Grand daughter took exception to me packing tire mounting lube around bead broken rim to get the sidewalls to seal out back of the shop last time. Didn't say nuthin to me but apparently did her momma. After hearing some banging on the front door from the FedEx man, I looked out seeing a box on the porch. Kind of generic labeling on the box but heavy so carried it around and set it in the pickup as I have several items on order arriving today. Opened the box and it's a "bead blaster" for seating tires. I did not order this but a quick text to daughter revealed what happened. 10 gallon size and albeit seemingly a bit heavy, it will find use around here.
Wear ear plugs when using.....I SAID USE EARPLUGS WHEN USING !
I heard you the second time.....
I can testify about wearing hearing protection for that!
I put shin pads on when using my homemade one and yes ear protection. lol
Eyes. Use glasses, the dust they shoot all over is worse than the noise. With slight modification they make great portable potato cannons as well . . .
Duly noted on the noise. Going to get use here shortly.
They can also be used to put out tiny oil well fires.
OOOH this! something for blasting pesky drones from the sky. We mentioned it in that thread.
Attack is as it sit's ? or jacking it up first ?
That did work pretty slick and I'll be glad to have it as time moves on. Rather than install the discharge, safety, pressure gauge, and fill valve using the supplied feminist approved teflon tape, I once again elected to use the more manly "Blue Monster" pipe dope. Don't know about you guys but I'm accustomed to gauges indicating in psi so installed a shop spare rather than the supplied gauge: I didn't have the lights on in the shop so not the best photo but I pressurized to 100psi: Checking for leaks with soap bubbles and it fails terribly. The safety valve will not seal, the 2"NPT ball valve leaks at the packing and the opposite end of the ball valve is distorted but a hardwood drift allowed rounding it out enough to thread in the discharge nozzle a couple turns. I talked to my daughter and it's an Amazon purchase and she forwarded me the info. They are shipping another and I should have it on Friday. There are fit and finish issues also but save to say quality control really needs attention.
You need more than 100 psi in order to get maximum range from your potatoes . . .
I raised the truck with a 30T air powered bottle jack. Both beads were broken loose but didn't need to ratchet strap the tire with this blaster.
Add a "Light Hydrocarbon" ....like hairspray....or ether....
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I saw a young guy once years ago open the valve wide open while not holding it worth a dam. It shot across their shop floor and crashed into the wall
Used one of these for years. They work great. Never ever considered ear protection. That might explain why I have to yell WHAT did you say? LOL
I've seen the OTC unit in person and it is nice but a lot of $$$ to purchase. Truck tire dealer has, (or had) one of them but I've not been in there in some time now. Don't think I'd seen it used however. It would seem not holding and balancing the weight of the tank would be a draw for the OTC style. Cheetah markets one with an aluminum tank and I'd wager that would be a lot lighter than this one which is heavy. Off and on today I've thought of mounting this to a hand truck with a 6' section of blast, or air hose and couplers for a ball valve allowing remote operation away from the tank. I don't think I have any 2" air line but know where I could get a small section if going this way. Air hose is more flexible and lighter than blast hose by far.
ratchet straps work. When I was at the tire shop in the 70's, the boss had a band thing that you pulled tight and inflated to pull it tighter.
