Badger Model 200 bottom feed

Of the two knurled circles at the back of the airbrush, only the larger one controls the in and out setting of the needle. The smaller wheel holds the needle in place.

I never really did any detail work with that brush, but I did some experimenting on an old model that I was willing to sacrifice. I would recommend keeping one handy to practice on and get the paint settings right before each painting session.

Yes, it is trial and error. The screw at the rear moves the needle forward and back which in turn allows more paint to spray. If you need more paint screw the needle out, if you need less screw the needle in. The 200 is a single action airbrush so the trigger only controls the airflow.

Everything to do with an airbrush is effectively trial and error until you find out what works best for you. Air pressure, paint viscosity, needle position, distance from the model surface, etc. all have an affect on how the airbrush works. They take some practice (a LOT of practice to be able to do something well) so I'd also recommend that you use an old model to play on.

Hi Bruce,

Congrats on the raffle win. I have the same airbrush, and it does a really fine job. I think it is a darn good airbrush for a neophyte to learn with, giving you a lot of the control capability of a double action AB, while having the ease of use found in a single action unit.

Although Badger doesn't seem to have their manuals available on-line, here's a parts breakdown for the Badger 200.
http://www.badger-airbrush.com/200parts.htm

Andy

Here you go.

http://www.newstyleservice.com/200airbrush/cover.html

-B

QUOTE: Originally posted by ABARNE Although Badger doesn't seem to have their manuals available on-line, here's a parts breakdown for the Badger 200. http://www.badger-airbrush.com/200parts.htm

There are some here: http://www.youcanshopsecure.com/baaice.html

Mike

I've got one of these myself, and it's not as hard to use as you might imagine. You do have to play with the needle to get what you want out as far as line or area spray, but I really like mine. I only need to get a paint cup attachment for small amounts of paint when doing touch ups instead of the big siphon bottles that I have for it right now.

Have fun learning to use your Badger, it's really quite a handy tool.

QUOTE: I only need to get a paint cup attachment for small amounts of paint when doing touch ups instead of the big siphon bottles that I have for it right now.

I've got a cup for my 200 that I seldom use. It might (emphasis on "Might") allow it to spray at a very slightly lower pressure, but it's not much. The down side is that it doesn't have a cap on the cup so paint starts to dry out in it pretty quickly.

I just keep thinned paint in bottles. Tamiya and Model Master bottles fit the Badger cap adapter so I hang onto them (although the tube has to be shortened for Tamiya bottles).

Funny you should mention the Tamiya bottles, I was looking at mine the other day and wondering if they would fit the bottle siphon. Looks like I know the answer to that one now. Thanks, MusicCity! I seem to paint almost exclusively with Tamiya acrylics right now, so I just need to dig out the empties I just threw away this weekend and clean them up.

I've been using my 200 for the last 16 years without any troubles whatsoever. It's excellent for larger areas, and being of a relatively simple construction, it's easy to use and clean out.
Be careful if you ever need to replace the needle. Gently push it in until it comes to rest in the paint tip, then screw in the needle adjusting screw as far as it will go. Then lock the needle in position with the locknut. Easy!