Thayer & Chandler Model E: New life to an old brush

tatocorvette

Detail Decepticon!
Hello,

As if we needed any more evidence this place is AWESOME, a fellow forum member sent me this Thayer & Chandler Model E to play with, along with some Thayer & Chandler Model A air valve O-rings. THANK YOU Drastion!

The case would suggest maybe 1980's? There is no serial number so I can't compare to my brand new 1978 Model E. But they look identical at first glance.
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The note said it could not be tested and the airbrush was not cooperating to be disassembled.
Wanna play tough? Huh? I showed up with some of my strong and loyal friends :cool:
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Look at the size of that thing! You can drive a school bus thru that nozzle.
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A few days come and go, a hurricane came by, and we were eventually ready for re-assembly.
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While that side looks great, the other side suffers from "foam rot". It may have been sitting on the foam for decades and it attacked the surface. Not really a big deal. Only cosmetic.
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I found interesting that it is otherwise identical to my other Model E, but the needle is definitely different. The documentation on the other one does not mention anything on different setups. They don't even have serial numbers so there was no way to tell then apart if spares were ordered. Spares are listed as if only one size setup was available.
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Here is the needle on my other Model E from 1978
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(to be continued in the next post)
 
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Continuation:

I am convinced the Model E was the inspiration for the Badger 200 introduced around 1966. While this particular Model E is probably from the late 70's early 80's, the original design dates back decades.
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But the Model E is DEFINITELY bigger, aimed at big jobs. The 200 was launched as a hobby airbrush and it is still popular in that segment.
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Just for kicks here is the Model E nozzle next to the SOTAR
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Because of the shear size, I am sure it needs gobs of beeswax to seal that head. Now for the next round, how to test it.
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I dig into the ever growing "box of spares and things"
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and came up with this contraption with my oldest 30+ years old regulator. The other Model E set was on Alert 5 if needed.
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Using the bottle/pickup tube from the other Model E, I was able to test this firehose.
It is heavy, stiff, loud and thirsty. LOVE IT!
If the SOTAR is a scalpel, this is a sledgehammer.
If the SOTAR is a sports car, this is a 3500 truck with no power steering ;)

I noticed some pulsation that got worst at different settings. A clear sign that the head still needs more wax. Maybe a full bucket of it :)
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I will try next to make my own jar adapter and pickup tube but that may take some time.
Stay tuned.
I hope you like and approve!

Thanks,
Ismael
 
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