Postshading with a Badger A200

Wilbur Wright wrote:

I suppose the vinyl hose from the propel can set up may blow out if used with a compressor.

Your vinyl hose should work fine WW...you stated your pancake compressor had a regulator on it...the high pressure side of the system will be on the compressor side of the regulator, not on the airbrush side. You would simply adjust your regulator down to airbrushing pressures, if you can control it that low. You may however need to swap out your regulator for the previously mentioned low-range regulator to get precise control in that range...that's what I had to do when I was using a shop compressor.

As an aside that demonstrates the rugged-ness of Badger's vinyl hose set-up...my first AB set-up was a Badger 200 with the vinyl hose attachment for using canned air...but back in those days, I was too poor after buying the AB to keep running out and buying cans of air......so I bought the adapter for putting the can attachment (the propellent regulator) onto a tire valve (see Badger's site...http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Acessories_5.asp...second item from top: "Spare Tire Valve Adapter"...it screws onto a tire valve and the propellent regulator in-turn screwed onto it. But a word to the wise; leave your spare tire where it is and pick-up an old bald tire on a rim from a junk yard...lest you find yourself with a flat spare tire when needed...).

In my infinite wisdom, I decided that bigger was better and got my hands on a 20" tire from a semi-truck figuring it would hold enough air for several models...and I proceeded to fill the tire to 100 psi, once again thinking it would last longer...

What I didn't count on was that the propellent can regulator wasn't very precise in trying to regulate those types of (high) air pressures......my first attempt at AB-ing a kit resulted in the model being blown from my hands and sailing across the room!...ahhh, memories......but the point being: the little vinyl hose didn't fail with a 100 psi air source...my grip did.

In the end, I lowered the air pressure in the tire and used that set-up for almost a decade...some of the kits build during that period (now 25 yrs ago) are still on my shelf with great looking paint jobs...and prove that although the ideal is to have a nice little compressor, there are definitely other ways to "power" an airbrush that will give you great results.

Good luck

the porter cable I have does have a nice regulator on it. I don't know how precise it would be for an airbrush. As I said I don't want the thinned paint for a postwash to blow out so hard it runs.

I suppose the vinyl hose from the propel can set up may blow out if used with a compressor.

Wilbur Wright wrote:

I do have a porter-cable pancake compressor, the nicer one, for woodworking, I don't know how much it would cost to get the adaptors though, or how difficult.

If you have a workshop compressor, all you should need to get started is a 1/4 inch adaptor, which is quite inexpensive. It looks like this: http://www.ehobbies.com/bad50023.html I understand that these can also be found at plumbing suppliers.

For finer pressure control, you might need a low-pressure regulator, but at this point you could probably work without one. 

So I would need a compressor to do this?

Thanks for the replies.

I do have a porter-cable pancake compressor, the nicer one, for woodworking, I don't know how much it would cost to get the adaptors though, or how difficult.

You'll need a regulated air source to get a consistent fine line or shading in this application.

E

Brush, yes. No question.

Propel can. Not very likely.

You would need to maintain a low pressure to keep the paint line thin and translucent. A can looses pressure inconsitently and quickly.