Global Scale Modeller

Hi Guys im Andy been watching the channel for a while now love what you guys do, and the tips and info you provide.

i have a quick question ive been back into the hobby around 6 months and have completed 3 builds so far i bought a Sparmax Arism Compressor Kit which came with the mini compressor and the max 4 airbrush its been working well then all of a sudden it developed a fault basically i would turn it on and the gauge would rise to 30 psi but as soon as i pressed down on the airbrush trigger the pressure drops to 10 psi and i cant get it to increase i stripped and cleaned the airbrush and checked all over for leaks there was nothing showing so i contacted the supplier (The Airbrush Company Ltd ) who advised that the nozzle cap must have damage so i purchased a new nozzle cap & nozzle when they arrived i fitted and tried everything again but no change the PSI still dropping to 10 psi, i then purchased your APEX airbrush when that arrived same issue so im thinking it must be the compressor i again contacted the supplier who advised that i send the compressor to them which i did they rang me a couple of days ago and said they can find no fault with the compressor? they say that as soon as they turn it on the pressure rises to 30 psi and when they press down on the trigger the pressure drops to 25 psi which they say is normal (im not sure that is correct as when i was using it and it was operating correctly the pressure never dropped below 30 psi unless i used the bleed valve adjustment wheel) anyway they agreed to replace the compressor so the replacement turned up today and as soon as i attached the Apex the problems the same pressure drops to 10 psi exactly the same issue when i connect the max 4 but strangely the max 4 has a single action valve and when that is fitted the system works ok? i mean there is a constant airflow but i can adjust the pressure with the bleed valve also if the airbrushes are not attached and the quick release female end is attached to the bleed valve the compressor works just fine and i can adjust the air pressure the problem starts as soon as i attached the airbrushes i just dont believe there is a problem with the airbrushes as ive only had the Apex a week and its never had any paint in it, sorry for the long rant guys but im at my wits end here..

Thanks for any help

Andy

Hello and welcome

I have the same compressor and I'm pretty sure it (and every other compressor) is meant to do that (mine always has ), you're basically releasing air when you press the trigger so the amount of pressure is bound to come down

Are you running a moisture trap and what kind of humidity are you dealing with? Seems like it might be an issue with the gauge and or regulator, or possibly your hose, since the issue didn't repeat when the unit was at the shop.

Hello and welcome.

Hi Guys thanks for the reply's to answer your questions

Yes i have the silver bullet moisture trap although fitting that makes no difference

when i first had the compressor i bought it in March it worked fine i could spray at 30 psi and drop the pressure using the bleed valve to any pressure i liked

i dont think it should drop to 10 psi as soon as i press the trigger down and it wont increase pressure at all?

i have tried the unit in every room in the house its not humid outside temperature is around 16c today

the whole kit apart from the airbrushes went back to the supplier so he tested all the kit and said it was all working ok

if i attach just the bleed valve and turn the unit on with my thumb over the bleed valve the unit will stabilise at 30 psi and i can then adjust the pressure using the bleed valve adjustment wheel so there cant be anything wrong with the compressor can there?

the supplier thinks its the airbrushes that are at fault but the Apex only turned up last week and its never been used or striped down

i cant figure this out at all?

Do you have or can borrow a different hose? I agree that the compressor seems fine and the fact that multiple (different) airbrushes produce the same result - I may be missing something - but it seems like the hose is the the only element common to the issue. (Did the hose go back with the compressor for the checkout?)
I have had air hoses fail internally where airflow would cause an inner hose to partially collapse and restrict the supply to the tool.

Hi Guys

Problem solved i stripped down the sparmax 4 and put a little bit of lube around the piston o ring reassembled the airbrush and its working perfectly

however the Apex which has never been used will not spray any higher than 15 psi and i dont really want to touch it as its never been used i cant figure out what the problem is with the Apex and ideas would be most welcome or should i send it back?

Andy hope you enjoy the forum and you get your issues sorted

Bigsid51 wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 7:15 pm Hi Guys

Problem solved i stripped down the sparmax 4 and put a little bit of lube around the piston o ring reassembled the airbrush and its working perfectly

however the Apex which has never been used will not spray any higher than 15 psi and i dont really want to touch it as its never been used i cant figure out what the problem is with the Apex and ideas would be most welcome or should i send it back?

So the PSI no longer drops when you push the trigger? Maybe my one has been broken all this time then

Hi and to ISM

I've got although I don't use the compressor the same Sparmax as you have. It should come with a choice of valves single or double action. Both and the silver bullet have bleed bi pass check the valve operation and o ring. The compressor is basic but very reliable it either works or doesn't here's not a lot inbetween.

The Max 4 I think is an excellent airbrush, considering what it costs it's a real tool. Ok your can't interchange needle sizes but it's 2 way with adjustable paint flow I've also got H&S Evolution CR but prefer the Max 4 it's just easier to use it's bullet proof in my opinion.

It's something your doing or not doing or there's an issue with either the line, water trap or valve in the brush.