[Shop-talk] HIGH pressure compressed air?

[eric at megageek.com]

As a rescue diver and a paintballer, I have experience with both of these 
set ups.

First, to get a compressor that hits 3000 psi requires 3 phase normally. 
To fill scuba tanks, there are lots of other special requirements (dryers, 
intake restrictions, etc.)

Next, paint ball guns don't normally work well with compressed air.  They 
are meant to use either CO2 or nitrogen.  This means that a standard 
compressor is not going to help.

Now, for the solution (at least what me and many others do.)

Buy a large cylinder of CO2 and a "fill station" for the marker tanks. 
(normally a hose with the proper connections.)

Just use the tank to refill the markers (you'll fill lots of markers from 
one tank.)  When it's empty, just get it refilled, it isn't that 
expensive.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Moose
"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational 
being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph 
Waldo Emerson 




Scott Hall <scott.hall.personal at gmail.com> 
Sent by: shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net
05/30/2011 23:36

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[Shop-talk] HIGH pressure compressed air?






Like 3000 p.s.i. high.  Like they use to fill scuba tanks.

Is it even feasible?  What sort of compressor generates that kind of 
pressure?

I'm asking for paintball of all things--my son wanted to play, we 
played.  If we're going to go again, it'll be a lot cheaper to just buy 
markers used, and they used compressed air to fill the tanks.  The 
internet says they use ultra-high-pressure air in those tanks, but 
looking at this setup, it just looked like a fairly large 'normal' 
compressor.  And he used a rubber hose to connect to the tank, and 
didnt' sink it in a water bath (like they did with tanks when I dove). 
And the internet also says a tank of air should last a day (or a box of 
2000 paintballs).  We re-filled at least 15 times before then.

So...I suppose we may have been using a more moderate pressure, but I 
thought I'd ask if anyone here knew about getting those sorts of 
pressures anyway.  I'm thinking even the tank on the compressor must be 
insane.  I'm not even sure I'd want that near my house.

I am pretty sure, though, that I don't want to have to traipse all over 
town getting CO2 tanks refilled on a regular basis, so if I need to make 
a high-pressure setup happen and it's possible, I'll give it a shot. 
Anyone ever head of this?