Help with sprinkler valve...

madmanmick · Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:44 am

Here are the two tutorials I looked at to make my valve:
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/modding ... t3821.html
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=305&

Basically i copied the first tutorial, my sprinkler valve being very similar to the design of the sprinkler valve in the first tutorial. The only difference between my valve and that one is that mine is black... I left my solenoid in the side so i didn't have to epoxy the hole, no air was leaking out from there that i could hear so it seemed fine.

EDIT:
The quickconnect i have screwed into the lid of the sprinkler valve does not protrude inside the enclosed valve itself. It only screws in as far as the inside surface of the lid, none of it interferes with the diaphragm... I did put a little epoxy around the edge of the quickconnect (inside) because air seemed to be leaking out between the thread and the lid.

Would the small amount of epoxy inside ruin the diaphragm?

jr · Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:56 am

no because it is on the lid not the diapragm... so the rod is your equalizing hole. do you know how much psi is in the chamber? my valves work best over 40psi....

I know this is a dumb question but the valve is pointed in the correct direction...arrow tords the barrel?

madmanmick · Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:50 am

Correct. It is all in alignment, i take it that the tiny gap between the rod and the hole acts as my equilization hole, by that token there is no chance it is too large hahaha... I have only really charged it up to about 20-30psi so far, my bike pump has a leak that vents air when i have it connected to the tank. Could it be possible that it will only work at higher pressures?

madmanmick · Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:05 am

With a bit of fiddling it seems to work ok, i found around 40psi so far it was shooting well, but still letting a small amount of air out of the pilot. Hopefully it's not impairing the performance too much.

markieclarkie · Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:51 am

This is gonna sound dumb but.. I have gone as far as eliminating the guiderod entirely.Then add a dab 'O hot glue, 'N pierce it with an old guitar string. Sucker still works great! (Golf balls over 300 yds)

jr · Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:46 pm

sounds like you needed more psi....there will be some air coming out of the pilot

The spring ontop of the diaphragm will close the valve as soon as the pressure drops. if you repace the spring with a weaker/ softer spring it may work better at a low psi. ( I have not done this so it is just speculation)

elitesniper · Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:49 pm

wow, funny, it seems that every person who joins sf, there first topic posted is about trouble on a sprinkler valve,

madmanmick · Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:31 am

Well it would seem that would be the most obvious problem to have, as you can't really bodge the construction of the pvc chamber and stuff hahaha... now I have almost completed construction of my first airgun, its a bolt-action single shot rifle, with about a 17mm bore, moddable barrel (screw in, for different sizes). I also intend to have a changeable air source, between chamber and in the future possibly CO2. Works really well even at low pressures (40-50psi), will fire an olive about 100m.

jr · Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:17 pm

glad to see it works....

Carlman · Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:41 pm

madmanmick wrote:Well it would seem that would be the most obvious problem to have, as you can't really bodge the construction of the pvc chamber and stuff hahaha...

appernetly some people on here can...lol

hey jr whatever happened to taking over SGTC?

jr · Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:18 am

I finally heard from Joel yesterday!

I still have a shot at buing sgtc and I plan on going forth with the deal.

Carlman · Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:27 am

good for you mate

, are you the only one in contention or what?