air regulator for pony tank

[Fritz]

I picked up a little 10 gallon pony tank when I stopped by Northern Tools the other day. I got it primarily for track side and farm use tire fills. I already swapped out the fixed line for a quick change coupler, but wanted to also put a gauged regulator on it so I can use it to power a few additional tools for quick projects that I can't drag a compressor to.

Anyone have any recommendations on brands or where to pick one up? HF and Northern only have gauged valves which don't help a whole lot.

Thanks!

[HoodPin]

FWIW, I don't think you'll get much usable tool time out a 10 gal tank.

But, FWIW, I have to give DrK credit for nice mod he showed me. I recently modded my tank. Consider adding a T-fitting to the line, and adding a cut-off valve and male airhose fitting to it. Then you can connect your source air hose coupler to it, open the valve, and fill the tank without having to hold the air chuck against the tire valve.

BTW Fritz, not sure if you saw my earlier PM.

[Fritz]

FWIW, I don't think you'll get much usable tool time out a 10 gal tank.

But, FWIW, I have to give DrK credit for nice mod he showed me. I recently modded my tank. Consider adding a T-fitting to the line, and adding a cut-off valve and male airhose fitting to it. Then you can connect your source air hose coupler to it, open the valve, and fill the tank without having to hold the air chuck against the tire valve.


I connected two male fittings together so I can stick one in the quick connect and then into the quick connect on the compressor. It would be important to have the shutoff valve closed before hooking things up though. :)


BTW Fritz, not sure if you saw my earlier PM.

I did and was just gonna respond. :)

[Dr K]

Fritz,
Is this just an air tank, or does it have a compressor. If just an air tank, you don't need a regulator because there just isn't enough air or pressure in those tanks to be helpful. But you should look at my mod with the much easier shut-off valve ($7 at Home Depot).

[Vicegrip]

Home Depot sells/sold a regulator for a while. OK unit for about $30 but HD seems to be dropping anything that does not sell 20 a day.
You can find them online as well but keep the flow cap and sizing in mind. The micro sized ones will not flow enough air for you do do much. there is some value in having a regulator on a portable air tank. You can turn it way down while using the tank to pressurise a plastic bottle of trans fluid or blowing sensitive parts clean.

[HoodPin]

I actually picked up a couple of these relatively inexpensive flow controllers at HomeDespot.

http://www.amazon.com/Hose-Swivel-Connector-Flow-Control/dp/B007QV9BL0

Can't shut off flow completely, but does allow some modulation. But it just spins round and round; doesn't stop at min and max. Had one on an air ratchet for a while, but one too many drops and it broke. I'm also experimenting with one now to use for pushing gear oil out of original bottles, so I don't a) have to constantly modulate the blower's trigger, and b) to avoid blowing out a bottle's seam and making a mess.

[Dr K]

Lots on this page (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=air+regulator&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Aair+regulator), about the same price with a gauge and regulator. The 2 inexpensive ones have only 1 review each, though. If I were buying, I'd consider the Viair or the 3M (but no reviews on the latter yet).

[Potomac-Greg]

I saw a guy at a PCA Autocross event that had a compressed CO2 tank that could be used with air tools. It was amazing how much "juice" that little tank had. Clearly it's a much more compressible gas than atmosphere.

[HoodPin]

I saw a guy at a PCA Autocross event that had a compressed CO2 tank that could be used with air tools. It was amazing how much "juice" that little tank had. Clearly it's a much more compressible gas than atmosphere.

I think those tanks hold up to 2000 PSI. Like scuba tanks.

[Vicegrip]

They hold liquid. ;) the liquid expands into many more CF than the same volume and pressure of gas such as Nitrogen or Argon. Welders sometimes use CO2 rather than Argon as it is cheaper and it runs a bit hotter too. Not as smooth and good looking a weld as with C-25 but you can tune it to run close.

[Dr K]

I thought I had Kurt on this one - everybody knows that CO2 sublimates (goes from solid dry ice directly to CO2 gas without passing through the liquid phase) but I looked it up and under pressure CO2 can be a liquid! Learn something new every day. Even though it's a high school class, pretty cool video demonstrating this: Formation of Liquid Carbon Dioxide - YouTube