Which has better flow?

Show us your pneumatic spud gun! Discuss pneumatic (compressed gas) powered potato guns and related accessories. Valve types, actuation, pipe, materials, fittings, compressors, safety, gas choices, and more.
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Gun Freak
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:25 pm

A 1/4" ball valve:
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Or a 1/4" Blowgun:
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jhalek90
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:44 pm

All right,.... if you look at a blow gun... the holes that air flows through are MUCH smaller than the full 1/4'' hole in the ball vlave.... it seems that even a child could have told you that a ball valve has better flow.

But, ball valves have longer opening times.

So, although they have better flow when fully opened, it takes them longer to get to fully open.

But, all in all.... a ball valve opened at a relatively quick pace, will have MUCH greater flow than a blow gun.
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Hubb
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:02 pm

The ball valve is probably going to have almost double the amount of flow of the blowgun valve. To compensate, the blowgun opens much faster. Either mod the blowgun or spring the ball valve.
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MrCrowley
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:27 pm

If this is for a pilot valve, even a 1/4" ball valve will knock the socks of a modded blowgun.
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Demon
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:29 pm

If this is for a pilot valve, even a 1/4" ball valve will knock the socks of a modded blowgun.
Yes, but it throws off the accuracy ...
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MrCrowley
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:32 pm

Spring load it then. I've noticed even blowguns aren't great for accuracy, the fact that you can't slowly squeeze them open means that the gun "jumps" a little if it's not rested on something. Well I found that with my 6mm coaxial anyway, perhaps a heavier gun (assuming it doesn't have an unsupported barrel either) wont jump so much.
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McCoytheGreater
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:33 pm

I'm going with the ball valve for reasons already stated. Maybe you could rig some sort of torsion spring and latch to open the valve even faster than you could. Good luck with the build.
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Gun Freak
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:41 pm

Thanks guys... I wasn't sure because I own a 1/4" ball valve and the hole in it seems really small. But I was asking because I haven't seen the hole in the blowgun. Thanks for the comments... but I have decided to build this gun in pvc so I will be using my spare modded sprinkler.
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tatfree
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:59 pm

If money was no option is there anything as good or better than a ball valve when going to a QEV ?
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:37 pm

Do you mean to pilot a qev? Because even better than a ball valve would be a smaller qev if price is not of concern! :D
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tatfree
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:41 pm

Gun Freak wrote:Do you mean to pilot a qev? Because even better than a ball valve would be a smaller qev if price is not of concern! :D
Got any pics of this, because I don't understand how that would work ?

Wouldn't the smaller QEV need a pilot for it to work as well ?
Ah I still have so much to learn :wink:
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Marffy
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:29 pm

The 1/4 BALL VALVE has obviously a better flow.
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chinnerz
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Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:00 am

ok well ball valves are better when opening them quickly, the best design would be spring loading it. if you open up a blowgun you will see that there is a smaller hole for the air to pass through.
I've noticed even blowguns aren't great for accuracy, the fact that you can't slowly squeeze them open means that the gun "jumps" a little if it's not rested on something.
i too have noticed this, and if i knew this before i started, i would have never use it. (and my rifle is about 2-2.5gk, still jumps when i am standing and shooting it)
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Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:01 am

the fact that you can't slowly squeeze them open means that the gun "jumps" a little if it's not rested on something
yeah but every valve is like that... so that's why it might be a good idea to add a smaller QEV.. sure if you open the triggering valve slow it will open the smaller QEV slower than it can but that's going to be better than if it was attached directly to the main valve
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Gun Freak
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Sat Mar 13, 2010 10:21 am

tatfree wrote:Got any pics of this, because I don't understand how that would work ?

Wouldn't the smaller QEV need a pilot for it to work as well ?
Ah I still have so much to learn :wink:
Yes the smaller qev would need a pilot, a blowgun or 1/4 ball valve would be fine.
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