Harbor freight airbrush will not spray

[Mark]

It is "China Freight"! 

 

 

Around here, we call it "Snap-On East"

[Daddyfink]

Around here, we call it "Snap-On East"

That's a good one! LOL! 

[Old Nasty]

Well, every now and then, they do manage to get something decent in the store. Not often, but it happens.

 .  

Their disposable gloves are nice.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Their disposable gloves are nice.

Their cast iron hammers seem to be pretty much OK too...

[Mark]

Disposable gloves, sanding sponges (nice for roughing in filler), smaller drill bits, and those diamond-grit files (though you can get smaller ones on eBay).  The airbrushes do work provided you clean them first...one of the guys in the club tells us that one of them is a knockoff of (I can't remember) a Paasche or an Iwata, most of the parts interchange.  Another guy bought one of the touch-up guns to spray larger scale stuff. 

[Agent G]

Question for the OP. How are you thinning your paint? What is your ratio of paint to thinner? Did you clean the AB before using it?

G

 

[Danno]

The Lovely and Gracious Mrs. B can never remember the name . . . she just calls it "the Yellow Store."   In my wife-to-English dictionary that means "Harbor Freight."

I'm selective with what I buy there and everything I've purchased does a good enough job for what I what and need, but I wouldn't buy high-dollar important equipment or things needed professionally.  Biggest snafu I've had with Harbor Fright purchases was when I bought a cheapo weed-whacker for a one-time use.  Discovered you can't get replacement spools anywhere!  ANYWHERE!   I don't have enough life-span left to sit around rewinding filament.  Went out and spent twice as much on a Black & Decker but at least I can buy pre-wound spools for it!

Little hand tools and folding chairs are GREAT at the Freight!

 

[Mark]

I'm selective with what I buy there and everything I've purchased does a good enough job for what I what and need, but I wouldn't buy high-dollar important equipment or things needed professionally.  Biggest snafu I've had with Harbor Fright purchases was when I bought a cheapo weed-whacker for a one-time use.  Discovered you can't get replacement spools anywhere!  ANYWHERE!  

Sears does that too...buy a Craftsman weed whacker, and less than two years later you can't get a spool for it.  Same for battery-operated portable tools...buy one and soon afterwards they change the design so the new batteries won't fit the old, still-good tools.  That's when I quit going there.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Sears does that too...buy a Craftsman weed whacker, and less than two years later you can't get a spool for it.  Same for battery-operated portable tools...buy one and soon afterwards they change the design so the new batteries won't fit the old, still-good tools.  That's when I quit going there.

Another one of the many reasons I think some things were better in the "old days".

Those of us old farts who remember the way Sears USED to run its tool business will recall that it was often possible to go into a Sears parts depot and get a part for something 20...or more...years old.

In this age of throw-it-away-when-it-wears-out, consumers have been brainwashed to bend over and take the cost of replacing a POS tool, rather than buying quality, using it for a long time, and eventually buying a part for a fraction of the price of a new whatchamacallit, and doing a simple repair.

Planned obsolescence. Ain't it great?

[crazyjim]

I’ve been re-spooling my weed wacker for many years. Much cheaper than store bought and it only takes a couple of minutes.

[Mark]

I never just bought the pre-wound spools, as some of those weren't wound correctly anyway.  But those things do wear out and the occasional replacement is needed.  And everyone has their own special design, so you are stuck buying replacements from them. 

I showed the guy at Sears the difference between the tool batteries: one contact was moved only slightly, just enough that the new battery would not work in the older tool.  Even he agreed that there was no real reason to do that other than to make the old tools obsolete.  He didn't design the thing, so it's not his fault.  But then again, with a straight face he was still expecting me to replace everything and buy the new stuff at Sears again!

I was looking through some stuff the other day, and came across a Sears gift card I got last Christmas, so I'm stuck going in there at least one more time.  I'll probably buy a decent torque wrench and a six-point socket for when I put the winter tires on the new car. 

[martinfan5]

Its seems my luck with HF compressors has run out,  mine was trying to burn itself out ,  not sure what happened , but it was fighting the auto shut off and my garage was full of that burnt electrical smell,  it still kind of works, but not sure how well or enough to paint.

