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9/2012
Badger sent me a sample of their new super fine conversion kit for the Patriot. Well, Actually it's for the whole Pro Production series of their airbrushes, which means it also fits the 155 Anthem, the Patriot Arrow, the 360, and the 3155 models. It even fits the single action 200NH. It won't, however, fit in a 175 Crescendo because of needle diameter. But, I think it will be mostly Patriot users who will want one.
Here is what is in the kit.
There is a needle, which looks a lot like a Sotar fine needle, except it is shorter. And, in the little container is a super fine tip and spray regulator. The kit part number is 41-044. This used to be the part number for the 175 medium spray regulator, but that part has been changed to 41-038. I suspect that may cause some confusion.
Here is what the parts look like. The needle comes to a very sharp point, and appears polished. On the right, the upper needle is the super fine, and below it is the standard fine Patriot needle.The part number for the needle alone is 51-046.
The tip is easy to recognize by the extra machining on the front end. Here it is on top next to a standard fine Patriot tip. I measured the opening as about 0.35mm.The part number for the tip alone is 41-002.
The spray regulator fully exposes the needle. Herman Robish, Badger's chief engineer says this was at the request of artists who need to pick off tip dry. I understand this is pretty standard practice when painting with acrylics.The part number for the spray regulator alone is 41-032.
It is not for the careless user though. As you can see, the needle is fully exposed.
There is a super fine spray regulator that fully guards the needle. Here it is on the right. It is part number 41-036.It does not come with the kit.
Trying it out
As you might expect, the super fine set produces a very narrow spray pattern. It will really do hair lines.I did the sample on the right with my Patriot and food coloring at 15psi.I'm sure a steadier hand could do better.
Here is a little sample I did with my 155 Anthem at 20psi.Availability
Right now, Ken says it is available on Amazon and also from Webairbrushes.com. The price he gave me for the kit is $15.80, and he says Webairbrushes will give a 33% discount with coupon code BADGER9128. I suspect Badger is doing some test marketing to determine demand before going into full production. I couldn't find the conversion kit on the Badger or webairbrushes site.
Conclusion
This seems to me like a logical extension of the Pro Production line. It now goes from the large 0.76mm tip with the double taper needle for wide coverage down to this one for really fine line work. Most modelers will never need this. The regular fine tip will do just about anything you need, and the super fine will require extra care with thinning and cleaning. But, for those who need it, or just want it, it is a very economical solution for very fine lines.
Many thanks to Ken Schlotfeldt for the sample.
Postscript
Webairbrushes.com now has it listed. You can see it here.
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