Filling my HPA Tank - What am I missing?

[L3wisD]

Been to the Diving shop that's about twenty minutes from me with the tank I got in the Tippmann from @rocketdogbert.

Got there and naively waltzed in, tank in hand only to be told they can't fill it because I didn't have the adaptor for the fill nozzle of the tank to match their tank.

Doh. Righto..

Go home get all the things from the box and headed back. Tool everything but the gun in case I was being stupid. Still no good. 

Now, the little brass adapter looks like it fits on the side of the tank, you can pull back the foreskin (for want of a better word!  :lol: ) but it doesn't stay in situ.

Am I being a complete Bellend? What am I missing here.

Help me obi-wan @proffrink, you're my only hope..

 

[proffrink]

That doesn't look like a fill nipple sized adapter, but rather an EU quick disconnect (or maybe just a standard US one like everyone uses). Where and when did you buy it?

In short, it's the wrong fitting. Quick disconnects (like the gun side disconnect) are typically US spec, but they're different to the fill nipple connector. What you want is likely a 'paintball fill nipple connector female' (oooerr) - most will go to a 1/8 NPT male thread that's reasonably generic. I'm sure from there they can rig it up to their machine.

Also, this is exactly why you should be buying a fill tank - it takes all of this ballache out of it, and you're able to refill you tank at home or on site a couple of times. Look for a 232 bar cylinder on eBay (anything over 7lt will do, but don't spend more than £100).

 

[L3wisD]

Booo-urns..

It'sjust all the stuff that got bundled with the rifle from our RDB.

I'll have to buy the right thingymabob then I think.

Hoping to use it on the 1st, so there's plenty of time.

 

[Guest]

I had the tank filled directly, as it is, by Rules of Engagement in Hadleigh, Essex.

Waltzed right in, they plugged it into their compressor, job done in five minutes bud.

Honestly, I had no idea anything else was needed, sorry

 

[L3wisD]

Oh no, don't apologize @rocketdogbert it's not your fault, you weren't to know

I remember you saying you took it to the shop to get filled, so I guessed they had all the right stuff.

Turns out I've a paintball site about 15 minutes in the opposite direction, going there tomorrow evening. Then I've got the right adapter coming from eBay and then all that's left is coercing the missus to let me keep scuba tanks in the house

 

[Guest]

Oh crap sounds like a load more grief than I had!

 

[Tommikka]

A Paintball site will have the right fittings to fill this type of cylinder 

Dive shops don’t, because they have dive tank fittings

You will generally need a DIN or A clamp fill rig to come from their tanks, they will need to tell you what will fit theirs

 

[proffrink]

Eh, it's a mixed bag. I know my dive shop has the adapter despite mostly filling scuba tanks. I believe they do have the ability to use a threaded fitting, but mostly don't have the adapter itself. Not sure if they'd be ok with one bringing it along though as they've only got your word that it's not going to blow into a million pieces once they put pressure through it.

 

[L3wisD]

I must admit I was a bit gutted, especially as their website suggested that they've done this lots before..

 

[proffrink]

Yeh that's very strange indeed.

 

[Shizbazki]

@L3wisD

Most Dive shops i have been to in London refuse to fill paintball or HPA tanks stating a variety of reasons such as not having the right bits to connect to the tank or insurance.

My advice to you for best bang for buck is to get hold of an in date, surface only scuba tank, use that as a refill/reservoir of HPA.

I have a 12litre 300 tank which cost me £200 but the smaller you go the less costly it is such as 5 or 7 litre ones, i would recommend a 300 bar one though as it hold more air.

http://www.godive.net/go-shoot/charging-cylinders-and-accessories/4-ltr-300-bar-gun-charging-kit/

I would also recommend a 300bar as they nearly always have the DIN connector instead of an A-Clamp, i spoke to a friend who has nearly 25 years scuba diving experience (he has nearly every qualification under the sun for this) who has told me that DIN is far better as a connector.

Get a 300 bar tank and get a fill station adapter such as this one:

https://moderncombatsports.co.uk/products/fs-guerrilla-air-hp-fill-station-din

Depending on how much you shoot it should last you a long time, i am still running the same air for nearly 12 month now though bare in mind i have a 12ltr

Point to note that although i note you only live 20 minutes away, it will still be a ball ache to have to pop down the road to them every time you need to top up air.

Looking at their ad it looks like what they mean or refer to is if you have you own scuba tank which is nearly always the case.

 

[proffrink]

The reason I'd recommend against a 300 bar cylinder is that you can overfill a 3000psi shot tank and blow a burst disk if you're not careful. Just watch that pressure gauge like a hawk if you buy one.

Also, don't buy new. Dive shops cycle out their cylinders every 5-10 years when they still have 15 years of life in them (if they're 300 bar steel ones). I got a Faber 12lt one for £75 delivered that came with a brand new hydro test and still had 10 years on it before it needs scrapping.

 

[L3wisD]

Righto.. I'll get myself this sort of set up then

Onto to eBay I go! If the wife asks, it's all £30!

 

[Tommikka]

Have a nose at the links below

Just to be sure - do you have a secondary low pressure regulator for when you are playing, as the standard Paintball cylinder regulator output is around 600psi (historically 850psi) and that would blow an airsoft hpas internals

(even Paintball runs step down regulators on gun to 200psi or less)

Idealy have someone competent demonstrate filling for you the first time.

you can use a scuba cylinder at a higher pressure (eg 300bar / 4500psi) but unless you have a regulated fill station then you risk both fast fills generating heat and overfilling 

Always monitor the receiving cylinders pressure valve and ideally have a valve in the full station.  

The pressure will want to equalise, which you don’t want from 4500 into 3000, but even if you have a matching 3000 scuba to 3000 cylinder then you will get more fills before having to get the scuba topped up by always under filling, eg fill to 2500 or 2800 and your 3000 source won’t drop as much each time you fill

when filling ensure your hand and other body parts are not covering or pointed at by the burst disk - hot copper fragments are not pleasant and exhausting hpa isn’t great either

For most people you will never get a blown disk, but they can go either due to over pressure or just finally blowing as a result of so many pressurisations and depressurising. They can also blow just due to contaminants in the air 

Famiaraise yourself, respect hpa and have troublefree safe fun 











https://m.facebook.com/notes/united-kingdom-paintball-sport-federation/high-pressure-air-paintball-safety-information-guide-hpa-1/349610921821652/

 

[L3wisD]

I've will be (safely) full of high pressure air within a day or two, thanks for your help guys 

 

[LightningCh]

Snip

Onto to eBay I go! If the wife asks, it's all £30!

She lets you spend that much?? lol