what airbrush is this?

[Pep]

hey guys

Just wondering if anyone knows what airbrush this one is based one (copy of or knock off)

I’m asking because its the only airbrush that i can actually apply future with, buts its very

cheaply built and i was looking to find the original.

Thanks

harbor freight

[MoFo]

Looks like a Badger Anthem, with the old-style 150 top screw-set. (have badger dropped the screw? - it's not in the pics on their website)

[Cyrus Tan]

Just wondering if anyone knows what airbrush this one is based one (copy of or knock off)

I’m asking because its the only airbrush that i can actually apply future with, buts its very

cheaply built and i was looking to find the original.

Thanks

Mofo's right.

I picked this one up by chance when I went into the store for tools a couple of years ago. I was actually hand tuning it last night. I polished the needle, lubed the threading and adjusted the packing screw (it was leaking into the airvalve). It works fine now and I also use it to spray primer. FWIW, a replacement needle for a Badger 155 doesn't fit (diameter is bigger). The trigger tolerances are loose so I understand what you mean. I was thinking of swopping it for the Badger trigger and to see if it works better.

[Don Wheeler]

It looks like it's a Fengda BD-800. The rear portion resembles a 155, but based on the parts diagram, the head assembly is more like a 150, and the trigger assembly and air valve look like they're copied from Iwata. I'm sure either a Badger 150 or 155 could replace it.

Don

[Pep]

Looks like it's the same as Fengda and both are copies of the 155. Il start stalking eBay for a good deal for now I just agent ahead and bought an other one. can't bead $15 bucks

Thanks for the feed back guys.

[Fustercluck]

Its the Harbor Freight airbrush. Its a good brush and its $20.

[Kei Lau]

hey guys

Just wondering if anyone knows what airbrush this one is based one (copy of or knock off)

I’m asking because its the only airbrush that i can actually apply future with, buts its very

cheaply built and i was looking to find the original.

Thanks

harbor freight

Nobody would know since Harbor Freight does not disclose their supplier and they do change supplier (and the product) without changing model number or manual.

The early model seemed to be the Fengda BD-800 and an very good buy for the money.

[Adam Baker]

Ive seen those airbrushes before, but not knowing anything about htem, Ive steered clear of 'em.

One of the things Ive really thought about getting, is this set

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/pai...lder-95923.html

Im wanting to learn to do custom automotive airbrushing, and Im thinking having a set like that, that would allow to have multiple colors available at once would be very helpful, but again, not knowing the quality, I was a little leery of getting it.

[denstore]

Ive seen those airbrushes before, but not knowing anything about htem, Ive steered clear of 'em.

One of the things Ive really thought about getting, is this set

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/pai...lder-95923.html

Im wanting to learn to do custom automotive airbrushing, and Im thinking having a set like that, that would allow to have multiple colors available at once would be very helpful, but again, not knowing the quality, I was a little leery of getting it.

I don't think that such a set will make it any easier for you in learning custom automotive airbrushing. Most famous airbrushers in that field mix and paint one colour at the time anyway.

Multiple airbrushes seem to be the way to go for airbrushers that need to perform in short time, like T-shirt artists and such. And I really wouldn't like to clean 5-6 airbrushes after a short session of painting....

[Jinxter13]

Some good deals to be had at Harbor Freight I picked up a basic single action external mix and use it just for Future and blanket jobs...Single action Cheapie

[terryt]

Ive seen those airbrushes before, but not knowing anything about htem, Ive steered clear of 'em.

One of the things Ive really thought about getting, is this set

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/pai...lder-95923.html

Im wanting to learn to do custom automotive airbrushing, and Im thinking having a set like that, that would allow to have multiple colors available at once would be very helpful, but again, not knowing the quality, I was a little leery of getting it.

The airbrushes are the same as the one listed in the first post. I have three of single Harbor Freight airbrushes, they are a knock off of the Badger 150, however, the parts aren't interchangeable with the Badger.

You can get three different nozzle/needle/tips for both airbrushes from the online Harbor Freight website.

The airbrushes perform like the 150 and at around $15.00 they are a bargain.

Edited August 31, 2010 by terryt

[Pirate of the East]

Question to all, I just got the Harbor Freight AB with the compressor and have been messing around this afternoon on a test model. OMG have I seen the light!!!! What a difference between spray cans and the AB for how a finish looks and ease of application.

The manual with the AB is seriously lacking. Smallest spray it says it will do is 1/4 inch. I have read that if you remove the first part of the noozle and expose just the needle you can do very fine lines. True or not?

