Badger Krome Tip Removal

Give him all the details, where you got it and what you've tried.  I suspect he will come up with something.  It may take a while for him to get back to you.  He gets lots of e-mails.

Don

Hi Don, thanks for the email link. I'll shoot Ken an email today and see if he has any thoughts.

ModelMaker - i bought this brand new from Webairbrushes. Unfortunately, i didn't completely disassemble prior to first use, so, I'm not sure if this was an issue from the factory or as a result of my use and not pulling out the tip to clean each time.

I would write Ken Schlotfeldt (kenbadger@aol.com) and explain the problem you're having.  He may have a suggestion or do something for you.  Ken is usually eager to please customers.

Don

Hi, CML -

First, the difficulty I had is clearly the opposite of yours, my tip was stuck inside the the front bit that the tip fits into, not the tube shape in the airbrush body where the tip backside fits. Another way to say it, it sounds like you can screw off the two front bits, and your tip is still in the airbrush body, correct?

Don W. is right, try passing the needle backward through the body and into the tip, then gently press forward on the needle to push it against the tip. Also he gave good advice to lightly sand the needle blunt end sides, to ensure no rough texture to damage the needle bearing in the body. 

The bearing is removable with a small screwdriver, that would ensure no damage to it, just a bit fiddly to readjust when reinstalled. If I can do it, anyone can, Don Wheeler's website gives good explanation of how.

I feel quite assured you can get this done, likely just a bit of dried residue bonding it in place. The tweezer bit has no benefit for you, wrong scenario. And for reference, the contact cement is marketed by several firms, 3M for one, it is a thick gummy substance applied by brush, place on both surfaces, let air dry until tacky then press together.

Hopefully the backward needle will get this done for you, I think it's the most likely way. My stuck tip was easy to remove after finding the right pressure points to finesse. Be careful with the business end of the needle, easy to jab yourself with it.

Please let us know how you make out. Fingers crossed here.

Patrick

Hi Don and Modelmaker,

Yes have tried both of those suggestions.

I tried Don's suggestion initially, but, admittedly, not since i have soaked the tip in lacquer etc. I will give this another try - it may have worked a little loose.

I have also tried the new scalpel blade method around the mating area, but no luck. 

Here is something you could try.  Remove the needle and install it backwards so the blunt end faces the tip.  Apply a little pressure and see if you can push the tip out.  If the needle doesn't want to go through the needle seal, you may have to polish its blunt end with some very fine sandpaper to remove any burrs.

Don

No, that's all good ModelMaker.

Your suggestion is the most sensible. But I kind of want to try and see if i can figure this out myself - just so i know what to do in the future.

I'm kicking myself for not pulling it apart when i first bought it - i was too keen to test it that i just started using it and it's been a solid go-to for me now for the past 5 months or so.

Sorry Chris, I didn't realize you were in Australia.

Hi Patrick,

Thank you for your details reply.

Could i just clarify i few things - i'd like to give this a shot, as, being in Australia, their are a few time and cost logistics to sending this back to the US.

You mention contact cement - what is this? I'm just not sure what the equivalent might be down under.

Also, you say you put one end of the tweezer inside the tip rear. So did you feed them down the body of the airbrush?

Or were they very fine and went through the tip where the needle goes? I'm just trying to figure out how you could do this. The ultra fine tip seems so small i can't imagine finding a pair of tweezers that might be able to fit, especially with cement on them.

Thanks in advance for your further feedback.

Don, 

Thank you for the reply and your thoughts. I'll hold off on the torch method.

I've heard of cold welding in industrial settings, but didn't think it could apply here - but you may well be right.

Also, Patrick has made a suggestion too, so i might give that a shot.

If not, then as per ModelMaker's suggestion, i think i'll ship it back to Badger and see if they have better luck than me.

Regards,

Just contact badger. For the price of postage they will repair or replace it. Thet=y are in Chicago. it will take a week or two but they stand behing their products.

