Whats with kids and there Fiberwrapped tanks these days?

[trevorjk]

would you play with your tank like this?

i never go with anything less then some sort of tank cover, id rather not risk scratching and failing a hydro on a sometimes $200 investment, when a $15 padded piece will protect from all of that

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/4994/photo118tz0.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s211/davisjj11785/DSCN8603.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg289/speeddemon069/paintball028.jpg

[Ninjeff]

Cause its fasionable?

Beats me dude. Seems like too much danger to NOT have something to protect it from rocks and such.

[koleah]

Dood! A full wrap weighs WAY WAY 2 much!!!!one! :wow: Gotta lighten things where you can :dance:

[Ruler_Mark]

its so they can wipe tank hits. i kid you not.

[trevorjk]

its so they can wipe tank hits. i kid you not.


wow thats pretty stupid.

oh well, ill never buy a tank i see like that anyways :shooting:

[ljpiller]

I like the look of the fiber wrapping but never enough to leave it uncovered.

I'm not an old guy, but I seem to find myself not understanding some of the modern day styles.

[neppo1345]

its so they can wipe tank hits. i kid you not.

It's sad, but true...

[Sumthinwicked]

actaully i sometimes dont cover mine i know its bad but read the rest before you judge me i snipe in woodsball so no running and droppin or sliding :ninja: mostly slow and stealthy and a 45 45 magicly becomes the size of a 68 45 with a tank wrap on plus 2 my tanks are metal a good chunk of the time my 22ci and 13 ci but my 68 3000 is wrapped atm so im confusing LOL

[SkinnyHare]

i guess this is what happens when Mum and Dad still pay for Jr's equipment.

[phizz]

Dood! A full wrap weighs WAY WAY 2 much!!!!one! :wow: Gotta lighten things where you can :dance:


weigh too much... ?? you got to be kidding me.. how much can it really weigh lol.

is this a joke? (not trying to be rude.)

[BiNumber3]

i'm sure it is a joke, poking fun at all these lil kids that can't hand a few extra ounces either from a tank or from a gun

[questionful]

its so they can wipe tank hits. i kid you not.
I want to superglue some blank canvas to all those kids' tanks.

[warbeak2099]

Lol what morons. I just got an Nxe cover free with a 70/45 crossy I just bought. It's like protecting your tank is out of style.

[50 cal]

Wait till one of them ruptures while they're playing.

[robnix]

would you play with your tank like this?

i never go with anything less then some sort of tank cover, id rather not risk scratching and failing a hydro on a sometimes $200 investment, when a $15 padded piece will protect from all of that

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/4994/photo118tz0.jpg
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s211/davisjj11785/DSCN8603.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg289/speeddemon069/paintball028.jpg

I'm surprised that they get away with it. It was my understanding that fields shouldn't fill tanks that they can't do a full visual inspection on.

[behemoth]

I'm surprised that they get away with it. It was my understanding that fields shouldn't fill tanks that they can't do a full visual inspection on.

I've never had a field check my hydro or ask to remove my cover for inspection.

Hell, alot of fields now don't even fill tanks, its self serve.

[robnix]

I've never had a field check my hydro or ask to remove my cover for inspection.

Hell, alot of fields now don't even fill tanks, its self serve.

Interesting, the fields that I play at all have you pull the cover to check your tank before the first fill, and only one has a self serve station.

[Will Wood]

Well if it's self serve I think you're not going to fill a tank that might blow... ;)

[drg]

its so they can wipe tank hits. i kid you not.

That is depressing. Not only that the mentality exists that wiping is okay, but that you can basically announce visually that you are a wiper and it is okay.

[Twistedpsyche]

The field I go to for scenarios does a visual inspection of you tank and checks the hydro date, then you get a colored Zip tie. Only then can you use the self serve station. And there is also always someone at the self serve station supervising.

[tebo]

Tank covers are easier than tape. I don't understand why this would look cool. grip yes/maybe

[robnix]

Tank covers are easier than tape. I don't understand why this would look cool. grip yes/maybe

There was a big thread in the field owners forum about this.

