GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => PCP/CO2/HPA Air Gun Gates "The Darkside" => Support Equipment For PCP/HPA/CO2 => Topic started by: toddbrat on January 08, 2019, 04:10:08 PM
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I had to tear down my Urban over the weekend and noticed some corrosion starting in the air tube. I've been using a combination of filling from a SCUBA tank and a Benji hand pump, that was recently replaced with one of the cheap ones from Amazon. I did notice when bleeding the Benji pump (with the desiccant filter) a mist was coming from the bleed valve. I've not noticed this from the new hand pump. I'm thinking of upgrading to a compressor with additional filtering to keep things dry. I currently have 3 PCP's I use: Urban, Buccaneer and Maximus. I have no plans for anything needing more than a 3k fill in the foreseeable future, if I were to add anything it would probably be a Marauder FT. I'm thinking I would likely use the compressor to top off the SCUBA tank once it gets to about 2400 psi back to 3k as most of mine are setup to only need no more than 2400psi. The only thing that would change that is if I add any regulators, but those are out of the question for now if I get the compressor.
I'd like to keep things as simple as possible. I'm looking at the Nomad II, but that is more geared for filling the guns directly. I don't have a problem with the but would like to use the tank since I have it. Also considering a Yong Heng or Shoebox. I could probably get the Shoebox and extra filter for what I'd pay for the Nomad and cheaper still with the Yong Heng. With the new tariffs they've gone up some but still not a bad price. I do have a Rigid pancake type compressor that should run the Shoebox, maybe slower than a larger one but no more than 500-600psi back to 3k shouldn't be that long of a fill time. Thoughts?
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Just tagging to watch with intrest… thanks.
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Have been very happy with my genuine Yong Heng Hardback model purchased through eBay. I also use a second filter filled with molecular sieve and replace the beads when the color indicating beads change color, have had no signs of moisture in my tank or rifles. Only purchased it this summer and already feel like it has paid for itself, if it ever broke I would fix or replace it with another. Most of the problems I have read about here or on AGN have been with the Vevor and other clone or off-brand compressors and those that have been Yong Heng's have been the set pressure model and not the 110v hardback model.
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I also use a second filter filled with molecular sieve and replace the beads when the color indicating beads change color
Could you please provide more detail on this? Sorry not familiar with these gizmos.
Especially how it is 'attached' and where it is attached?
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I also use a second filter filled with molecular sieve and replace the beads when the color indicating beads change color
Could you please provide more detail on this? Sorry not familiar with these gizmos.
Especially how it is 'attached' and where it is attached?
It's a filter that dries the outgoing compressed air before it enters whatever your filling. At these high pressures water is squeezed out of the air and condenses inside your gun or tank possibly leading to corrosion. The filter helps prevent that.
I have the twin cylinder adjustable pressure tuxing. ~$600 on eBay. I only have a couple hours on it but has been trouble free so far. I purchased the twin cylinder as I have a guppy tank to fill rather than direct to the rifles and this model fills faster.
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I'll offer this link to a post I made a while ago to help clear up confusion on managing water vapor - it probably will help you understand things you need to know, especially since you are choosing this path due to concerns over water to begin with: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=139845.0 (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=139845.0)
I will say that I am a VERY satisfied Shoebox owner/user, and that is based on having an older Shoebox Max that cost a lot more and fills a lot slower than the latest Shoebox F10 . . . I would not hesitate to buy the current Shoebox.
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Thanks all, this has been great info. I honestly started this post leaning towards a Shoebox for the main reasons that they seem to be built like tanks and the idea of being able to run a less expensive dryer between the shop compressor and Shoebox and then a smaller unit on the output side seems like a great way to keep it as dry as possible. Since I'm only going to be compressing to 3k, that should keep the heat and moisture down compared to going to 4500. I'm still evaluating options and trying to figure out how many pennies I need to start saving up.
In the meantime, does anyone have any good suggestions on an output side dryer for a handpump that won't add too much work? I think I've seen some posts on making an input side larger filter using a jar and desiccant beads but can't find that one.
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The real key with a hand pump is to keep the pumping sessions short, in order to manage the heat – doing this helps the pump life, and helps to condense as much water vapor as possible out of the air charge. By not pumping more than about 50 strokes in a session – and then venting the line to blow out the condensed water and giving the pump time to cool back down to ambient – we are able to condense out almost all the water vapor that would otherwise condense in the gun’s reservoir.
The pre-filters can clearly help, but something that would also help a lot would be to chill the pump – or at least the base of the pump – prior to pumping. The base is where the air charge cools down and the water vapor condenses out of the air, and having the base as cool as possible would help greatly. I have never tried it (I hand pumped for years using a Hill with the drier on it) but it would certainly help if you could put the pump in a fridge for a bit it, or maybe wrap the base in an ice pack, before you use it.
Other than that, if you are planning on buying a Shoebox, you could just buy the desiccant drier that you plan to use in advance of the purchase and use it as your pre-filter, maybe with a flexible rubber hose to the input on your pump.
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If you're thinking about filling a SCUBA tank, don't consider the 12V/110V compressors. They aren't really designed for that kind of thing.
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Todd,
I made a Shoebox water removal thread a while back:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=120744.0 (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=120744.0)
There is a lot of good information in that thread and you can see where as I learned more about moisture removal my strategy evolved.
Thanks,
Taso