AIRBRUSH REGULATOR W/METER

Pressure regulator with a gauge - Tamiya

This is not a kit and not a paint but an accessory for an airbrush setup from the Japanese manufacturer Tamiya. The regulator is placed in the path of the compressed air between the compressor and the airbrush. With the knob on it you set the pressure that actually reaches the airbrush, and on the dial of the gauge you keep checking it. Without regulation you are always running at whatever pressure the air supply happens to give - and that changes during work.

Why regulate the pressure

With an airbrush the pressure matters as much as the thinning of the paint. Too high a pressure atomizes the paint before it lands on the surface, so a dry grainy film and a lot of overspray appear. Too low a pressure, by contrast, lets the paint run and spit. Most of the problems modelers put down to the airbrush in fact arise exactly here. With a gauge you stop guessing and start working with figures: for a given thinning you write the pressure down and next time you come back to it.

Use

• Setting and continuously checking the working pressure while spraying.
• Lower pressure for fine lines, shading and thinned paints, higher for varnishes, primers and large areas.
• Repeatability: once a pressure is dialed in you write it down and return to it next time.
• Gentler atomization - less overspray and less risk of a grainy surface from too high a pressure.

Who it is for

For anyone who sprays with an airbrush and has an air supply without regulation of its own or without a gauge, or who wants the pressure reading right at hand by the airbrush. It will also be appreciated by modelers who switch between different kinds of paint - acrylics, enamels and lacquers behave at different pressures and without a gauge the setting is only guessed at. Before buying, compare the threads and the diameter of the hose with your own setup; the connection data are given on the packaging.

Always work only up to the maximum pressure allowed by your compressor and hose. Depressurize the system when you have finished work. Use an airbrush in a well ventilated space and with respiratory protection.