[MANN]

I am not sure why everyone cares. I personally would like to see these people out of the gene pool.

my .02

[tribalman]

Lol what morons. I just got an Nxe cover free with a 70/45 crossy I just bought. It's like protecting your tank is out of style.

nothing is heavier than my 88/4500 Air America Armageddon. to be honest. i don't cover all of my tanks. the ones i don't cover are the useless C02 tanks that i never use and never get filled and they are at home. XD. heck i even use a blanket and cover them if i am leaving them in a car or on an outside table for any ammount of time.

[KKPASA]

I don't cover mine, not because I wipe. I just don't like the feel of a cover on my tank. It seems easier for me to switch hands when in a game if I don't have a tank cover on it. IMOP

[Chronobreak]

correct people do it for wiping/fashion statement

i wou;ldnt be worried about falling on a rock and breaking the tank open so much as any visible amrring or marks on the tank means it should not be filled and wont pass hydro.

pretty risky if you ask me.

i always suggest tank covers because well these tanks arent meant to be dived on and slid across the ground repeatedly

--though the hybrid tank cover boots are questionably ugly they are really thinand dont bulk it up alot

[cyberave68]

WOW i didnt know tanks needed diapers...LOL :rofl:
Or is it a jock strap for your tank???? :rofl:
(sorry couldnt resist!!!)

[halB]

Just to be a devil's advocate. When CF tanks first came out we all thought they were gonna explode at any moment, and that a fingernail could scratch it. That was the mentality in MY city anyways. And then we discovered that, well, those tanks are pretty hardcore and can take a beating.

I don't think you NEED a cover. And I slide and play on a field that's filled with rocks. However, I USE a cover because I like to. It's better for keeping it on your shoulder.


I also just don't see how anyone halfway decent could get hit in the tank anyways! So what if they wipe, if they're getting hit in the tank they're probably gonna get half their body lit up.

[pyrodragon]

i just sent my tank in for rehydro. i have played with it for 5 years without a cover and i don't have a single mark on my tank. i slide, dive, jump, etc. i think the most important part is i have always respected my tank and never abused it. i have never dropped my tank. always put it down in a safe place where it couldn't drop. it's all how you respect your tank along with ur gear.

[ta2maki]

I dont see whats wrong with just taping the tank? It would provide less slippage than a cover(my nxe cover on my 45 does slide around somewhat) Personally, I use a cover because I am really hard on my gear. I've torn some of my tank covers, cant imagine what the tank would have been without the cover. But for most, I don't see any harm in going coverless. Most used guns I see for sale, dont look like they been gouged/scratched from diving or sliding. Besides kids dont play more than a few years anyways.

[jonny72888]

i would say about 75% of the time i do not have a cover. because i have a mag and i will need to fill my tank afer every game and the place i go to makes you take your cover off to check the date everytime you go to fill, and my cover doesnt come off all to good so its just more of a pain for me. also i can not find just a normal cover anymore they are all so colorful i just want a nice plain black one for my 88.

[drg]

Kalibur covers are very thin and see-through, so there really is no excuse.

[jonny72888]

Kalibur covers are very thin and see-through, so there really is no excuse.
where could i find one?
see through enough to read dates?

[WickedKlown2]

where could i find one?
see through enough to read dates?

Here's the place to pick up a Kalibur Cover : 68 Kalibur Cover (http://www.generaljoes.com/Search/showitem.php3?idnumber=1510)

Hope this helps out and they are only $15.95....

[jonny72888]

they dont have an 88.
i dont mind not having one. just dont set your gun down on rocks.

[WickedKlown2]

they dont have an 88.
i dont mind not having one. just dont set your gun down on rocks.

