I took my mac valve off and fitted a regulator right under my blow out pot.
I think for now I want to visualise what air pressure i’m running at.
Just seems a better set up for me while i’m learning compared to the mac valve but i will eventually seap back.
I want to see the pressure I'm running at too, I have two regulators both on the compressor, one is set constantly at 40 psi, the next one is set at 30 psi, when I want to work at 10 psi I'll set the second one 15 and do the rest with the MAC, the MAC isn't supposed dispense with your regulator it just allows you to lower your pressure more than what shows on your regulator, it's unlikely the pressure you see is exact, but it's safe to think based on your regulators reading that you are "around" whatever psi your reading, you could be around 3 or 4 more or less than your reading, so if I work at 10 psi I assume I'm anywhere between 5 to 15 whether I use the MAC or not.
The reason my first regulator is set a 40 psi is because I have a nylon transparent hose which can handle a maximum of 43 psi (3 bar) so the 40 includes a little safety factor.
I'm usually constantly changing from 15 down depending on the distance I shoot at as I work, so the MAC is handy for that, the normal regulator isn't precise at lower pressure, it could actually read "0" when its really giving 2 to 5.
You end up getting used to the feel of what you're doing as well as recognising the sound your brush makes at different pressures, you can also see what your brush is doing and if you're getting no spiders and no broken lines, your pressure is good no matter what your regulator says, setting the pressure is only an indication of the approximate pressure you really are working at.
With my regulators set, I rely solely on what's happening on my substrate, if I like what I see, there is no need for adjustment
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