Paasche V Review
1/2012
This is actually two reviews for the price of one. I got an e-mail from Tony Morgan offering me an older Paasche V for review. Tony bought it 25 years ago. So, I said sure, I'd love to review it. Then a fellow who goes by the name Bossman on the forums sent me a recent version of the same airbrush. So now I can share both the old and new with you.
Here they are side by side. Tony must take really good care of his airbrushes. His old one looks like it just came off the store shelf. His is the upper one.
First Impressions
Both are nicely finished and light and comfortable to hold. Trigger action is smooth and balance is goodJust because the V looks kind of like a VL, don't let that fool you. It is much smaller and lighter. The V weighs just 53g.
Here is the new one next to a VL.
The V is a side feed, similar to the Badger 100SF. Here they are together. The 100 comes in right and left versions, and so does the V. For some reason, Paasche calls the left hand version model VV. The V balances right about at the trigger, which is good. The Badger is a bit tail heavy due to the metal handle.
Break down
Here is the new one disassembled. I didn't remove the air valve body or the needle seal.
The head design of the old and new are the same, but there have been a couple changes. For one thing, the little thumb wheel needle limiter that I detailed in the VL review, has been eliminated. I can see where this is a cost savings, but it was useful. Another change has been the trigger assembly. It now has a simpler design like the new VL. The upper trigger is the old two part type, and below it the new one piece design. The old one is tricky to install. Both seem to work equally well. The old trigger has a dome top with ribs and gives a little better traction.
The cups are different than the Badger 100SF cups. On the left are the Badger cups and on the right, the V. The Paasche cups are easier to clean because they don't have the screw-off bottom. The Badger and new Paasche cups will fit all three brushes. Curiously however,the old Paasche cups will only fit in the old Paasche. The spout on the old cups is slightly larger in diameter, as is the hole in the old Paasche body.
The tips come in two sizes, 0.25mm and 0.66mm. The 0.25 needle has a whisker thin point, and is super easy to bend. The one for the old airbrush had a slight bend in the tip, but I was able to straighten it by pulling it across my cutting mat while rotating. The 0.66 needle is more robust. Paasche calls the spray regulator an endcap. It's the end piece of the head and must be installed for the brush to work. The endcaps and needles are marked with stripes, one for fine and two for medium. The tips are not marked.
Trying it out
When I went to remove the needle from the old V, it was hard to pull. I discovered that there was a grey buildup inside the needle tube and needle seal. I suspect it was old airbrush lube. Tony said the brush had been stored for 15 years. I cleaned it out with alcohol and my modified dental brush. I re-adjusted the needle seals on both brushes to where they felt right to me. Like all my other adjustable seals, the setting is very touchy.
With the #2 components in the old V, I did the sample below with food coloring on a paper towel. It was pleasant to use and control was really good. The manual says the #2 tip has a spray pattern of up to 1 1/2 inch. That's about right, and it's broad enough coverage for most modeling needs. A wrench is needed to remove the head, but the compression type tip makes the brush very easy to clean.
I had some trouble with the #1 components. The output wanted to pulse when I pulled back on the trigger. By swapping parts with the new brush, I narrowed the problem down to the 0.25mm tip. I had tried to clean it and it looked fine, but it wasn't working right. So I let it soak in lacquer thinner for about a half hour and cleaned it again. This seems to have fixed the problem. Here are the results on the right. Strangely, the #1 doesn't make any finer lines than the #2 in my hands. In fact, I believe the #2 has an even narrower pattern. The main difference in the #1 is that it puts out a lot less paint. So, it would be good for applying a thin coat, like weathering or shading. Here are samples done with the new V. It sprayed just like the old one. The new V was missing the #1 end cap, so I borrowed the one from the old V.
Conclusion
The V has a very delicate feel, like the 100SF. And, like the SF, it has a very short nose which allows your hand to get very close to your work. The internal parts of the V are the same as the VJR gravity brush which is used by Alberto Ponno. If you want to see some amazing airbrush work, visit his site. So, it is a very capable airbrush. But, I don't think it is a beginner's brush. The parts are very small and easily damaged.
The V is a very good airbrush with the #2 parts. But, frankly I don't see much value in the #1 setup. The spray pattern doesn't seem any narrower to me than the #2, and the #2 has a wider range. And, that needle is so fragile that the slightest touch bends it. Plus, the #1 is so slow that it seems to take forever to flush it out. The 100SF also has a .25mm needle and a much narrower pattern. At least mine does.
My sincere thanks to Tony and Bossman for the samples.
Postscript
I emailed Alberto and asked him about the #1 parts. He says they work very well for him, and sent me this photo.
That's a centimeter scale on the left. So, obviously in the right hands, the V or VJR does very well. Notice that the needle peeks out a little. He sands a little off the end cap and polishes his needles.
Thank you Alberto for the feedback.