Sotar History

I'd recommend an empty milk jug, or other plastic container.  I use coffee mate flavored creamers, they have great plastic containers with lots of curves and shapes.  Spray a little rattle can primer on them, makes a great practice surface, and I use them for color testing as well. 

Chris

Does this look like the Sotar 2020?

Airbrush ACADEMY C-FLOW cosmetic airbrush at artsupply.com.

No, that looks like a Vega 1000 with the same coating the Sotar and Renegade line comes with, packed into the case the Renegades get shipped in.

Sotar:

http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Sotar_20-20.asp

Vega 1000 (2nd from top):

http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Vega_Airbrushes.asp

Badger makes re-branded airbrushes for a lot of different people.

"And remember, this is paper so the paint doesn't react quite the same."

Yeh I know there's a big difference between paper and plastic, flat and shaped but I have to start somewhere and a nice flat pad propped comfortably in front of me is where I'm starting. On the sheets with the plane outline I shot several coats of Krylon Crystal Clear and let it dry completely before any airbrushing. I didn't on the other and you could tell a difference with bleed and jagged edges. On the right side of that sheet take a look at the boxes with numbers under them. Up to the box marked 1.1 I was touching the paper with the arms on the regulator. Larger openings I had to lift off the paper a half inch or so to avoid runs. Almost no noticeable overspray either on the paper or close to the paper with smaller needle openings. By the time I got to the labeled boxes I was getting some tip dry and until I opened the needle a bit I was getting some splatter. That wasn't really overspray. Once I opened the needle a bit and was still on the paper the lines were getting jagged edges but that was mostly from the paint bleeding on the paper. At that point I could have turned the pressure down but I wanted to see what happened. If you look down to the bottom of that sheet at the box with much heavier sides you can see the overspray around it. That was shot with the needle stop set at 4 or 4/5 of one revolution and 30 psi. One pass per side.

When I say I have to have one coat coverage I'm talking about lines and not spraying color coats on the body of a car or fuselage of a plane. It has to be in one coat and it can be done in one. None of the lines on any of those pictures are multiple passes, it's one pass. And yeh, it's on paper and not plastic but it's still a dark black line.

Hey, this is only spring training, opening day is a long ways off.

Tony

Bgrigg

No, that looks like a Vega 1000 with the same coating the Sotar and Renegade line comes with, packed into the case the Renegades get shipped in.

I think it's an Omni 5000 with a different coating and the cut-out handle from a 155 anthem.

http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Omni_Airbrushes.asp

Chris

LOL!

Considering that the Vega 1000 and Omni 5000 body share the same casting, we'll never know. The Omni is famous for the reverse-a-guard spray regulator, and the Airbrush Academy doesn't have that, so I'm still leaning towards the Vega. You're right about the 155 handle!

Vega and Omni share many parts, the o-ring that goes between the head and the body, and the air-valve are the same, so is the trigger and needle chuck.

In fact, there are many similarities between Vega/Omni and Badger. For a long time Badger was selling Vega body/Badger 155 head hybrids on their Garage Sale page. I suspect that while there are differences in nozzle size and taper, they use the same tap and dies for the mechanical assemblies, so you could screw the handle from 100LG onto a Omni 5000, 155 Anthem or Vega 1000.

The re-brands are probably a mix and match of various parts, so that each one is "unique".

Bgrigg

The re-brands are probably a mix and match of various parts, so that each one is "unique".

We have discovered 'Frankenbrush!"

It's Alive!  Alive!

Killjoy

I'd recommend an empty milk jug, or other plastic container.  I use coffee mate flavored creamers, they have great plastic containers with lots of curves and shapes.  Spray a little rattle can primer on them, makes a great practice surface, and I use them for color testing as well. 

Chris

That is a brilliant idea... And OH, wait!  What's this??  I just happen to have put the last of my Vanilla creamer into my cup of coffee, and now have an empty container....  looks like the recycle bin will be a little bit lighter tonight...

In my humble opinion... screw the milk carton.   All of us modelers have a gigantic stash of models hidden somewhere.   

I say to it's time to take one of these relics out and make it a sacrificial lamb to the modeling gods.

Don Wheeler

I was curious about the Badger Sotar 2020.  It looks so different from other Badger models that I suspected it might have been a purchased design rather than being done in-house.  So I e-mailed Ken Schlotfeldt.  Ken answered my questions and said I could share the information.  So I will.

