# problem with my Badger 175



## EnzoF660 (Oct 6, 2010)

Hey all, (brace yourselves, this is a long one) I recently purchased a Badger Crescendo 175 airbrush (some of you who roam the military forums may already know). I'm having a problem getting it to actually work, though lol 

Let me get to details:

I know the brush pretty well inside and out. I messed around with it a little to get to know it. I switched out the different tips to see how it worked and I also switched out the respective needles to go with them (which the manual actually doesn't even mention having to do, but I took notice to myself). Everything that can be has been loosened and hand tightened several times over. I know the hose to the compressor is attached properly and I was running the air regulator at a max of about 35 psi through the brush.

My problem is that the brush just wasn't bringing the paint up into it. I tried both the mixing jar adaptor and the color cup and neither one is working to suck the paint into the brush for spraying. The air is flowing through the brush just fine, just that the color isn't coming into it when I pull the trigger. I noticed that when I attach them and hit the trigger to let the paint in, it just seemed to bubble a little as if the air was huffing and puffing, but just couldn't carry the paint up.

I thinned the paint out several times throughout my attempt. I did so significantly more than I would think is necessary (but what do I know? I'm new to airbrushing and thinning paints) but I was just trying to make it thin enough to get into the brush, but it wasn't cutting it. I'm using Testor's Model Master acrylics if that helps.

I've exchanged some emails with support for badger and after all is said and done he's telling me to send it in to them to check it out. I figured I'd come on here first though, to see if anyone might have any ideas before I wrap up my brand new, out of the box airbrush for shipping so Badger can look at it themselves.

So does anyone have any ideas or suggestions to help it work? As I said, I'm pretty sure the paint was thin enough by the end of it all because it was spurting out of the open color cup when it would start to bubble hard, so I'm assuming it's some kind of airflow problem with the brush, but I don't want to jump to conclusions.

The support guy at first told me to match the tips with their regulators and make sure everything was properly tightened, etc. etc. blah blah blah  Now, I'm asking for real suggestions here and not some problem solving tips for the incompetent instruction follower if you know what I mean. I understand the basic operations of the brush and it's basic break down, so I could use more conducive answers than "Make sure ABC is tightened onto DEF..."

Thank you very very much to anyone who can help me get this thing to work (if possible) without having to send it in, and that way I can start practicing my technique and move onto a new kit sooner rather than later.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

35 psi is wayyyyy high. You might back it down to under 20. I spray in the 8-15 range, under load. 

Does it spray water or thinner? Or just nothing at all except air. It sounds like its plugged up inside.

Is the vent hole on the jar lid open?

I have a 175 and the very similar 200... use them all the time. 

One thing to check too is to make sure the needle is tightened properly so that when you draw the trigger back to spray the paint, it slides back. if the needle is just loose it may not move and paint wont come out. 

Depending on the type of paint you are using, too, remember to thin it enough. I thin Tamiya paints, for example, up to 50/50.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

sounds to me as if there's something between the airflow and the paint supply. Try getting a pipe cleaner in there soaked in the thinner for the paint you used previously. 

They're like guns, they need a very thorough cleaning every so often. Good part is that if you neglect your airbrush, it won't blow up in your face.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I don't recommend pipe cleaners in airbrushes... the wire is sharp and stiff and can scratch up the inside. While it might not hurt something in the body or paint tube, its not a good habit to get into using pipe cleaners. They also can shed lint/fluff into the brush.


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## machgo (Feb 10, 2010)

If you have bubbling in the paint, my guess is air restriction from the point air enters the brush to the point it goes to the tip and out. With a working brush, covering the outlet (tip) will cause the paint to bubble in the cup or jar. That's the first thing I do when I'm done spraying a color before cleaning.

Soak the whole brush in Super Clean, or Simple Green or the equivalent, overnight. Disassembled would be better. Comes out like new. I do that with my brush, and it works wonders (it's not a Badger 175, but I doubt there's anything that would be hurt by Super Clean, Simple Green, etc. in your model...)


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

djnick66 said:


> I don't recommend pipe cleaners in airbrushes... the wire is sharp and stiff and can scratch up the inside. While it might not hurt something in the body or paint tube, its not a good habit to get into using pipe cleaners. They also can shed lint/fluff into the brush.


