Rescue of a not so old Badger 100SG, plus more?

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

Badger's first airbrush was the Model 100XF in 1964. The 100 series has evolved over the years and it is still going strong.
Today, the Badger 100 series family includes:
100SF; side feed (left or right) which is a direct descendant and the evolution of the original one
100LG; gravity feed large cup
100G; gravity feed small cup
100SG; gravity feed, no cup, just a small cavity.
The venerable and popular Badger 150 (the best airbrush in history ) is also related to this family.
From what I have seen, the 100SG was the latest member of the family. I can't find any information on it prior to the mid 1990's so I assume it was launched around that timeframe. It was designed for very fine detail work and is quite popular with fingernails artists.

My specimen:
I found this lonely 100SG online and got it for a crazy low price. In the fuzzy pictures with vague description, I noticed the protective front cap was actually covering the back of the handle! Go figure. So I rescued it.
While it looks in fairly good shape, it was evidently clogged with red paint. Even the needle chuck screw had red paint!

Long story short, everything was disassembled (but the air valve) and properly cleaned. I could not believe how much red paint I cleaned up from everywhere, including the inner seal. Seemed like an eternity but eventually the red bleeding stopped.
The needle was polished with the usual 1200, 2400, 3200, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12,000 grit polishing pads followed by a metal cream polish.

The front cover was loose as it was forced into the back handle.

It was adjusted and it now works properly.

The best part is that this airbrush and the venerable and popular Badger 150 (the best airbrush in history ) can interchange parts. So the fine (0.25) needle/nozzle combo I recently ordered will most likely reside here for small detail jobs. It currently has the versatile medium (0.5) setup. A heavy (0.76) setup makes no sense, but is also available if you want to.

So there you have it. Another one waiting to be tested and used. Hopefully Soon!

Hope you like it.

Thanks,
Ismael "the Badger fan"

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
I'm also a photographer and a heavy Photoshop user. I couldn't resist. I'll post these in the jokes thread as well.
All Photoshop. no airbrush was harmed in the production of this prank.

Static test: I wonder why the handle gets warm. Hmm, after painting it can turn around and speed dry it!

Yeah, I know. I've never claimed to be normal anyways.

Thanks,
Ismael "The Badger fan"

 

[2Diverse]

I am by no means a Badger historian. I do have a Thayer & Chandler branded NailAire which is an A cup brush. Pretty much a Badger brush by then.

If Badger did not introduce their 100SG until the mid 1990s I have a couple thoughts. Either the sales of the NailAire weren't that good and Badger did not want to add to the market share by introducing a new brush or there may have been quite a bit of stock left of the NailAire brushes that they wanted to reduce first. Again, this is just my opinion.

One difference is the size of the NailAire compared to the 100SG. The NailAire was based on the Vega brush line. It is a bit longer. I just sold my 100SG so I can't take a comparison pic of the two together.

I did use the NailAire on a project. It worked fine.

 

[tatocorvette]

Thanks 2D!

It seems the Nailaire, Vega and Omni series are a similar parallel concept to the 100 family. They are all basically the same and only the main body changes.
The Nailaire would be the T85 body, T63 the siphon feed Vega, T86 the gravity feed cup Omni, etc.

I wonder if the cavities of the Nailaire and the 100SG are similar capacity. I see the Nailaire's cavity is 1/32 oz but I can't find the spec for the 100SG.

*EDIT* I found online references claiming that both are 1/32 oz capacity!

Thanks,
Ismael

 

[TruggyDriver69]

Hello,

Badger's first airbrush was the Model 100XF in 1964. The 100 series has evolved over the years and it is still going strong.
Today, the Badger 100 series family includes:
100SF; side feed (left or right) which is a direct descendant and the evolution of the original one
100LG; gravity feed large cup
100G; gravity feed small cup
100SG; gravity feed, no cup, just a small cavity.
The venerable and popular Badger 150 (the best airbrush in history ) is also related to this family.
From what I have seen, the 100SG was the latest member of the family. I can't find any information on it prior to the mid 1990's so I assume it was launched around that timeframe. It was designed for very fine detail work and is quite popular with fingernails artists.

My specimen:
I found this lonely 100SG online and got it for a crazy low price. In the fuzzy pictures with vague description, I noticed the protective front cap was actually covering the back of the handle! Go figure. So I rescued it.
While it looks in fairly good shape, it was evidently clogged with red paint. Even the needle chuck screw had red paint!

Long story short, everything was disassembled (but the air valve) and properly cleaned. I could not believe how much red paint I cleaned up from everywhere, including the inner seal. Seemed like an eternity but eventually the red bleeding stopped.
The needle was polished with the usual 1200, 2400, 3200, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12,000 grit polishing pads followed by a metal cream polish.

The front cover was loose as it was forced into the back handle.

It was adjusted and it now works properly.

The best part is that this airbrush and the venerable and popular Badger 150 (the best airbrush in history ) can interchange parts. So the fine (0.25) needle/nozzle combo I recently ordered will most likely reside here for small detail jobs. It currently has the versatile medium (0.5) setup. A heavy (0.76) setup makes no sense, but is also available if you want to.

So there you have it. Another one waiting to be tested and used. Hopefully Soon!

Hope you like it.

Thanks,
Ismael "the Badger fan"

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
I'm also a photographer and a heavy Photoshop user. I couldn't resist. I'll post these in the jokes thread as well.
All Photoshop. no airbrush was harmed in the production of this prank.

