Making your own modded sprinkler valve
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:03 pm
Materials needed:
1.25\\" T
3/8 Brass Elbow
3/8 Brass Male Coupler (should be threaded on each side)
3/8 Brass Male Coupler (should be threaded on each side)(i wrote this twice because you need 2 of them)
1.25\\" to 1\\" Bushing
1.25\\" to 1\\" Bushing
3/4\\" Female Thread Coupler
3/4\\" Female Thread Coupler
3/4\\" Plug
1/4 Coupler (for blowgun)
Schrader Valve
Spring
Neoprene
Sealant
8 Screws
Blowgun
1.25\\" Plug
Start with the 3/4\\" plug. Bore out the back with a drill until you can slide a 3/8 coupler into it without screwing it in or anything.
Next, dry fit the bushings, T, and Female Couplers. The 3/4\\" fittings should fit into the 1\\" bushing. If it doesn't fit, sand it until it does. This part is tricky. Glue the bushings onto the opposite sides of the T. Glue the 3/4\\" threads in the bushings. Now pick a side, and put the 3/4\\" plud that you bored out in the back of the threads from the inside. You probalby should have dry fitted this too.
Now comes the brass. Rub sealant all over one end of the coupler and the inside of one end of the elbow. Screw the coupler in before it dries. Now put way too much sealant on the other end of the coupler and stick it through the plug from the inside. Before the sealant dries put globs of sealant through the 3/4\\" female threads that have the plug in them. Now blow through the open end of the elbow to make an air hole in the sealant. ( you can either do this or drill a hole later)
Make sure that the elbow is as centered as possible. Put more sealant inside the elbow and on the other 3/8 coupler and screw in the coupler. Make sure it is centered and not sticking up out of the T. It should look like the second diagram from the outside and the first diagram on the inside.
Now for all the other stuff. Take the 1\" plug and drill a hole in the center of the top for the blowgun coupler. Screw in the coupler to cut threads, then take it out and screw it back in with some teflon tape or sealant on it. Drill a hole in the top of the side of the plug for the schrader valve. Do the same thing with the schrader valve as with the coupler. Make sure that you got a weak spring that fits over the blowgun coupler. Turn the plug over and put the spring over the peice of the coupler that's sticking out.
Cut a diaphragm out of neoprene so that it can fit inside of the plug but is still a pretty good fit. Put it on top of the spring and leave it. Drill 8 small holes (smaller than your screws) on the top socket of the T, about 1/8\" away from the top. Slide the plug into the socket so that the diaphragm sits on top of the 3/8 coupler. Screw in all 8 screws where you drilled the holes for them. Put sealant on the tops of the screws and around the plug. The plug should not be all the way into the socket.
You have completed your valve!
If you want 1\" threads instead, do not put in bushings and use 1\" females and a 1\" plug.
As far as I've seen, these valves work better than sprinkler valves. They open faster and dump tons more air. You can put an air hose on if you want. It should look something like these when complete
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2338&
Note: This was the prototype so there are no screws
1.25\\" T
3/8 Brass Elbow
3/8 Brass Male Coupler (should be threaded on each side)
3/8 Brass Male Coupler (should be threaded on each side)(i wrote this twice because you need 2 of them)
1.25\\" to 1\\" Bushing
1.25\\" to 1\\" Bushing
3/4\\" Female Thread Coupler
3/4\\" Female Thread Coupler
3/4\\" Plug
1/4 Coupler (for blowgun)
Schrader Valve
Spring
Neoprene
Sealant
8 Screws
Blowgun
1.25\\" Plug
Start with the 3/4\\" plug. Bore out the back with a drill until you can slide a 3/8 coupler into it without screwing it in or anything.
Next, dry fit the bushings, T, and Female Couplers. The 3/4\\" fittings should fit into the 1\\" bushing. If it doesn't fit, sand it until it does. This part is tricky. Glue the bushings onto the opposite sides of the T. Glue the 3/4\\" threads in the bushings. Now pick a side, and put the 3/4\\" plud that you bored out in the back of the threads from the inside. You probalby should have dry fitted this too.
Now comes the brass. Rub sealant all over one end of the coupler and the inside of one end of the elbow. Screw the coupler in before it dries. Now put way too much sealant on the other end of the coupler and stick it through the plug from the inside. Before the sealant dries put globs of sealant through the 3/4\\" female threads that have the plug in them. Now blow through the open end of the elbow to make an air hole in the sealant. ( you can either do this or drill a hole later)
Make sure that the elbow is as centered as possible. Put more sealant inside the elbow and on the other 3/8 coupler and screw in the coupler. Make sure it is centered and not sticking up out of the T. It should look like the second diagram from the outside and the first diagram on the inside.
Now for all the other stuff. Take the 1\" plug and drill a hole in the center of the top for the blowgun coupler. Screw in the coupler to cut threads, then take it out and screw it back in with some teflon tape or sealant on it. Drill a hole in the top of the side of the plug for the schrader valve. Do the same thing with the schrader valve as with the coupler. Make sure that you got a weak spring that fits over the blowgun coupler. Turn the plug over and put the spring over the peice of the coupler that's sticking out.
Cut a diaphragm out of neoprene so that it can fit inside of the plug but is still a pretty good fit. Put it on top of the spring and leave it. Drill 8 small holes (smaller than your screws) on the top socket of the T, about 1/8\" away from the top. Slide the plug into the socket so that the diaphragm sits on top of the 3/8 coupler. Screw in all 8 screws where you drilled the holes for them. Put sealant on the tops of the screws and around the plug. The plug should not be all the way into the socket.
You have completed your valve!
If you want 1\" threads instead, do not put in bushings and use 1\" females and a 1\" plug.
As far as I've seen, these valves work better than sprinkler valves. They open faster and dump tons more air. You can put an air hose on if you want. It should look something like these when complete
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2338&
Note: This was the prototype so there are no screws