Air Brush Air Supply Question

[Techwriter]

Years ago I bought a Badger 250 airbrush and never used it. It's old enough that the air hose was made of rubber, and that rubber disintegrated while the kit was in storage. I've been getting together the few things I need to run it off my pancake compressor, and now I need to replace that air hose. I don't want to invest a lot of money into it yet, because I am a novice to any sort of airbrushing. I want to find out if I like it first (and I have three models in the pipeline I want to try it on). So, to my question:

Is 1/8th inch vinyl aquarium tubing strong enough? I understand a Badger 250 runs in the area of 15-25psi. Or, should I go ahead and by proper air hose for it instead of trying to be a cheapskate?

[peteski]

I actually prefer the thin (some might call "flimsy") black rubber/vinyl hose to the thick hose with braided sheath.  To me the thick hose is too stiff and heavy.

But I have a "real" compressor and a pressure regulator with oil/moisture trap, and I rarely go over 25 psi wen airbrushing.  Works for me.

[Techwriter]

As it happens, I just replaced the now-defunct compressor I have used for keeping air in my cars' tires, and it came with a regulator. Today I bought an inline moisture trap.

 

[Dave G.]

I wouldn't say a pancake compressor is not real. But from the pancake you will need a 1/4" to Badger adapter if you use a Badger hose. Badger has a dedicated thread of their own. Paasche is another brand who does that as well and different from Badger. Course those are the two brands I use most lol. I adapted both to 1/4" quick disconnects for my 8 gal portable compressor. I bought them through Amazon years ago but right now Amazon has delayed shipping on many items. Just sayin.

[Techwriter]

I have the necessary adapter. It came with the kit. I just need to know if I should buy a Badger hose or if I can use vinyl aquarium tubing.

[Dave G.]

1 hour ago, Techwriter said:

I have the necessary adapter. It came with the kit. I just need to know if I should buy a Badger hose or if I can use vinyl aquarium tubing.

Well gee. ?

[bill-e-boy]

It's cheap so go for it

Should be OK in the pressures used for airbrushes

I use a vinyl hose that is most probably thinner than aquarium tube and has been OK for years and years

[Techwriter]

Bill-e-boy, years ago a coworker started calling me Don-e-Boy, and the name stuck. Link-Belt Construction Equipment, for whom I worked divided into to concerns, Link-Belt Cranes and LBX, which specializes in excavators. I was laid off in 2003, but last year I got my current job with LBX. I hadn't been at work two days when I heard a familiar voice say "Don-e-Boy! I heard you were back!" I told him nobody had called me that in a loooong time.

I'll for some aquarium hose. It's not like I'll be injured or anything if it blows at 25psi.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Techwriter
Misspell

[peteski]

OK, so I went to Badger's website and at http://badgerairbrush.com/Acessories_4.asp   found the following:

Transparent Vinyl Air Hose

Flexible clear air hose enables the airbrush user to detect any moisture or impurities in the air line, thus preventing any related mishaps or work disruption. Swivel connection for airbrush at one end and varying air source connection at opposite end. Recommended for use up to 50 P.S.I. Available in 10ft.(3.05m) length #50-2030, 6ft.(1.83m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2026, 10ft.(3.05m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2021, 8ft.(2.44m) length w/no fittings at either end (for use with 80-3 bakery compressor only) #50-1011.

I highly suspect that it is the same clear vinyl that aquarium hoses are made of.

 

I use their 50-001 hose.  It costs 6 bucks. Why not just buy it, instead of futzing around with the aquarium hose, and trying to install the couplings on it?

Just Google "Badger 50-001" and you find lots of sources for it.

 

[porschercr]

11 hours ago, peteski said:

OK, so I went to Badger's website and at http://badgerairbrush.com/Acessories_4.asp   found the following:

Transparent Vinyl Air Hose

Flexible clear air hose enables the airbrush user to detect any moisture or impurities in the air line, thus preventing any related mishaps or work disruption. Swivel connection for airbrush at one end and varying air source connection at opposite end. Recommended for use up to 50 P.S.I. Available in 10ft.(3.05m) length #50-2030, 6ft.(1.83m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2026, 10ft.(3.05m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2021, 8ft.(2.44m) length w/no fittings at either end (for use with 80-3 bakery compressor only) #50-1011.

I highly suspect that it is the same clear vinyl that aquarium hoses are made of.

 

I use their 50-001 hose.  It costs 6 bucks. Why not just buy it, instead of futzing around with the aquarium hose, and trying to install the couplings on it?

Just Google "Badger 50-001" and you find lots of sources for it.

 

I agree with "Peteski" just buy a new 50-001 hose. 

[Techwriter]

16 hours ago, peteski said:

OK, so I went to Badger's website and at http://badgerairbrush.com/Acessories_4.asp   found the following:

Transparent Vinyl Air Hose

Flexible clear air hose enables the airbrush user to detect any moisture or impurities in the air line, thus preventing any related mishaps or work disruption. Swivel connection for airbrush at one end and varying air source connection at opposite end. Recommended for use up to 50 P.S.I. Available in 10ft.(3.05m) length #50-2030, 6ft.(1.83m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2026, 10ft.(3.05m) length w/ in-line moisture trap(50-2014) #50-2021, 8ft.(2.44m) length w/no fittings at either end (for use with 80-3 bakery compressor only) #50-1011.

I highly suspect that it is the same clear vinyl that aquarium hoses are made of.

 

I use their 50-001 hose.  It costs 6 bucks. Why not just buy it, instead of futzing around with the aquarium hose, and trying to install the couplings on it?

Just Google "Badger 50-001" and you find lots of sources for it.

 

Because I like to futz? The old hose, the ancestor of 50-001 literally rotted off the old couplings, so removal was no difficulty. I figure as long as I have these itty bitty couplings, I might as well connect them to each other.

 

[John Pol]

You get what you pay for want to go cheap won`t last

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Techwriter said:

Because I like to futz? The old hose, the ancestor of 50-001 literally rotted off the old couplings, so removal was no difficulty. I figure as long as I have these itty bitty couplings, I might as well connect them to each other.

 

Hey, whatever works for you.

Make sure not to lose the tiny cork washers, or you will have air leaking out of the couplings.  I lost one of those washers and made a replacement from thin slice of cork. That much futzing I was willing to do.

[Techwriter]

17 hours ago, John Pol said:

You get what you pay for want to go cheap won`t last

You're right, of course. I think I may have phrased my original question wrong. I probably should have asked if anybody had tried it. After looking into it, my real problem looks to be that standard aquarium tubing is the wrong size. That makes the whole discussion moot.

 

[Techwriter]

16 hours ago, peteski said:

Hey, whatever works for you.

Make sure not to lose the tiny cork washers, or you will have air leaking out of the couplings.  I lost one of those washers and made a replacement from thin slice of cork. That much futzing I was willing to do.

And you just can't go to the local auto parts store for itty bitty o-rings anymore.