Jetblast

As Pauls suggests, H&S - It's the Evolution Silverline M, with the rear handle changed to differentiate it slightly. It's a perfectly good airbrush.

The H&S 0.2mm will do as fine as most people require while offering reasonable coverage, but the bottom line is that if you want something that will do precise detail in 1/72nd & lay down primer / colour or clear coats on large 1/32nd kits you are going to have to compromise at one end of the spectrum, or get two nozzle sets / two airbrushes....... There isn't an airbrush on the market that uses PTFE throughout, so care is always going to have to be taken with regards to where/how strong thinners or cleaning agents are used. Durability between the two brands are dealt with in a different manner, Iwata's tend to use harder components (primarily nozzles & needle seals), which can last longer than those fitted to H&S, but they are generally more expensive & not as friendly to replace, conversely H&S's parts are slightly softer, but are cheaper & easier to replace - just different school's of though. The "main" components of either brand are both robust. Using a larger nozzle can overcome some of the problems associated with acrylics, but with a little bit of initial perseverance in getting everything dialled in & getting accustomed to the change, acrylics will happily perform well through an 0.2mm nozzle & even an 0.15mm. * Iwata's rely on a sealant being present on the nozzle cap threads to create an airtight seal & if the sealant has been washed away they will draw air. Beeswax, chapstick or non permanent liquid thread sealant will all do the job

All H&S Models has solvent resistant PTFE seal in the areas directly in the paint flow, from the Ultra right up to the Infinity CRplus. In common with virtually all airbrushes, seals not directly in the paint path (such as air valve or handle seals) are not solvent proof. The Evolution Silverline M does differ slightly in that synthetic rubber seals are used at the paint cup/bottle union, but this seal is present primarily to prevent air being drawn into the airbrush rather than to prevent paint leaking out. Iwata have the Eclipse HP-SBS or High Performance Plus HP-SB+ in side feed, the Eclipse is a quite a high flow brush though & possibly not ideal for smaller stuff. Most acrylic issues require quite a bit of perseverance with thinning, air pressure adjustments & will occasionally require some help from flow-aid, retarder or the likes. For my money the H&S 0.2mm set up will be fine for 1/72 & 1/48th work, but may take a little time to do a large 1/32 kit.

I would say that for the added advantage of the harder chrome finish & included lids that you would be better going for the Infinity CRplus 2in1 (126554), rather than the nickel plate Infinity 2in1 (126543).

Try using a mister or water filled empty cleaning spray bottle shortly before painting in the room / area that you are working in, it should help a bit in cutting down what's floating about. A large empty tupperware container or the likes placed over the model immediatley after painting should also help.

All's well that ends well! Keep an eye on oil consumption as it may be higher now than it was previously.

Yes, the motor is the large black lump in the centre with the silver band round it. Can't be certain due to the age, but the thermal protection switch is generaly under a plastic cover on the the outside rear of motor casing, which contains the start relay & the switch - the switch is usualy round in shape & held against the casing by a bit of sprung steel. The majority of thermal switches are of the slef resetting type, but again due to age, it may as the OP has suggested have a push in reset switch.

Unless the compressor was left running with the regulator open (?), it should only have charged the tank & then stopped running. If the regulator was open, or if there are any significant leaks it would continue to run until the thermal protection switch kicked in (or out rather) & stopped the motor, the thermal protection switch should then take somewhere in the region of 30 minutes to restore power to the motor & this process would continue until rectification or failure. It could be seized, but the compressor would have had to burn quite a bit of oil to reach this stage (or passed it into the receiver) - if the oil level did get low enough that the oil wasn't transferring heat from the piston to the sump & casing, the thermal protection switch may not be any the wiser as it relies on oil transferring heat to the sump/casing to operate.... Assuming that you have retried it to rule out thermal protection being temporarily active, I would check if the piston is seized - you will need to remove the outer square steel case (4 or 6 bolts along the bottom edge), remove the black motor cover retaining bank (bolt or hex socket at rear) & then check for motor rotation. The highest part inside the motor casing is the cylinder / piston / valve assembly & it will have a shaft protruding from the top - this should rotate by hand without much resistance. If the shaft doesn't rotate, you could try forcibly rotating it with a spanner or grips (it may / may not have flats) & see if you can free it - if you can, give it a few rotations manually, put some fresh oil in & see how you get on. It is possible that it may work satisfactorily, but if it does, you will most likely find that performance & fill times aren’t what they used to be & that it passes oil more readily……

It sounds like a split nozzle tip or failed nozzle seal (the tiny black o-ring on the nozzle thread).

+1 Same here, matt & clear as gloss drying times can be quite frustrating.

I'm a tightwad & use Ryanair from Prestwick on occasion, there is quite often something interesting kicking about or passing through - An-124's, funky C-130's, C-17's, "anonymous" aircraft & recently if my eyes didn't mistake me, Prada's pretty cool Gulfstream G450, I-XPRA. Edit:- Not to mention the C-47 sitting there right now! One of the most impressive take-off's that I've ever seen was a Cargolux 747 leaving Prestwick, I assume that it was empty / light as it was quite astounding & would have impressed me even if I had paid for an airshow ticket....

