anyone using a co2 bottle warmer

[poomwah]

I'm going to be making a custom stock, and I was thinking about making a heater inside it for the tube on a bulk fill.  I was thinking of using the wiring out of a 9volt heated sock.  I  could then either hide the 9v battery under the butt plate, or inlay a battery door into the bottom of the fore end.
what do you guys think?  would it get the bottle TOO hot? would I have to install a thermometer and a rheostat to turn the juice down?

[Tdubya]

I've thought about something like that when it turns cold. Could be dangerous...

[poomwah]

thats what I was worried about

[TimmyMac1]

Hard to keep pace with a refrigerant but all forms of heat will counter the chill effect including Solar, Body heat, Vehicle heat (all # of wheels and fuel sources)Radiant heat etc. I would imagine the key to success would not be heating uncontrollably but simply having some sort of management system in place be it auto mechanical, electrical, or manual switching.
I suggest getting a Desert Environment (read lizard/snake) stick on thermometer so you can monitor the heat of the gun and manage it accordingly. Hapiness is a Warm CO2 gun as long as the warmth is consistent. What helps that is moderate CO2 usage, considerable CO2 volume stored, gas vaporization primarily confined to the Tank or pressure vessel and adequate BTU input to keep up with the Heat required to maintain temp.
CO2 pressures go up exponentially with increased added F so it is best to keep CO2 in the Warm Range but Hot is not a good approach.

On a NORMAL FILL which is 65% of what can PHYSICALLY fit in a CO2, Gun or Tank.
Hot(105+F) is going to get you 1500+ PSI at the exhaust valve which will deform all but the hardest seals.
Normal(85F) 1000 PSI
Cool(65F) 750
Cold(45F) 600

Put a guart and a half in a quart jar and you have the EXTREME overfill wihich has these potential pressure points.
CO2 already has an exponential relationship with Temperature but if you add to much CO2 in a vessel the Effect becomes exaserbated by the very strange charachteristics of the gas that makes it such a great storage medium for AG powerplants. Giffard had it all figured out but I'll bet he soiled his pants more than a few times learning the lessons of CO2. It can be scary stuff if you get stupid. I'm here to tell everyone not to go there.
Hot(105+F) is going to get you 7500+ PSI.
Normal(85F) 6000 PSI
Cool(65F) 4500
Cold(45F) 3000

The Burst discs on Tanks are set to blow at 3K so if someone takes it and bleeds it a few times to get it ridiculaously cold a 4oz tank would physically take 6oz of CO2 and when it warmed to a mere 45F the 3K PSI Safety Burst disk would let the 6oz go cause it is made to protect against such inevitable exercises.

CO2 is filled by weight NOT WAIT & SEE!

Get a scale if you plan on filling guns or tanks intelligently. The gas is relatively self regulating below the NORMAL fill window. Above the Normal Fill/Temperature window it is anything but useful and controllable.

This is not a PCP in disguise. Any one off should be Hydotested to verify the structural integrity is up to the task. 1800 PSI rated vessels get hydrotested at 3k for stretch and compliance specs.
I figure with the interchangeability of adapters and general ignorance I'd test every CO2 gun to 4500 psi cause that is what it could see if it doesn't have a burst disc. What is in the tank seems to always wind up in the gun due to that MURPHY GUY!
What you want to see is a NON-catostrophic failure, which means a seal or fastener fails rather than the vessels integrity.

Heating CO2 is a little like rooftop surfing. Energy and Physics gone bad! Stick to the Sun and Warm it to a Nice toasty room temperature and enjoy. Happiness is a Warm Gun but Hot is Not good!

BE SAFE!!!!!

[SAADE]

poomwah: Don't know what a thermal sock warms to (degrees F) do you? Do a little homework before you go down this road (as Tim noted). You have a sound concept, you just need some details worked out.

A co2 bottle at 70 deg F +/- 10 deg could be ok but... how to achieve that is in the details of the device you would use.

[aack73]

like Tim said. moderation.  a little heat will do wonders. a lot will make you wonder.(why did i do that)

[dpricenator]

Has anyone tried these?

[SAADE]

Hmmm, chemical heat..., maybe?

[poomwah]

poomwah: Don't know what a thermal sock warms to (degrees F) do you? Do a little homework before you go down this road (as Tim noted). You have a sound concept, you just need some details worked out.

A co2 bottle at 70 deg F +/- 10 deg could be ok but... how to achieve that is in the details of the device you would use.

I"m not sure what temp they produce, I don't have any to measure yet.  I'm sure they are hotter than what I need, that's why I was thinking about a rheostat to turn them down accordingly.

[SAADE]

I'm guessing that a sock would have to be near 90+ deg for the human body to interpret it as heat? (98.6 F being normal body temp)

A rheostat could work but...it's basically a heat sink too and might not so good the batt dry fairly quick?

Keep thinkin on this one, the concept is a good one. Maybe look at industrial temp strip or tapes too? McMaster Carr or Grainger or ...?

[North Pack]

Any type of battery pipe heaters? - Similar to what's used by mobile home owners to keep their pipes from freezing. In this case one long wire thin with a thermostat attached.

[dpricenator]

Any type of battery pipe heaters? - Similar to what's used by mobile home owners to keep their pipes from freezing. In this case one long wire thin with a thermostat attached.

those don't keep your pipes at 70*F though.  they just keep the pipe from freezing.

[rsterne]

Nothing wrong with 70*F.... just like shooting indoors....

Bob

[aack73]

i would think that would be almost ideal. if you could maintain a consistent 70. or close getting too warm could also cause some shooting inconsistencies or blow the burst disk.

[dpricenator]

Nothing wrong with 70*F.... just like shooting indoors....

Bob

sorry, I addd the word DON'T.  The idea is fine, but the wire puts off just enough heat to keep the pipe from freezing inside the pipe insualtion.  We need the CO2 a bit warmer than that.

[North Pack]

True, - but how cold are you actually talking about?? These wires tend to get "pretty warm" - they are way over 70*.  Years ago I had a mobile home, if you hung to one while it was "hot", ... it was "dang" warm.

[aack73]

digital laser temp gauges are cheap and can serve useful elsewhere too.

[dpricenator]

Gotcha.  I live in Socal, and the only experience i had was in a rental cabin in the local mountains.  It was explained to me that they were designed to keep the pipes at like 40 Degrees.  of course fighting freezing temps, i guess would require them to be bale to produce more than 40 degree temperatures.