Paasche VJR Review
6/2013
Patrick Stack has loaned me another of his airbrushes to review. This time it's a Paasche VJR.
The VJR is basically the same as the Paasche V, which I have already reviewed, except that it has a small gravity fed cup instead of side feed. Patrick says it is excellent for detail work. It is the airbrush favored by Alberto Ponno, so I can well believe it. Older versions had a little thumb wheel in front of the trigger like the VL, which could be used to preset spray volume. This has been eliminated.
First Impression
It's a nicely finished airbrush with a delicate feel. It balances right at the trigger. Trigger action is smooth but firm. I lighten the tension on all of my airbrushes, and this one would be no different. It weighs just 55g. The cup is even smaller than the Badger 360. By my measure it holds about 1/32 of an ounce.
Parts Breakdown
Here is how it comes apart. There is a special wrench to tighten the head, but any 5/16 inch wrench will do.
I didn't remove the needle seal. It is Teflon and adjustable with a jeweler's screwdriver. Trigger tension is also adjustable. Be careful if you remove the air valve nut. It is very easy to cross thread because of flats on its sides.
Like the V, the VJR nozzles come in two sizes; fine 0.25mm and medium 0.66mm. Patrick sent both. Here they are compared to a Paasche VL #1 nozzle.
At top is the medium, then the fine, and at the bottom, the VL. They are held in place by compression between the head and the body and no seal is needed. There are no tiny threads to strip or break.
Here are the matching needles in the same order.
The medium needle has a double taper. The fine needle is a single taper and very fragile. It is shinier because Patrick has polished it. The shafts are 0.05 inches.
Paasche calls the spray regulator an endcap. It's the front piece of the head assembly, and must be installed for the brush to work. The endcaps and needles are marked with grooves, one for fine and two for medium. The nozzles are not marked.
The needle is recessed in the endcap where it can't be snagged. You could file the endcap back if you want more needle exposure.
Trying it out
Here are samples done with food coloring on paper towels.
I installed a lighter trigger spring to do the fine sample. I could have gotten closer and gone finer by filing the endcap back.
When I installed the fine needle, I noticed the needle seal drag was very stiff, so stiff I knew it would affect my results. So, I readjusted it so it felt right to me. When I put the medium needle back, it was sloppy loose. It turns out there is a slight difference in shaft diameter between the needles. I don't have a micrometer, but with my calipers it measures no more than 0.001 inches. That's not much, but needle seal drag is very touchy on any airbrush. I tweaked the adjustment for a compromise between the two. I hope that doesn't mess things up for Patrick.
Conclusion
If the small cup is not a problem for you, the Paasche VJR is a really nice detail airbrush. The short nose means you can get really close to your work, and it has a nice light feel. But, I think for most applications, you probably wouldn't want it as your only airbrush, just because of the cup size. Patrick says he uses it to touch up camouflage.
Once again, my sincere thanks to Patrick for the loan.