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Tilt valve ??
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:15 pm
by DVLCHLD
Say you have a sprinkler valve that you want to mod for pneumatic operation. Istead of using a 1/4" ball valve or a blow nozzle, could you use a tilt-valve instead? I guess I'm asking if a tilt-valve would let enough air out to allow the diaphram in the sprinkler valve to open. has anyone ever used a tilt-valve to do this? I'm asking because I made a paintball tripwire landmine and I'm looking at different trigger options. I'm also looking for a pop-off valve with a pull ring too but wanted to know if a tilt-valve might work. A tilt-valve is the rubber valve generally used on a helium tank to fill balloons.
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:20 pm
by Pilgrimman
If the sprinkler valve is small, like 3/4" or less, it'd probably work just fine. I wouldn't be surprised if it worked for 1" valves. I'd never thought of that before! Good idea! Do you have any specs for the valve in question?
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:34 pm
by DVLCHLD
I can't find any specs. If you google tilt-valve you can see alot of them. A friend of mine suggested them. He has a few he's going to let me test. I'm talking about just the rubber tip. I'll let you know what I find out. There's alot of cool valves on some of those balloon web-sites. They have a push valve that might woork for a step-on paintball land mine.
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:47 pm
by clide
It should work, it may not be powerful, but you can go pretty small and still trigger a sprinkler. If you look at the solenoid hole that is normally in there it is tiny, but it will still trigger the valve.
I would suggest removing the rubber around the tilt valve to possibly improve flow. The ones I've seen have a metal rod in the center that actually opens the valve.
tilt valve
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:50 pm
by DVLCHLD
Yea, the rubber cover has aready been removed and it does have the metal rod sticking up out of it. I know a sprinkler valve can be activated by a small air drain but when you're using a very small tank and a very short barrel the diaphram in the sprinkler valve has to open as fast as possible. If the tilt valve doesn't allow enough air to escape fast enough ALL the air in the sprinkler valve will leak out the tilt valve. I'll just have to install it and test it. I may have to make the hole in the sprinkler valve's diaphram smaller to make it work. I'll get back to you.
tilt valve
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:02 pm
by DVLCHLD
I tried the tilt valve today. It doesn't let enough air out fast enough to allow the sprinkler valve to open. So scratch that idea. lol.