I have been using my Paasche VLS for a few years now without issue. It is the first airbrush I owned and as such took a little bit of beating while I learned how to paint and clean the brush. However it’s worked fine.
Recently I have encountered two issues.
The color cup doesn’t feel like a tight fit anymore and sometimes falls out. Anyone else experienced this? I can likely get a new cup so no biggie.
The needle in the last few days feels stiff when I pull back, and the odd time gets stuck so that when I push for air only, paint also comes out. I have cleaned the AB thoroughly but the problem persists? Any ideas?
I do have an Iwata but need to order an air hose for it as the Paasche one seems to leak air when connected to the Iwata quick connect
Sorry, I can’t offer much help, but I had a Paasche and I found that it was very finicky and didn’t airbrush very well. Then again, I was a teenager and a college student and I didn’t really know what I was doing with airbrushing anyway…this was in the 1990s.
I bought an Iwata and I have been using it since. I also have a Harder and Steinbeck and I find that H&S aren’t are durable in chrome finish…I set it down in the rough concrete laundry sink and the chrome will get pitted!
My only advice is that Paasche airbrushes are overly complex. If you disassemble an Iwata, it has a lot fewer parts and the Japanese tolerances are extremely fine and tight. The more parts mean the more problems and wear and tear of gaskets and seals that can go wrong.
I no longer like detachable cups like the Paasche…they have a chance of tipping over and spilling. I use an airbrush holder or use a workbench vise to hold my airbrush.
I have a Paasche H that I have used for over 30 years. I have replaced the nozzles, O-rings, and cups many times. I would replace the cup and give it a good cleaning and it should work great again. I find Paasches to be very reliable and sturdy.
I have two cups that look very similar. But there’s a difference between wear and discoloration. My cups (my entire airbrush for that matter) function quite well. It would take an incredible amount of abuse to wear a cup tube to the point where it was no longer functioning well. As for cleaning the cups - I’ve run them with dried gunk in them that didn’t want to come loose during an ordinary cleaning, It’s kind of like the plaque in my arteries - it’s very unlikely to bust loose or cause any problems given its thinness. Additionally, a bit of dried paint on the outside gives it a bit of “bite” to keep it secure. That steel can be extremely slick.
I would look to the other components, especially the needle. An imperceptible bend in it with throw of your airbrush’s performance. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to pull out?
