Ghetto Tubeless Inf...
 

[Closed] Ghetto Tubeless Inflator Mk VII

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Had a thought a while back & finally tried it out.

Got hold of an old 2.5KG CO2 fire extinguisher for £6. Removed the 'horn' & replaced it with a section of hose from an old track pump - attached to which is a Topeak Super Chuck thingy.

Removed the safety 'plug' from the filling socket, drilled a 6mm hole through & then slid a presta valve from an old tube in. Screwed it back in and bingo, a steel container with the ability to be pressurised with a track pump and a trigger release.

A couple of test runs later & it seems 40psi in the tank will seat a 2.1 tyre & inflate it to about 25psi - 100 psi in the tank gives enough to seat 2 tyres one after the other.

I'm really quite pleased with it. 🙂

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Once they're seated, simply top up wit a track pump as usual.

I am tempted to fit a pressure gauge and use a much higher psi to get rid of the need to adjust tyre pressures after though....

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 5:00 pm
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Well played Sir, well played.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 5:10 pm
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That is awesome

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 5:15 pm
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Cheers.

Just tested another idea & it seems my useless car tyre compressor thingy will merrily fill it to 60psi without me doing anything 🙂

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 5:22 pm
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I did the same with a 5L garden sprayer. Very satisfying, but not as neat as your solution.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 6:06 pm
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Like.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 6:17 pm
 JAG
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Very clever solution 8)

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 6:30 pm
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Genius. I like that, may have a crack at it myself.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 6:55 pm
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You could surely sell that.
This time next year Rodney,well be millionaires.
APF

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 6:59 pm
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That is absolutely brilliant, top work. Possibly some health and safety issues regarding a fire extinguisher full of compressed air mind

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:05 pm
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Genius - this time next year indeed.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:11 pm
 gogg
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I wish I had enough time on my hands to come up with something like that.

Stupendous! Sheer genius!

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:16 pm
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That's ace! Well done.

P.S. Can I buy one? Where does one get empty fire extinguishers?

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:44 pm
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That is absolutely brilliant, top work. Possibly some health and safety issues regarding a fire extinguisher full of compressed air mind

I was just about to say I don't think it'll fight many fires!

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:46 pm
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Possibly some health and safety issues regarding a fire extinguisher full of compressed air mind

Those extinguishers are rated at 350psi & usually pressurised to 200psi when full of CO2 - I was always nervous of the plastic bottle/sprayer solutions due to the pressures.

I have & do intend to let the air out after each use.

I wish I had enough time on my hands to come up with something like that

The idea was an odd thought when I saw an extinguisher in the kitchen at work - that actual 'conversion' was about 20 mins work (less time than some folk spend trying to seat a tyre)!

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:49 pm
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Superficial - you can get full ones from 2nd hand office/workplace suppliers, ebay & the free ads. Reckon any local extinguisher supplier/servicer would let you have on old one cheap.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:52 pm
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I so need to copy this

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:55 pm
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Nobby - Member

Those extinguishers are rated at 350psi & usually pressurised to 200psi when full of CO2 - I was always nervous of the plastic bottle/sprayer solutions due to the pressures.

Wasn't quite what I meant 🙂

Years ago I did some stage work for a company called Turbozone, who for their main pyro effects used fire "inguishers"- standard fire extinguishers charged with petrol instead of water, and a wee ignitor. Quite a lot of paperwork involved in that, especially since it was probably the fringe show most likely to set itself on fire that year.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 7:56 pm
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Sorry, I did realise I was probably being a bit thick there...... 😳

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:09 pm
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You ? Never...

But being serious, how did you attach the hose (i.e. flange the end) etc.- is it obvious once you've detached the horn...?

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:30 pm
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In that model there's a small brass washer type thing inside the nut and a rubber seal. The hose is from an old Park pump so had a small insert in it. Remove the insert, thread nut, washer & seal over hose, stick insert back in, Shove the end of the hose into the extinguisher as far as it will go then tighten it all up & job's a good 'un.

(A hack saw through the alloy pipe to the horn is needed to get the nut etc off)

A bigger diameter hose would've fitted over the end of the alloy pipe with a simple jubilee clip - I didn't have that knocking around in the garage,

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:44 pm
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Very nifty. I could do what that at the moment...my contis are a pain the arse to fit today 🙁

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:45 pm
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job's a good 'un.

It sure is.

Thanks

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:47 pm
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Nearly 30 years ago I converted a fire extinguisher into a very effective bong.I may be showing my age but I think your conversion is a much better bit of recycling.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:49 pm
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Big up that sir, big up indeed! Just so neat.

 
Posted : 09/02/2014 8:55 pm
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I did this recently but with one of the small extinguishers you can buy for the car from Halfords.

I simply discharged (powder makes a big mess), fitted a hose from an old Joe Blow and drilled into the top of the bottle and fitted a stans valve. Even with the little one it will do a 29er tyre with 160psi in the cylinder.

Some stickers etc over the bottle should stop people confusing it with a real extinguisher and it is only in my garage so only me really. Its just a bit better than the plastic bottle.

 
Posted : 10/02/2014 4:28 pm
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I did consider drilling into the 'bottle' itself but was nervous about potentially weakening its integrity - I've seen the results of an air receiver failing. 😯

 
Posted : 10/02/2014 4:57 pm
 nikk
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Just in case anyone thinks about doing this with high pressure compressed gas bottles, a wee warning (caution, some blood):

 
Posted : 11/02/2014 8:36 am
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This has just given me the idea to change my 2 litre lemo bottle inflator to 3 litre, google tells me you have to go to pikey Iceland to get a big pikey bottle for this pikey inflator

 
Posted : 11/02/2014 9:58 am
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Nobby
Those extinguishers are rated at 350psi & usually pressurised to 200psi when full of CO2 - I was always nervous of the plastic bottle/sprayer solutions due to the pressures.

I have & do intend to let the air out after each use.

Thought your pressure rating was a bit conservative so I did a bit of research into the pressures involved in these fire extinguishers. Found this info from http://www.fireextinguisherguide.co.uk/types-of-fire-extinguishers/co2-fire-extinguishers/

CO2 extinguishers stores carbon dioxide gas under great pressure (55 bar or 825psi), where the gas becomes a liquid. When you operate the fire extinguisher levers, the pressure is released, the CO2 pressure is reduced by the diffuser (horn) and expands back into a gas, rapidly cooling the surrounding air.

So going by that I think pumping it up to 1 or 2 hundred psi won't be an issue!

 
Posted : 12/02/2014 9:53 am
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Cheers! The numbers I was given were from an ex-(so-called) FEA Engineer.

The only issue I really have is my track pump will only go to 160psi......... 🙂

 
Posted : 12/02/2014 9:59 am
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I managed to pick up a part used, fairly old, extinguisher to convert my mark I version. After evacuating all remaining CO2, and fitting a new presta valve to refill with air, it appears to leak air from the normal exit (hose side). Almost like the valve doesn't quite seal properly. Any ideas? I might just add a ball value into the hose as a work around, but it might be nice to make the valve on the extinguisher work properly.

 
Posted : 18/02/2014 10:32 pm
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Brilliant Engineering!! 🙂

 
Posted : 18/02/2014 11:06 pm
 DrP
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The cylinder valve in that video belongs in the 'my eye' thread....

DrP

 
Posted : 18/02/2014 11:11 pm
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Ill be doing the same but want a chrome extinguisher 😆

 
Posted : 18/02/2014 11:39 pm

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