So backstory I used to play ALOT of paintball, worked for the local field, traveled the country playing, referred for NPPL(National Professional Paintball League) and repaired paintball guns. So I’m quite experienced with compressed air(4500psi) and CO2 as well as pneumatic operated toys that operate at extremely high pressure. Well at the field once we had a small build out in the back end of the 30 acre facility and no power to run a compressor so one of the guys rigged up a paintball tank to a regulator and bam we were nailing. This was oh somewhere around 2002 or so, Well I came across a bunch of my old gear and got to thinking about wiping up a setup for myself as I have 2 68ci 4500psi and 6 20oz CO2 tanks… so I started looking at my old goto sites for paintball gear to find a regulator and a high pressure air line… then Google got me searching “CO2 powered nail guns” and I came across this: http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/09/hot-or-not-portable-compressed-co2-regulatortank-for-nailers/
Please take note of the 5th Comment, I chuckled a little.
I still plan to make my little rig and when I do Ill post how well it performs ie shots per fill, air vs CO2, CO2 is very temperature sensitive and will take note of the temp on those days.
If you check out Brian Way @brian_bpway on instagram, he has posted his setup that uses a CO2 tank for small amounts of trim where he doesn’t want to haul a compressor to. His whole setup fits into a systainer. He says hes been using it for 12 years or so.
He would be a cool person to do a feature or interview with for the site @ToolGuyd
Something I have always wondered about. Is it possible to take the dewalt 20v framing nailer and modify it to a paintball gun / air soft. Making a cordless battery operated paintball gun / air soft? Yes, I know it would not necessarily fire as fast. But it would be soooooo cool. Not to mention cheaper in the long run no canisters to replace.
Well I know little about airsoft but do know there are a lot of battery powered options out there so find a way to run one with your Dewalt battery, would love to see it!!! As for a paintball gun most take a 9v battery to power a small control board that then controls a pneumatic solenoid to cycle the shot of air. Trigger pull hits a micro switch> control board tells solenoid “open”> air is then sent to push a ram to open a popit valve> popit expells xxxpsi out of the bolt> from the bolt air expands to propel paintball out of barrel> control board tells solenoid “close” while blowback returns the ram and all that happens in about 1/30 of a second that’s the basics of a “stacked tube” design, then there is the spool valve design but thats a bit more complicated to explain, So if you can find a better way with a battery you just got yourself a multi million dollar invention… Just know that you have to make that battery powered gun cycle at least 20 times a second and propell the ball 300 feet per second, oh and it’s gotta be able to shoot at least 2000 shots per charge.
I gotta believe he’s got it figured out somehow. He a very skilled craftsman and full time installer, as well as an inventor partnered with FastCap now.
i just happened to see your forum on this. It exists - Airbow Framing Nailer just been released in New Zealand using paintball cylinder (4500psi) - with Concrete gun & Finishing gun to follow apparently. No battery, motor, electronics - just air. A unique valve system allows it to fire and re-cock immediately.
300 x 90mm Framing nails per fill on this so I imagine the finishing gun will do a heck of alot more.
Am I wrong in thinking a CO2 powered nailer would be easier to carry out repairs in high places, or delicate situations, where every pound you carry matters? I know Air Compressor based Pneumatic is cheaper, and Battery powered is lighter… but am I wrong in thinking the CO2 system is meant to fit into this system somewhere sensible?
'Cause it makes sense to me. Until the original poster asked this question, I honestly had never thought this WASN’T a common tool. I thought the pros, or specialists of some sort, did this all the time. Am I wrong?
When I was looking at the CO2 idea back when I posted a few years ago - I had some reservations about safety.
When we carried welding gasses on one of our stake trucks - the cylinders (of course lager than a paintball cylinder) - were standing up and chained in place. The idea was that a regulator failure would not turn the cylinder into a torpedo-like projectile - and any gas escape would be out into the atmosphere - not into the vehicle.
While the probability of a CO2 cylinder regulator failure might be low - transporting one in the trunk of your car or inside your van - could have bad consequences if it did fail. CO2 liquid stored in the cylinder could over pressurize it - especially if left in a van/car parked in the sun. Maybe I’m overly cautious, but escaping CO2 in your van or car could be life threatening event. I know that they cylinders we are talking about for use with pneumatic tools are relatively small - but I’d want to see some more testing and data before I’d transport them in my van - without the windows being open - with my head up where incoming fresh air could displace escaping CO2 - that’s heavier than air.