Noob question about buying a line (get higher baby) (no! Not that sort of line!)

[RostokMcSpoons]

I need to connect my Airtac adapter for my VFC HK416 GBBR to my air bottle... which now has a Balystyk 800 regulator mounted on it 

 

 

So I need to buy a line.  I'd rather spend as little as possible, but will invest in something that gives me a clear advantage in performance or usability over the cheapo option.  

Any pointers or specific recommendations would be very welcome!

Edited September 6 by RostokMcSpoons

[Tommikka]

Am I right in thinking that you need a line with ‘standard’ female to male, as per a typical fill nipple?

 

If so then rather than the classic remote air line with a bottle regulator mount, you can use a “remote fill line” / “fill whip”

(From reputable suppliers) they are designed to run 4500psi as an extension from a fill station into the cylinders fill nipple.

Cheaper / lower rated ones may exist which would suit a 200psi etc - but personally I’d say to still go for a fully rated one

 

 

E.g.

 

https://www.bzpaintball.co.uk/valken-v-tactical-fill-whip-hose

 

Check the length for your needs, these tend to be straight lines rather than coiled, and don’t come with an on/off valve as when used for fills the bottles fill nipple valve does the job

 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

The fitting on the right is the tail coming off the magazine adapter... I presume I'll be aiming for about 80psi into the gat, so a 200psi line would be fine.

 

I have a proper chunky metal line coming off my own scuba tank, so don't need another whip line...  I think!

 

Watching YT vidz (which of course I should have done earlier) looks like a simple line with quick disconnects on each end will do just fine.  I perhaps need a key for the pressure regulator, though I can turn it just with my thumb pressing down on it so far... Not sure if that'll be the same once it's pressurised, so best get one?

[Impulse]

I'm actually quite a fan of the lines that high pressure airsoft do:

https://highpressureairsoft.co.uk/products/hpa-custom-lines

 

Their jungle one is a pretty nice woodland camo style one and is the one I have. They're rated for up to 160psi and I don't think I've ever run anything higher than that (and I only run bolt actions and DMRs as HPA, so I tend to crank up the psi a bunch)

 

And I'd advise getting a tool to adjust it. Under pressure I believe it'll be a lot harder to adjust, but I can't confirm at the moment because both my HPA tanks are empty as I am using co2 for the VSR and just plainly not using the m21 because I can't stand an external line, and one is past its hydro date so I'm definitely not filling it.

 

Only thing I'd say is you need to confirm whether your stuff has US fittings or EU fittings. I think most stuff tends to have US fittings, but you never know...

[Krisz]

Don't cheap out on line.

 

Airtac sells a very decent one or if you want to spend more Amped Airsoft makes quality pieces, too. 

 

Depending how much you spent at Airtac in the past you can claim certain things for 'free'.

 

A line probably should sit around 1600-2000 psi points. 

Edited September 7 by Krisz

[RostokMcSpoons]

I bought the line from HPA UK, and it's fine - but when I tried to fill up my Dye LT bottle, the darned thing leaked.
Turns out I mangled the o-ring (or it was old and just split) when I swapped over to the Balystyk regulator.

 

So I need a new o-ring.   HPA UK seem to have a standard £7 p&p charge, so that's something I can't stomach on a 50p item.  
Is it a standard size that I can just find one in my local B&Q?   (it seems to be ~10mm inner diameter, judging from the bit I fished out of my bin)
Or could I buy a selection box off Amazon?  (At least then I'd have a bunch of them for my outlay)

[Tommikka]

2 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

I bought the line from HPA UK, and it's fine - but when I tried to fill up my Dye LT bottle, the darned thing leaked.
Turns out I mangled the o-ring (or it was old and just split) when I swapped over to the Balystyk regulator.

 

So I need a new o-ring.   HPA UK seem to have a standard £7 p&p charge, so that's something I can't stomach on a 50p item.  
Is it a standard size that I can just find one in my local B&Q?   (it seems to be ~10mm inner diameter, judging from the bit I fished out of my bin)
Or could I buy a selection box off Amazon?  (At least then I'd have a bunch of them for my outlay)

Check the inner, outer and cross section dimensions and consider the material.

Some uses need a specific material for the right performance, but general air line use can usually be done with basic rubbers.

If the right size or close enough tolerance then a few cheap o-rings will do

 

A selection set will give you more o-rings for your money, but if you have no use for the assorted sizes then they are just as much of a waste 

 

 

https://www.allorings.com/British-o-ring-Size-Chart

 

https://www.aceseal.com/o-ring-materials#:~:text=O-rings are mechanical gaskets,Rubber and Fluorocarbon (Viton).

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

These are the ones HPA UK are selling... The knackered o ring from my tank looks a tiny little more orange-y, but perhaps that's just because it's old

 

https://highpressureairsoft.co.uk/products/tank-o-ring

 

But I'm refusing to pay £7 when it can be sent in an envelope 😂

 

[The_Lord_Poncho]

Here you go - 10 for £7.63 (or best offer), postage included. I bought these a while back for my bottle, works fine. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196068402675

 

Way I look at it, we are supposed to remove the regulator from the bottle after each game day, and these O rings will get knackered quite quickly - good to have a few spare....

