Idea for pilot valve.

[Gun Freak]

So you hook your gun up to a compressor via quick connect and it pressurizes. Then to pilot it, simply disconnect the female connector leaving the male open and venting the pilot volume. How good do you guys think this would work? Has it been done before?

[Hawkeye]

It is the safest and most accurate way of firing a piston valve. I can't think of a better trigger for a gun.

[Gun Freak]

You forgot the [sarcasm] brackets [/sarcasm]
Yes I already thought of that. But for a bigger maybe potato cannon when accuracy isn't the concern I think it could be good.

[Bluetooth]

You forgot the [sarcasm] brackets [/sarcasm]
Yes I already thought of that. But for a bigger maybe potato cannon when accuracy isn't the concern I think it could be good.

1. How would this affect accuracy?

2. What is the concern with a "bigger maybe potato cannon"? My take on this is that an inaccurate gun (depending on the level of inaccuracy) is dangerous.

3. I think this would be fine, except for when you want to pressurize your cannon and go somewhere else (like if your compressor was inside and you're not crazy enough to fire the cannon inside), your air source does not make this plausible (maybe a bike pump), or you don't want to waste the pressure from your compressor if the piston doesn't seal right away.

[Gun Freak]

Ok drop this idea then.
And about your sig, I am doing the same thing, just half the size. Got a good idea for it.

[deathbyDWV]

Yeah it would work as long as it's for a small valve... It would work for a sprinkler valve fine... It would decrease accuracy on small guns because when you pull the connect off it would skew your aim...

[Gun Freak]

Yeah that's why I thought it should only be used on big potato guns in which accuracy isn't your greatest concern.

[c11man]

to pilot the shredder on Plague it would work great, but i prefer to be about 15 ft from it when it fires so i can watch the destruction better

[DR]

I think that it'd make an excellent "ghetto-style" trigger, for a howitzer-design cannon... The Female Quick-Disconnect would be attached, via a hose clamp and some thin aircraft cable, to make an effective lanyard.

The user faces away from "downrange" and places the lanyard against their outside hip. You simply twist your hip, to fire.

Or, have the FQD facing forward and rigged so that the user pulls it from the rear, to disconnect.

[deathbyDWV]

That's kinda like an idea I had...
I was thinking for a pull string pilot using a pop off valve... Just tie a string to the ring...

[c11man]

for my piloting needs i go way overkill and use a large solinoid valve
http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv32 ... 0_9762.jpg
one on the left side

[Bluetooth]

Ok drop this idea then.
And about your sig, I am doing the same thing, just half the size. Got a good idea for it.

I'm sure that design would work (just a pain in the a$$ to build with the piston sliding on that other pipe/track), but I have no problem with making a simple piston valve (done it twice before), it's just that I want it contained entirely within the tee and with threaded connections for all three ports (not like yours with those female threaded adapters hanging off.

for my piloting needs i go way overkill and use a large solinoid valve
http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv32 ... 0_9762.jpg
one on the left side

That's not that overkill. Many people use a 3/4" or larger sprinkler valve piloted with a ball valve, blowgun, or solenoid (and crappy battery/switch and wire setup) to pilot their piston valve.

[saefroch]

That's not that overkill. Many people use a 3/4" or larger sprinkler valve piloted with a ball valve, blowgun, or solenoid (and crappy battery/switch and wire setup) to pilot their piston valve.

Exactly what I've been using.

This idea seems like a perfectly good idea to me, the only problem that I can think of this would be the fact that you're not just venting out the back end, you're venting out between two points of attachment, which could turn ugly. I'd just hook up a small rig, just pressurize a small chamber, connect your pilot mechanism to it, and just try it out a progressively higher pressures until you come to a conclusion about safety and feasibility.

[Mr.Sandman]

Well a lot of people use a sprinkler valve, but I would recommend a tee piston piston valve piloted by a ball valve as a pilot. Or, you could be really revolutionary and incorporate a qdv as a pilot.

[Bluetooth]

Well a lot of people use a sprinkler valve, but I would recommend a tee piston piston valve piloted by a ball valve as a pilot. Or, you could be really revolutionary and incorporate a qdv as a pilot.

Is the "piston piston valve" something I've never heard of, or do you like redundancy?