The Little World

I compel thee to spray nice.

I have purchased a couple of accessory MAC valves for my air compressor lines. They were not expensive as they are the product of my favourite budget manufacturer; Ustar.

I was introduced to the idea of the MAC valve by a Phil Flory tutorial in which he showed the Mr Hobby Procom Boy 270 airbrush with one of these valves under its chin. His advocacy of it was so glowing that I sent off to Japan for one. I was delighted with it from the start. Even when I had my air compressor set way too high, the valve was able to reduce it and the paint flowed freely.

Now that I regularly run at about half the former psi, it’s even better. I am no longer startled by too much flow causing runs.

The benefit can now be extended to my two single-action brushes. The trigger gun is used for small batch work that doesn’t need precision but it is still nice to have the valve control the air flow so well. The paint coats can be built up slowly and stopped at the right time.

The Procom Boy WA single action is the gun for overall varnish or undercoat and here again the new lower pressure and air control right at the brush mean a smoother layer goes down – albeit at a slower pace. That is one thing that has struck me watching Phil Flory’s paint tutorials – his job is not a rushed one. A light coat and then a heaver wet coat with plenty of drying-off in between.

When the rattle cans of clear finishes are used up I intend to shift to this brush for all those duties – now they can be done in a controlled fashion.