Regulator Problems?

Harness the power of precision mixtures of pressurized flammable vapor. Safety first! These are advanced potato guns - not for the beginner.
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Lockednloaded
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Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:26 pm

I am working on a fueling system for my upcoming hybrid, but there are still some kinks to be worked out. I have this regulator, and I have been told that when it is fed by a low flow propane torch head, it has to be reset after each shot. Has anyone had this problem on advanced combustions or hybrids?
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Technician1002
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Thu Sep 30, 2010 12:00 am

Those small regulators designed for high flow do have problems with accurate stable repeatability. I tried to set my compressor for some low pressure precise golf ball lobs, but it was good for holding pressure to somewhere about + or - 10 PSI from where I set it.

I had to go to a welding regulator to set a repeatable low pressure such as 8 PSI. The other regulator would regulate, but settle somewhere between 0 and 15 PSI for each shot. They are OK for setting a nailer to say ~60 PSI or near it, but lousy for accuracy.

Using the welding regulator instead permitted dialing in the distance of the shots. Below is a video of hitting the wheelbarrow. As it was hand held, left/right was a little off, but the distance was dead center. The golf ball landed on the side. 2 inches to the left would have dropped it right in. The cheap regulator got me from no launch to the far end of the driveway at random.
[youtube][/youtube]

Here is the business end of that golf ball shot. A propane tank was filled with air because the regulator fit the valve. The welding regulator worked well for accurate repeatable pressure for the shots. The red on the gauge starts at 15 PSI. The system is set for about 9 PSI.
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MrCrowley
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Thu Sep 30, 2010 5:06 am

Yeah I had the same problems, though I never intended to use it as a regulator but more as an easier way of controlling the flow of the air input. Instead of cracking a ball valve open slowly, I used the regulator to allow me to adjust the pressure easier. That way, I rarely over-injected the required air pressure (which would require venting out the excess air).
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