I think everybody in IA class made "Spud Chuckers" at one time or another. PVC pipe, caps, hairspray, duct tape, and a BBQ igniter worked great for sending them out onto the ball diamonds. Hairspray was the fuel of choice for most and pretty neat to see. I had metal, and wood shop classes the same day when in high school. Same teacher so we knew each other quite well. Told him I wanted to cast a cannon like those on the USS Constitution as were studying the timeframe this warship was active against the "Barbary Pirates". I think he thought I was nuts but gave the authorization under stipulation I could build it, but remained school property as it was to be functional. For the shot it was to be chambered for tennis balls. Initial propellant charge was to be hairspray modeled from the spud guns of the day. Keep in mind these were the days teachers would actually teach a willing mind to learn the trades. I never knew the instructor's background until a bit later. From a history book that gave rough dimensions I set off making a wood blank in the lathe. From this blank came a cope and drag from green sand. Dozens of pots, pans, trays, and anything scrap aluminum was furnace melted in a graphite crucible that held about four gallons liquid. I cast that cannon in three pieces as didn't have enough capacity for a single pour. Only thing that differed much from the original was cast iron construction, and mine had a swinging rear loading door. The top, and bottom halves were "pinned" into position under hydraulic pressure. This thing was a bit over a hundred pounds and took a bit to get it chucked up for final turning. I'm not going to go into much detail on operation but just say the first time this was lit off, a flaming, smoking, and shredded tennis ball came out. A quick decision was made to rechamber for a baseball and this was done. The propellant was then changed for a more rapid and complete burn as the baseball only flew about 100' distant and we had over 10 times that distance to work with. Enter some DuPont #7 powder and a couple modifications to contain gasses utilizing them for propellant, and the next time we fired this thing off a couple times was it's last. The third shot with a capacity load of powder sent the baseball so far outside the confines of the school yard it was never found. You could actually see it traveling until it was out of sight and was still climbing. To the best of my knowledge it never was found. The teacher was on an aircraft carrier during WWII in the south pacific for most of the duration. He worked on aircraft catapults and knew a thing or two about chambering high pressure where you wanted, and how to contain it. The cannon did get cut up in a horizontal bandsaw and recast into ingots and nothing like that was allowed again. The teacher retired two years later and we remained friends till his passing in the early 1980's.
I don't think it would be as effective with a long blast hose. They work by having an instant blast with full pressure right now. You should put a 150 PSI gauge on it. Most shop air is 120 PSI but some shops go higher. The extra pressure could help with larger tires with bigger gaps.
I only had the 100psi gauge handy. Wanted the liquid filled to prolong the gauges life as they deplete quickly and an undampened gauge's bourdon tube movement won't take that too long. Next ones are for hydraulics and they are 3K-5K. My shop air is 155psi. It is regulated in several places such as the spray room is 90psi and most work stalls are 120psi.
I have a couple of those pneumatic bead sealers but one is compromised being several years old. I can't remember if they're Coats, or Bishamon as old and from the 70's. The other is just a rubber ring and works well but it needs lubed up or you'll not get it out after the bead seats on the rim. My rim clamp machine has a bead blaster built in so don't need them often, but sometimes they come in handy. I should add that I use ratchet straps a lot on truck tires but just as soon as a bead seats you need to pop that ratchet loose or you won't get it loose. As the tire inflates it has enough force to destroy that ratchet violently when it comes apart too.
Sheesh. Where was his sense of adventure lol.
In reality he was quite a different guy out of the classroom atmosphere than in. His pride and joy was a 66 GTO w/389 tri power he purchased new. I rebuilt the carbs once and we'd run around "cruising" the strip. I had my Barracuda, he the GTO, and his brother had a 69 GTX w/440. All were four speed cars. Lots of fun in those days when gas was .63 a gallon for 100 octane leaded premium! Regular gas was between .54, and .57 a gallon. That still cost a lot to run around when minimum wage was $1.75 an hour. I was a pump jockey, (no self serve in those days) and made a blistering $2.40hr so was in hi cotton for a few months. Always liked the midnight shift, so made $3.00 an hour there, but had my munchkin on the way and needed the money too.
No need for a gauge. Just hook it up and let it equalize with the shop air. Ive had one for many years that was made from an old tank that size. Slip a 3' pipe on there and it will launch a rat into orbit. Or a 16oz water bottle.
Did you notice the valve is a standard gas pump dispenser valve ? The tank looks allot like a propane tank as well.
I keep one next to the tire machine as mine does not have the blast ring. You have to be carefull, as soon as the tire catches, get off the fill. The ratchet strap get's stressed way beyond it's rating, and is very hard to unlatch under pressure.