Apologies if this has previously been posted, but Whiskey 7, a WW2 vintage C-47 is making a return flight from New York to Normandy for the 70th D-Day anniversary & is currently at Prestwick; Whiskey 7's site Whiskey 7's Facebook page Tracking seems to be intermittent, but try (not active while on the ground); FR24 or Spot

I've seen several AS186's doing exactly the same thing, some of them even straight from the box. The ones that I have seen doing this didn't have any particular mechanical fault or failure present, it seemed to simply be a case of the motor being too closely specified to the requirements of the compressor - add some mechanical wear, a pressure switch that operates just over what's expected, a hot motor from extended use, so on & so forth & what you describe can happen. If this is what's going on, it usually starts with the compressor taking slightly longer to fill than normal, as it worsens the motor/pump will operate fine up to somewhere over 40psi & then continue to run while only increasing the tank pressure very slowly - it ultimately ends in the motor sluggishly running on without increasing pressure or stalling completely. I get the impression that the AS186 suffers from the same issue as many of the Chinese airbrushes - quality control. Just like the airbrushes, they can be a hit or a miss, some perform admirably for the price while others don't......

Air is getting into the paint path from the front or rear of the nozzle, if your confident that there isn't a split at the tip (even hairline?), have a good look at the white PTFE seal at the rear of the nozzle. If the seal has been over tightened & compressed, that could be the issue, or if there is a score in the seal running from the centre to the outside, that could cause the problem. I've seen a few H&S's that have had damage on the nozzle sealing face of the airbrush body (usually caused by over enthusiastic cleaning with stainless steel cored cleaning brushes), which causes a poor seal or can tear / score the nozzle seal, but this normally causes an issue with all nozzle / air-cap set's & not one in specific.

If the sealing faces all look good, it could be a damaged nozzle - turn it under bright & check that it isn't split at the tip.

The Omega is a Werther Sil-Air 15EC & rings are not supplied by Werther for their own or re-branded models. Are you positive that it’s the piston rings? Worn rings tend to occur only on units that have had an exceptional hard life, have been run repetitively with a low oil level, run with unsuitable oil, or have been run regularly until the thermal cut-out kicks in. A small amount of oil by-pass is quite normal, but it’s usually caught in the receiver & gets drained in due course with condensate. The usual causes of excessive oil by-pass are; Overfilling of oil, Running the compressor on an uneven / angled surface, Excessive condensate in the receiver, Blocked air filter. If you still have the manual for the compressor, it should state a receiver fill time from empty (dry tank, no condensate) until it starts bleeding – any noticeable deviation from this could indicate worn rings. Unfortunately the fill times in the current manual only quotes for automatic models with the current pump unit which is slightly newer that the one fitted to the Omega. If it does transpire to be the rings, I would suggest taking the pump to a refrigeration component supplier & see if they may be able to identify it & possibly supply rings (a cylinder may not be a bad bet if it’s available & not too spendy). Failing that new pumps are available, but they aren’t cheap & the location of the inlet / outlet pipes of the current pumps may require alteration or removal of your existing steel cover. Drop us a line if we can be of any assistance.

You could put some lead shot & PVA into the nose & then let it sit nose down while the PVA dried?

There should be some sort on non return valve arrangement between the valve plate & the finned head, it varies from one model to another, sometimes a metal disc with a rubber seal, or just a rubber disk - if there are no external leaks, air could be flowing back from the pressure side of the valve plate & into the cylinder. Some of these compressors are poorly corrosion protected inside & the non return valve can get s****** up with mouldy stinking crud - take the head off, remove the plate & check the valve. After a spending the last 10 hours dealing with a mouldy stinked up database, I think it's time to hit the scratcher............

It sounds like the drain valve at the bottom of the filter bowl is jammed in the up / open position - just pull it firmly down (pliers or the likes may be required to get a firm grip on it) to close.

You could try marking reference points along the curves & then use flexible PVC fine-line tape. What about these ?

RCAF 403 (Wolf) Squadron used the Tomahawk, Spitfire & P-51 - nice squadron badge as well. B24H 42-95080 "Super Wolf". Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf.

There are plenty of airbrushes out there, but you could try a pre-set handle on the Eclipse, there are two available - the IWA-1552 (lack's the standard handles cut-out though) or the IWA-K150 Triple Action Handle. Both of these will limit paint flow to a pre-set amount, but you'll need to keep distant from the subject consistent to get repeatable results.....

Most problems seem to be in the mixing - mix it thoroughly & then do it again.... I've also noticed in the past that it can harden around the neck of the jar & that small pieces fall into the jar while unscrewing the lid - temporarily decanting into a larger container will show these lumps up more easily for removal / filtering / mixing & wiping the neck of the jar & the top of the lid before storing it away seems to help prevent it.

A stand made from a wire coat hanger or fencing wire usually does the job for me, if you "make" two of them & put one up / one down you can just turn the whole affair upside down to do the underside.

The BA1100 is an automatic compressor & adjusting the pressure regulator alters the output pressure & has no effect on the operation of the motor / tank. Lifting the push lock & turning the knob anti clockwise until it stops should cut off air supply to the hose / brush - if it's not doing this, then something is wrong. I've seen a few of these regulators that have corroded quite badly inside - dependant on the situation with warranty a quick strip, check & clean may solve the problem.