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I just bought a new Pasche small, 1-cylinder compressor to replace my 40 year-old Badger diaphragm compressor. It has a reservoir which is something that I wanted, and a pressure regulator/filter/water trap unit. First of all, the instructions (or lack thereof) didn't mention that you have to lift the adjustment knob on the regulator to release it for adjustment. I almost wrecked it trying to force it. Second, when I did figure that out, the adjustment nut was so tight in the zero-pressure position that I needed a Channellock pliers to release it.

Then  something wasn't working right. When I adjusted the regulator to, let's say, 20psi, the air was bleeding out of the gauge body (or it seemed like that's where it was coming from) that the compressor never was able to fill the reservoir and shut off as it should. I know the pressure switch is okay because it did shut off when the regulator was set to zero pressure. It would run, quietly, and you could hear it loading up and then it would shut off. As I raised the pressure to 40, it bled even more. It appears that the gauge itself has an air leak inside. 

Does anyone have familiarity with these Chinese regulators? How are they supposed to work? I'm taking it back to my LHS where I bought it on Friday and see what's going on. They have another regulator in stock so if the reg is defective we'll be able to switch it out. It is about 2/3 quieter than that old Badger unit.

Pasche Air Brush Compressor

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  • Pasche Air Brush Compressor
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The compressor problem has been solved. Took it back to Scale Reproductions, Inc. here in Louisville, and we put a new regulator on it and problem was solved. The gauge on the original regulator was defective. It was on very tight (couldn't remove it) so we suspect that it may have been over-torqued which could have broken the inner mechanism. This is a good reason to NOT buy on-line. I would have had to send the entire unit back and wait more days for the fixed unit.

The Asian gauges are pretty awful. Especially over time they will not likely stay accurate. Pnumatic supplies at Grainger or Parker Stores or a good paint supply outlet are usually keepers. Gramps made gauges and pretty much only bought Dwyer. I have had the same set since I was 17. You might even want to run two regulators if you're running under 10psi. A lower pressure version should add adjustment. I run a paper filter just before a sprayer too. Some regulators impede flow much more than others. Watch for flow numbers as well in specs.

Several years ago, I bought a small 3-gallon Husky air compressor at Home Depot for general use (with airbrushing in mind, amongst other things of course ).  With the regulator (std.) and a moisture trap (extra), it does a pretty good job for me.  And the price was pretty decent at that time.  I think pricing still is pretty decent.

 

My dad was the head of plating and finishing at US Gauge for 29 years, so I literally grew up with bourdon tube technology in my genes. I then spent 5 years as the head of technical training at Fischer and Porter, a very fine industrial instrument maker and also used various forms of sealed tubes to measure stuff including pressure and temperature. And they didn't leak!

The compressor is working as it should and cuts off when the reservoir reaches operating pressure. I am getting air leakage from somewhere since it cycles on more frequently than I would expect with no airbrushes running. I have three guns tied to the unit. I may go back to a single gun and see if the leakage persists. I don't hear any air escaping.

Today, I sanded the first coat of spackle and removed all the brick holding down the last piece of street. I needed to add some CA to a couple of edges, but the road seems well adhered. We're see how long it lasts. Tomorrow I'll sand it again, and probably have to put on a skin coat. Then I'll mix up some gray to match and re-touch the paint and I'll be ready to put the Nighthawks in its final location. The street's already getting a bit beat up and has a lot of brick debris that needs to be vacuumed up. I'll do that when I vacuum the spackle dust. The color almost matches perfectly, and you really won't be able to tell that it's a completely new road surface. I've spent a lot of labor on these streets and I'm not sure the result is worth the effort. If I ever did this again, I would find another way.

P&PRR Street Repair 3

One of these days, I'm going to install a highway bridge across the ravine in the back and connect the two sides of the railroad. That bridge would have to be easily removable, and should be since it won't be supporting working track and power. I have to come up in that opening to get to that ravine part of the layout which is unreachable otherwise.

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Grainger and Parker Stores, Ingersall & Rand, Cambell & Hausfeld, and others... It's sort of "universal" in nature. A pressure is reached that triggers a break in electrical contactact points. Below that pressure, the points are closed , electrical flows, motor runs.  Some use a pair of contacts, some use more. A single pair will work fine on 120v. The others are used more for 220v,320v,440v, 3phase, etc.

Buy to match pressure and volt/amp max. draw of motor. (& Plumbing fitting size or pipe adapter fitting needed) 

  You could likely also order one from the service counter at a Menards, H.Depot, Lowe's, or any automotive painter supply house, pnumatic tool shop, welding supply, etc.

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