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Hello, have a badger 100 airbrush.... I got it several years ago to paint duck decoys but never used it....Just picked up a compressor at a yard sale for $20...Just wondering what is the proper PSI to use... I was thinking 20 psi but did not want so much air that the paint dries in the air brush..have 3 size needles finel, med, and large.... and the three different heads..... thanks for any advice or tips...


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oh its the side feed model with the removable cups


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just found out 20 psi after I looked at the badger website...never saw it before....thanks

It depends what paint you want to use with your airbrush....

What PSI to use really depends on what you're planning to do for the model. For me, using low PSI are good for very fine details, or for splattering effects if you adjust it even lower. high PSIs are more for base-coating and for large surfaces. Try experimenting on a piece of paper or cardboard, that you give you an idea of how to manipulate your airbrush.

Ideal pressure also varies depending on the consistency of the paint you're trying to shoot, which ties into Einhander's point about purpose - for detail work at low PSI, you're going to be using a much thinner paint mix (and a finer needle/nozzle, in your case) than you would for basecoating, priming, or varnishing, where a larger needle/nozzle and higher pressure lets you shoot thicker paint in a wider pattern for fast coverage.

Pressure doesn't really affect the way the paint dries in the brush, though. That has more to do with your mix and, potentially, technique. Thinning with alcohol, for example, will cause paint to dry on/in the brush more readily than using water, thanks to it's higher evaporation rate. When using a double action, internal mix brush, stopping the airflow before you cut off the paint causes paint to build up and dry on the needle tip, since it doesn't have a chance to get blown clean. With an external mix brush, though, this isn't an issue.

There are so many variables with airbrushing, it's going to take some trial and error, even if you do you homework. I definitely recommend spraying test patterns on scrap for practice. Even spraying plain water, at first, will help you get a feel for how the brush behaves at various settings, which will give you a better frame of reference when you start messing around with paint dilutions.

A little bit of food dye mixed with water and a big sheet of plain white paper is a good way to get a feel for how your brush will work. Practice is the only true way to get to know what will and won't work with your own brush. Humidity and temperature will also affect drying times so what works in the UK will not work the same for a hotter US climate.

25-30 psi - priming/varnishing
18-20 psi - general purpose
10-15 psi - detail work (thin paint)

I'd go with what Rusty Robot says. 20psi - 30psi is where it works for me when I'm working with acrylics. Anything more and you may end up spraying the paint too hard onto the surface and "spidering" the paint. Just play around with the settings first and get a feel for how your compressor and airbrush works until you find the setting that best works for you.

OK guys got it....as for the Hotter climate thats not a issue since I live close to lake Erie.... Been around the 20's here... but thanks for the practice advice... I did spray water from it and your all right about the psi settings.... I played with it some looking forward to using this machine...thanks again..Ed