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Tools & Supplies: Airbrushes
Talk about airbrushes.
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Bottom-feed to Gravity-feed?
Buckeye198
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Ohio, United States
Member Since: May 02, 2010
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Posted: Friday, August 13, 2010 - 07:31 PM UTC
I have a Badger 200NH single-action bottom-feed airbrush. It is a great tool but sometimes I feel like a color cup would be easier. Is there such a thing as a converter to get a bottom-feed airbrush to behave like a gravity-feed? Maybe just a little U-shaped pipe or something?
panzerbob01
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 12:59 PM UTC
Buckeye;

Just a punt here- no expert on hardly anything, let alone airbrushes and conversions thereof...

First- looking at my Iwata HP-CS (grav cup)... and my old Paasche 200 (bottom-feeder with bottles or a little metal side-cup- both on tube underneath the needle...)-

It is obvious that these beasts differ substantially in the paint-at-needle area. Now, the Iwata is a double-action (controls both paint supply and air supply by the thumb-button on top), whereas the Paasche button only varies air- you set the paint by twisting in or out the cone over the needle.

So- the basic story is... if your AB is like that Paasche of mine, you can get a side cup, which will still feed your AB just as a bottom bottle does- up a suction pipe- but it will always be mechanically-limited to being an air-only control AB, and will, in fact, operate exactly as it does with a bottle. But- you CAN get that small-cup / small volumn control on the paint.

You cannot, best of my guess, do anything other than buy another, top-feed gravity-feed double-action brush, if what you really want is that DA control feature. There may also be DA bottom-feed brushes out there (someone on this site will surely know- I have never looked for one, so...).

But, word to experience, here, I have used my very old Paasche (40+) with its small side-cup and it does just fine at most things!

Cheers!

Bob Paint On!
Buckeye198
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Ohio, United States
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Posted: Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 01:04 PM UTC
That answered my question perfectly! I don't feel ready for a double-action yet, but there have been many times when I've wanted just a little bit of paint to spray. I've been using old Testors glass paint jars to hold my paint and they are a PAIN to clean out all the time! I will have to get myself a side cup--thank you very much!
old-dragon
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Posted: Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 05:42 PM UTC
Rob...nice avartar! Stiffle eddith.......
Anyway, here's what you'd be wanting;
badger side cup for siphon feed 150/200
I have a badger crescendo 175T, now while it's a double action, it has the same side cups that you'd want...mine has the straight cup as shown above and the angled tube version{better one imho}...send an email to badger and ask what the interchange is for your AB for those side cups is. Oh, as best as I can figure it out, the straight tubed version is for horizonal shooting while the angled tube is for downward shooting. Mine came with the bottom jar setup too, so I know those side cups will work for you as well. Hope this helps!
Buckeye198
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Ohio, United States
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Posted: Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 06:37 PM UTC
That helps very much--you are no dingbat!
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