[RostokMcSpoons]

Well I _was_ going to say thank you for that eBay link, which I've clicked through and bought from, until I saw all the other offers for the same rings, at half the price, popping up at the end of the transaction 😂

Edited September 13 by RostokMcSpoons

[The_Lord_Poncho]

4 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Well I _was_ going to say thank you for that eBay link, which I've clicked through and bought from, until I saw all the other offers for the same rings, at half the price, popping up at the end of the transaction 😂

ah yes, but all those other offers are china based with longer postage times. I want to get you up and playing as soon as possible!

[RostokMcSpoons]

Bah humbug.   The o-rings arrived but are the wrong size for my Dye LT bottle, they're ~13mm internal diameter, and the diameter of the recess is 11mm.

The original o-rings internal diameter was somewhere in the 9-11mm range, difficult to tell without the missing bit.

 

Having had a quick scout around eBay again, all the ones aimed at paintballers are the same 13mm size I got.   So I'm thinking an assortment set from Amazon/eBay/Screwfix/local plumbers' supplies  might be a better bet (and faster to get too).

I'm aware these things are made in a variety of materials - are there any I should avoid, or are they functionally the same at the pressures involved here?

Edit: 
Going by the colour charts, yellow = nitrile, so I'll go for that in preference. 
Oh yeah, and on the right-hand pic, you can see the metal piece inside the chamber is 'prong down'.   I presume it's meant to be other way up when it's all assembled?

Edited September 20 by RostokMcSpoons

[The_Lord_Poncho]

I'm a bit confused - if your bottle reg mates with a Balystyk 800 reg (same reg as I use), I would have thought the O-ring which seals the two together must be the industry standard size?!

[RostokMcSpoons]

You're a bit confused?  I'm as confuzzled as feck  

 

Maybe the bigger o-ring is at the interface of the pressure gauge to the bottle?  I've seen mention of 'top bonnet' in some diagrams for other bottles, perhaps that's the specific one I need.
But info seems surprisingly thin on the ground.   

I pinged an email to one of the retailers.   They know the right ring, but don't have stock.   They'll order some up.   It'll cost me in p&p but at least I'll end up with the right thing, hopefully!

 

[Tommikka]

14 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

You're a bit confused?  I'm as confuzzled as feck  

 

Maybe the bigger o-ring is at the interface of the pressure gauge to the bottle?  I've seen mention of 'top bonnet' in some diagrams for other bottles, perhaps that's the specific one I need.
But info seems surprisingly thin on the ground.   

I pinged an email to one of the retailers.   They know the right ring, but don't have stock.   They'll order some up.   It'll cost me in p&p but at least I'll end up with the right thing, hopefully!

 

The ‘standard’ bottle o-ring would sit further down, which in paintball would be the top of the cylinders bonnet,

 

(as per the images below) whereas your problem o-ring is further up and as discovered a little smaller

 

2 hours ago, The_Lord_Poncho said:

I'm a bit confused - if your bottle reg mates with a Balystyk 800 reg (same reg as I use), I would have thought the O-ring which seals the two together must be the industry standard size?!

Almost everything is to an industry standard size ….. but there are many standard sizes to choose from!

8 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Dye LT bottle, they're ~13mm internal diameter, and the diameter of the recess is 11mm.

The original o-rings internal diameter was somewhere in the 9-11mm range, difficult to tell without the missing bit.

 

 

 

 

Am I right in thinking that you’re looking at the internal elements at about 4:20 of this video on regulator servicing ?

 

 

[Tommikka]

Some of the Dye tech manuals are here:

 

 

https://shop.dyepaintball.com/pages/manuals?srsltid=AfmBOop8pO79BHfo67Zb4XbjDwib7wBlKfLSFWeGatzUYtyy92B0TKbz

 

and one of them gives the internal parts

which in this case has the external o-ring (‘standard’ bottle o-ring) as a ‘0015 PU80’

and the internal piston o-rings ‘013 PU80’ and ‘008 PU80’

 

Assuming the right match you are after the ‘013 PU80’

 

Parts reference numbers on o-rings usually indicate part of the size, which would imply 13mm - but it’s probably 13mm outter diameter, and perhaps then 11mm inner diameter 

 

 

[Tommikka]

@RostokMcSpoons

Have you tried Dye tech support ?

 

You’ll need the German office for European support, in the past they’ve just posted out the smalls.

 

(It used to be far easier when they also had a UK tech office, but the German office has been just as good for me)

 

 

https://shop.dyepaintball.com/pages/contact?srsltid=AfmBOorgmlF_FCfuDTMJrD5JtEd60B-lSZMIzfWkSrPvj1P6OqFKR1RF

Edited September 20 by Tommikka

[RostokMcSpoons]

The 13mm external diameter looks the very thing - cheers for that diagram - it also shows the correct orientation of my hexagonal 'lump with prong'  👍