recommend a single action air brush that gives good results at low pressure.

Try to thin your paint a little more.  I have a Paasche H airbrush, It requires around 20 PSI to operate properly.  Below that pressure it doesn't atomize the paint properly.  I've used my Badger 350 very little, however, both the Paasche and Badger have the same operating properties.

That is the problem with siphon-feed airbrushes, they need a little more pressure to feed reliably as tyamada said.

When you say the compressor is putting out 18 psi, is that in static mode (sitting) or when you pull the trigger? If it is more while the airbrush is at rest what is it? The ratings Badger gives are static pressure ratings not the pressure you should see on your gauge when the trigger is pressed fully. 

milts wrote:

I'm just returning to model building after a 50 year hiatus.  I purchased a Central Pneumatic compressor at a garage sale for $25.00.  I believe it came from Harbor Freight, so I bought a single action air brush from them that appears to be a Badger 350 clone.  My problem is that I can't get a reliable spray pattern.  It spits and sputters and has a very low flow.  The compressor is only putting out about 18 Lbs and I see badger recommends 30 psi for the 350.  Is there a single action that will give good results for general spraying at the psi level.

As the others pointed out, an external mix, syphon-feed airbrush needs more pressure than many cheap compressor can supply. The HF airbrush should come with an compressed air can adaptor. Get an air can for $7-10. If the airbrush works fine with the air can pressure turned up, you need a better compressor or a better airbrush. Incidentally, a better airbrush may work with the cheap compressor better.

Milts,

Is this the compressor you bought?  It's the smallest Central Pneumatic compressor that Harbor Freight carries.  If so, notice it's rated at 30psi.  If you're only getting 18 then it sounds like it's getting tired, especially if that's before you press the airbrush trigger.  The flapper valves could be leaking.  It's only going to get worse.  If you are mechanically inclined or know someone who is, you could try removing the head and checking the valves.  I don't know if Harbor Freight sells repair parts, but you could ask.

Good luck,

Don 

The compressor looks to be in mint condition, supposedly used only twice and less than a year old.  It's their best compressor rated at 100 psi, but when I run the airbrush it reads 18 psi.  It has an automatic shutoff at 55 to 60 psi.

Does the compressor have an air regulator?  If so, try turning the flow control clockwise to increase the pressure.

deekay1us wrote:

Does the compressor have an air regulator?  If so, try turning the flow control clockwise to increase the pressure.

Good point.  I hadn't thought of that.

Don 

Everyone has given excellent advice about your compressor, but so far no-one has answered your question. BTW I have the same airbrush you bought, I purchased it an a lark to see if it was any good. It isn't, really. Mine came with a vinyl hose that was worth the purchase price, though.

To fully understand airbrushes, you will need to understand the basic differences in airbrushes.

Mix:

External mix airbrushes like the Paasche H or Badger 350 atomize the paint outside of the body of the airbrush. Excellent for flood coats and easy to clean.

Internal mix airbrushes like the Paasche V or Badger 100/200 series pull the paint into the body of the airbrush where it is atomized. Typically these kinds produce a finer finish, though require more care and attention during cleaning, as paint left inside the body will cause obvious problems.

Feed:

There are three kinds of paint feed for airbrushes: Siphon fed, Gravity fed and less well known Side fed.

As previously pointed out, siphon airbrushes don't work well (or at all!) at low pressure, as they need sufficient airflow to suck the paint up from the bottle, let alone atomize the paint. Siphon fed internal mix airbrushes are a bit more trouble to clean, as you have to clean the bottle or color cup, as well as flushing out the body to insure that paint doesn't clog the works. Siphon fed offer more choice in the quanity of paint, as you can either use a little bit in a color cup, or you can attach up to a 3 oz. bottle. Anything larger than that will be difficult to use properly.

Gravity fed require only enough airflow to atomize the paint, as gravity is all they need to deliver the paint. A bit easier to clean, as the cup in integrated into the body, but they are limited to the cup size.

Side fed airbrushes are somewhere between those two. Those only require a bit more air pressure than is required for atomization. Cleaning is on par with siphon fed, and you are limited by a single cup size.

Action:

Single action require setting the needle or paint cone, and then depressing the trigger to start the airflow. These allow for very consistant spray patterns, but can limit a user as the paint is either on or off.

Dual action uses the same operation for airflow by depressing the trigger, but you contral the volume and pattern by pulling back and forth on the trigger. A little bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach, it requires a bit of practice. The advantage is you can spray a hairline and gradually increase the width to a full on flood coat.

Still here?

My airbrush experience is with Badger airbrushes, and I never hesitate to promote them. They are high quality, affordable, and Badger backs them up with a lifetime labor warranty. Other makes such as Thayer and Chandler, Paasche, Iwata, Harder & Steenback, DeVilbiss, Richpen, and Peak all offer various configurations at various price points and all have their fan base. I do suggest buying a "brand" name rather than a clone. They just work better and parts and service are available. Note that Thayer and Chandler is owned by Badger and offers the same lifetime labor warranty.

