4
CLEANING OF YOUR AIRBRUSH
To clean the airbrush, take a clean color cup or jar
full of cleaner. Insert it into the airbrush, spray
some cleaner through the airbrush at broad and
small patterns. After removing color cup or jar, turn
brush upside down and press trigger. This will
remove any material still in the brush.
Another method of cleaning the airbrush is back
flushing. Take a soft cloth and cover the spray regu-
lator–depress and pull back on the trigger. This will
cause a bubbling in the color cup or jar. Take away
the cloth and spray and repeat this procedure sever-
al times. After this is done you should remove the
needle for cleaning.
Spray regulator should be cleaned using a soft
bristle brush. Insert into the cavity of the spray
regulator and rotate until the paint is removed.
If the needle is stuck in the airbrush, carefully
loosen the needle chuck, then grasp the end of the
needle with a pair of pliers and twist in a counter-
clockwise direction to release the needle. Inspect for
hardened paint, which causes the needle to bind. If
there is a residual stain on the needle, it can be
polished off using a pink eraser. Hold the needle flat
on a worktable. Rund the pink eraser the full length
of the needle, turn the needle slowly by rolling it
towards yourself and repeat the process. Be careful
not to bend the tip. Remove all eraser particles by
running the needle between your thumb and fore-
finger.
To replace a bent needle, set needle adjusting screw
all the way forward.
Loosen needle chuck and slide out needle.
Insert new needle. Slide it forward with slight
pressure from index finger until the needle stops.
Do not push forward with great pressure, as the
needle may split the delicate paint tip and also dam-
age the needle point. To lock the needle in place
tighten needle chuck into needle adjusting screw.
Turn needle adjusting screw to desired spray pat-
tern.
A bent needle will prevent you from airbrushing a
fine line and will cause an erratic direction of spray.
A bent tip does not always have to be discarded.
Place the needle on a firm surface at the angle of
the tip. Straighten the bent tip by running your fin-
gernail across it on the tabletop while you turn the
needle slowly. Run your fingernail from the body of
the needle outward towards the tip.
You can custom mix any color combination you
wish. REMEMBER: Paints must by compatible...that
is, mix enamels with enamels, lacquers, etc. Mix
thoroughly. Make sure paint is free of lumps...strain
if necessary. To help prevent your airbrush from
clogging, Badger offers a Fluid Filter (50-2018 sold
separately). The filter slides on and off the siphon
tube for quick and easy cleaning.
THINNING
Most jar paints are too heavy to spray. Enamels
should be thinned approximately 1 part paint to 1
pat thinner, and lacquers approximately 1 part paint
to 1 part thinner. TO thin automotive lacquers, con-
sult the spraying directions on the side of the paint
container.
WHEN USING LACQUER
Lacquer dries very quickly. For best results the
operation should be continuous, that is, air airbrush
should not be set down for more than a few
moments before resuming spray. Keep an extra
paint jar of thinner handy...remove lacquer jar,
attach jar of thinner and spray to clean out any lac-
quer that may dry in airbrush. Also refer to cleaning
instructions for additional information.
TO SPRAY
After mixing and thinning paint, fill paint jar about
2/3 full (or less). Attach jar of paint to airbrush, turn
air on and press trigger. Test your spray on old
newspaper or other material, make any necessary
spray adjustments, and get the “feel” of your air-
brush.
(Be sure that paint or fumes cannot reach
any flame. Also make sure that there is adequate
ventilation).
MANUFACTURERS NOTE
For larger jobs and prolonged spraying, a compressor or CO
2
tank is recommended. A 1/4˝ pipe thread fit-
ting (50-023 sold separately) is needed to adapt air-hose to air-supply. When using a “Bleeder Type” com-
pressor, a pipe thread fitting (50-0231 sold separately) must be used to prevent compressor from stalling
out or overheating when airbrush is not in use.
1.4˝ PIPE
ADAPTOR
NO. 72 OR
1/32˝ DRILL
