Passche advice needed

[noname]

I recently aquired an old passche airbrush. Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice? I tried it breifly one day and it worked but spit out some bigger dropps of paint. Seems like a simple rig but was hoping someone out there had some experience to share.

thanks in advance

[LoneWolf15]

Hi!,

Looks to be an H series airbrush, which is a good one . My suggestion would be to take it apart and throughly clean it . Reassemble it , and close off the needle by turning it clockwise until the needle appears in the cone .

Four reasons for spitting .... airbrush is dirty , needle is adjusted too wide , paint mixture too thick , or the needle or it's assembly could be bent . Replacement parts can be bought online through dixieartstores.com. Best needle / head combination for model car painting with this particular airbrush would be the H5 assembly. Hope this helps .

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

[noname]

Thank you. Thats quite helpful. Would I be correct in saying that the only thing I would have to be concerned about cleaning would be the cone and needle seeing how they are the only parts that carry paint?

Can you perhaps give me an idea of how much I should be mixing paint with thinner? I'm new at this and right now am not going to attempt to paint a body yet. I mostly want to shoot kit parts with Alclad and acrylic paint for now.

Thanks

[LoneWolf15]

Matt,

Clean the cone and needle , you can soak them in a 2 ounce jar of laquer thinner , this will help . I use fine Micro Brushes to clean out the needle , Q-Tips to clean out the inside of the cone , and finish with the Micro Brush at the end of the cone. Check the end of the cone and needle to see if they are distorted or bent , if so , replace them . This can cause the airbrush to spit or cause paint spatter.

A good ratio to start with using any paint would be a 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner. In your case , using acrylics , it would be water . You will have to experiment by spraying plastic spoons or on a piece of glass. Remember that some acrylics are going to be denser , paint wise , and will require a bit more water .

Be sure to write down the ratios that you are pleased with ! This way you have a basis to work with everytime you use a certain type of paint . I use nothing but Testors enamels cut with cheap laquer thinner at a 2 to 1 ratio. It is all about personal preference and what one is comfortable with . If it were my decision , I would contact the website that was indicated and order an H5, head , cone , and needle. This way you are starting out with new equipment at a cost of roughly $ 12 to $ 15 . I have an airbrush dvd out that would go a long way towards teaching you a system that will have you laying down smooth paint in no time . Visit me at oldmansmodels.com.

Donn Yost

Lone Wolf Custom Painting

[Pete J.]

We really can't give you a ratio of paint to thinner without knowing the type and manufature of the paint. I thin automotive paints 6 parts thinner to 1 part paint. Tamiya acrylics 4 parts thinner to 1 part paint. Best rule of thumb is to mix it to the consistancy of milk. I know that is a bit subjective, but it is a good place to start. Start at 3:1 and adjust it until you get an even coat from a distance of about 2" to 3". Then go from there.

Good Luck

[noname]

Thanks again Lonewolf and Pete. Very helpful and appreciated. I will give your suggestions a go.

[Jairus]

Also, be-careful when re-assembling the airbrush. One concern is that sometimes the air-button leg has it's slot milled slightly off-center and will contact the needle causing drag. This requires the button to be replaced the same way each time. If it drags, remove the needle and rotate 180º, re-install needle. Then mark the button with an arrow so you know the correct re-assembly position.

The second concern is the plastic handle and the fact that you are cleaning with Lacquer thinner. Make sure your fingers are dry before touching the handle or you will leave fingerprints permanently in the plastic.

[Karmodeler2]

Also, be-careful when re-assembling the airbrush. One concern is that sometimes the air-button leg has it's slot milled slightly off-center and will contact the needle causing drag. This requires the button to be replaced the same way each time. If it drags, remove the needle and rotate 180º, re-install needle. Then mark the button with an arrow so you know the correct re-assembly position.

The second concern is the plastic handle and the fact that you are cleaning with Lacquer thinner. Make sure your fingers are dry before touching the handle or you will leave fingerprints permanently in the plastic.

The model Jarius if showing is actually a double action and you have a single action. What you can do is study the diagram of the brush "exploded" and it will show you all the parts. On the bottom of the air brush, you will see a allen set screw. This screw allows the movement of the needle and this will affect how the brush works. (The needle I am referring to is where the bottle or cup will fit into). Movement of the cone will allow more or less paint, while the movement of the needle will place the cone in the airstream. Put some water in the cup, hook it up and spray. Water is relatively cheap and it will allow you to play with the settings. What you can do is put the cone where you want it, and loosen the allen screw so there is enough friction to hold the needle but will allow you to move it back and forth while the cone and bottle are attached. You will learn about where the best "fan' is and the setting that works best for you.

When you clean it, take the needle, cone and tip off the gun, and clean with q-tips and pipe cleaners. A clean gun is a happy gun. Inside the cone, you will see a slotted screw. Remove this, with the small plastic washer and clean with lacquer thinner. This washer seals the needle so the paint goes forward.

Just a side note, if you have you cone all the way open and you have your needle all the way back, you could have this washer/nut sitting right over the little hole in the needle where the paint comes out, and you will get nothing. Playing with water or lacquer thinner will let you fine the best setting for you. Good luck and if you have questions,

we're here to help!

Also, that little thumbscrew below the button you push down on when you are using the airbrush is to limit the flow of air. If you want to make sure you have all the air available, screw this down all the way. There is a small (very small) spring below the screw itself. Be careful if you take it apart. This feature was later removed on newer models. I still have one like yours and use it all the time...actually for about 22 years before getting a double action.

David

[noname]

Thank you Jairus and Karmodeler2. I appreciate all the help I can get. I do have another question actually. I got this passche compressor as well, which doesn't have a psi adjustment.

I was wondering if there is a fitting that will let me use the airbrush with my bigger compressor ?

Thanks

Edited January 24, 2009 by noname

[LoneWolf15]

Matt ,

You can easily hook your airbrush to the larger compressor. You need three more things to do so . First , you need a regulator , second , you need an inline filter to trap oil and moisture , third, a fitting that attaches to your airbrush hose on one end and steps up to 3/8 pipe on the other.

The art store that I gave you the email address for will have the airbrush hose fitting if it did'nt come in your kit . Your local auto parts store should sell the regulator and the inline filter , along with the needed fittings to put it all together.

I know that Paaache sells a regulator for that small compressor or you can go the same route with the auto parts products as you would for the larger one . I prefer a larger compressor with a tank myself . The little one 's buzzing while it was running used to drive me batso after awhile !

The Old Man

[noname]

Thanks again Lonewolf for your help. I"ll look into this. I havn't really given it a good try yet, maybe the little compressor is adequate the way it is.

Edited January 24, 2009 by noname