I will get my next Compressor from TCP Global, they have the style but with a tank for $99 shipped to my door.

Edited October 27, 2017 by martinfan5

[crazyjim]

You might want to look at California Air Tools.  Very quiet compressor.   http://www.californiaairtools.com/

[Snake45]

Its seems my luck with HF compressors has run out,  mine was trying to burn itself out ,  not sure what happened , but it was fighting the auto shut off and my garage was full of that burnt electrical smell,  it still kind of works, but not sure how well or enough to paint.

I will get my next Compressor from TCP Global, they have the style but with a tank for $99 shipped to my door.

My Campbell-Hausfeld from Walmart is still going strong after 15 years. And last time I checked, they're now priced lower than I paid in 2002, and it was a bargain then.

[martinfan5]

My Campbell-Hausfeld from Walmart is still going strong after 15 years. And last time I checked, they're now priced lower than I paid in 2002, and it was a bargain then.

That is great,  Ive looked at some of their air tools that Wal Mart had on clearance , it was a impact gun set, I wish would of bought it, had three different sized air guns/impact  on clearance for like $70,  still kicking myself

Without knowing the model you have, I can only guess its a air tool compressor, not a air brush compressor, I have a air tool compressor, so I need and want a air brush compressor .

[Mark]

I have a air tool compressor, so I need and want a air brush compressor .

Regulator/water trap turns any compressor into an air brush compressor.  Even better, you're not listening to the thing running all of the time while you are spraying.

[martinfan5]

Regulator/water trap turns any compressor into an air brush compressor.  Even better, you're not listening to the thing running all of the time while you are spraying.

Right, and I did use it long time ago , but is very loud, and because I never keep the tank full, and it has a slow leak, it always runs whenever I use it, did I mention its very loud,  I have no issues with a air brush compressor running, doesn't bother me a bit to be honest, but the one I am looking at  has a tank on it so in theory, it should only run when it needs to fill up the tank.

[Snake45]

That is great,  Ive looked at some of their air tools that Wal Mart had on clearance , it was a impact gun set, I wish would of bought it, had three different sized air guns/impact  on clearance for like $70,  still kicking myself

Without knowing the model you have, I can only guess its a air tool compressor, not a air brush compressor, I have a air tool compressor, so I need and want a air brush compressor .

Yup, an "air tool" compressor with a tank. The tank only takes a couple minutes to fill, and then you can turn it off and run on the tank alone for a LONG time. You don't even need to let it keep cycling on and off. And mine's no louder than the little "airbrush compressor" I used before.

I've often said that the day I bought that compressor was the single happiest day of my adult modeling life.

[martinfan5]

Yup, an "air tool" compressor with a tank. The tank only takes a couple minutes to fill, and then you can turn it off and run on the tank alone for a LONG time. You don't even need to let it keep cycling on and off. And mine's no louder than the little "airbrush compressor" I used before.

I've often said that the day I bought that compressor was the single happiest day of my adult modeling life.

Mine wakes up the dead and I have no choice to leave it running , I am sure it will fill up the tank at some point

[XJ6]

The only thing good about Harbor Freight, is the property it sits on...Junk, Junk, Junk.... That's my opinion. 

[Mike999]

Without knowing the model you have, I can only guess its a air tool compressor, not a air brush compressor, I have a air tool compressor, so I need and want a air brush compressor .

Back in 2009 I took the (deep) plunge and got an Iwata Studio Series Power Jet Pro compressor.  Expensive but it had everything I wanted, like built-in water traps and dual regulators to run 2 airbrushes at once.  It's fairly quiet and hasn't given me any problems. 

That was after several years of using a cheap "run all the time" hobby compressor, followed by a Craftsman with a tank.  The Craftsman worked fine, but seized up after several years in storage while I was working overseas.

 

[Snake45]

Mine wakes up the dead and I have no choice to leave it running , I am sure it will fill up the tank at some point

I believe this is the one I have. My store didn't have them yesterday, but apparently they're still available online.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-FP209499AV-3-Gallon-Inflation-and-Fastening-Compressor-with-Accessory-Kit/12534870

[935k3]

I get my stuff from these guys.

Hazard Fraught

They have great stuff like this