Here are two Badger 1/4 oz. paint cups:
The
one on the right comes with the 155. It works fine when
working
level, such as standing at an easel, and, it can be used on either side
of the airbrush. The one on the left comes
with a model 350. I find it much easier to use for models, as the
bend causes it
to sit more level when painting something lower than the
brush.
I have two
of the
-483's. They cost about $5 ea.
Here is a picture of the -483 installed on my 155.
By the way, Iwata doesn't make a paint cup for their siphon fed
airbrushes. However, the Badger cups will fit the Iwata.
Here's
something that may seem obvious to those who know it, but may not be to
those who don't. When you install a cup or bottle on the
airbrush, give it a slight twist as you push it on. It will
grip
much tighter and not fall off in use. Another slight twist
will
make it easy to remove.
I
was concentrating on painting with a fairly full cup of paint, and
managed to spill some on my bench. And it occurred to me that
a
cap for the cup might be a nice thing to have. Badger offers
a
plastic cap for the 1/4 ounce cup. It is part number 50-0484.
I could only find one
source
for it, and it was $3.60 plus a shipping charge. So I dug into
my junk box to see what I could find. And I found this.
It's a 3/4 inch metal hole plug. I bent the prongs
out
slightly and drilled the small hole for a vent. The picture on
the right shows how it looks on the cup. It seals well enough
that I can tip the cup and nothing leaks.

I
couldn't find a source for this type of plug and I have no idea when or
how I acquired this one, so I visited my local Home Depot to see what
they have. Here is something that might work as well, and it
only
cost 50 cents. Lacquer thinner doesn't seem to affect it, and
it
seals as well as the metal one. As you can see, I needed to
drill
a small vent hole.

Obviously, if you are spraying a small amount of
paint, a cap isn't needed. And, if you are spraying a large
amount,
you would probably use the jar attachment instead. That's one of
the nice things about a siphon airbrush. But there are times
when
the quantity is somewhere in between, and a cap might be useful.
And it could mean one less thing to think about while you're
painting.
Home
Next - Needle Bearing