Ask and yea shall receive ... I Found the 88 Cover at the same site for $12.95 : 88 Kalibur Cover (http://www.generaljoes.com/Search/showitem.php3?idnumber=1511)

[SR_matt]

the tank is not going to get damaged much more easily to the point of failing hydro with out that little thin piece of neoprene over it. fire fighters and scuba divers use bare tanks all the time and have no issues (heck paintball tanks still have one of the highest pass rates for tanks). if you hit something hard enough to damage the tank a neoprene cover is not going to soften the blow that much.

now one of the reasons kiddies and some pros do it is because you can wipe a hit more easily off a smooth glassy surface than off neoprene, simple as that. others because its cooler and can show off what tank they have but the wiping is the biggest thing.

now i wouldnt play with out a cover because i dont want to scratch up my tank but it really shouldnt matter that much for safety

-matt

[drg]

Note: What firefighters and scuba divers do with their tanks is not nearly as much of an impact risk as paintball. That said I have heard reports that SCBA tanks do take quite a beating.

You are right about the neoprene cover not providing all that much protection. One of my tanks once dropped off a picnic-type table and picked up a pretty deep chip from hitting a rock. It had a Dye rhino cover on it but the rock pretty much went right through the neoprene. I can't really figure out how it actually hit the neoprene part though, since it was very near the hard rubber end cap; must have been a pointy rock. Ended up sending it out for hydro and they just epoxied over it.

On the other hand the kalibur type cover is VERY tough, I have seen an 88 tank pop the rupture disc and go flying off the same table, slam on the ground and roll around without so much as a scratch.

I still use neoprene type covers though.

[halB]

Note: What firefighters and scuba divers do with their tanks is not nearly as much of an impact risk as paintball. That said I have heard reports that SCBA tanks do take quite a beating.

You are right about the neoprene cover not providing all that much protection. One of my tanks once dropped off a picnic-type table and picked up a pretty deep chip from hitting a rock. It had a Dye rhino cover on it but the rock pretty much went right through the neoprene. I can't really figure out how it actually hit the neoprene part though, since it was very near the hard rubber end cap; must have been a pointy rock. Ended up sending it out for hydro and they just epoxied over it.



You're wrong in both of these paragraphs.

Firefighters wear their tanks into burning buildings to help them breathe. Are you REALLY going to say that going into a burning building is not as much of an impact risk as playing paintball?

Your second paragraph doesn't make much sense. Why WOULD you expect a thin neoprene cover to protect against impact? It is clearly only there to protect against scratches, which if they made it through the resin layer would destroy the tank.

I think we all know by now how strong that resin is.

[SR_matt]

i would be a little surprised if i had that noticeable damage froma a tank falling off a bench and getting a chip out of the resin.

and im not sure how yut ment your last comment but that resin is tough extremely tough

-matt

[jonny72888]

put a tank cover on you hand and hit it with a hammer... then take the cover off and hit your hand again, which one hurt more?
i think the covers are more for scratches

[pyrodragon]

put a tank cover on you hand and hit it with a hammer... then take the cover off and hit your hand again, which one hurt more?
i think the covers are more for scratches

wowzer my tank cried when i pulled out the mallet. guess it didn't like my testing methods. lol...

[drg]

You're wrong in both of these paragraphs.

Firefighters wear their tanks into burning buildings to help them breathe. Are you REALLY going to say that going into a burning building is not as much of an impact risk as playing paintball?

Yes I am going to say that. In paintball the tank is for one thing smaller and more easily carried around and (potentially) dropped. During play it is not secured to the body but carried in hand and literally hurled toward the ground during dives.


Your second paragraph doesn't make much sense. Why WOULD you expect a thin neoprene cover to protect against impact? It is clearly only there to protect against scratches, which if they made it through the resin layer would destroy the tank.

I think we all know by now how strong that resin is.

I don't know if you've owned a premium cover but the material is not THAT thin, and they have many rubber protrusions/a rubber endcap that would be difficult for things to to penetrate.

[drg]

i would be a little surprised if i had that noticeable damage froma a tank falling off a bench and getting a chip out of the resin.

and im not sure how yut ment your last comment but that resin is tough extremely tough

-matt

Indeed, it had a small chip that went to the fiber layer. I was a bit surprised myself that it happened, however, it doesn't surprise me that contact with rocks from that height against bare tank would result in chips and scratches.

The resin ... is about as strong as high quality epoxy (since that's what it basically is). Nothing magical about that, it's plastic.