Secondly.....the needle twisting screw at the rear, what does it control if you tighten or loosen it?

Thirdly......what pressure should I spray at to not get over-spray when trying to fine detail camo lines?

Lastly.....If I cant get a fine line with this AB, any recommendations for a fine detail brush?

Sorry for so many questions, and thanks in advance for all the help, this board is awesome!

[Cyrus Tan]

I have read that if you remove the first part of the noozle and expose just the needle you can do very fine lines. True or not?

True with the exception of the H&S Evo because the needle cap is also the nozzle cap.

Secondly.....the needle twisting screw at the rear, what does it control if you tighten or loosen it?

If you are referring to the part that you can see thru the cut away handle then its to keep the needle seated against the nozzle. You want to keep this tight. Btw, it's commonly called a "needle chucking nut".

Thirdly......what pressure should I spray at to not get over-spray when trying to fine detail camo lines?

Generally, about 15 psi for a bottom feed brush otherwise your paint won't atomize very well. It also depends on how you thin your paint. I normal start 50/50 and adjust as needed.

Lastly.....If I cant get a fine line with this AB, any recommendations for a fine detail brush?

Yes you can, but it would be easier if you had a 0.30mm tip or smaller. That AB comes with a 0.35mm tip. It's more for wide spray patterns. As for recommendations for a detail brush - what's your budget? That would help. Most name brands are about $100 OR you can always get cheap knock off from Evilbay. They actually work pretty good for the price.

Edit: It comes with a 0.35mm tip per Don's review.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Cyrus Tan

[Pirate of the East]

True with the exception of the H&S Evo because the needle cap is also the nozzle cap.

If you are referring to the part that you can see thru the cut away handle then its to keep the needle seated against the nozzle. You want to keep this tight. Btw, it's commonly called a "needle chucking nut".

Generally, about 15 psi for a bottom feed brush otherwise your paint won't atomize very well. It also depends on how you thin your paint. I normal start 50/50 and adjust as needed.

Yes you can, but it would be easier if you had a 0.30mm tip or smaller. That AB comes with a 0.50mm tip. It's more for wide spray patterns. As for recommendations for a detail brush - what's your budget? That would help. Most name brands are about $100 OR you can always get cheap knock off from Evilbay. They actually work pretty good for the price.

Thanks Cyrus, can you get smaller needles/tips? From the reading in this thread it sounds like a Badger 150 is similar. Is that all I need to change and i can get the very fine line?

As for budget $100 or less, of course I would like a knock off in this economy, but quality comes in to the mix sooner or later so it lasts for a while.

[Cyrus Tan]

Thanks Cyrus, can you get smaller needles/tips? From the reading in this thread it sounds like a Badger 150 is similar. Is that all I need to change and i can get the very fine line?

As for budget $100 or less, of course I would like a knock off in this economy, but quality comes in to the mix sooner or later so it lasts for a while.

No problem. Per Don's review - the brush comes with a 0.35mm tip which means you can do finer lines than I previously thought so yes... a Badger 150 is the closest match. Personally, I would suggest a gravity feed brush for fine lines because a bottom feed brush is really for general purpose. I have never seen one that can spray finer lines than a gravity feed. If you take a look at some of the top end brushes you'll notice that they're all gravity feed. HTH?

[terryt]

Be careful the parts from a Badger will not fit the Harbor Freight airbrush. Even though they look similar the threads are different.

Harbor Freight used to sell three different tips/needle/air cap sizes, they were .20mm .30mm and .50mm for their six airbrush combo pack. The parts fit the Harbor Freight Deluxe airbrush, however, the needle is shorter and without the ball at the end.

[Kei Lau]

No problem. Per Don's review - the brush comes with a 0.35mm tip which means you can do finer lines than I previously thought so yes... a Badger 150 is the closest match. Personally, I would suggest a gravity feed brush for fine lines because a bottom feed brush is really for general purpose. I have never seen one that can spray finer lines than a gravity feed. If you take a look at some of the top end brushes you'll notice that they're all gravity feed. HTH?

I am not surprised that the HF airbrush is capable of quite fine lines. When you look at Don Wheeler's page of the HF AB, he showed the HF needle next to a Master G-22 and a standard Badger 155 needle. In addition to the nozzle size, the shape of the needle tip is one of the most important factor in painting fine line. The long slander taper of the HF and G22 needle makes it much easier for less skillful user to accomplish a finer line. They are similar to the Iwata and H&S needle, but do not have as long a taper of the Iwata.

On the Badger lines, the SOTAR 20/20 and the higher end model of Renegade also have the long taper needle. Badger calls the needle tip taper angle "linear airflow angle". The smaller the angle the better.

