Using paintball tank for pressurized CO2

[brendan]

Has anyone ever tried hooking up their paintball CO2 canister to a regulator and using that instead of the huge scuba sized tanks most people use? Does anyone know where you'd get a regulator that would fit a small tank like the ones used on paintball guns?

TIA

 

[RogerMcAllen]

From what I have read I think that it is possible to do it, but since it requires some specialty equpitmen(such as the regulator you are looking for) it is cheaper to just buy/use a full sized tank. I have no idea where you would get the necessary parts.

 

[madasafish]

That (20oz?) tank wouldn't last you terribly long, anyway. And yes, the regulator would cost a lot more than the Milwaukee all-in-one. You could conceivably get an adaptor to connect the out on the tank to the in on the Milwaukee, but I wouldn't mess around with adaptors there, at that high pressure.

I'd say get a 5 or 10 lb CO2 tank...

 

[malkore]

Correct. You'll spend about $75 to get an adaptor for a paintball tank that'll let you hook up a proper regulator...which is another $80. Plus you run into the issue of CO2 refills. Paintball stores here charge $7 for a 20oz refill. My welding shop charged $17 for a 5lb. fill, $20 for a 10lb fill. And most welding places will NOT refill paintball tanks.

You'd be better off taking the $75 for the first adapter, and just buying/putting a deposit on a 5 or 10lb cylinder from a welding supply shop, getting a milwaukee regulator, and saving money by not paying paintball store refill prices.

 

[rubysoho]

also, you need to make sure the place you are going to weighs the canister before and after the fill up. My buddy had his overfilled and it definitly "exploded" and the O-ring was completely gone, etc...

 

[malkore]

Ouch! Yeah it goes without saying, that a qualified person should always fill your tanks. The welding shop here actually only charges $10 for the CO2...there's a $5 "Hazzardous material handling" fee, plus tax, which makes a 5lb fill about $17.53. That did last me 10 months though

 

[brendan]

Let me clear some things up. The reason why I am using the paintball canister is because the tank is currently in my bed room, of which is not overly big, therefore I'm trying to minimize the size of the setup. Secondly I own a 20lbs tank in the garage so that eliminates the problem of paying $7 a fill for the 20oz. Thirdly the regulators I am looking at are the same ones that are used in bars and restuarants for coke, which go for about $40 on ebay. In addition, an adapter for the paintball canister sells for $9.99 (I've used one before on a DIY paintball fill station). I'm about half way there in terms of figuring this thing out and when I do I'll post instructions and links to where the necessary items can be acquired.

Here's what the paintball adapter looks like. All that is needed is the proper brass fittings to connect it to the regulator.

http://www.canadianpaintball.com/main/access/fitting.htm