Post by CantoXII on Jul 19, 2010 20:14:17 GMT -6
How To: Can of 134a For Under $5.00
Transferring gas is really simple. First, go to CompUSA, Best Buy, Meijers, WalMart or anywhere else where they sell some sort of compter products. Pick up a can of PC duster gas. It will either contain tetrafluoroethane (which is what HFC 134a is) or difluoroethane. In my own tests, I've found that diflouoethane puts out just a little bit more power than tetraflouroethane, but more importantly, doesn't suffer from cool down as much. I just paid 4.79 for a can of tetrafluoroethane from meijers that is the same size as my can of 134a. When you get home, grab some pliers or a screw driver and pop off the big plastic nozzle assembly. You'll be left with the plastic tip of a valve that looks like what we use for airsoft, only slightly bigger. Unfortunately, the valve is too big to use to fill your mags, and that's why you have to transfer it to an airsoft specific can.
First, put the empty can that you are going to be transferring to in the freezer. Basic physics and gas dynamics dictates that gas will flow from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. Dropping the temperature a can lowers the pressure in it. The place that I got this method from said that you could heat the can of duster in some hot water to make a better transfer, but I wouldn't do it. If you do want to try that, don't blame me for blowing yourself up.
home.comcast.net/~wlott112123mi/boom0001.AVI is a video of various things blowing up, and the third one is a nearly empty can of HFC 134a. You don't want that to happen in your kitchen.
While your empty can is cooling, you'll have to trim down the inside of the plastic nozzle. There are two studs sticking up on the inside walls of the nozzle, and those will let all of the gas escape out the sides without going into the empty can. Just take a sharp knife and twirl it around in there until the studs are gone near the top. When you get that trimmed and your empty can is nice and chilled, quickly place the nozzle of the duster can on top of the nozzle of the empty can (so the duster can is upside down and on top of the empty can). Push down hard enough to open both valves on both cans, and hopefully get a tighter seal. You should have to do this two or three times before you empty the duster can and fill the airsoft can because the duster can will cool down with the pressure drop and the airsoft can will warm up in the warmer air. You may also have to adjust the angle of the nozzles to get the best seal. You're bound to lose some gas, but not a whole lot.
Before you go jamming the two cans together though, you can add that bit of silicone lubricant that a can of airsoft gas will have in it. Get yourself some RC shock oil that is between 10 and 30 weight if you don't have it already. Every can of duster should come with a little red straw that affixes to the spray nozzle so you can direct the flow between keys. Take this straw and dip one end in lube. Then, let it drip into the valve of the empty can. Do this before every time you dump the duster gas into the airsoft can and you've got it pretty well lubed. You can do it more often if you want to, it really won't hurt unless you have 3/4 of a can of gas and 1/4 of a can of lube. At that point, you've over done it.
Good luck and happy shooting.
- Courtesy of Knief; Team HellFish.
