The first sprayer is a basic airbrush in a kit with everything you need to start spraying, except for a compressor or Propel canned gas. It is great for small projects and turnings, especially when using waterborne finishes like General’s Wood Turners Finish. The kit contains a basic airbrush with a 3/4 oz. jar, 5′ air hose, 1/4″ coupler and a Propel regulator for using canned gas.
- Uses almost any small compressor with 1/4″ fittings or Propel canned gas
- Operates at 15 PSI to 50 PSI
- Easy to set up and adjust
- Great for finishing small projects
Woodcraft’s Product Development Manager, Kent Harpool used the basic airbrush kit to refinish this Crosley antique radio cabinet by painting it white. He then distressed it by removing some of the white to create a “shabby chic” effect.
The second sprayer, “Made in the USA” by Badger, is the 350 single action airbrush kit, which is an excellent choice for beginners and seasoned pros alike, because it can be used for everything from base coating to stenciling, stippling and even automotive detailing. The key to this versatility is needle size. Although the 350 comes with a medium needle (1/4″ to 2″), fine needles (1/8″ to 2″), heavy needles (1/2″ to 3″) and medium needles are all sold separately. This gives you the ability to spray a wider variety of projects with a broader range of finishes and paints. The 350 kit includes the basic gun with medium needle, 4′ braided air hose with built in 1/4″ coupler for attaching to compressor and two 3/4 oz. jars with one siphon tube cap and one storage cap.
- Uses any small compressor with 1/4″ fittings
- Operating range: 20 PSI to 40 PSI
- Easy to set up and use
- Accessory needles increase versatility
The third new sprayer is the Badger 250XL is just a large capacity, single action, siphon feed airbrush. We found airbrushes so simple to set up and operate that we searched for one with a larger capacity, so we could spray bigger projects. Enter the 250XL featuring a larger airbrush for better grip with a 4 oz. capacity jar underneath. Like all airbrushes of this type, compressed air moving over a tube structure pulls finish from a container underneath which then mixes with the air where a lot stays but some bounces off (overspray). For a project involving pigmented shellac, the setup was quick, the resulting finish was great, and cleanup was easy since no finish passed through the airbrush. For cleanup, just run a little solvent through the brush till it sprays clear and clean out the jar. Kit includes the 250XL airbrush, 6′ braided air hose with 1/4″ coupler for attachment to compressor or 1/4″ pneumatic hose and two 4 oz. jars with one siphon tube cap and one storage cap.
- Uses any small compressor with 1/4″ fittings
- Operating range 15 PSI to 50 PSI
- Easy to set up and use
In this video, Kent demonstrates these new sprayers at our Woodcraft Magazine Woodshop.
These units may be small, but they are great for small to medium type projects, and get the job done fast, leaving a professional finish.