[SR_matt]

Yes I am going to say that. In paintball the tank is for one thing smaller and more easily carried around and (potentially) dropped. During play it is not secured to the body but carried in hand and literally hurled toward the ground during dives.



I don't know if you've owned a premium cover but the material is not THAT thin, and they have many rubber protrusions/a rubber endcap that would be difficult for things to to penetrate.


a tank being dropped a max of 3 feet weighting less than 2 lbs is a lot less force than a tank getting smacked around and having falling debris fall on it. the heat is also a huge factor. paintball tanks are noted as having the lowest failure rate in hydro testing compared to the others fields of compressed cylinders so that right away says they are damaged much less.

im not saying that i dont believe it would chip just saying that if it happened to me i would be surprised but in al seriousness if thanks covers really protected the tank that much the tanks would come with them.

ya the resin is "just a plastic" but it is a very strong plastic, try working fiber glass or a resin impregnated wood (aka stabilized) may not be as hard as working steel but its not as soft as a lot of other things.

-matt

[ThePixelGuru]

As far as SCBA tanks are concerned, they don't need to be protected as much because they're metal and not fiber-wrapped. I could take my pocket knife to my SCBA tank all day and not get anywhere, but I sure as hell won't be trying that with my fiber-wrapped tank. And yes, paintball poses a greater impact risk to these tanks than diving or firefighting because paintball is the activity that involves repeatedly throwing yourself and your gear at the ground. If something big enough to damage the tank were to fall on the firefighter, it wouldn't matter; the guy would be mush well before the tank ruptured.

Paintball tanks do fare better in hydro, but that's because paintballers protect their tanks. Protecting paintball tanks started because our tanks are at higher risk of damaging impact.

[SR_matt]

As far as SCBA tanks are concerned, they don't need to be protected as much because they're metal and not fiber-wrapped. I could take my pocket knife to my SCBA tank all day and not get anywhere, but I sure as hell won't be trying that with my fiber-wrapped tank. And yes, paintball poses a greater impact risk to these tanks than diving or firefighting because paintball is the activity that involves repeatedly throwing yourself and your gear at the ground. If something big enough to damage the tank were to fall on the firefighter, it wouldn't matter; the guy would be mush well before the tank ruptured.

Paintball tanks do fare better in hydro, but that's because paintballers protect their tanks. Protecting paintball tanks started because our tanks are at higher risk of damaging impact.
not all scba or scuba tanks are steel or al there are plenty of fiber wrap tanks.

a knife to a fiber wrap tank wont do much more damage than to an al tank. fiber glass and CF are both as strong as steel

-matt

[drg]

not all scba or scuba tanks are steel or al there are plenty of fiber wrap tanks.

a knife to a fiber wrap tank wont do much more damage than to an al tank. fiber glass and CF are both as strong as steel

-matt

The resin coating is not particularly strong or hard. A knife to a fiber wrapped tank will easily damage the resin; you could probably render a tank unable to pass visual inspection relatively easily with a decent pocketknife.

[ThePixelGuru]

not all scba or scuba tanks are steel or al there are plenty of fiber wrap tanks.

a knife to a fiber wrap tank wont do much more damage than to an al tank. fiber glass and CF are both as strong as steel

-matt
The resin coating is not particularly strong or hard. A knife to a fiber wrapped tank will easily damage the resin; you could probably render a tank unable to pass visual inspection relatively easily with a decent pocketknife.
Hmm, I have not seen a fiberwrap SCBA tank. All the ones I see on the backs of divers and firefighters are metal tanks, probably for safety/durability reasons.

As far as a knife to a fiberwrap tank - I don't know what kind of butter spreaders you folks are passing off as pocket knives these days, but I'm certain I could blow myself away with nothing more than my pocket knife and 45/5000. Carbon fiber is extremely strong, but cuts like pretty much any other thread. If you can't make it through plastic and thread with your pocket knife, either sharpen it or throw it away. ;)

[SR_matt]

ive seen a lot of fiber tanks for firefighters, they are not as common for scuba but they are normally the 4500 psi tanks, ~edit~ a quick google image search http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=scba+tanks&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi on the first page all the images that show personal tanks are all fiber wrapped except one~

im still thinkl that it would be very hard to damage a tank to any extent with just a pocket knife unless you spend a week or to on it. and even if you would be able to damage to get it to fail i bet it would not be a catastrophic failure.