Static test: I wonder why the handle gets warm. Hmm, after painting it can turn around and speed dry it!

Yeah, I know. I've never claimed to be normal anyways.

Thanks,
Ismael "The Badger fan"

Great work. Love the afterburner effect.

 

[DaveG]

The "SG" has been around since the 1970's (or there abouts). This is a mid 80's example, but I have a few older. The markings on the body are about the only thing that changed over time. Some of the older ones have a pressed branding rather than engraved. The crown cap and straight handle also help date the posted one as probably 90's or later.

 

[DaveG]

a first, second and third Badger -

 

[tatocorvette]

The "SG" has been around since the 1970's (or there abouts). This is a mid 80's example, but I have a few older. The markings on the body are about the only thing that changed over time. Some of the older ones have a pressed branding rather than engraved. The crown cap and straight handle also help date the posted one as probably 90's or later.

Thank you Dave!
That is interesting. It is not mentioned or offered in the 1988, 1984 nor the 1982 catalogs and order forms. Nor in a 1976 magazine ad I found online. The earliest catalog featuring it I've found is BA300 Vol 10 from 1990. So I guess it was probably a specialty product initially? or special order or something? Interesting...

Thanks,
Ismael

 

[DaveG]

I dunno - I purchased my first one (100SG) in the mid-1980's from an art supply store in Miami.

 

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

I was able to finally track down a complete scan of the 1988 25th anniversary Badger Catalog, Volume 9. This is now the earliest catalog I have found that lists the Model 100 LG, G and SG family. I'm still trying to track Catalog #8. I have Catalog #7 (from June 1984), which doesn't mention this family. Only the GXF. Similarly, the model 200 G and SG models are in this catalog, but not in #7.
Just wanted to share this tidbit of useless information.
If anybody has Badger Catalog #8 please let me know. I think it was in 1986.

Thanks,
Ismael "the Badger fan"

 

[2Diverse]

All three are nice Dave but I really like the 100GFX.

 

[tatocorvette]

*EDIT* See further analysis below Funny how the box is mis-spelled as "GFX" The correct name should be GXF: Gravity(feed) eXtra Fine.

That cup reminds me a little bit of the Aerograph 63.

Thanks,
Ismael

 

[DaveG]

All three are nice Dave but I really like the 100GFX.

The Deco looking round cup is the original 100 GFX - when I inquired with the current ownership at Badger, they identified it as maybe 1980's - but, I purchased my first straight sided cup GFX in 1985 (called the G - same year I purchased the SG, and LG). I have a dated paining I did with them hanging in the living room...

 

[DaveG]

Color cup had an interesting opening at the bottom - i have heard the C cup (LG) was the same at the time, but I don't have that one here... My first LG had a larger opening. I have a few of these - I stuck an early Sotar head on one of them.

 

[DaveG]

Funny how the box is mis-spelled as "GFX" The correct name should be GXF: Gravity(feed) eXtra Fine.
That cup reminds me a little bit of the Aerograph 63.

Thanks,
Ismael

The heads on these were marked with an "F" for fine - there was fine, medium, and large - but not XF (at that time). I don't think until the Krome, or Renegade did they start using the extra fine name... and that is the same as the Sotar fine, so go figure.

 

[tatocorvette]

Before the Fine, Medium and Large (or Heavy) designations, from the early days they were called XF, IL and HD respectively, at least in the catalogs and advertisement. They were never marked on the heads as such as far as I know. At some point they marked "F" for fine, "M" for medium and "L" for large like you said. My 150 has the markings, but both of my early 200s have no markings on the heads. Only the needle rings.
But more interesting, the first gravity feed was called GFX early on, then they changed the name to GXF. I thought the difference was the band under the cup but yours don't have it, yet it is still a GFX. I'm pretty sure they did that only so I could be confused 50 years later...
It seems they discontinued it when they introduced the LG, G and SG.

Call me weird but I find this research fun...

Thanks,
Ismael

 

[sky_drifter]

Before the Fine, Medium and Large (or Heavy) designations, from the early days they were called XF, IL and HD respectively, at least in the catalogs and advertisement. They were never marked on the heads as such as far as I know. At some point they marked "F" for fine, "M" for medium and "L" for large like you said. My 150 has the markings, but both of my early 200s have no markings on the heads. Only the needle rings.
But more interesting, the first gravity feed was called GFX early on, then they changed the name to GXF. I thought the difference was the band under the cup but yours don't have it, yet it is still a GFX. I'm pretty sure they did that only so I could be confused 50 years later...
It seems they discontinued it when they introduced the LG, G and SG.

Call me weird but I find this research fun...

Thanks,
Ismael

It's all very interesting, thank you for it, and please keep it coming.

 

[TruggyDriver69]

Before the Fine, Medium and Large (or Heavy) designations, from the early days they were called XF, IL and HD respectively, at least in the catalogs and advertisement. They were never marked on the heads as such as far as I know. At some point they marked "F" for fine, "M" for medium and "L" for large like you said. My 150 has the markings, but both of my early 200s have no markings on the heads. Only the needle rings.
But more interesting, the first gravity feed was called GFX early on, then they changed the name to GXF. I thought the difference was the band under the cup but yours don't have it, yet it is still a GFX. I'm pretty sure they did that only so I could be confused 50 years later...
It seems they discontinued it when they introduced the LG, G and SG.

Call me weird but I find this research fun...

Thanks,
Ismael

Research gains knowledge and knowledge is not weird but priceless.