SpudFiles

Not a cannon to showcase, but a pneumatic build nevertheless.

My latest development in balanced valve exploration..
I used parts from my push button valve and switched around the inner workings.
Now, pressure acting on the piston is still balanced, though a spring pushes it open...untill enough pressure builds up on the low pressure side ( countering the spring) and the spring is compressed.

The valve closes.

Pressure on the high side ( inside of the reservoir) pushes equally on the two sides..while low pressure keeps it closed..So it remains untill the low pressure side drops beneath the required pressure to compress the spring and voila..the valve reopens..

That, ladies and gentlemen..is what we call a regulator.
Output pressure is determined by springforce.

I made a prototype...I'm very sure of the principal behind it, just not sure I can mount it inside of my " Old Shatterhand" cannon without leaks from high to low side.
But that is not important...I'll lathe a proper one later.
I won't use threads..just a plug with O-rings that fits snugly inside the chamber.
The pressure will keep it in place at the end of the reservoir.
( I stole that idea... )

Questions?

Very Very nice .. i've been thinking about this alot lately and 'boom' there it is .. looking forward to seeing the finished lathed product !

I have been thinking about it since I made the push button valve.
This thing looks awful but at least I can say I did it first.
I really had to push myself to finally try it.
Just one of many ideas..

It;s a simple concept so a lot of people must have pondered the idea..
Only a first build counts haha..
I'm still planning a balanced big bore hammer valve..a revolver..pff...too much really..

so how hard is / will the button be to press @ 400 - 600psi ?

im not sure what his name was and cant use search but someone made a push button valve just like btb's push button valve and IIRC he opened it with his finger at 700ish psi

edit: it was far_cry

so how hard is / will the button be to press @ 400 - 600psi ?

This is not a manual valve.
It will be installed inside of the chamber, out of sight.
It's a pressure regulator, wich will be placed between themain chamber and the valve assembly.

This means I can fill the main chamber to 700 or 800 psi but the gun will fire at a constant lower pressure of hopefully something like 500 psi.

I won't have to press anything..it works all by itself.

Yap, that's exactly the way I've had a balanced regulator in mind (well nearly).

I'm just tired to be dependent on bought fittings. No matter what you do, it is never as good as it could be and it always looks gettho. I'm looking forward to see your final reg, once you have your lathe.

I feel the same way, hence the lathe.

In theory, it would work (of course). The biggest problem, which is probably not too much of a problem for you, is finding the correct spring to use on the HP side. Have you considered making it adjustable (or did I miss something)? That would ease the pain of finding the correct spring tension, although a correct spring will still need to be selected. It shouldn't be that hard to do, especially since it is an internal regulator.

For the record, CO2 could potentially be used if something like urethane o-rings are used.

Here is another way to build a balanced regulator.
The idea is that you have a threaded piece of pipe with a smooth surface inside (end caps on both sides) in which you put two sealing pistons, connected with a rod. On the low pressure side you have the "force spring" which keeps the inlet to the high pressure chamber open and sets the desired pressure.
The only precision part is that the both holes in the pipe have to be open at a certain point to form a passage for the air.

Once assembled you can take the pipe and connect two chambers.

Hubb wrote:In theory, it would work (of course). The biggest problem, which is probably not too much of a problem for you, is finding the correct spring to use on the HP side. Have you considered making it adjustable (or did I miss something)? That would ease the pain of finding the correct spring tension, although a correct spring will still need to be selected. It shouldn't be that hard to do, especially since it is an internal regulator.

For the record, CO2 could potentially be used if something like urethane o-rings are used.

Compressed air spring like in an air ride shock?

Or maybe a spring from a popoff valve...

Okay...I did use the spring from a pop-off and it is adjustable.I just screwed in the tension screw to the max...It is located at the very right side of the pictures.An M8 screw goes into the end, wich forces a small steel cilinder inward wich serves as a spring support.

The M8 screw is simply sealed with PTFE tape.

MRR, in theory your valve is simpler...but I'm not a huge fan of O-rings that have to pass a venthole.

BTB wrote:MRR, in theory your valve is simpler...but I'm not a huge fan of O-rings that have to pass a venthole.

Well, you reg isn't really all that complicated if you look over it and know how it works. It probably just seems more complicated because of the different parts.

I know what you mean but the vent holes doesn't have to be big. Two 1 or 2 mm holes would be enough to refill quite fast at high pressure and thats nothing that would have an effect on the o-rings.

The pistons and grooves for the rings should be quite good though.

Here we are again....

Lathes ftw