The Sotar was completely designed by Badger.  It incorporates two Badger patents; the easy-access needle removal and the drop-in micro tip.  The patents were issued in 1995.  It was created to compete with the Iwata Micron.  When it was introduced in 1996, it was sold as a product of the Sotar Airbrush Company.  Badger hid their ownership because they thought people might not try it due to the fact that many considered Badger a maker of  "hobby" airbrushes.  They wanted it to be similar to the relationship of Acura to Honda.  They have since decided to market it as a Badger product, which it is.

The drop-in tip is now used in the Renegade series of airbrushes.

Has anyone here used one?  If so, what did you think of it?

Don

Don,

Well Don, I used my tax refund to become the lastest owner of a new bouncing Sotar.   I normally spray with the Velocity. So I'll add something by next week after spraying them side-by-side for a couple of days.

But out of the box is a mix experience.  The box is missing part #10 (trigger pad) and part #29 rubber finger pad.   I'm unsure whether I'll use them in normal spraying because I want my detail brush (Sotar) to be as close in feel as my general purpose brush (Velocity).    But it would be nice to get all the parts I paid for.

On the other hand, I took the brush apart and it feels like the Sotar was manufactured to finer specs.  All the parts just fits better than the Velocity from the needle to the cup.   As much as I love my Velocity, it is starting to feel as though the Velocity is a de-tuned version of the Sotar.   The Sotar trigger is smoother even after countless polishing the Velocity needle.   The inside of the Sotar cup is chromed up to 1/2 way up.  This allows one to easier identify any paint residue during cleaning.  

BTW,  one immediate difference before I even spray for the 1st time is that the Sotar feels shorter than the Velocity because the distance from the trigger to the nose is considerably shorter.  So the Sotar feels "small" in the average hand.   More delicate. Easier to handle for detailed work.   But I'm unsure how it'll feel for folks with bear paws.

Anyways, will update next week. And hopefully Badger will send the missing parts instead of stiffing me.

Brick, sorry to hear you didn't get all the parts in the box. I'm positive Badger will pony up the pieces, they are a great company to work with.

brickshooter, mine didn't come with those parts in the box either. I have a couple of the trigger pads and don't like them so that was no great loss to me. Don't know that I'd use the other finger rest so I just let it go and didn't email them. Did you get fine, medium?  I've been practicing with mine(when I should have been finishing other things) but figure no one's interested in seeing more of me writing and painting on paper. Looking forward to seeing you compare the two. And since you have both, if you wouldn't mind, would you see if by chance the tips, regulators and needles can interchange? Just curious.

Tony

Update.

I emailed Badger and they responded that both the rubber pad and rubber finger guard were discontinued.  So I'm not getting them. 

Regarding the compatibility of the parts, the Velocity and Sotar share the same trigger and double prong needle guard.     They do not share the same needle and tip.  The Sotar uses a .19mm needle and tip.  The Velocity uses a .21mm needle and tip.   I was tempted to put the Velocity needle and tip intp the Sotar. but I was too busy experimenting with the first spray.

Regarding spray, the Sotar do need a higher PSI.  But what was weird was that it depended on the mix.   I sprayed Tamiya Dark Green on 12 PSI.  But had to up it to 25 PSI when spraying Tamiya Red Brown.  I suspect that they had different thinning.  Only conclusion here is that one has to be more precise when thinning paint for the Sotar than the Velocity.   On the other hand, the trigger is more precise.  So I am able to cure "spiders" by easing up on the trigger pull with the Sotar much easier than the Velocity.

Regarding balance.  The Velocity is a longer brush with weight distributed to the ends.  So if you spray a larger pattern, it's more stable.  You have to move your arm a little.    The Sotar's weight is in the center of the brush.   Add that to a shorter design, and the Sotar is more of a wrist brush.   In other words, the Velocity is better for larger coverage.  If you need to write letters, the Sotar is easier to control.

One thing that I wish the Sotar had was a cap for its small cup.   In theory, it's rougly about 1/4 the size of the Velocity.  But in reality, it's so easy to slosh the Sotar cup that I generally only fill it 1/2 way. 

Later in the week when I've more time, I'll try to use the Velocity needle and tip in the Sotar and see how that works out.

Until then...

James

Bummer about the parts! Or maybe not. Some people like them and some don't.

You should be able to swap the needle and tip between the airbrushes, but I don't know if I would bother. As you say, the Sotar is a detail brush, and the Velocity, while capable of detail, is also more universally capable.

One warning I forgot for those interested in buying a Sotar.

They ship the brush without pulling the needle.  So be careful when taking the protective cap off for the first time to not bend the needle.

Have you tried shooting any white yet? That's fun.

