38 replies to this topic

[Meaker VI]

CSlug, I just bought a standing bike pump for my parents and it says it can put out up to 100 PSI or something; and has a gauge that goes up well past 100 PSI. I pumped my mountain bike's tires up to 65 with it, and mountain bike tires are much lower pressure than road tires. I wouldn't be surprised to find pumps that go up to dangerous levels for PVC.

Actually...this Topeak hand pump says it is capable of 160 PSI, and they've got a floor pump here that goes up to 260 PSI. Granted, those are the top-of-the line Topeak pumps, but their lower end still puts out upwards of 120 PSI.

So, for safety's sake, use a gauge and don't fill PVC to anything above what CSlug tells you to. And don't trust your bike pump to not put out the pressure required to blow up PVC pipes.

[Prometheus]

260, shit, imagine the possibilities. I should replace my compressor with one of them. Hell, even using a metal tank would be worth that kind of pressure.

[The Hellforger]

If you guys are gonna be retarded and not listen to CS's safety warnings about HP then why not just go out and buy a paintball air tank and then regulate that down so it doesn't blow your tinker toy all to hell when you gas it up?

[CaptainSlug]

Yes, stronger pumps will typically include a gauge on them. And if you want to fill a tank above 100psi regularly it needs to be a pressure rated tank.

If you guys are gonna be retarded and not listen to CS's safety warnings about HP then why not just go out and buy a paintball air tank and then regulate that down so it doesn't blow your tinker toy all to hell when you gas it up?

That's a rather costly solution. I'm doing it myself, but it's not an ideal solution for everyone since it requires alot of research and very specific parts.
Regulating a paintball tank down to levels usable with Nerf guns is actually harder than it sounds. The lowest output adjustable regulator with consistent output I could find still outputs 90psi, which is too high for most Nerf guns so I have to use a scientific regulator to make smaller adjustments.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 13 May 2007 - 05:37 PM.

[Prometheus]

If you guys are gonna be retarded and not listen to CS's safety warnings about HP then why not just go out and buy a paintball air tank and then regulate that down so it doesn't blow your tinker toy all to hell when you gas it up?

I'm very well aware of the Captain's recommendations, but I've also seen metal tanks that are small, compact, and rated for up to 400 psi. They are somewhat expensive, but if you are looking for longevity then it's a worthwhile investment.

[bobafan]

The other day I bought a chemical sprayer for use as a tank such as this. It comes with it own pump which has a regrettably short stroke but it works. The tank is only rated to 35psi so I won't be having as many shot or need a regulator. I am going to mount a pressure gauge on the side somewhere.

It is 3 gallons so there is good volume. It was on sale for $10 but there was a backpack version with all sorts of gizmos for around $70.

I just wanted to put that out there for people whe are lazy like me to use instead of CS's wonderful design.

[CaptainSlug]

35psi is pretty low for a tank pressure level. Might be usable to "refill" semi-autos and dump valve type guns (Titan, AT3k, supermaxx, etc.) if you put a ball valve inbetween the tank and the gun and keep it closed when you fire.
But even if it's a high volume tank I can't see it being able to provide any more than 3 or 4 shots per tank fill.

[bobafan]

Well, I looked at the box again and apparently the 35lbs/in I saw was about the box itself.

I don't know what the max pressure is, it doesn't say on the box or the website. Apparently the sprayer company doesn't intend people to use their tanks as a semi-hazardous pressure resevoir.

The plastic is a good 1/3" thick, it might hold a nice amount of pressure. I might go buy another to hook up to the air compressor to see how much it can hold.

Oh here is a link to the fancy backpacks. They are kinda cool.

[CaptainSlug]

Just based on wall thickness and material they should be fillable to 70PSI , which is easy enough to achieve with a bike pump. Just don't do so without a pressure gauge.

Edited by CaptainSlug, 15 May 2007 - 11:19 PM.

[Forsaken angel24]

Back when I worked at the hardware store, A woman bought a sprayer tank like that. She brought it home and pumped it up and intended on spraying air at her children as a joke. It was to her surprise that the tank was already used and returned. The leftover chemicals were sprayed in her childrens faces and it had gotten into her childrens eyes. I never heard anything that happened after that.

[wallymaniac]

Back when I worked at the hardware store, A woman bought a sprayer tank like that. She brought it home and pumped it up and intended on spraying air at her children as a joke. It was to her surprise that the tank was already used and returned. The leftover chemicals were sprayed in her childrens faces and it had gotten into her childrens eyes. I never heard anything that happened after that.

I'm going to venture to say:
That didn't end well.

[Prometheus]

Back when I worked at the hardware store, A woman bought a sprayer tank like that. She brought it home and pumped it up and intended on spraying air at her children as a joke. It was to her surprise that the tank was already used and returned. The leftover chemicals were sprayed in her childrens faces and it had gotten into her childrens eyes. I never heard anything that happened after that.

I'm going to venture to say:
That didn't end well.

No shit, eh? Anywho, it sounds like a PE or PP tank, and over 1/4" thick should hold some pressure. I'm confident in CaptainSlug's estimate, because I've seen pop bottles hold almost that much, and they're nowhere near as thick.


Sorry to revive this, but important question. I found some 3" PVC sewer pipe, and the wall is thicker than normal
thinwall PVC. Is this stuff different that what CS used? If so, what is the wall thickness of your PVC CS?

Edited by Prometheus, 04 June 2007 - 11:35 PM.

[Bro Juice]

Would this work for something like a battle max sceptor?

[shmmee]

Wow. I think that's a necro that's worth a re-read. I'm actually kinda intriuged with the bug sprayer tank option (provided it's clean and clear of chemicals). They're large capacity and are built and designed with pump and suitable oprv. They'll weigh a lot less than any metal hard tank as well. I think they would be crazy cheap and easy to dump in a backpack and run with... I wonder what pressure the oprv pops at...