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A few Newbie questions

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 8:56 pm
by darthturkey
Well I have been lurking around the forums for a few days and just have a few basic questions aboutmaking a pneumatic paintball cannon. I understand you guys don't supply designs and gun tutorials so I just have a question about a personal design.
1. Schrader Valves
-Where can I get them?
-What is a good pump to use with them for a decent shot of 5 paintballs?
-How do i attach them without creating a safety hazard?
2. Connecting tanks
My design consists of a barrel, ball valve, an air chamber, and a if I will air tank. The air tanks will be filled up with a pump on the field and need to shoot 5 paintballs at a time. The air tanks will be filled via the pump and be connected to the air chamber there fore feeding air into the chamber. Then the ball valve will be opened propelling the paintballs
-My question here is how can I connect the tank to the chamber?What kind of connections do I need and furthermore how do i connect them to the tank and air chamber without creating a safety hazard?
3.Operation pressure
I realize that I need to use both primer and glue for the PVC but in order to shoot 5 -10 paintballs at a time what sort of PSI and Cubic inches of storage am I looking at to accomplish this?

I understand im asking alot here but when I make this I just want it to work and it to not be a safety hazard to my self and my friends. If you could help or atleast answer one or two of the questions it would be much appreciated.


-A new hopeful

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:10 pm
by Sergeant Dotson
You can get shrader valves from http://www.bcarms.com. The way to install them it to either thread them in to a female thread, or tap your own hole. To tap your own hole, you simply drill a hole slightly smaller than the shrader, then using a tap, (a small tool that threads holes) screw the tap in the hole, not all the way though. Then unscrew the tap and put some teflon tape on your threads ,then screw er' in. :) You can also just screw the shrader straight in, but I think it is more enjoyable and challenging to tap the hole. Tapping is not necessary, though it can help you screw it in a hell of a lot straighter. Signing off....

Hope I could help.
-Dotson

P.S.
To get that many paintballs off, I would not use any less than 175 PSI. Just an estimate though.

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:18 pm
by darthturkey
Really 175 PSI for 5 paintballs? Are you sure because I dont think A. a pump can go that high and B. I dont think schrader valves are rated to that high so I would have to go to an air compressor.

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:25 pm
by Sergeant Dotson
Well, I bet that is a little high, though it would not hurt. Maybe, 100? I would probably not take it much less though.

By the way,
Are you shooting them all at once?

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:30 pm
by darthturkey
Well Yes im planning on making it like a mortar. So one homemade PVC tank would be for 5 paintballs. Also in the event the pump cannot be used would it be possible to use my 48/30 HPA tank with a remote coil. If so how would I regulate the pressure and amount of airflow pershot.

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:36 pm
by Sergeant Dotson
Regulate the pressure in the chamber? Or in the HPA tank?

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 12:36 am
by Pilgrimman
Schrader valves are available at any auto parts store, but they are the rubber kind, which can be mounted using a small hole and some superglue. The threaded ones are available from bc arms as mentioned above. If you want a decent mortar, a stand-up bike pump should do, assuming you are operating at 100 psi. I don't know what kind of range you want, so I can't help much there.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 12:39 am
by jook13
at checker or auto zone, all I was able to find was the rubber schrader valves that pilgrimman speaks of. but at Napa, I was able to come across a really badass threaded schrader that is perfect for spud guns, comes with a rubber seal washer and everything.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 6:16 am
by darthturkey
ok now that I have my source down the only other thing im drawing a blank on is the connecting. I know you guys use quick disconnects and stuff but can I also get those at an auto parts store. Both the male and female ends? If so can I attach both a schrader valve, a quick disconnect and a guage all onto one tank? Will the quick disconnect not only connect to my chamber but also whilst not being connected seal the air I have pumped into it.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 6:29 am
by jrrdw
You want to use eather a shrader valve, or a quick disconnect set up not both. Most air compressors only go to about 125psi. Most bike pumps go to about 100psi.

Search the forums for "high pressure pump", the are home made and member told reach pressures of around 300psi.

Do you have any design plans you can post for us to look at?

Welcome to Spudfiles.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 6:43 am
by darthturkey
Here is a quick color coated sketch of what im planning to make. Im willing to get a little bit more complicated in the design to make it work better but I would like to keep it as simple as possible to make any repairs that are needed manageable.
Image


I also just want to say thanks for all the help so far. You really dont see many forums out there when a new person makes a post with questions that they get some many good responses so really thanks for helping me get into the world of pneumatic cannons and such.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 7:29 am
by jrrdw
From the looks of your diagram, you can do away with the yellow tank and hook straight up to the cannon chamber. What I see missing is a firing valve.

Beginners normally use modded sprinkler valves. If you haven't bought any parts yet, let me suggest a in line pneumatic kit from www.bcarms.com. Worth the money approx. $45.00 U.S. plus shipping. You can easily adapt down to a paint ball barrel that you want to use.

Kit comes with everything you need to get started, a great learning and fun cannon to shoot.

Also, at the top of the page there is a button that says Wiki on it. A huge amount of information about valves and well, everything spud gun related.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 2:17 pm
by darthturkey
the only reason I wanted the seperate tank was so I could pump a ton of tanks up and then simply switch them in and out during play time and inebtween games so I dont constanty spend 10 minutes between games.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:38 pm
by pnematicrookie
the best Schrader valves to uses are the ones with threads so u can get a tight fight by just screwing them in...BUT the adapters u would need to get air into ur chamber are all metal fittings, so maybe u can use a metal chamber? it'll make ur gun heavier but, i personally think metal chambers are just safer anyway AND i wouldnt use a ball valve...try ur best not to use ball valves for shootin ur pneumatics...they take away so much power...at LEAST use a modded sprinkler valve, they're really reliable

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 4:46 pm
by darthturkey
So I make tanks with PVC add schrader valves to them. Then attach the female end of the schrader valve into my air chamber. Then I pump the tank with the bike pump and then finally attach the tank with the schrader valve into my air chamber and then shoot. Now also with these sprinkler valves will this one http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... =100051032 work properly because I would like to get this all done in cash and not done over the internet.