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Hello! I recently bought a Badger 350 as my first foray into airbrushing. I'm having a hell of a time getting started, as it seems I can only spray for about 3 seconds before it gets clogged.

I've attempted to thin the paint with water (I'm using citadel) and even when its almost ink consistency it still clogs just as quickly. Another note is that I've been using canned air.

Is it the fact that I'm using a cheap airbrush that is causing the clog or am I just doing something wrong?

Suggest you check your airbrush nozzle and tip, and give them a good clean. Using cans will give inconsistent pressure, so your spray pattern and coverage will be affected. Unless the pressure is drastically low, it shouldn't contribute to 'clogging'.

Yeah, I've cleaned it fairly well...taken it apart and everything. Whenever I hook it back up it just seems to clog almost immediately. Do you notice that you can pretty much paint as long as you need to without clogs? Or is clogging just an inevitability with airbrushing?

Clogging is inevitable, even with what is arguably the best airbrush paint on the market (Vallejo Model Air). After a thorough breakdown and clean, I can usually airbrush for about 15 mins without significant clogging. I can extend that for up to an hour by flushing after every colour change until the cleaner fluid runs clear.

Clogging is, generally, related to poor maintenance of the airbrush, or to poor dilution of paint. You've already mentioned that you've cleaned your airbrush thoroughly, and paint is diluted to ink consistency ...

I suppose the only thing left that comes to mind is perhaps avoid mixing paint in your airbrush cup. Mix is in a receptable, than strain it through some pantyhose. You might not be mixing the paint up thoroughly enough, and it's still lumpy - which would contribute to the clogging.

What kind of paint are you passing through your airbrush? Thicker paints like Vallejo Foundation and Citadel paints will need much more dilution, and often, there are hard lumps of undissolved paint in the the solution.

Clogging always happens, it is the degree to which it happens and what you need to do to handle it which is important.

At low pressure, low flow paint which is thinned to a normal consistency, I would expect frequent build up and clogs within 10 seconds or so. However, max paint flow into paper or into a cup will usually blast it out. I don't consider that a clog.

Rest periods, your thinner, your mix and your pressure will all come into it. How you keep your brush is also important, ammonia free windex through your brush on colour changes or between top ups, good regular cleaning (ideally with an ultrasonic cleaner) and needle juice of some kind will all help you keep painting until you have to deal with tip dry or a clog.

I'd be using a car tyre before canned air.

Clogging is not all that inevitable.

If you are talking about getting a bit of "tip dry" yes that happens and will happen during painting sessions, you can make it less frequent by using needle lube of some sort and drying retarder/flow aids in your paints. PSI and paint consistency play a role as well It should not be happening every 15 seconds though.

Here is a link to Don's Airbrush Tips, He is kinda the man and breaks things down very well.

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/troubleshooting


Also a sonic cleaner is not the be all end all of airbrush cleaning (yes I own one too). Get some q-tips, pipe cleaners (I also have some mini bore brushes) and get to work. I use Vallejo airbrush cleaner watered down 1:1 with water and for really tough stuff I use Isopropyl alcohol.

Good luck and I hope that helps.

Oh and here is Don's breakdown / review of the 350. It should help you out a bunch.

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/badger-350

I think you may be having compressor/air supply issues as opposed to thinning or other issues.

There really isn't much to clog up provided you have enough air to properly move the paint. The 350, while it can be used to do some pretty fine work is really happiest when you crank it up to 11 and go to town with it. I normally do not thin the paints much at all for use in mine (much thicker than VMA but thinner than something like the old Foundation paints).

For normal painting - I start at 30 PSI and probably hit 45 PSI for some paints. You need to have the CFM to back that up though - and many hobby/airbrush compressors are lacking in that regard. If the pressure drops too far and the general volume isn't available to move the paint, then the paint will dry at the nozzle.

I routinely spray undiluted craft paint, diluted latex house paints, even some of the textured stuff through mine and I can probably count the number of clogs I have had in the past year on one hand. Check your compressor - and see if it is able to provide the pressure and maintain it during use (many have a peak pressure that drops down a lot as soon as you open the air feed on your brush).