Sotar 20/20 owners please help....

[Flatlander54]

I recently got a Sotar 20/20 and am pretty much at a loss as to how to get good flow with it. I have done search after search and tried everything I have read to no avail. Tonight I tried the following with no luck...it will do base coats fine, but try to do detail with it...forget it. I tried all different psi setting in 5 psi increments, flow is erratic...either non existent, or all at once.
Model Master Enamel thinned (paint:thinner) 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, strained (when possible) and well mixed.
Acrylics thinned with various thinners and strained (water, windex, alcohol) in ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 at all differnt psi settings....forget it, either no flow or all at once. Ive tried to adjust the micrometer to get fine detail lines, didnt work. To get any paint to flow through it at all, it has to be thin as water, then it just blows all over the surface your trying to paint.
I got this Sotar brand new still sealed in plastic for $95.00 the tips on the needles are not bent, everything works smooth, the tips/needles are the medium size. What am I doing wrong??? Is it me or the airbrush? Should I send it in to be checked out? Any help is greatly appreciated before I go bonkers trying to get this thing to work!

[Stu Pidasso]

What air pressure are your spraying at?

[Flatlander54]

Ive experimented in 5 psi increments from 5-40 psi. Cant get reliable flow until I get to 20 psi, even with paint thinned to water consistentcy, then it just blows and runs all over the surface. The tip is clean, dissasemble the whole airbrush several times to make sure theres nothing blocking the flow internally. The needles are not bent, tried both needles with same results. Im out of ideas.

[Floyd Walker]

One thing you can try that will eliminate some of the variables is to shoot straight water tinted with a couple of drops of food coloring. Use some white paper as a target.
That'll save your paint and pretty much eliminate cleanup hassles.

As to the cause of the problem -
I don't know much about that particular AB, but it almost sounds like something isn't seated properly, or there's a burr somewhere it shouldn't be. Could be a bum AB from the factory.

Doing a little research, I found this link:
http://www.ventersaerospace.com/REVIEW%20BADGER.htm
The important part:

The air brush needs to be set up for use, as with other air brushes, so read the instructions VERY CAREFULLY. As a matter of fact, written instructions such as these are always tough to decipher, so we suggest reading the instructions enough times to get the picture in your mind of what needs to be done before you actually begin setting up the tool. Pay particularly close attention to how you seat the needle before tightening the set screw on the micrometer collar, Use just enough finger pressure to seat the needle fully into the paint tip, but be careful not to push it too far or you may spread the tip.

[Big Hank]

Have you checked to make sure the needle is moving tightly with the trigger? I know it sounds rudimentary, but the way you describe it it doesn't seem you get repeatable, consistent foul ups. makes me wonder if something is just loose. Shot in the dark really, I have an Iwata, not too familiar with the 20/20

[Flatlander54]

Yeah the needle chuck nut is tight, and theres no damage to the needles or the tip that would cause inconsistent flow. Before I put paint in it, just to get used to how it handled, I played around with several color cups full of water with food coloring in it and sprayed on paper towels. The results with the colored water on paper towel is awesome...fine lines that look like they were drawn with a super sharp pencil. But, put paint in it and you just simply cannot get it to flow consistenetly. Switch back to the colored water and it works flawless.
Seems I have a jim-dandy watercolor airbrush....only problem is watercolors just aint gonna cut it for scale modeling work.

[Airdave]

Two suggestions:

Contact Badger directly and explain your problem. They might be able to tell you if it is defective.

Contact Dave Monnig at Coast Airbrush. He is the airbrush guru and could probably elp.

Good luck!

[Wug]

Hi Flatlander54,

If it sprays water OK, either the paint isn't thinned properly or the tip size is too fine for the paint you're using. I'm not familiar with the Sotar. Many airbrushes have special tips for different types of paint. Is it possible your airbrush has a fine watercolor/ink tip?

Mike

[Flatlander54]

The tip/needle is the medium size. From what I understand there are small, medium, and large tip/needle combos available. Ive pretty much come to the conclusion the Sotar just isnt designed to do what Im trying to use it for.

[Kylwell]

If it's anything like a Thayer & Chandler you really have to use a fine screen to filter it and can't use most metalics (particle size is too large). With a gravity fed brush you should be running about 12psi with a properly thinned paint (and it needs to be pretty well thinned). This is also where using a proper thinner can make or break the spray. I used to have to thin my Tamiya very thin to get it through a T&C a/b, something like 4 parts thinner, one part paint.

Also, make sure the needle nut is in place. Double check that it's moving backwards when you pull back on the trigger.

[starmanmm]

Late to the party, but ....

I got my first 20/20 at WF from taking a figure painting class there. It seem to me to be for the purpose of certain detail work, but you may find that you need to change the tip from medium to fine to do fine work if that is what you are aiming for.

I too have found that with the medium tip, the spray pattern is too wide to paint something small like a button on a shirt of a kit.