-matt

[michbich]

I'm too broke for a cover, so i use a thick sock lol. Doesn't protect against sharp rocks, but does protect against scratches. I'm not the diving type, so i don't see the need to get a cover for it.

[SR_matt]

I'm too broke for a cover, so i use a thick sock lol. Doesn't protect against sharp rocks, but does protect against scratches. I'm not the diving type, so i don't see the need to get a cover for it.
i also dont dive but i do still like the dye covers for the grip. i treat my markers like i treat my camera... "save the camera save the camera, flesh heals gear doesnt"

-matt

[drg]

i also dont dive but i do still like the dye covers for the grip. i treat my markers like i treat my camera... "save the camera save the camera, flesh heals gear doesnt"

-matt

Depends on the flesh ...

[dropzone]

Get informed before making statements in this thread.

I had 5 tanks Hydro`ed at the beginning of this season and was done by a certified DOT licensed facility. All tanks passed no problem except for one that was passed on to the head honcho who took me in his office and gave me the sitdown. He scrutinized a chip in the carbon fiber wrap and did it with a microscope. He showed the flaw to me and explained to me why it PASSED inspection. It did so because their was no fibers exposed under the resin epoxy.

You are putting 3,000 -4,500 hundred psi into various containers that are succeptable to internal corrosion. outside damage and negligence ( Unhydroed)

SCBA tanks are safer? I doubt it and so will any DOT certified inspector!!! SCBA tanks are actually better regulated than C/A tanks designed for paintball. Does your your C/A tank have a yearly visual inspection sticker on it on top of its hydro certification stamp?

I have personally seen the damage that compressed air can do when I was vacationing down in Aruba a few years ago. I saw a SCBA tank blow apart half of an entire dive dock along with unmentionable innocent bystanders.

This point is pretty mute and I am not by no means qualified to set the record straight on this subject but i do have common sense.

I will try and get someone to post here on this matter that is qualified to do so. He is the owner of Texas Air Solutions and the last word in filling more C/A tanks, C02 bottles in the safest, fastest and most efficient manner possible at at the largest scenario paintball event in the world......Oklahoma D-day.

[airguy]

Get informed before making statements in this thread.

I had 5 tanks Hydro`ed at the beginning of this season and was done by a certified DOT licensed facility. All tanks passed no problem except for one that was passed on to the head honcho who took me in his office and gave me the sitdown. He scrutinized a chip in the carbon fiber wrap and did it with a microscope. He showed the flaw to me and explained to me why it PASSED inspection. It did so because their was no fibers exposed under the resin epoxy.

You are putting 3,000 -4,500 hundred psi into various containers that are succeptable to internal corrosion. outside damage and negligence ( Unhydroed)

SCBA tanks are safer? I doubt it and so will any DOT certified inspector!!! SCBA tanks are actually better regulated than C/A tanks designed for paintball. Does your your C/A tank have a yearly visual inspection sticker on it on top of its hydro certification stamp?

I have personally seen the damage that compressed air can do when I was vacationing down in Aruba a few years ago. I saw a SCBA tank blow apart half of an entire dive dock along with unmentionable innocent bystanders.

This point is pretty mute and I am not by no means qualified to set the record straight on this subject but i do have common sense.

I will try and get someone to post here on this matter that is qualified to do so. He is the owner of Texas Air Solutions and the last word in filling more C/A tanks, C02 bottles in the safest, fastest and most efficient manner possible at at the largest scenario paintball event in the world......Oklahoma D-day.

After an intro like that, how can I refuse? :cool:

A lot of you guys will recognize my name, I'm the owner of Texas Air Solutions and I install air and CO2 systems for fields, and run several mobile air rigs all over the US for tourneys and large scenario events. I've been working with air for more than 15 years, and I know a thing or two about it.

