Kit Basher

For whatever reason, the instructions for Auto Air say do not use heat, just moving air. That's why double action is so nice. You don't have to put the brush down. Spray a light coat of paint, blow air for 30 seconds, repeat. This stuff has a very steep learning curve, and I'm just getting started, but if I ever get the hang of it I think it will be amazing.

So the pedal style has the notches in the tip, instead of a cylinder with holes in it? I have that on my 150. The 150 shot Auto Air nicely, but is kinda hard to control. It has the adjuster to set a fixed amount of paint, but then you can't just blow air. With Auto Air, it's nice to be able to shoot paint then blow air to dry it. I'm trying to figure out some kind of "backstop" for it.

What is "pedal style"? Also, I have never used the heavy needle/tip, but have been considering trying it for Auto Air acrylics. I have a heavy needle/tip for a 150, will that work in a 200?

It seems like I've seen somewhere where Badger recommended sealing some part with wax or maybe nail polish. That may have been before there was the teflon washer. The 200 is a great brush, simple and does a nice job.

I have that kit for the same reason. I'm looking forward to building it, hopefully better than I did back in the '60s. Your second photo shows an example of true catness. "Oh, you're using that? Let me lay on it/knock it on the floor."

Thanks, Thomas. I think I was dealing with 30 years of accumulated crud. I like the dental floss idea, although I was reading somewhere about someone cleaning their AB with waxed floss. They said that was a bad idea!

I ran a piece of fishing line thru all those air passages, and they all seem clear. Thanks again for all your help!

I soaked the body in LT and got a fair amount of scuz out of it. My usual after painting routine is to use a paint brush and thinner to clean inside where the bottle attaches to the body, then shoot thinner thru the brush. Apparently that is not always sufficient. I polished the needle as David suggested, and worked on the tip some more. While I was at it, I replaced the teflon seal. It's working much better now, so many thanks to everyone!

It's a 200. It's almost as old as yours. I'll try your remedy. Thanks!

OK, Thanks guys, Super Clean is out. I'm glad I asked. How about soaking in lacquer thinner? I've thoroughly cleaned the tip and the needle, my impression is that there is paint inside the body of the brush. It's pretty much inaccessible to cleaning tools. I am hoping that soaking and flushing will get it clean. If it matters, it's a Badger 200.

I don't know, that's why I'm asking! I'm also considering Auto Air Restorer. Will that work on lacquers and enamels?

I think it's time for a major AB cleaning. I would like to get it thoroughly clean everywhere, including the body. I was thinking about soaking it in Super Clean, but I don't want to damage the AB. I'm concerned it might affect the brass or chrome. Has anyone done this, or what do you use for a soak? Obviously, I would take it apart and remove any seals or O-rings. Thanks!

Yeah, it's a mess. Fair warning, unless you have the headers just right, the pipes from the mufflers to the headers won't fit either. I don't know why they didn't mold those headers in one piece.

Looking good, Justin! I like that blue. I hope you have good luck with the exhaust, mine gave me fits.

I have the California Air model 2010A. I like it very much. It is quiet, and because it has a decent size tank, it doesn't run very much. You can paint for quite a while before it cycles on, and when it does, it runs for a minute or less then turns off again. It's common to put 3-5 coats or more on a car body before the compressor needs to run. I've had it for two years with no problems, and it seems pretty well made.

I'm also new to water based paint. I'm experimenting with Auto Air and Createx. There's a lot to learn but it looks like a lot of potential. Single action is definitely easier, but there is one advantage to double action: you can spray paint, then close off the paint and just blow air to dry it. Speeds things up a lot.

That is spectacular! Very nicely done.

That is awesome!

I don't care what they say, the Earth cannot possibly be flat. If it was, cats would have knocked everything off of it by now!

Thanks, Justin. I've definitely run into poor fitting holes and pins. I'm very impressed that you managed to get the headers lined up and installed. The blobular pins made it impossible for me to tell if I had all those parts in the right position. I finally gave up on the transaxle side and bent my own out of aluminum wire. At least that way, things would stay where I put them until I got them all lined up.

I am also building this kit. I'll be following this with interest hoping you show the way through any rough spots. I know what you mean about "less than perfect body joints", but I haven't gotten to the filling and sanding phase yet. Thanks for posting this!

How does the BIN primer sand? Being shellac based, I would expect it to be a bit gummy. Do you thin it with denatured alcohol?

Totally awesome as usual! That Suzuki looks ready to ride. Are the Ford GTs the Revell Snap kit? They look amazing whatever they are. It's fun to see the variety of your models. Not just: "Ho hum, Mark built another highly detailed, totally accurate, perfectly executed Seven." (Just kidding, I love your Sevens!)

Spectacular as usual, Marcos.

It irks me that it irks you that I am not pleased.