I have fianlly got round to trying airbrushing, having had the equipment for a few years but never had the guts to try it in anger.

I have pretty cheap equipment, including a budget compressor with a small tank and a moisture trap regulator.

It is the regulator that I'm struggingly with. The compressor manual is minimal and doesn't help at all.

I'll start with some pictures.









When I started it would run at 30 psi and when I tried to adjust this with the knob on the top the whole assembled unscrewed. I now realise that the pressure regulator needs to be pulled up before it can be turned independently.

But with it screwed back I can't get it to go above 10psi. The problem appears to be the hole on the side which I have highlighted in picture 2 with red arrows but you can see it better in picture 4.

The pressure gets to about 10psi and then air just floods out of that hole and pressure won't go any higher.

The hole is machined - so supposed to be there rather than a break.

I'm 99% sure there isn't a missing part and that I have reassembled correctly.

One thing I'm not sure is whether that red ring should be seperate to the black body it seems to be screwed onto.

I'm prepared to buy another but before I want to be certain that I need to and it isn't just something simple that I am missing.

Thanks for the help.

Cheers,

Nigel

Nigel,
The little hole is probably there as a relief port, so if you do screw the knob out too far, the air pressure doesn't shoot the knob through your forehead.
The red ring is a lock collar - it keeps the knob where you put it. Either take it off or screw it all the way toward the top of the adjusting knob. Then you should be able to screw the knob through it's whole travel and get variable pressure.
Also, the arrow cast on the sides of the regulator indicate air flow - make sure you put it on the right way.
Get some Teflon tape at the local hardware and put a few wraps tightly on each connector's threads before putting it on the compressor and airbrush. It prevents air leaks.
This should get you going again.

thats actually the same one i have. ill take a look at it a bit later. it is a very cheap setup, but shouldnt be doing what your saying. i had to replace mine the day i got it because the hose outlet connector was the wrong size. but, at that time it was new, so they just replaced it for me.

also, looking at the pictures a little closer, i noticed you have some tiny cracks where the knob would screw in. definately use teflon tape to make sure the leaks dont go through the cracks. also, the hole that your mentioning. as toms mentioned, its going to be a relief hold so you dont have a release of air in the wrong direction all at once. i was thinking it was a valve type of hole, but on one of the pics, i noticed its a clean through hole. so, for thatif you move the red locking nut up, it should allow you to screw the knob body further down to cover the hole. at that point, it shouldnt release the air like it is.

Don't put Teflon tape on the adjusting knob. The tolerances on the knob are made to work just the way it is. Tape will just tear as you adjust it and jam it up.

Nigel, If I understand you correctly you have air coming out the side port. Shouldn't as far as I know. I have the same one but my air brushing is restricted to bases cause I don't have but one needle. The vapor trap should trap water moisture and circulate air out the hose only within the setting of your desired air pressure and manuely releasing the water by pushing in the bottom spring loaded piece at the bottom. As mentioned, try taping your conections and check for air leaks with soapy water spray. If indeed you have a cracked casing, which looks like a possability, a new one is required or some crazy glue to rig it closed. This is my best guess.

Many thanks for the help.

You are right, the issue was with the red locking ring. It had been screwed down so hard I couldn't budge it so wasn't sure whether it was just screw-locked or actually glued on.

In the end I took the risk, grabbed hold of the thread in a vice (protected with cloth) and the red locking ring eventually budged.

I could then screw the body down properly and then lock down the red ring - worked fine after that.

Cheers,

Nigel

Good deal Nigel!