I do not agree.I have been using pipe cleaners for the last fifteen years. with no damage to either metal,and now plastic (AZTEK) airbrushes.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

to be diplomatic, I'm sure there may be some pipe cleaners that leave their little fibers behind and let the wire poke through. That may be true of the craft ones, the kind with the polyester fibers but I have the kind you buy at the cigar shop, they're cotton and the wire doesn't poke through.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

If the paint in the cup is bubbling than air is being forced back down the feed tube into the cup. That is indicative of something clogged in the nozzle area. If there is no major clogging then the brush should spray water with no problem as DJNick said. If it won't spray water something weird is going on, particularly with a new brush. I use gravity feed brushes now but it is hard to imagine the cup/tube for a suction feed actually being clogged itself, they are usually fairly large diameter. Clogging can also happen on the needle itself and during some painting I have to take a stiff brush dipped in paint cleaner and swipe the needle and nozzle tip. Acrylics dry on the needle tip rather frequently. And Nick's other suggestion to check that the needle is locked to the trigger also could be the culprit. If the needle is not being moved backward to open the nozzle that would explain it.

Bob K.


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## EnzoF660 (Oct 6, 2010)

Guys I appreciate the answers thus far, but like I said, I know how to put things together. The needle is in fine and retracts properly as it should with each pull of the trigger.

To answer Nick, the very small vent hole on the jar adaptor lid is open, I have no idea what it's purpose is for, though. Also, it doesn't spray anything at all. When I pull the trigger back, only air comes out and absolutely nothing else. As I said in my original post, the paint just isn't getting sucked into the tube. Just sits there and bubbles.

I will check out that water idea, though. I like it and it's a very low maintenance way to find the problem. I'll come back with here with my results, probably later tonight.


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

Vent Hole= air goes in,paint goes out.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Some things to check further or double check:

1) that the spray cone is not plugged up with paint

2) you have the proper needle/cone combo. I.e. not a fine cone and heavy duty needle

3) the plastic siphon tube for the jar adaptor, the adaptor itself and/or the color cup are not plugged

4) there is no dried paint between where the jar adaptor or color cup fits in the body, and the spray head.

5) the head assembly is attached tightly to the body.

6) and this is a tricky one... I do not know if your brush has a small nylon bushing in the body of the brush. My 200 does. It is a needle seal. If that gets out of alignment, wears out, etc. that can cause air to go into the rear of the brush so you don't suck any paint out of the jar. It is something you can't (easily?) replace yourself, but Badger will replace it for you. I do not know if this particular brush has the same fitting or not. but the Badger 200 (and 100 and 150) do.

7) I always clean my airbrush with lacquer thinner. Soak the tips and carefully wipe the needle off. I do not soak the body of the brush because there are some rubber or nylon parts inside. Usually paint build up in the body of the brush is not a problem... its in the jar/tube/cup or in the tip and on the needle. Lacquer thinner will remove any kind of dried paint.


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## EnzoF660 (Oct 6, 2010)

So as a brief update, I did the water test with my airbrush and once again, nothing came out. However, I did notice something...

When I pull the trigger to release the "paint" (water), you can see the water level pull up the tube in the jar adaptor and then it'll rush right back down and the water will bubble profusely without ever coming up out of the brush. So you could clearly see the water (or maybe it was just an air bubble, but regardless) get pushed back into the jar and subsequently bubble a lot. 

I took the thing apart completely today and I don't see any clogs anywhere. Everything appears to be fine. I'm gonna take it back tomorrow to where I bought it and exchange it (or give them a piece of my mind if they don't allow me to right off the bat). As far as I'm concerned, something in the brush is defective because if it's not pulling water in, there clearly must be a problem.


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## EnzoF660 (Oct 6, 2010)

And to Nick,

As I recall, when I just took it apart an hour ago, I don't remember seeing anything that looked like any kind of brush or brushing piece in the body of the brush. I literally took out the whole assembly, including the trigger and I could see the light through the opening in the end. Didn't notice anything else, though.


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