Xtreme© Mac Valve Delete

K

kanahmal

Guest
So I just got my Patriot Xtreme a couple days ago and I like almost everything about it. Cept' that Mac Valve. That is the chintziest worst implemented and cheapest looking thing I've ever seen on something made in America. It's entirely plastic and the threaded bit is even thinner than in the product pictures. I thought for sure it would be metal with a black finish. Can't imagine this thing lasting more than 1 drop or scrape or even a quick draw from the holder.

So has anyone removed theirs? Could I just putty up the hole without filling it too deep? Does anyone else have ideas for modification. It stands out glaringly on what is otherwise a quality piece.
 
So I just got my Patriot Xtreme a couple days ago and I like almost everything about it. Cept' that Mac Valve. That is the chintziest worst implemented and cheapest looking thing I've ever seen on something made in America. It's entirely plastic and the threaded bit is even thinner than in the product pictures. I thought for sure it would be metal with a black finish. Can't imagine this thing lasting more than 1 drop or scrape or even a quick draw from the holder.

So has anyone removed theirs? Could I just putty up the hole without filling it too deep? Does anyone else have ideas for modification. It stands out glaringly on what is otherwise a quality piece.

Always thought the same about that mac valve. I like built in macs, but that one looks like such an afterthought it almost seemed to be someones desperate home addition or something when i first saw it.
I dont know how it goes in, can you in fact unscrew it all the way off there? Looks like it in the parts breakdown.
If so im certain you could get an allen head set screw and just put a little teflon tape on it and plug the hole.
Edit
or like these
https://www.del-screw.com/
Or i guess you could cut it off and slot it yourself....stainless is cool though
and hey free five piece sample!
https://www.del-screw.com/toiawase.php

Measuring that little thread size could be tricky.....@daveg maybe could help there, dunno if he has one on hand.
 
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Set screw is a great idea, and yeah the Mac unscrews all the way easy enough. I also wouldn't mind replacing it with something steel or titanium. Not sure if it's a standard hardware size, I know how good Badger is about standard fittings.
 
Set screw is a great idea, and yeah the Mac unscrews all the way easy enough. I also wouldn't mind replacing it with something steel or titanium. Not sure if it's a standard hardware size, I know how good Badger is about standard fittings.
yeah, I tried measuring the screw, and am not sure what it is. Mine is a very early brush, and had a smaller head as compared to what they are using now. At this point, I would either order another screw if I wanted to preserve the original, and simply cut the needed length from a replacement.

xtreme patriot pac1.jpg
 
I do not have an Extreme but I have heard a lot of people do not like the quality of the valve screw. Most find it sloppy and move on its own.
The best fix for making it better is to cut a ball point pen spring and put it between the knob and the body.
I was going to buy one, until I realized they did cheap out on this feature.
 
I do not have an Extreme but I have heard a lot of people do not like the quality of the valve screw. Most find it sloppy and move on its own.
The best fix for making it better is to cut a ball point pen spring and put it between the knob and the body.
I was going to buy one, until I realized they did cheap out on this feature.
I used a product called Vibra-tite VC3 on the threads of the screw, which adds resistance to the turning feature, as well as eliminates the profuse air leak through the loose fit. Vibra-tite is a reusable, re-positionable thread lock.

If I had to guess, I would make a guess at the size being 2x64 on the threads - it just does not mic out or fit any of the thread gauges I have on hand.
 
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I tried the vibra-tite vc3. I let it dry for 15 minutes. I reassembled the airbrush and sprayed some soapy water on the area of the mac valve and still got bubbles. The soapy water seemed to loosen the vibra tite, so I removed and re-applied it, and this time I will let the vibra tite sit for hours and try again.

I am inclined to believe the best fix might be a body swap, in this case maybe with the patriot Arrow body since I do not need the huge cup. The screw almost seems to be slightly smaller than the hole.
 