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That's what I do with my portable tank carried in the pickup which is about the same size. I have a self locking chuck and just put it on the Schraeder valve and let it fill till equalization. I then put it off to the side or in the truck. That has about a 10gl receiver also.
According to Amazon, another has been shipped this morning. I was nice in my complaint expression and don't know if that was taken into account or not. The "issues" are not their fault, and it does seem the vendor is addressing promptly. Strange, but they don't want the original back which is probably a cost of shipping thing. No worries as I can repurpose around here such as tandem tanks if this is attached to an upright hand truck or cart, or one for the truck, and one for the shop. I really like the rolling hand truck idea and have several around here unused. I purchased a bunch of them a few years ago for Xmas gifts and not all were given away.
They never want the original back. I've wondered about why, and the only thing I can come up with is they will do everything possible to maintain positive reviews. The cost for them to give away one unit out of probably 50 or 100 is nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things for them. On a sidenote. Lucky, lucky to get one that you were able to complain about and get a second. The safety valve is about $20, and if you can't tighten the packing on the ball valve, a cheap ball valve is about $50, and you have two for the price of 1.5 maybe?
A note, if you use hairspray or other flammable fluids for a potato gun you have just allowed atf to ruin your life, so keep it with air only.
Why is that some sorta improvised weapon law?
Say what now?
If you use something flammable it turns the potato gun into a regulated firearm, I think destructive device.
I have a couple of the Bendix safety valves for semi truck tanks @150psi relief and will probably install one of those through a 90 degree turn as they are tall. Don't have a 2"NPT ball valve I know of, but will make purchase of one. Probably do the same with the pressure gauge through a 90* layover so it doesn't get snapped off also.
I didn't feel like I was breaking any laws. Along the lines of being not feeling "tardy". A three second spray of "Aqua Net" hair spray, (the cheap stuff) will ignite with a "whoosh" and garner a lot of competition among the young. Lots of entertainment too. Local grocery store donates the stuff every year. I asked the then shop instructor if I could serve as a technical representative. His response was "Well, uhh, NO"!!! Never have figured that one out as I taught his boys how to make fuel gas noisemakers that brought the cops around a couple times with my kids.
Something tells me this was quite a ways back into the 20th century, and it wasn't illegal then . . .
No, 2020 was the year so not that long ago. They still make spud guns every year. I'll ask if they still use the hair spray for propellant as don't know. Now the cannon, that was 1975 so yes, a while ago.
Around here Coyotes are always in season. If you hear a blast in the middle of the night, or high noon, the assumption is somebody got one of em. Damned hard on small game, animals, and chickens. Considered a nuisance. If you have a FOID card, you can shoot them 24/7. Cops just ask you report it so the patterns can be tracked. So far I've not seen a revocation, or suspension of this.
Anytime you propel a projectial with expansion of gas, it's a firearm, except when it's a replica of a 1896 or older model. I've never heard of anyone ever getting stuck with it but do you really trust this government with a felony especially when using compressed air is easy
Well my potato gun is a replica of a 1864 model used by Abe Lincoln him self for the forth or July picnic that year!
Then load that baby with some lead and party like it's 1776
Bringing up those Bendix safety valves got me to thinking I've not started my old Mack in a couple of years. I purchased new batteries on Saturday for the truck and installed the same. A mash of the starter button made the engine spin readily but couldn't get the truck to start. It's always been an easy starter too. Grabbing an adjustable wrench I removed the end cap covering the fuel rack finding it frozen in the fuel shut off position. Grabbing a pair of vice grip pliers I started massaging this rack for and aft in the pump body till it gave way floating easily. The engine fired right off afterward and I let it run about an hour or so to warm and stabilize without further problems. Going to do the same later today with it. With old "Krusty" nearing the end of service life, I'm going to get off my duff and get this one back road ready as have always liked the old girl.
