Troubleshooting a Badger Airbrush

Cleaning

An airbrush is a machine that uses air and paint to spray paint out a nozzle. There are a few parts involved in the mechanism that can cause issues. The main problem that arises from airbrushes is caused by a lack of cleaning. If, after use, an airbrush is not cleaned properly, the paint inside might dry and clog any number of components. This will keep the paint from coming out. Most issues can be eliminated completely if proper cleaning is done. Load the sprayer with paint thinner for a quick clean if the airbrush is used daily. Just spray the thinner out as if it were paint. Do it twice. If on the second cleaning the thinner comes out clean, then no more cleaning is needed. It is important to remember to check the manual to see what kind of thinner can be used with your Badger brush. On occasion the brush will need to be taken apart and cleaned completely. Do not use thinner on seals.

Paint

If the airbrush is new and there are still problems with the paint coming out, it cannot be a dried-paint issue. More than likely the paint is not being thinned to the proper consistency before use. Clean the brush to remove any possible clogs from paint that is too thick and try again, being careful to thin the paint properly. The trigger on a Badger can be a bit tight. If this seems to be the case, loosen the spring retaining nut a small amount. This will create a little more play in the trigger.

Air

If the brush is cleaned with no clogs and the paint is the right consistency, the next thing to check is the air supply. Empty the airbrush of paint and run the brush. If air isn't coming out, the air supply is the problem. Unattach the air hose from the airbrush and turn on the air supply. If you feel the air coming out of the hose, then the issue is in the brush itself. If you don't feel air, check to make sure the air supply is working properly and that there are no splits in the air hose. Also check for air leaks around connections. If the problem is in the brush, the air valve may need replacing or there may be paint in the air valve. If the valve can be taken apart, do so and clean it. In the Badger 100 and 200 there is a Teflon washer that can get worn. It will cause a pulse in the air flow. The only fix is to have the washer replaced. The issue can be prolonged by loosening the the head while it is stored.