I tried the vibra-tite vc3. I let it dry for 15 minutes. I reassembled the airbrush and sprayed some soapy water on the area of the mac valve and still got bubbles. The soapy water seemed to loosen the vibra tite, so I removed and re-applied it, and this time I will let the vibra tite sit for hours and try again.

I am inclined to believe the best fix might be a body swap, in this case maybe with the patriot Arrow body since I do not need the huge cup. The screw almost seems to be slightly smaller than the hole.
if your goal is to block the air leak, just apply the vibra-tite to the screw, and screw it back in wet. Don't screw it all the way in, just far enough to make sure it is in - you don;t want to block any of the air flow... Let it dry and you should be good to go. Water should not effect the vibra-tite once it is cured. (alcohol based solvent)
 
What the heck is wrong with Badger producing stuff like that? A plastic screw? You know how many times I've ended up with dried paint down there. It would twist that joke of a knob right off. It's embarrassing for America.
 
What the heck is wrong with Badger producing stuff like that? A plastic screw? You know how many times I've ended up with dried paint down there. It would twist that joke of a knob right off. It's embarrassing for America.
If Ken sees the post he might see about a ss screw
,If you want to use the screw to block the hole and make it look better you could just grind or sand the screw thread end down so it only has a few threads left then put the sealer on it and screw it in and let it dry,or use a small gasket or o-ring to seal it?
 
What the heck is wrong with Badger producing stuff like that?...... It's embarrassing for America.

This sums it up
22f7478b96e0879a748a523493c079c8.jpg
 
DaveG yet again has the answer. I did what he said, and the valve does not leak any more. I probably used too much Vibra-tite, so there is a a nice blob but this airbrush might finally be reliable for me. I did a quick test, and soapy water no longer bubbles around the area where the screw meets the body. Thanks again, DaveG

2v2JzuGuNx9awpY.jpg
 
This is why I have not brought an AB with built in mac. Although most of them are ok I just don't like it built in, I dont like the screw sticking out underneath. I prefer to have it on the QC.
Glad to see you got it sorted @KurtH If it was mine I would probably have brought another mac screw cut the knob off down the thread so its the length I wanted and cut a slot in it so I could use a flat screwdriver to screw in it, then some sealer and screw it in. that way it could be removed if need be.
 
I gotta say - My Xtreme was a very early one. I purchased it from a vendor the first day they became available. My PAC screw is a smaller head diameter than what I see available now (it is also metal, not sure what they are now, although I am hearing plastic). I will confess to not understanding the idea of going with anything with a large head diameter in this area. I could see if the screw was somehow difficult to turn, or offered an extremely fine amount of adjustment, but neither of these are the case - the screw to thread tolerance is quite loose, and between fully open and fully closed there is not really much of a difference - screwing it in all the way (at least on mine) does not completely cut off air flow. I applaud Badger for taking the step to try the valve, but write this one off to a poor effort that should either be improved, or removed altogether. Just my 2cents...

badger xtreme105.jpg
 
Ken posted the following on facebook, in a discussion about the Xtreme:

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"regarding the PAC Dial we have a correction for the loose setting screw as well. It is part of the product change distinction that will be announced with the launch of the Xtreme Arrow in a few weeks. It and another change, that has been requested numerous times, are incorporated in the Xtreme Arrow's design and will be retrofittable to the Xtreme Patriot."

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So It looks like they have something in the works to address the issue.
 
Ken posted the following on facebook, in a discussion about the Xtreme:

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"regarding the PAC Dial we have a correction for the loose setting screw as well. It is part of the product change distinction that will be announced with the launch of the Xtreme Arrow in a few weeks. It and another change, that has been requested numerous times, are incorporated in the Xtreme Arrow's design and will be retrofittable to the Xtreme Patriot."

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So It looks like they have something in the works to address the issue.
If they did something with it, it's not visibly different. Here's the Xtreme arrow
Badger_Patriot_Arrow_105-2xr_4__86868.1510869312.jpg
 
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