A thicker needle with a double cone tip like the 155 Anthem needle releases paint very fast and is good for painting larger area or thicker paint. The user can still paint fine line with it, but it just takes a little more skill with the steady figure.

See this page for a good demonstration of using the "knock-off" to paint very fine line. Yes, it is a 0.2 mm nozzle.

The ability to do fine line is not a top priority in selecting an airbrush for modeling. How the airbrush balance feels in your hand. How convenient is it to clean. How robust are the nozzle and needle parts. Those are more important consideration.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Kei Lau

[denstore]

See this page for a good demonstration of using the "knock-off" to paint very fine line. Yes, it is a 0.2 mm nozzle.

The ability to do fine line is not a top priority in selecting an airbrush for modeling. How the airbrush balance feels in your hand. How convenient is it to clean. How robust are the nozzle and needle parts. Those are more important consideration.

[/size]

That test might be a bit misleading, since the original airbrush, that the "770" has copied is a Custom Micron C+, not a HP-C+ as the author believes. I've owned a few of these copies, and some of them perform very good. The parts follow the original design quite close, even if the tolerances are miles away from the original. And the detoriation of the needle and nozzle was a lot faster than on original parts.

[Kei Lau]

That test might be a bit misleading, since the original airbrush, that the "770" has copied is a Custom Micron C+, not a HP-C+ as the author believes. I've owned a few of these copies, and some of them perform very good. The parts follow the original design quite close, even if the tolerances are miles away from the original. And the detoriation of the needle and nozzle was a lot faster than on original parts.

You describe this knock-off very well: "copy design closely, tolerances miles away". The better ones are probably the Fengda BD-203. I have a copy with the PowerCat brand that I got for under $50. I have to say that it works surprisingly well. It just does not have the balance and smooth trigger action of the Iwata and H&S.

I believe that it is the same as the Airbrush Depot Master G44 which got some good press at the Airbrushtech forum.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Kei Lau

[denstore]

You describe this knock-off very well: "copy design closely, tolerances miles away". The better ones are probably the Fengda BD-203. I have a copy with the PowerCat brand that I got for under $50. I have to say that it works surprisingly well. It just does not have the balance and smooth trigger action of the Iwata and H&S.

I believe that it is the same as the Airbrush Depot Master G44 which got some good press at the Airbrushtech forum.

I would say that the G44 is the same as the BD-180, since they both have the newer, and easier to clean, cup style.

The thing about these are that they might be good for what you pay, but in my opinion they are oceans away from the originals. The Microns are all about feel and predictable performance. The Fengda clones are feeling a bit cheap, and even if they perform OK, they arn't consistant in the same way as the original. A lot cheaper, though, and probably quite good value.

[Pep]

Wow this thread got interesting:)

Don: when did you do the review? I had not seen that before. It's very helpful thank!

Edited September 6, 2010 by Pep

[Don Wheeler]

Wow this thread got interesting:)

Don: when did you do the review? I had not seen that before. It's berry helpful thank!

I just did the review last week. I'm glad to hear it was helpful.

Thanks,

Don

[mightymax]

Hi Guys,

I have a couple of HF Airbrushes. The one pictured is one they sell now. I have another I picked up 8 or so years ago that is different but to me appears to be the same ones included in the 6 airbrush set.

The one pictured at the beginning of Preps question always perplexed me. It cannot be a Badger clone as a Badger airhose will not fit. However an Iwata airhose does. I always therefore believed it to be an Iawata clone.

The second one I have (the older one) I believed to be a Badger copy. My Badger hose threads right on.

Max Bryant

Edited September 13, 2010 by mightymax

[Don Wheeler]

Hi Guys,

I have a couple of HF Airbrushes. The one pictured is one they sell now. I have another I picked up 8 or so years ago that is different but to me appears to be the same ones included in the 6 airbrush set.

The one pictured at the beginning of Preps question always perplexed me. It cannot be a Badger clone as a Badger airhose will not fit. However an Iwata airhose does. I always therefore believed it to be an Iawata clone.

The second one I have (the older one) I believed to be a Badger copy. My Badger hose threads right on.

Max Bryant

That's really interesting about the hose threads. I suspect the manufacturer decided that there was a wider market for a brush with the more standard 1/8 inch connection. Also, they do make copies of Iwatas, and it would have made production more efficient if all their models shared the same size.

Don

[Pep]

What's interating and smart to (IMO) is that they include the connector so you can cut of you old paashe or badger hose and turn it into an iwata standard one.