That old Mack started and ran like it was running yesterday! Ran like a finely engineered piece of American machinery too for almost an hour. Yes, I'm into cheap thrills these days.
I forgot to update that I spoke with the industrial arts teacher late last week about the spud guns. They still use hair spray as the propellant and have a waiver for it's use in a training type atmosphere. Also limited in amount of charge allowed, (which is liberal) and they stay under. The waiver is written for a steel barrel where only PVC is used here.
Any victory with equipment is always good.
Waiver doesn't sound like the right word (more sound like a waiver in liability)
They certainly don’t have any wavier from the ATF but I certainly wouldn’t worry about it.
I cannot tell you if the correct word or not but it is the verbiage relayed when I asked. There has always been a parental form to sign for participation and maybe this is what was being referenced? I can't say for certain.
Went into the somewhat local "Menard's" home improvement store today to purchase a few things including a couple of 1/4"NPT ball valves, 1/4"NPT90* street elbows, and 200psi back mount glycerin filled pressure gauge(s). This would be for the bead blaster tank(s) which the replacement should arrive tomorrow. I'm going to lay the pressure relief valves, and fill port ball valves over 90* to lessen their protrusion height from the tank. As we know the pressure gauge installed earlier is of insufficient capacity and bottom mount. By utilizing a back mount style pressure gauge, protrusion height will be lessened considerably. By incorporating these changes, the tool should be more conducive to rough handling. Given I'm going to retain the original blaster tank I purchased a second ball valve of which the original was leaking. I've found the spare 150psi Bendix relief valve(s) and will build it up the same way. When installing the original supplied ball valve into the tank fill port, it snapped off before tight. This prompted the redesign strategy. The floor is level here and you and you can see the leg has a gap on the left side of the photo: A little hard to see but the lifting bale is welded to the tank at a slight angle from parallel to the sidewalls: I don't look a gift horse in the mouth and am very happy to have this, and the replacement assemblies. Just relaying what I've found and will work with. If this doesn't get mounted to a hand truck, I'll either split, or knock a bend into the leg on it's right side to drop the gap till closure against the floor. Then will probably bond a rubber strip across the bottom of both legs to lessen the chances of it sliding, or rattling around in the truck bed as these things will be. Regardless, good enough for who it's for. Thanks,
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Those certainly look nice and would be fitting in a full time service operation. I wonder how well the pistol grip and valve hold up to cold weather operation and the rough handing they would surely endure by employees?
FedEx strikes again. Replacement tank was supposed to arrive yesterday and didn't. I sent a "problem with order" filing and the feed shows up this evening "Expected by 21 February". Tracking shows FedEx picked up the package on 8 February.
FedEx sucks!
Consistently!!
Our fedex is much better since Speed Racer lost it on glare ice, centerpunched a 20" oak tree and got his arse fired....they did overlook the 54 in a 25 ticket he got a month before.. Ed
I am not sure about the cold but the handle and trigger have held up great under ruff use.
A good portion of the FedEx, and Amazon delivery drivers are operating out of a dilapidated vehicle of some sort. Usually a van that is either leased, or rented. Several have no markings on them, or a magnetic sign to easily move from vehicle to vehicle. Driver's are always under the gun and pressed for time. Sent off a message to the vendor of the tank asking if the replacement was found damaged in shipment prior to delivery? Probably won't receive a reply but in reality won't use them again. I've certainly had a recent rash of problems that have all been shipping related. So much easier to make purchases of things before e-commerce was the "normal" we live with today.
I did receive a response from the seller. They issued a refund for the full amount? I don't know where this was lost in translation but it is what it is. I'll have to ask my daughter to keep an eye out for the refund however she paid for it. I suppose at this writing they have donated me a tank with a couple of defective ancillary items and some shoddy craftsmanship in fit and finish; all easily addressed through local purchase. I'm going to look into that "Bead Bazooka" as really like the functionality of it.