Compressed Air - How To?

[phayt]

I kinda have my own field, I own about 8 guns, and have a bunch of buddies that play, many have their own guns and many bring friends that do not. I have been toying with the idea of starting to use compressed air but have how-to questions.
Currently I have a couple 50# CO2 cylinders and a charging station, which is simple and reasonably innexpensive.
Now I see that there are two different PSI for air tanks, 3000 and 4500 generally with a few exceptions. It is my understanding that Scuba tanks are at about 2800 PSI and I regularily see scuba filling stations for sale.
Without a $1,500.00 + air compressor, how does one go about filling compressed air to 4500psi?

[mcveighr]

Bulk nitro bottles?

[phayt]

Bulk Nitro comes in 4500+ PSI?

[RRfireblade]

We get bulk HPA from a local gas supplier at 6000psi so...........yes. :)

[phayt]

Woot, this is something I shall look into. thank you very much.

[Major Jam]

We get bulk HPA from a local gas supplier at 6000psi so...........yes. :)


Sorry to hijack the thread Phayt, but RR are you using some regulator to fill the SCUBA tanks? Are you filling HPA tanks direct from the bulk tanks? And I take it you're using some kind of regulated fill station there too?

[RRfireblade]

All fills run through a reg off the bulk 6K first.

[Stewylouie]

You can also get what's called a booster, which connects to multiple lower pressure bulk tanks.
Nitro duck I believe sells one along with other. Don;t know what they cost thoguh.

[RRfireblade]

Anywhere from $1K-$3K depending......

[abunkerer]

air america sells a really nice compressed air booster.

[Bobsbarricades]

so wait.. a scuba tank can't fill a 3000 psi tank fully?

[dyeforever]

yep only way to get a true 3k psi out of a scuba tank is to use a booster or what rr said bulk HPA.

[RRfireblade]

so wait.. a scuba tank can't fill a 3000 psi tank fully?

It will fill it to the pressure of the scuba. An HP scuba can be filled to 3400psi. You can then get 3-4 3000psi tank fills until the scuba tank pressure drops below 3K.

Then you can only fill to the pressure in the scuba,as it drops afer each fill,that's your max fill pressure.

A booster will allow you to continue to get 3k fills after that point but you have to factor in the cost of the booster being at least $1000 or more just to justify 'not' just getting your scuba refilled before you play for $3-$5. ;)

The better option is the get 2-3 scubas @ $100 ballpark each,and do cascade fills which will get you ar more 'full' fills for a dramatically smaller investment.Unless your using MASSIVE amounts of air each day,just get your scubas filled every week or 2 and put the extra cash into paint.. :)