CML - I have a Krome, given to me by a very good friend, thanks, D.W. In perfectly clean condition when it arrived, but I wanted to get to know it well before using it. So I completely dis-assembled it for a cleaning and lubing of parts with Badger's airbrush lube, "Regdab," really a good product.

The little tip was not wanting to come out easily, so I used some acetone and an overnight soak, still didn't want to come out. Finally I used some very miniature tweezers with narrow ends, placed some contact cement on the insides of both ends and let dry for about 30 minutes.

Placing one end inside the tip rear, the other on the outside, I lightly squeezed the tweezers and gently rocked the tip side to side, while lightly pulling back at the same time. I could soon feel some slight movement, but it wouldn't quite give up.

Back for another soak, repeat the tweezer attempt, out it came. No damage to the tip, the contact cement is enough protection aganst metal damage.

Not to preach, but a thorough breakdown of at least the front bits and a good cleaning after each use, prior to storing, I consider an essential part of airbrush maintenance. Thinned paint has a way of getting into some mighty small places, when dried it can be difficult to clean it after some time.

Since you ask, a definate NO to the torch method.

Hope you get this sorted quickly.

Patrick

That flame sounds scary.  Before I did that, I'd send it to Badger for repair.  They might fix it for nothing.  You could try acetone.  It will cut just about anything.

It might not be paint.  I've had brand new airbrushes with frozen parts.  There is something called cold welding.  When clean metal surfaces are pressed tightly together they can actually bond.  If that's the case, you couldn't get it out without damaging it.  Let Badger break it.

Don

Unfortunately - no success trying both methods.

I let it sit in some hardware store lacquer thinner for about 30 mins, but no joy. 

I then sat it in boiling water with washing up detergent for about 15 mins, no joy.

On a plus side, i bet internally it's cleaner than ever!

Also, i learnt the true meaning of lacquer thinner being "hot" - as it turned the plastic container into glue and slowly melted some of it onto my colour cup of the Krome. Luckily this was easily wiped off and the plastic container had no sentimental value 

I am toying with two other options:

1. Give up and don't risk breaking something that i enjoy using as is; and

2. Taking a flame to the tip and trying to burn out any stubborn paint.

Option 2 sounds extreme - but i did have some success with this when i had a blocked Fine tip on my Badger 100LG.  I took out the tip, held it with a fine piece of wire and burnt out all the paint/crud with a lighter. It worked amazingly well and didn't impact the tip at all.

Thoughts? Let's vote on this - option 1 or option 2? I won't hold you liable if it mucks up 

Cheers, thanks Don, i'll give that a shot too if the lacquer thinner doesn't work it loose.

Appreciate your input.

Hopefully i've have a chance to give these methods a try Thursday night or over the weekend, will keep you all updated.

I can't add much to the good advice these guys have given you. If the lacquer thinner doesn't work, here's something you might try.  Dip the head of the airbrush in a cup of boiling hot water.  It might soften the dried paint enough for the tip to drop off.

Good luck with it.

Don

Thanks Phil and ModelMaker - good advice.

I'll give that a shot and see how i go. I haven't tried to pull it apart since i first bought it, so have no idea how easy/hard it should be to come out. You're right though, probably have paint dried around from the inside.

Appreciate the tip too ModelMaker - i'll be sure to treat it with respect when trying to remove.

I have a krome. The tip should just fall out when the air cap is removed. Phil has the best advice with the thinners. It may need MILD coaxing since some paint has dried it in place. Maybe a dab of super lube around the mating edge after cleaning. Be careful of the tip. These particular ones hace a habit of pinging away, never to be seen again. Amazon sells replacement Badger Krome Parts. Let us know  how you get on with this. Good luck.

Perhaps there's a bit of dried paint in there acting like glue? I'd try dripping a little lacquer thinner around the rim and letting it sit for a few minutes to see if it loosens it.