Pressure Tester for <$20

[BigTinBoat]

Didn't think it was possible but I was tinkering with some stuff getting ready for my QB78 to come in. I found a Pure Energy on/off valve that I got with as remote coiled line for $8 and took it apart to see how easily I could drill and tap it 1/8" pipe thread so that I could have an output and a port for a gauge to see the pressure and use it one my QB.
That's when I realized that when the knob is turned further then to just turn off the flow it allows the pin to raise up higher and let the grooved part of pin to move up to the O-ring and allow the pressure to bleed from the valve. This will allow easy removal of the on/off from my bottle. I picked up a 2.5" Wika liquid filled 3K gauge for $10 on ebay so for $18 I will have a nice regulator output pressure tester. Now I just need to pick up another one to drill and use on my QB. This would also allow me to easily remove the 13ci bottle and put a CO2 on if I want.

The shoulder on the pin will stop it from shooting out the top of the valve if the knob is unscrewed too fast.


Anyone on here see any "safety" problems with this set-up? I did try it on a Co2 bottle with the little 1500 gauge on it now and it showed pressure when opened and then unscrewing the knob shut the bottle off and then a bit more turning bleed the pressure off valve.

[SpiralGroove]

Hey BigiTinBoat,
So the pressure gauge will thread IN the end w/existing OD threads and a female coupler will be added to the other end? 
I'm assuming the gun has male end; like to see a picture of the final setup.  I think the final product needs to be able to snap on, open the valve, get a pressure reading, close the valve, then bleed off pressurized air in system.   
Kirk

[BigTinBoat]

Hey BigiTinBoat,
So the pressure gauge will thread IN the end w/existing OD threads and a female coupler will be added to the other end? 
I'm assuming the gun has male end; like to see a picture of the final setup.  I think the final product needs to be able to snap on, open the valve, get a pressure reading, close the valve, then bleed off pressurized air in system.   
Kirk

No - the silver "pin" in the pic goes into the black piece from the bottom of the pic. This then screws onto a paintball (ASA) bottle. The blue piece in the pic is the knob that screws on to the threads shown in the pic, and this is what turns the bottle on/off. Screwed in the bottle is "on". Screw out and it turns "off". Keep screwing out and the pressure (inside the black piece) is then released when the silver piece moves "up" and the grooved section moves to where the sealing o-ring is.
As it is now I can use it to test regulator output on a paintball bottle. (The gauge is already screwed into the body) To use it on the gun I will have to drill and tap (1/8"NPT)  the body opposite the gauge to thread a 90 to connect to the gun.

Here is a pic of how I want to use it on the gun


My on/off valve will replace the red piece in the picture. The red piece in the pic does the exact same thing but at a $39 price tag.