First - a word about wraps. I don't care. Simple as that. The facts are that wraps are fine, as long as they can be removed to check the hydro date. Any reputable field IS SUPPOSED TO check hydro dates before filling or allowing another to fill a tank. NOTICE I didn't say all field do this - but all field ARE SUPPOSED TO. The wraps with clear windows that allow you to see the hdyro date are fine. Stickers, labels, or tape SHOULD NOT be placed on the tank IN ANY LOCATION because they can be used to cover up damage that would be an obvious no-fill condition that the player is trying to hide. Wraps can be useful for reducing everyday wear and tear to the surface layer of the tank, but they are certainly not required nor neccesarily needed if you are careful with the tank.

Second - strength of the tank and passing/failing hydrotest HAS NOTHING TO DO with the condition of the surface of the actual RESIN on the tank. All of the strength from the wrap is provided by the FIBERS, not the resin. The resins only purpose is to protect the fibers and hold them in place. If you scar/scratch/chip the RESIN but the damage does not extend down to and cut the FIBERS, then the damage is superficial and can be repaired by simply adding some clear epoxy over the damaged location to cover the exposure. On the flip side of that same coin, ANY DAMAGE that extends to the fibers, no matter how minor it seems on the surface, will render the tank as a failure during the visual inspection before the hydro. Once those fibers are cut/damaged, the tank is not good for rated pressure and is now a paper weight.

[punkrex]

I've done quite a bit of NW diving and I would have to say that I have never seen a fiber wrapped tank used for scuba applications -- And I have dove with plenty of DIR divers. Most common is 80-120 CI 4500 psi steel tanks. Steel is the prefered material because it offsets your buoyancy and lightens your weight belt. The downside is that if you get water in your tank, it might not pass your next visual inspection (All scuba tanks need to have an annual internally visual inspected for corrosion and cracks along with the regularly scheduled hydro test). Aluminum tanks are also common because they are cheaper but they are positively buoyant twords the bottom of their supply. A fiber wrapped tank may be used for mixed gasses or as a back up air supply but then again, I have always seen steel tanks or al for reasons mentioned above.

Most divers who value their lives take great care of their equipment. Not to say there hasn’t been accidents. Most scuba places will not fill a Walter kiddie tanks (think fire fighters) because of an alloy issue that causes a few tanks to rupture on filling - 5-6 cases out of ~20 million tanks! Rental tanks do get beat up a bit but scuba tanks are big heavy solid tanks that are heavily regulated.

[drg]

Get informed before making statements in this thread.

I had 5 tanks Hydro`ed at the beginning of this season and was done by a certified DOT licensed facility. All tanks passed no problem except for one that was passed on to the head honcho who took me in his office and gave me the sitdown. He scrutinized a chip in the carbon fiber wrap and did it with a microscope. He showed the flaw to me and explained to me why it PASSED inspection. It did so because their was no fibers exposed under the resin epoxy.

You are putting 3,000 -4,500 hundred psi into various containers that are succeptable to internal corrosion. outside damage and negligence ( Unhydroed)

SCBA tanks are safer? I doubt it and so will any DOT certified inspector!!! SCBA tanks are actually better regulated than C/A tanks designed for paintball. Does your your C/A tank have a yearly visual inspection sticker on it on top of its hydro certification stamp?

I have personally seen the damage that compressed air can do when I was vacationing down in Aruba a few years ago. I saw a SCBA tank blow apart half of an entire dive dock along with unmentionable innocent bystanders.

This point is pretty mute and I am not by no means qualified to set the record straight on this subject but i do have common sense.

I will try and get someone to post here on this matter that is qualified to do so. He is the owner of Texas Air Solutions and the last word in filling more C/A tanks, C02 bottles in the safest, fastest and most efficient manner possible at at the largest scenario paintball event in the world......Oklahoma D-day.

So what 'uninformed' statements have been made in this thread that you felt the need to accuse people of doing such? What 'record' needs to be 'set straight'?