homemade regulators

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sputnick
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Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:05 am

How could the bottle pressure of 3000 be reduced to 850 just in the bottle neck itself, and that does not say for HPA, but HP nitro... not sure what difference it makes, but if it didn't, then why wouldn't they list HPA as a useable gas...
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grumpy
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Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:39 am

for paintball hpa and nitrogen are the same thing, the air you breath is around 80 % nitrogen.
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POLAND_SPUD
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Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:57 am

hmmm if a low pressure tank of HPA has an output of 450 psi what's the point in making a regulator in hte first place ??

450 psi is relatively safe to use with malleable iron fittings pipes ( 1/2" or 3/4")

also reggin down from 450 psi seems like something that can be done easily and safely
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ALIHISGREAT
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Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:17 pm

i don't think low pressure HPA bottles are all that common....

but the Dye throttle air system is available with a fully adjustable reg....
grumpy
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Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:51 pm

there is still 3000 or 4500 psi in the tank, the reg is either fixed 850 or 450 psi out put , 450 psi is considered low pressure and are very common . as was said you can also get one with an adjustable reg ,
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daccel
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Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:30 am

This is how I will be making my regulator. Not put together yet, but it is much like the commercial diagram initially posted, so you get the idea. Ignore the wire across the middle.
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daccel
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:44 am

Excuse the bump.

Scrapped the previous plan. This is how it ended up coming together. It's very similar to the one Ragnarok post, just not in a tee and without an airspring. For perspective, the fittings are 1/4".

It was actually pretty easy to make, if a bit fiddly trying to epoxy such small parts. I had to sacrifice the o-rings used in forming the piston, because a third of the o-ring thickness got cut off when I was shaving down the epoxy.

It is designed to meter at around 50 psi, though where it actually ends up and how adjustable it is remains to be seen. I measured the spring strength by placing a 750 gm block of cheese on it and seeing how far it compressed :lol:.

I'll test it out tomorrow when the epoxy is cured.
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SubsonicSpud
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:23 am

I am keen to see how this regulator turns out. I have not been able to find a suitable regulator for running my PVC cannons of a 1000psi air supply. I might try to make a similar regulator using an air spring so it can be highly adjustable for use with high pressure and low pressure cannons. :twisted:
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jonnyboy
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:42 am

SubsonicSpud wrote:I am keen to see how this regulator turns out. I have not been able to find a suitable regulator for running my PVC cannons of a 1000psi air supply.
Fail :violent2:

This regulator is pretty cheap here.
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littlebro05
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:01 am

Out of curiosity on how the regulator works. Does this mean this "piston" that's moving back and forth because of the air pressure is reciprocating at a very high speed while air is constantly filled. Because I was thinking that if you have a constant pull on the output would it still reciprocate properly?
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SubsonicSpud
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:47 pm

littlebro05

I don't think the piston would reciprocate during filling. I believe it would slide forward to expose the high pressure port then slide back slowly as the forces acting on the piston from the low pressure air build up to match the springs force.

Cheers
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daxspudder
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:50 pm

jonnyboy wrote:
SubsonicSpud wrote:I am keen to see how this regulator turns out. I have not been able to find a suitable regulator for running my PVC cannons of a 1000psi air supply.
Fail :violent2:

This regulator is pretty cheap here.
I think the real failure is highlighted above...
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daxspudder
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:00 pm

sorry to double post, but this is post is about safety through experience...
sputnick wrote:whoa, so if I am reading this right, For 1/2 inch copper pipe, the pressure rating is about 1000 psi, but the actual burst pressure is 9000?!?!?!? (drawn, K type at room temp) that's incredible... I still think I would feel scared S***less about having a metal tube pressurised to 2000 psi over its listed pressure rating... Also, using smaller pipes might work, thicker walls and less SI's for the P to push on...
as many of you know, Im a submariner... well on our torpedo tubes we use 400psi air to cycle out interlocks when firing, one time we had a reducer fail, allowing 4300-4500psi air cycle through the 1/2" copper piping which within 2 seconds of pressure being applied, burst, a 3 foot section "flowered" when it burst... and we are talking military grade, subsafe copper piping... which had probably not even gotten over 3k when it burst...
"<I>For dare to be peace, I have to keep at it everyday, da Man doesn't take days off so neither can I</I>" -<B>Bob Marley</B>, day before a performance, a day after being shot in the chest. "<I>If you are the big, big tree, we are the small axe, ready to cut you down!</I>" -Bob again :brave:
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SubsonicSpud
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:12 pm

daxspudder wrote:
jonnyboy wrote:
SubsonicSpud wrote:I am keen to see how this regulator turns out. I have not been able to find a suitable regulator for running my PVC cannons of a 1000psi air supply.
Fail :violent2:

This regulator is pretty cheap here.
I think the real failure is highlighted above...
Just to clear things up, please read the original post properly. I am not intending to run a PVC cannon at 1000psi. I am indending on having a 800 - 1000psi air bottle regulated down to a safe pressure for PVC.

Cheers
Last edited by SubsonicSpud on Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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psycix
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Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:17 pm

but the actual burst pressure is 9000?!?!?!?
OVER NINE-THOUSAAAAAND! :D


Aside from that, when metal pipes blow, usually they tend tear open instead of going shrapnel, which is a pleasant property.
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