Badger's Garage Sale has some excellent deals on airbrushes. If you insist on a single fed, I suggest the gravity fed 200GIL for $46. The smallish color cup appears to be too small for use, but you will be surprised at how little paint you really require for a good coat. I recommend you seriously consider moving up to a dual action airbrush such as the Side fed 100LH or RH (Left or Right hand) for a mere $30.80. Unfortunately they are out of stock of my favorite airbrush the 100LG, but those can be found at  Coast Airbrush and other online retailers.

Good luck on your purchase!

milts wrote:

The compressor looks to be in mint condition, supposedly used only twice and less than a year old.  It's their best compressor rated at 100 psi, but when I run the airbrush it reads 18 psi.  It has an automatic shutoff at 55 to 60 psi.

I presume that it is this compressor:

It is a decent compressor and a good deal at $25. It should work quite well in good condition. Since you bought it used, there are some checks that will help you find out more about its condition. But first, check your airbrush to see if the needle seats in the middle of the nozzle. If not, you need a replacement. Unfortunately, external mix AB does not have self-centering needle. It the airbrush looks good, check the compressor. You will need higher pressure than 18 psi for the Badger look-alike.

(1) It reads 18 psi when you are using the airbrush (I presume pushing the trigger). What does it read when you are NOT running any air? Mark down the delta between static pressure and pressure at running air. Hopefully, it should be less than 10 psi. Try the AB with running air pressure at 25 psi. The actual airbrush pressure will be somewhere in between running and static pressure. The Badger 350 needs 30 psi for most paints.

(2) The compressor has auto-on-off at 55 and 60 psi. The motor should be running only when you run the airbrush and should automatically stop when you stop the airbrush trigger. If not, the compressor needs adjustment or repair.

(3) Run the airbrush continuously for 10 minutes, the compressor cylinder head should feel warm, but not hot to your hand. It the compressor gets too hot to touch in half an hour or less, the compressor may be worn.

Your compressor originally packages with a Badger 155 clone. It is sold at Habor Freight for $20. That should work better than the 350 look-alike. Better yet, spend a little more to get a name brand or house brand airbrush from a reputable vender.

Good luck and welcome back to modeling.

 

 

 

I want to thank everybody for all the great info.  Here's what I've done.  I checked for air leaks, adjusted, thinned and did everything I could and got no results with my 350 clone.  I did get a Badger 155 clone with the setup, but I didn't want to start out with a double action AB, but I hooked it up and got better results, i.e. constant paint flow and 23 psi.  As I expected trying to control paint and air gave me very uneven results.  As I want to start painting sooner rather than later, I had a 50% off coupon for Michaels Arts & crafts store so I purchased a Badger 200.  Much better results, although I am finding it difficult to adjust my distance and speed compared to spray cans.  With spray cans, I sprayed at 18" with very quick passes and got complete coverage with 3-5 passes.  With the 155 and 200 Ab's I hold it about 6" go at about 25% speed and still get very light coverage.  It took at least a dozen passes to get any coverage.  For my practice,  I've been using regular craft acrylics from Michael's because they're much less expensive.  For thinner I use 2:1 alcohol/water.  What would a normal distand, pass rate, number of passes be for covering wings, fuselages, car bodies?  Thanks again for all the great feedback.

milts wrote:

As I expected trying to control paint and air gave me very uneven results.

Just remember that on a double-action airbrush you do not try and control the amount of air with the trigger, you just push it down all the way and control the paint with pulling back on the trigger. Airflow is controlled by the regulator on the compressor. 

As I want to start painting sooner rather than later, I had a 50% off coupon for Michaels Arts & crafts store so I purchased a Badger 200.  Much better results, although I am finding it difficult to adjust my distance and speed compared to spray cans.  With spray cans, I sprayed at 18" with very quick passes and got complete coverage with 3-5 passes.  With the 155 and 200 Ab's I hold it about 6" go at about 25% speed and still get very light coverage.

You need to be even closer than that. I would say about 3-4" with an airbrush for trying to coat something like you are. 

It took at least a dozen passes to get any coverage.  For my practice,  I've been using regular craft acrylics from Michael's because they're much less expensive.

That is fine but I would use modeling paints so that you get the hang of the real paints you will be using. Those craft paints are tricky to spray well and thin correctly and they don't adhere well on plastic for the most part. 

What would a normal distand, pass rate, number of passes be for covering wings, fuselages, car bodies?

I normally only need one pass on aircraft wings, fuselages, etc. 

Spray one part left to right or right to left if you prefer, and then overlap your spray on the next pass until you finish the length of the piece you are painting.