Milling an aluminum Classic Valve?

[OPBN]

Is there anyone out there that would be able to replicate a front half of a Classic valve, but in aluminum? Reason being, I would like to make a capped valve mag, but with an aluminum front. I would try to use an Xvalve, but there are to many holes to cap.

[BiNumber3]

I asked about an aluminum classic valve way back when, general concensus was that it wasn't worth it and there'd be legal issues. Though if you get someone willing/able to do it, id be in for one too

[OPBN]

Why wasn't it worth it? I want something lighter and capable of being anodized. Not sure why it would be a legal issue considering Classic valves are no longer made and I am not looking to get the entire thing produced, just the valve housing. ANS produced regulators for the classic valves, what would be the difference?

[BiNumber3]

Yea and i feel the classic is all i need, n the valve in aluminum would be lovely, dont really remember everyones reasons as to why it wouldnt be done, or maybe its cuz i was thinking of a small production run of em by agd

[athomas]

It should be past the patent age now. Even if it was within the patent time frame, it's hard to enforce a patent violation if its not a production product. For AGD, it wouldn't be worth it for a small run. They would have to make a large production run for it to be worth while. They would have to produce the X-valve front but cut like a classic at the back.

Someone would have to measure and cut one on a mill for it to be done, I suspect. As a project it would be nice, but not profitable unless someone was willing to pay way too much for it. The regulator is less complicated than the front section is why the back section had so many aftermarket copies made.

[OPBN]

I wonder if rather than milling it to cap it, it could just be milled with a solid rear? Does the valve need the volume of the cavity the cap creates on a stock valve?

[hill160881]

Now I see the reason for your question.

[OPBN]

Overall plan would be to have a fore grip with dual regs, one mid range, one lp. Mid range would be used to feed the valve, the LPR to feed the EP. Dream would be to have a custom rail milled that would allow for a bottom input to the valve with line running in the rail from the fore grip back.

[athomas]

I wonder if rather than milling it to cap it, it could just be milled with a solid rear? Does the valve need the volume of the cavity the cap creates on a stock valve?

No, the valve does not need the volume in the rear section. You have a great idea. Why bother with the complicated milling of the threaded area.

[hill160881]

You may need some sort of a cap do to access when milling but I am not sure as I am no machinist.

[athomas]

I think the layout of the classic valve is such that all milling can all be done from the front or side if the back section is not needed.

[BiNumber3]

In which case you should be able to make it even shorter id think
Although making the airline above the on/off i think would still need to come from behind, though that might be just need a small plug at the rear
I figure you could make said airline, and then make a 1/8th hole that would link the airline with the air input, so u'd just need a single plug at the back

[redlaser666]

This sound like a great Idea!
You could make it with just a lathe actually.

If you use an xvalve powertube all you would need to manufacture is a volume chamber with a spot for the on/off and following that a place for your air input.

If done on a lathe you would be doing 1 threading operation in the front, 2 boring operations (one for the volume chamber and one for the on/off port) and 3 or 4 drilling operations for the passages. The air input and the retaining bolt threads can be hand tapped.

Most of this could be done in 3 or 4 setups in a minilathe.

[OPBN]

In which case you should be able to make it even shorter id think
Although making the airline above the on/off i think would still need to come from behind, though that might be just need a small plug at the rear
I figure you could make said airline, and then make a 1/8th hole that would link the airline with the air input, so u'd just need a single plug at the back

I wouldnt want it much shorter as I would want the option of having the air inlet on the bottom and there would need to be room for some sort of hole milled for a screw to mount the valve to the rail and/or frame.

[Hobbez]

Years ago, I took a classic valve to a local machinist who did a lot of work for the railroad I was working for at the time. I inquired about replicating it in aluminum and the estimate per piece was so high, that you might as well just buy an X. He said the only way cost would be reasonable is if he could make a couple hundred of them. But, this was years ago and he was a hand-work only type of guy. Nothing computer controlled in his whole shop.

I know that other thread is going on about this over the in the paintball talk section, but while I'd love to have a lower cost alternative to the X-valve, I don't think it can be done (affordably) unless a large company takes it and puts them into regular production.