Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Ghetto Tubeless Inflator Mk VII
  • Nobby
    Full Member

    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. 🙂

    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….

    composite
    Free Member

    Well played Sir, well played.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    That is awesome

    Nobby
    Full Member

    Cheers.

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

    TiRed
    Full Member

    I did the same with a 5L garden sprayer. Very satisfying, but not as neat as your solution.

    Simon
    Full Member

    Like.

    JAG
    Full Member

    Very clever solution 8)

    tthew
    Full Member

    Genius. I like that, may have a crack at it myself.

    alexpalacefan
    Full Member

    You could surely sell that.
    This time next year Rodney,well be millionaires.
    APF

    Northwind
    Full Member

    That is absolutely brilliant, top work. Possibly some health and safety issues regarding a fire extinguisher full of compressed air mind

    mashiehood
    Free Member

    Genius – this time next year indeed.

    gogg
    Free Member

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

    Stupendous! Sheer genius!

    Superficial
    Free Member

    That’s ace! Well done.

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

    breadcrumb
    Full Member

    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!

    Nobby
    Full Member

    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)!

    Nobby
    Full Member

    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.

    ben10
    Free Member

    I so need to copy this

    Northwind
    Full Member

    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.

    Nobby
    Full Member

    Sorry, I did realise I was probably being a bit thick there…… 😳

    teasel
    Free Member

    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…?

    Nobby
    Full Member

    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,

    matther01
    Free Member

    Very nifty. I could do what that at the moment…my contis are a pain the arse to fit today 🙁

    teasel
    Free Member

    job’s a good ‘un.

    It sure is.

    Thanks

    avdave2
    Full Member

    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.

    northernerindevon
    Full Member

    Big up that sir, big up indeed! Just so neat.

    shortcut
    Full Member

    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.

    Nobby
    Full Member

    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. 😯

    nikk
    Free Member

    Just in case anyone thinks about doing this with high pressure compressed gas bottles, a wee warning (caution, some blood):

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lw_fhNAIQc[/video]

    nealy
    Free Member

    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

    cultsdave
    Free Member

    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!

    Nobby
    Full Member

    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……… 🙂

    sam_underhill
    Full Member

    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.

    boltonjon
    Full Member

    Brilliant Engineering!! 🙂

    DrP
    Full Member

    The cylinder valve in that video belongs in the ‘my eye’ thread….

    DrP

    creamegg
    Free Member

    Ill be doing the same but want a chrome extinguisher 😆

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