Secrets and mysteries of the airbrush

[FramFramson]

So the other day I started musing out loud that I might want to think about actually breaking down and getting myself an airbrush, mostly for some terrain applications. My wife replied that she actually had an old airbrush she had never used. Little did I know that "old" in this case meant "antediluvian".

Here's what she unearthed from some ancient biscuit tin:





God only knows just how old this thing is. It looks old enough that H.G. Wells might've used it to paint a few towns for Little Wars.  

A few shots of the Airbrush itself:







Annnnd finally the worst part: assorted "What on earth is this for and where does it go?" bits:



Now, I don't know the first thing about airbrushes beyond the fact that they aerosolize paint, that paint needs to be diluted with... something? and they run on compressed air (I guess a small compressor is something else I'll need to get).

First thing I noticed: The paint buckets are missing (the wife says that when she got it, they were unsalvageable. Who knows what else is missing...).

So I need your help folks!

First: is this thing a lost cause? Can this airbrush even be salvaged for use? Is this some built-to-last ancient treasure that's maybe worth saving, or a hunk of low-priced junk from yesteryear (it does feel like it was pretty solidly built, but I'm not really the best judge when it comes to airbrushes)?

Second: if the answer to that is "Yes!", then (given that there are some missing bits) - can I replace any needed parts with some modern/current equivalent?

Third: does anything appear to be missing besides paint pots?

Fourth: of those "assorted bits" I do have - what on earth do I do with them?

Fifth: How on earth do I even operate this thing? (I guess we can burn that bridge when we get to it).

Any help with this hopeless muddle would be greatly appreciated.  

[FramFramson]

A search of the marque did turn up this pdf manual.

That helps a little, anyway. Though I'm not sure if this is actually the same airbrush or a later/earlier model/variant? The manual is of course undated.

[Modhail]

By the look of it, that's an external mix airbrush. They generally give both a heavier and coarser spray than an internal mix.
Good enough for basecoating vehicles and terrain, but it won't do really fine work.
If I compare your pictures to the manual you found, it seems to be complete. It seems salvagable, as long as nothing is bent/damaged. Can you disassemble the paint nozzle? I think dat would be your main concern at this point, the state of that nut has me a bit worried. If you know the inner diameter of the hole where the buckets should connect, you can get replacement siphon bottles easily.
Just give everything a good clean* and maybe replace those dirty packings.

*I.e. a nice long soak in alcohol or, if you know what paint was used in it at the time, a suitable thinner. Leave out the packings though, shame to accidentally dissolve those. 
Then brush off any stubborn residue with cotton swabs. The outside doesn't have to be pretty, but the insides need to be clean.

As for how to use it: google about airbrushes and airbrush techniques, find an airsource* and have at it!

*:a compressor would be a big startup cost. You can buy compressed air "spraycans" in most arts and crafts stores. They're not much good for actual use (empty out too quickly, pressure drops, etc.), but a good way to cheaply test if your brush works or not.

[FramFramson]

Well, I'm going to have to fiddle with it to try. Coarser is okay, since I was mostly thinking of using it for terrain - to colour grass areas in various shades of green, for instance.

Thanks!