older one in for repairs and having it come back upgraded to the NH configuration.

Say Patrick... I just sprayed some pieces using the head assembly that you recommended, it worked like a dream! Honestly, I think that I will leave this assembly on for the majority of the work that I do. It was even capable of producing a wide and heavy spray when challenged to do so, and it did so cleanly. In short, I like the range that this assembly offers.

Am I wrong in assuming that the head assembly that comes with the brush is best suited for much larger pieces? Can you share what your experience is in using both sizes, and when you would use them?

Thanks in advance.

Hey, Steve -

In my use the medium needle works well for most everything, but if I'm doing something like a full primer coat or solid base coat, I'll step up to the large size. I only use the fine for very small area work, like wheels or camo borders, the fine is also good for getting into restricted spaces like flap wells, gear bays, etc.

While you could use the fine for overall work, the results would be second rate. When doing a broad surface area, it's important to have a greater amount of paint and wider area passes, so that you don't have paint drying before the next pass goes on. It's required to have each pass "blend  in" with the previous pass, otherwise you will experience a gritty area where the edges meet.

I would imagine the fine tip would be marginally OK with say 1:72 fighters, but with large bombers, probably not. Much would also be determined by the thinning ratio of the paint, and the ambient temp when you're spraying

So, practice a good bit, experiment with thinning ratios, change needle sizes, soon you'll know what each needle size is best suited for. I'm inclined to think you'll find the med size best for overall use, fine for really tight details, like camo borders and very small surface areas.

Glad you like the purchase, let us know how you get on with the use of it.

Patrick

Say Patrick, thanks for the analysis. That sounds good. I will work with things more and check back later. 

Thanks again...