I've mainly been using different blacks. Whites are going to have the highest concentration of pigments with black not far behind. But far enough that white's a different ballgame. At least it has been for me. I found that some people use glycerin as a retarder/flow enhancer so I gave that a try with Tamiya flat black. I use denatured alcohol in Tamiya flats so I added 4 - 5 drops glycerin to an ounce of alcohol and thinned with that. Worked pretty well. I added a few more drops and was able to shoot at 12 - 15psi continuously for 30 minutes or so with no tipdry and with a nice black line. Also tried some Createx thinned with water and a drop or two of Liquitex retarder and it did ok too.

Then I tried white. Tamiya gloss and flat, MM enamel, PlastiKote Touch Up lacquer, Createx and finally Golden Fluid acryl. Tamiya would spray for a few minutes and then you'd have to wipe the needle and give a little heavier shot for a second. MM and PK didn't want to spray at all. Createx reacted about the same as Tamiya but the color was very faint. Golden worked pretty well but I had to settle for thinning with water instead of getting their extender(clear) and medium. That's something I found worked with Tamiya too, add a little clear.

As I was digging through my paints over the weekend I found a bottle of Kustom Kolors black. It's a hobby enamel from Valspar or HoK. It shot really well. Even at around 5psi and with the needle almost closed. So, today I rode over to the hobby shop that came from and got a bottle of white but that didn't work out so well. The problem with it and the other whites seems to be that there is so much pigment in them that it falls out of suspension so quickly the pigment settles to the bottom of the cup and clogs the nozzle. I didn't have time to tonite but I'm gonna try mixing the KK paint with clear and then reducing to see if it helps.

So yeh, it's a finicky little brush with these paints and a fine tip/nozzle. Even a slightly larger tip/nozzle would probably help a good bit. That's why I asked if possibly the Velocity parts would physically fit. And if they do, parts from the Rage would also. That would give you an even larger tip/nozzle. And needle if you need it. There's always the possibility that these tips would work with the Sotar needle. Not to mention cost...

But all that aside, I'm happy with the brush and glad I got it. I will say that if anyone reading this is considering getting one then you might want to go with the medium tip/needle combo. As I've found out over the last couple weeks, pulling a fine line is as much about the operator as anything although a quality tool doesn't hurt either. I don't need to be able to pull a *hair line* but with the right medium this brush will do it. One other thing, all the experimenting I've been doing was to find what I needed to shoot a very fine line so that meant the smallest needle openings and whatever pressure necessary. The brush handled up to 50psi. If you open the brush up a little it sprays anything I've run through it very nicely.  Light shading or small background coverage. And it's very precise.

brickshooter, I'd appreciate it very much if you'd let me know about the parts swapping.

Tony

Wingman_kz

I found that some people use glycerin as a retarder/flow enhancer so I gave that a try with Tamiya flat black. I use denatured alcohol in Tamiya flats so I added 4 - 5 drops glycerin to an ounce of alcohol and thinned with that. Worked pretty well. I added a few more drops and was able to shoot at 12 - 15psi continuously for 30 minutes or so with no tipdry and with a nice black line.

Tony,

what brand/type of glycerin are you using ?  I have heard of folks doing this, but haven't tried it.

Thanks!

Chris

I don't remember the brand and it's down in the basement. Got it at Walmart but I imagine most any pharmacy would have it. Probably a 2 - 3 ounce bottle for $2.95. I believe it says 99.5% pure. I just started using it, haven't had any problems and it does help with flow and tipdry. The only negative I've read is that if you use too much then you may have adhesion problems so if you use it and are going to be taping/masking over experiment first. Not sure where the too much line is. Yet.

Tony

Hello
I bought a 2020's freakflexpaint.com, just not yet got a hose to it. Hence, when able I'll do some tests here and put to galera.ok
The mine is also missing the part 20-113!
A big hug for everyone
jr (Brazil)

jr, be sure and let us know how it works out for you. Looking forward to it.

brickshooter, any answers about parts swapping?

I've been having a blast with the one I got. Just about finished a 1/72 VooDoo in SEA camo and did all the spraying with the Sotar. My first freehand camo too. I'll post some pics in the Aircraft section tomorrow hopefully, it should be done then. The build has a couple problems but painting wasn't one of them. I used DuPont primer, MM enamels, Metalizers, lacquers and Acryll, Future and Alclad from as low as 5-6psi to 13-15psi. Although I had to go to about 20psi for Burnt Iron Metalizer. I have to do things a little differently than with my 360U(as in thinning) but once I got that in my head all was well.

It isn't a brush I'd choose to shoot a basecoat or prime a large kit but for smaller subjects it can be a *general purpose* brush. I haven't quite got the hang of those *rediculously fine* white lines yet but haven't really been trying either. When I need it I'll find a combination that works. Even if it means uros...

Tony